Taxi Driver Online

Taxi licence veto after racial slur conviction

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/taxi-l ... -1-4784091

A Fife woman was refused a first time taxi licence at a regulation and licensing committee meeting after she was convicted of using a racial slur.

Miss Kelly Nicol, of 27 Lansdowne Crescent, Kincardine pleaded guilty of using a racial slur towards a bouncer in June after being asked to leave a bar for having consumed too much alcohol.

In support, her manager, Shahzad Arshad, at her current job as a floor supervisor of a Spar shop wrote a character statement, saying: “Kelly has been employed for two years and hasn’t used discriminatory language to customers or staff.”

Miss Nicol said that she couldn’t remember the night in question due to how much alcohol she had consumed and that her lawyer had advised her to plead guilty to the offence.

When asked by the councillors if she believed herself to be guilty of the offence she replied, “no, but because I can’t remember the event, I can’t say for sure”.

“Saying you won’t be drunk isn’t an excuse. I need you to convince me to give you a licence.”

Her mother, Angeline Nicol, who was there in support said: “It was totally out of character for her. Drink isn’t an excuse, but she pleaded guilty as she was advised to.

“She’s not racist, she’s dated people from different backgrounds and isn’t judgemental. She treats everyone the same – if she gets a licence she’ll work for me and treat people the same, regardless of their background.”

Police Scotland representative Sergeant McMillan said that there had been two witnesses to the incident, who reported that Miss Nicol had used the racial slur twice.

Councillor Jane Ann Liston said she was worried Miss Nicol might lose her temper in a similar situation if she was dealing with a difficult customer and asked: “Have you thought seriously about how you might deal in a difficult situation?”

Miss Nicol replied: “I would deal with it like I deal with people in my shop – I would be polite and calm. There’s lots of things you can do.”

Miss Nicol was refused a taxi licence after the council decided she was not a fit and proper person to hold one with eight councillors supporting the motion.

really one very minor conviction and she's not fit and proper but people with convictions for kidnapping, burglary affray are deemed fit and proper by some councils

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

On A sliding Scale of crime anything perceived of being of a Racial or Diversity nature seems to trump all other crimes...no matter how heinous the other crimes might be.

It's an establishment thing where Trendy PC Ideals outweigh the true severity of crime.

I think the fact that she was a first applicant is important.

She has to convince them she is fit and proper, and bearing in mind the racist incident was less than two months ago I'm not surprised councilors took that view.

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IDFIMH