http://tinyurl.com/22opr3
TAXI MAKES WIDOW LATE FOR HUSBAND'S FUNERAL
A grieving, wheelchair-bound widow missed most of her late husband's funeral because her taxi turned up 35 minutes late.
Plymouth Taxis has apologised and launched an investigation to find out why the cab only arrived to pick up 84-year-old Eileen Mace five minutes after the start of the service for her beloved William.
Their furious son David Mace said: "My mother's heartbroken. She was married to my father for 62 years but she never had a chance to say goodbye. She arrived just in time to see the coffin going through the curtains at the crematorium."
The Warwick Park Nursing Home in Honicknowle, where both Mrs Mace and her husband lived, booked the taxi a week before the service. It was supposed to arrive at 8.30am on Monday, half an hour ahead of the service at Weston Mill Crematorium.
The taxi in fact turned up at 9.05am and Mrs Mace, accompanied by her granddaughter, arrived at the funeral between 9.20am and 9.25am.
The family was unable to delay the service because another funeral was booked for 9.30am.
Mr Mace, from Ernesettle, said: "The apology doesn't help. It's too late for my mother. Plymouth Taxis have been absolutely abysmal."
William Mace and his wife moved to Plymouth from Essex last summer to be closer to their family. He died, aged 84, on January 11.
David Mace, who works for a coach company, was at the crematorium to receive guests before 9am but his daughter Wendy Freeman went to Warwick Park to help Mrs Mace. About a dozen people attended the funeral service.
Mrs Mace has had a stroke, has some senile dementia, is diabetic, has a colostomy bag and is confined to a wheelchair, so she cannot travel easily in an ordinary car.
Mr Mace said his daughter had called the taxi company three times after the vehicle failed to show up, only to be told it was stuck in traffic.
"How anyone can be told, after their mother has missed three-quarters of her husband's funeral, that the taxi was caught in traffic?" he asked. "It's rubbish. She can't shout and scream, but mum knows what she's missed.
"I don't want to talk to the company because I know I'll lose my temper. If they send a bill for the fare to the home I'm not going to pay it."
The family's anguish was made worse because Miss Freeman did not have her mobile phone and could not contact the rest of the family, waiting anxiously at the crematorium. Mr Mace himself did not have the nursing home's number with him.
The taxi turned up at 9.05am, with the taxi driver apparently telling Miss Freeman and staff that he had only been given the job ten minutes before.
The driver did wait until after the service to take Mrs Mace home.
Warwick Park has written to Plymouth Taxis to complain.
Nursing home administrator Jane Howes said: "It was totally out of order. We've used them for years but we will be changing companies."
A Plymouth Taxis director, who did not want to be named, said a full investigation had been launched.
He added: "Plymouth Taxis would like to apologise to Miss Mace for this unfortunate incident. We are looking at procedures to prevent this from happening again. At the moment we cannot comment any more until the investigation finishes." The director said the company would be writing to Mrs Mace through the nursing home.
Login
Register
FAQ
