Taxi Driver Online

Bolton News.

October 25, 2006 Wednesday

HEADLINE: Fare row girls are locked in taxi cab

BYLINE: Saiqa Chaudhari

TWO teenage girls say they were taken on a terrifying journey by a cab driver who locked them in his vehicle and refused to let them out for 90 minutes.

Melissa Wheeler and Lauren Connor, both aged 18, hailed a black cab to take them home to Kearsley after a night out in Bury Town Centre. But when they told the driver they could not pay the fare until they got cash from their parents, they claim he kept them prisoner in his cab as he drove around.

Police and licensing chiefs at Bury council are now investigating the incident, on Saturday. Melissa, who works in a pub, said: "When we arrived at my house we told him he would get paid, but he would have to take Lauren home and she would get the money from her mum.

"He then said he was taking us back to Bury, but started to drive to Farnworth. We did not know where we going. We were both absolutely terrified." Melissa said the cab stopped briefly at Moses Gate but the two were locked in the taxi as the driver spoke to other cab drivers.

Beauty therapist, Lauren, used her mobile phone to call her mother, Lesley, from the cab. She said: "I was telling my mum I did not know where he was taking us. I was really scared. "I was telling her the places we were going through and landmarks we were passing and she was trying to follow the directions in her car."

Eventually the taxi driver pulled up in Bradshawgate, Bolton, and Lauren's mum pulled up behind the cab minutes later. The taxi driver demanded £35 and Mrs Connor called her husband Roy to settle the fare.

Mr Connor said: "I am not naive enough to think people don't jump out of cabs without paying, but one was being dropped off first and then the other. If they were going to avoid paying then they would have got out together.

"Why did the taxi driver drive them around for an hour-and-a-half and not take them back to Bury?" Melissa's mum, Beverley, added: "Lauren's mum was frantic hearing her daughter screaming. It is a call no parent wants to get.

"The girls were honest with him and said he would get paid. Instead he drove them around for an hour-and-a-half which was costing him money." The girls' parents have now contacted Bury Council who are responsible for licencing the town's taxi drivers.

licensing authority.

A Bury Council spokesman said: "The licensing department has received a complaint regarding the incident on Saturday evening and is currently working closely with police carrying out an investigation."

A police spokesman confirmed they were investigating the girl's allegations."
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Another tale when we only hear half the story.

But why didn't these ladies have the money to get them home?

Why didn't they ask the driver before they got in the car?

Why didn't the mum go and pick them up, or ring their local taxi/PH firm to go pick them up?

Would these ladies go into M&S or a restaurant without means to pay for anything?

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IDFIMH

quite right, how many runners have left with the parting words "I'LL JUST GO AND GET YOUR MONEY?" having said that the driver appears to have reacted over the top, i never have a problem in that situation as long as they leave their Mobile Phone, Watch etc. It's all down to experience and playing it by ear, usually you can tell the genuine ones, well i think so anyway, i've only lost 2 runners in 27 years, lucky maybe?

And that's why I drive by these people every time, because if your going to get bother or story's on how they've no money (having just spent £60 that night on going out), you can bet your bottom dollar it will be a female.

I operate a 'couples' only door policy.

must have been a quiet night if he could afford to waste a hour and a half with those two on board.

UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Lancashire

November 3, 2006 Friday

BYLINE: Bury Times Reporter

DATELINE: Bury Times

A TAXI boss has fired a warning shot at fare dodgers after one of his drivers picked up two passengers in Bury town centre who had no money to pay.

Charles Oakes, chairman of the Bolton Hackney Association, spoke out after the cabbie was accused of locking two teenage girls in his vehicle for 90 minutes because they could not pay.

Mr Oakes said the passengers had exaggerated the situation and claims the problem of fare dodging is on the increase.

"Getting into a cab with no money could be considered as unlawfully obtaining services.

"In these situations if we do not get our fare and the police deem it a civil matter then we will issue proceedings in the civil courts.

"That might not be cost-effective but I will do it on principle, otherwise people will think they can get away with it."

He added: "It would not happen in any other service industry

- people would not turn up at a restaurant or hotel without money."
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People spend 50-60 quid on a night out and then want to knock the cab driver, it get's on my nerves.
When I go out I always make sure I have enough left for the cab fare home.

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stressed controller!!!

Ambiguous law makes for bad law.

A person gets in your cab knowing they have no money, they don't tell you they haven't got any money until you get them to their destination. Do you let them out of the cab to go in the house or do you take them to the nearest police station, assuming you know where the nearest police station is?

Technically the person hasn't committed an offence until such time they try and deprive you of the fare? If the person comes back and says I'm sorry I don't seem to have any money in the house but if you come back tomorrow I shall pay you what I owe you, then that could be interpreted as not trying to deprive you of your fare.

On the other hand if you lock someone in your cab and drive them all over the place looking for a solution to your problem you could end up breaking more laws than you realise.

This is yet another reason why we need clear and unambiguous legislation.

Regards

JD

I am led to believe that just recently quite near you a driver has been convicted of kidnap or abduction .. because he took his passenger to the police station ..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

A driver has already been convicted of kidnap. I think we highlighted the case over two years ago. An oldham driver if my memory serves me well?

You have to be very careful how you handle such situations?

Regards

JD

A driver has already been convicted of kidnap. I think we highlighted the case over two years ago. An oldham driver if my memory serves me well?

You have to be very careful how you handle such situations?

Regards

JD[/quo

In the laast 4 weeks.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Do we agree this is wrong and needs sorting out .

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I don't know about the last four weeks but I think the case you are referring to is the Cleveland williams case where he took two police officers to Bolton from Mancester, they wouldn't pay the full fare so he took them to a police station. He was subsequently prosecuted for kidnap but the case fell apart and he was aquitted. Previously to that an Oldham driver was convicted of kidnap under similiar circumstances.

Regards

JD

No a new one , I know the one you're referring to

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I haven't heard of a new case of kidnap, is it a hackney driver or a P/H? And what are the circumstances, for isntance has it gone to court yet?

Regards

JD