Sounds about right, although I'd guess most drivers haven't actually been punched in the face
And the police advice at the end is chocolate teapot sort of stuff
'Dangerous' drug deals and 'horrible' sex pests - life as a taxi driver in Yorkshirehttps://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/loc ... x-31926450Father-of-five Phillip has spoken of the most unsettling times while driving his taxi - and some outright dangerous onesA taxi driver in a Yorkshire seaside town has opened up about ‘dangerous, horrible’ incidents on the road involving drug deals, sex pests and violent criminals.
Phillip Pearce drives full-time to support his five children. He works in Saltburn, North Yorkshire, and covers the surrounding towns along the coast in the Tees Valley area.
Phillip says that “95 per cent” of his passengers are pleasant to deal with – but has spoken out about some of the unsettling scenarios taxi drivers face all too regularly on the job. The 55-year-old says he has unknowingly been involved in drug deals, people have had sex in his car, and he’s even been attacked while he was at the wheel.
Phillip said: “As a taxi driver you have a problem with druggies and drug dealers. They get in your car and get you to go all around the area, different areas all the time. They’re not nice people.
“I’ve had to travel to places where they’ve been to collect the drugs. I don’t know what I’m doing because it’s only a job I’ve been told to do. You fall straight into it all the time.
“It makes me feel very uncomfortable – because I’ve had it before where they’ve asked me if I wanted to take cocaine and things like that. It’s irritating when they do it.
Phillip said he makes sure to report these instances as soon as possible. He then recounted an incident where two people had sex in the backseat of his car. The father-of-five said: “I’ve had two people having sex in the back as well which wasn’t nice. I was driving the car and the two got into the back. He started doing things to the girl in the back, and then he put his hand across my side while I was driving and put his hand in my face. It was horrible. It is a very dangerous job. She whispered in my ear that she was the most hated person in Guisborough – that’s what she said to me.”
Phillip says the scariest moment came about after a man and woman got into his car in Redcar. He says the man grabbed him from behind while he was behind the wheel and driving.
He said: “I was outside the Vauxhall Garage in Redcar once. It was a fare. Somebody opened my door, punched me in the face and tried to grab my wages. He was trying to rob me while I was trying to drive. I was glad to get out of it. That was the worst thing that’s happened to me.”
The driver said he reported the incident to the police – but says due to the bulk of the cameras in the area not working, there was insufficient evidence to progress the case against his attacker.
Cleveland Police commented on the wider issue of taxi driver safety. The force issued a statement on advice taxi drivers should follow when they find themselves in a dangerous situation.
A police spokesperson said: "General advice would be that taxi drivers should seek advice from their employer/Manager/industry bodies on what to do if passengers’ behaviour is unacceptable, dangerous or illegal and they should also be able to access guidance on their own personal safety while at work. If their vehicle contains internal CCTV, drivers could also remind passengers that there is a camera in the vehicle, should their behaviour become concerning.
"Any crimes should be reported immediately to the police force in whose area the incident has taken place; we understand drivers may be reluctant to lose work time by speaking to police but by contacting them as soon as possible it means valuable accounts and potential evidence can be gathered without delay."
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