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PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:17 am 
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For what it's worth, seems there's a recording of the converstation on the Sentinel's website, but I couldn't get it to load. But there's a transcript below, and it's quite short, so doubt if I'm missing much :-o


'We've never taken drugs in our lives' - Taxi passenger's fury as cabbie says he looks like heroin and crack cocaine addict on way to chemist

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/st ... es-3537646

Wayne Murphy is calling for Intercity driver to lose his licence over 'rude' comments

Image
Image: Stoke Sentinel

A married couple were left gobsmacked after a 'rude' taxi driver told them they looked like 'heroin and crack cocaine addicts' as he drove them to the chemist.

Wayne Murphy and his wife had booked a cab with Hanley-based Intercity.

As they made their way from their address in Abbey Hulton to Milton they were staggered when their driver questioned them over taking drugs.

Reeling in shock, Wayne then quizzed the cabbie about his derogatory 'druggie' comments while his wife, aged 33, secretly recorded the conversation on her mobile phone.

In the recording the taxi driver can be heard replying: "It's only because I thought you wouldn't take offence. It's a lesson learnt for me. I'm sorry."

Wayne, aged 43, said: "We've been using Intercity for seven years and never had a problem.

"We were picked up as usual and on the journey the driver just said: 'Can I just say one thing to you guys?'. That's when he turned around and told us we look like crack cocaine and heroin users.

"He said he just wanted to know if we take drugs and that he wanted to know so he could tell his kids not to use them.

"We started recording and asked: 'Why did you call us drug addicts, mate?'. There was just no call for it.

"We don't even look like drug addicts. I think he was just trying to get a reaction. It was pure nastiness.

"Me and my wife have never touched drugs in our lives. It's really knocked my wife's confidence. She's struggling with her mental health at the moment.

"He's not our regular taxi driver. We've never seen him before. My wife's so upset she won't get in a taxi anymore."

Furious Wayne called Intercity to lodge a complaint and has contacted Stoke-on-Trent City Council which licences cabbies.

Wayne, who is a trained plasterer, added: "The taxi firm has told us that he was very sorry but I believe he should be reprimanded and have his licence taken away.

"You shouldn't speak to a customer in a taxi and call them drug addicts. Nobody's ever spoken to me like that. There can be no explanation for being so rude even if we were drug addicts.

"We will certainly never use Intercity again. I can cope with this sort of thing but my wife can't."

Intercity general manager Mike Gittens says he believes the matter has been resolved.

He said: "As with all complaints we have spoken to the driver who says it was a misunderstanding.

"If he has made those comments then it is completely unacceptable. As far as we were concerned, the customer was quite happy with our handling of the incident.

"The complaint will lie on the driver's file and if we receive any further issues he will be dealt with."


    Here's a transcript of the taxi conversation:

    Wayne: "Answer me one question before I get out of the taxi... why did you actually say, don't take this the wrong way, but you've been on drugs."

    Taxi driver: "It's only because I thought you might not take offence."

    Wayne: "Yeah but you don't call someone druggies or drug-users if you don't know them, do you? That's what hurt me."

    Taxi driver: "It's a lesson learnt for me."

    Wayne's wife: "It is because we could have took it all a different way, yeah right, and reacted a whole lot differently."

    Taxi driver: "Yeah"

    Wayne: "But for your information, no, I'm not a druggie and a drug-user."

    Taxi driver: "And nor am I. I'm sorry."

Image
Image: Stoke Sentinel


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 11:31 am 
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He does a bit! But seriously, a stupid thing to say but he never actually called then anything just asked them, he then goes on to apologise. Storm in a teacup.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:42 pm 
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Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:27 pm
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StuartW wrote:

Wayne, who is a trained plasterer, added: "The taxi firm has told us that he was very sorry but I believe he should be reprimanded and have his licence taken away.


So you want him reprimanded AND have his licence taken away?
Well you have had your 15 minutes of fame now.
I bet the rest of the drivers in the area will be queuing up to take him now knowing that anything they say will get reported.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 12:50 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:30 pm
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A cabby makes a remark that maybe he shouldn't have, then almost immediately gives an apology.

But this punter isn't happy with that, he wants to make the cabby suffer by reporting him to the world.

Methinks the punter needs to get a f***ing life, rather than the free cab rides he is really after. [-X

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