108 PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY
JANUARY 2009 SAD B.....D OF THE YEAR
This is one of our favourite categories, and it’s always difficult to choose a winner... the guy with the iron bar up his sleeve (doesn’t everybody?), or the OAP who hauled off and walloped a driver with his walking stick, or the Blackpool driver who got head-butted (remembering he’s the victim, not the Sad B). It depends on which angle you want to come from on these: whether to take the seriousness of some of them, or the sheer ridiculous- ness of others. On that basis, we have to give this year’s award for Sad B****** of the Year to the driver who took his passenger (none other than Earl Spencer’s daughter) to the wrong Stamford Bridge, causing her to miss the Premiership showdown between Chelsea and Arsenal. Oh, and as an aside, he took her some 229 miles north of her destination, from which she had to travel back. Cool or what?!
MARCH
GRIM NEWS LEADS TO BLACK- POOL TAXI DRIVER HEAD BUTT A man head-butted a
taxi driver after getting drunk because he received bad news, a court heard. Jamie Lindsay, a job- less 21-year-old, of Tudor Place, South Shore, pleaded guilty to assault.
He was sentenced to a three-month curfew during which he will be
electronically tagged and must remain inside his home between 8pm to 7am.
According to the Black- pool Gazette, Blackpool magistrates also ordered him to pay £100 compensation to his victim plus £60 costs. Julie Fogarty, prosecut- ing, said Lindsay lost his temper and head-
MAY
OOPS! SATNAV BLUNDER BRINGS RED FACES AND
DISAPPOINTED BLUE BLOOD FOOTBALL FANS
In an episode which most press articles titled “A Bridge Too Far”, one of Earl Spencer’s daughters and her friend headed out to the towering football stadi- um of Stamford Bridge, home of Premier League Chelsea, to see their recent Premiership showdown with Arsenal. However, the taxi that was hired to take the party south on the 85- mile trip from the Northamptonshire Althorp estate ended up some 229 miles north of the intended destination, at Stam- ford Bridge in Yorkshire.
This was down to a blunder with the taxi’s satnav system, which meant that the friends missed the eagerly anticipated Easter weekend Premiership clash, which saw Chelsea striker Didier Drogba’s double inspire the Blues to a 2- 1 victory.
The Althorp estate con- firmed the mistake, but stressed that the matter had been sorted out
‘amicably’. Paul Achi- ampong, the red-faced owner of Northampton- based Mayfair Taxis, said: “We do 20,000 journeys a month and mistakes do happen every now and again. But I admit this is a big one. But the fault was with the control staff, not the driver.
“He ended up there by putting Stamford Bridge into his satnav and it said it was in the north of England. He checked that was right and it was confirmed by the controller.
I’m still
trying to figure out how that happened; it’s baf- fling.” Mr Achiampong said he had been to Althorp where he met with a representative and apologised unre- servedly for the mistake. He said there had been no charge for the journey as that would have been ‘cheeky’.
Undaunted by the blun- der, he added: “I hope we can do business with them in the future.” It might be fascinating to learn that Stamford
Bridge in Yorkshire, with a population of 3,500, was the scene of a decisive English vic- tory by King Harold II against Viking invaders in September 1066, weeks before his defeat by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings. Retired social worker Bryan Lawson, who has lived in the village for 20 years with his wife, Patricia, is a former parish councillor and is the chairman of the Stamford Bridge In Bloom committee. Mr Lawson, an Arsenal fan, told the local press: “The village is a wonderful place to come and visit, but sadly you will not get to see a lot of Premiership football up here. We do have a village football team, but it is not quite up to the standard of Chelsea.
“I must admit I was dis- appointed with the result of that particular match, and in many ways I am glad I was up here rather than the other Stamford Bridge to see Arsenal lose.”
APRIL
BLACKBURN TAXI FARE HAD IRON BAR UP HIS SLEEVE
A taxi driver feared for his safety when an iron bar dropped out of the sleeve of his fare as he was looking for his money.
Blackburn magistrates heard that Mohammed Sulema began scream- ing at his passenger, before speeding off with the passenger door still open.
butted the taxi driver after he refused to take six of the defendant's friends in his cab. Steven Townley, defending, said his client, who had no pre- vious convictions, had drunk more alcohol than normal, as on that day he had learned his mother was suffering from cancer.
But the court was told it had been a misunder- standing, and Daniel Creedon had meant the driver no harm. The Lancashire Tele- graph reports that Creedon, 22, of Oban Drive, Blackburn, admitted possessing an offensive weapon. He was made subject to an 8pm to 7am cur-
MAY
OLDHAM TAXI DRIVER AT DOUBLE DRINK-DRIVE LIMIT
An Oldham taxi driver has been after
being caught
drink driving while working.
In one of the most serious cases ever to come before Oldham Council's Licensing Panel, councillors heard that Jahangir Ahmed, 44, was dou- ble the legal limit while driving his taxi and ready for hire. Ahmed, of Savoy Street, Oldham, was stopped by police on his way to a taxi rank on St Mary's Way, Oldham. The panel revoked his license after hearing he had twice the per-
banned
mitted level of alcohol in his blood.
Oldham Magistrates have already banned Ahmed from driving for two years. Under the council's Licensing Policy, it will be at least five years after that, with a clean record, before Ahmed could be considered for licensing again Head of Trading Stan- dards and Licensing, Tony Allen, told the Oldham Evening Chronicle: "I want to reassure the public that this is an extremely rare case. It is highly unusual for hackney carriage driv-
JULY
BASILDON CABBIE’S SNUB TO BLIND WOMAN
A taxi driver has been fined for refusing to pick up a blind pensioner and her guide dog - because he had just cleaned his car.
Great grandmother Janet Plechaty ordered a cab to collect her from the taxi rank outside the Eastgate shopping cen- tre, Basildon, after going shopping with her daughter. Wayne Wilson, 45, turned up, but refused to let her into his taxi with her golden retriever. It meant the pair had to wait in the pouring rain for another one. Mrs Plechaty, 64, com- plained to Basildon Council's taxi licensing authority and Wilson was taken to court, where he was ordered to pay £175 in fines and costs. Mrs Plechaty of Rayside, Basildon, told the Basil-
don Echo: “I couldn't believe it.
"He told me, ‘Sorry I can't take him, because I've just cleaned my car'. He ordered me another taxi, but I had to wait for it in the rain.
"I wouldn't have got any satisfaction if he had lost his job, but he couldn't have engaged his brain that day. Blind and par- tially sighted people shouldn't have to put up with that sort of thing. "My dog is a lot cleaner than some humans who get in taxis." Father-of-four Wilson, of Peterborough Way, Basildon, was prosecut- ed by the taxi licensing authority.
He pleaded guilty during a hearing at Basildon Magistrates' Court. He was fined £60 and ordered to pay £100 costs and £15 to the
court's victim support fund.
Mrs Plechaty, who has no sight in her right eye and tunnel vision in her left, is registered blind. Wilson, who drives his taxi in Basildon, said: “I would like to apologise to her. It was a spur of the moment decision that I have regretted since and I'm just glad it's all over now.
"I have an allergy to dogs, so having one in the car makes my eyes stream like hay fever." Phil Easteal, manager of Environmental Health at Basildon Council, said: "Disabled residents rely on taxis and minicabs to maintain their independ- ence.
"It is illegal, under the 1995 Disability Discrimi- nation Act, for drivers to refuse to carry guide dogs."
ers to drink and drive. "The vast majority guard their reputation for providing a safe haven for passengers. The public deserve to have absolute confi- dence that the driver can be trusted. "Mr Ahmed seriously breached that trust and has, quite rightly, had his licence taken off him."
One of the strategic objectives for the Trading Standards and Licensing Service is to take action to ensure safe passen- ger journeys in safe licensed vehicles with safe licensed drivers.
few for three months, and ordered to pay £50 compensation and £60 costs.
Jonathan Taylor, defending, said Cree- don carried the bar for self-defence, adding: "Had he not started screaming at my client, he would have paid the fare and gone on his way."
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