Taxi Driver Online

Cabbie quits weekend shift because of yobs

A CARLISLE cabbie is blaming the city’s drunken yob culture for forcing him off the roads on Saturday nights. Keith Dorrance has quit the lucrative weekend shift after enduring abuse at the hands of drunks.

And he claims others are preparing to do the same after suffering a catalogue of anti-social incidents from both men and women.

They include:

i) Women urinating on cab seats;

ii) Fighting in taxi rank queues;

iii) A cabbie being punched in the neck;

iv) Arguments over fares

v) People jumping out of taxis to avoid paying;

vi) Drunken clubbers walking in front of traffic.

Mr Dorrance, 47, of Kingstown, decided to stop working Saturday nights four weeks ago after a trouble-laden shift. He said: “I’d had one of those nights where there was a constant stream of bother and I decided enough was enough. It just isn’t worth it.

“Drink changes people so much. You can have dreadfully behaved people in the cab one night, swearing and arguing over the price of the fare, and in the days after find out they’re a solicitor. “This is far from being exclusively a working class problem.”

Fighting at taxi ranks is also a safety worry for drivers. Mr Dorrance said: “It is a problem that needs serious attention before someone is very badly injured or even killed. ” “The same is true with pedestrians walking in front of traffic like they’re invincible. They just don’t seem to be aware of the dangers.”

Drunken women have twice urinated in the cabbie’s vehicle, forcing him off the road and ruining his night. “It costs me a lot of money in both lost earnings and to ensure the cab is hygienic enough to pick up fares again,” he added.

“It is the same when people are sick in the taxi. By law, we can charge passengers for incidents like these, but you have to ask yourself how wise it is to demand money from these people when they’re barely, or obviously not at all, in control of their senses.”

Although Mr Dorrance, who has been driving taxis for 18 months, has not personally suffered any violence, he was tired of running the risk of being targeted.

He is now having to drive wagons to make up his lost earnings – an option not available to most other cabbies. Mr Dorrance said: “Many of them have families to feed, so what can they do? We’re only out there to make a living and shouldn’t have to put up with such loutish and intimidating behaviour.”

Another driver claimed he was attacked outside a city nightclub after telling a man he could not wait any longer to leave and he punched him in the neck – with police standing in full view.

Wayne Casey, of Carlisle Taxi Association, believes Saturday night trouble is not as bad as when he started driving in 1988 and that problems are the same across the country.

He said: “It is a difficult job at that time of night and I can sympathise with what is being said. It is a sad state of affairs when people have to work through this on a Saturday night to make up their earnings.”

Cumbria Police yesterday said they were not aware of any “noticeable” upsurge in incidents – verbal or physical – against taxi drivers in Carlisle.

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IDFIMH

For the first time in six months I can generaly agree with the captain

I suspect that in most places it's worse than 1988 though.

But I didn't think he worked Saturday night anyway, so perhaps that's why he's out of touch. But if he has his way he'll be forcing others to do what he and many others don't think they should have to do themselves.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

It's an even sadder state of affairs when the NTA, T&G et al thinks some should be forced to work these hours because the owners need their cars double shifted, and the drivers have to pay inflated rentals, so less of the hypocrisy please

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

As someone who hasn't worked late on a Saturday for a while I couldn't possibly comment.

But then I don't support a policy that makes drivers work nights and have to put up with all this s***.

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IDFIMH

Yes, I prefer that drivers choose their own hours, not have them chosen for them by the plate cartels.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

So when you get your half a cab, you will work dayshifts only? What about your partner?

I always thought the Captain didn't work nights? I suppose someone keeps him informed?

Three cheers for the Captain. lol

Regards

JD

Cap doesn't keep it a secret that he has his own setup in Carlisle. How many vehicles he has on his system I don't know but I'm sure he won't mind me saying that he has blinkered views nationally and not so blinkered views locally. He will know what I mean when I say that.

For arguments sake lets just say nationally he has to keep up apearances, while locally, he can present a different view.

I hope you can decipher that? lol

How many miles he travels in his capacity as NTA spokesman I don't know but I do know he always takes his golf clubs with him, just in case he meets up with a one armed golfer.

I won't divulge if I was or wasn't at the meeting but I am looking for the Asian guy who bought a plate for over 40 grand because I have a little proposition to put to him that might net him and his relations 20 free plates , so if you see him before I do? Tell him I need to speek to him.

Regards

JD

Ah ha! whats this then? Unmet demand in a de-restricted area?

I'll let you into a little secret JD, and I'm sure Mr Cab won't mind me posting this, the Captain nows owns and drives his own cab, and thats it.

He's still on a radio, but certainly does'nt own any fleet.

I wasn't aware of that but I appreciate you telling me. I know the Cap at one time did have his own setup because it has been mentioned several times on TDO. I hope he got a fair price for the business thats all I can say.

Regards

JD

I hope no one from Trafford reads this . They might just lynch you . streetcar .

lol They might at that, but it just shows how vulnerable authorities like Trafford really are.

I have no doubt that 90% of the posters who said they were from Trafford..weren't actually from Trafford.

Every poster bar onya was on AOL. Even Onya might not have been from Trafford but at least he was from the North West. So that tells a story in itself.

We all know that Mr T is on AOL and also Mr Cummings et all. For those who don't know AOL do not have IP addresses that resolve to a particular address. AOL in the main use proxy servers so it is nigh on impossible to track an IP to one particular address. What you can do is track an IP to a bank of addresses and then block that particular bank. However you may block someone who is completely innocent of any mischief so you have to compromise your decision.

If it was left to me I would block all AOL addresses but fortunately for some that decision is out of my hands. lol

You don't have to have much of a brain to realise that those people who spout nonsense are only here to disrupt this forum. I think the so called Trafford Fraternity have excelled themselves in that department.

Regards

JD

But then again when the trade has magistrates like this, the one has to wonder why anyone works late.

http://www.teesdalemercury.co.uk/teesda ... y,988.html

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IDFIMH