If you think this month’s PHTM is over- dosed with hate crimes, knifings and woundings of drivers, and Just Desserts for those who perpetrate such crimes – you’d be right. Sorry, but that’s what is happening out there on an ever-increasing basis. In highlight- ing these atrocities, we only hope that (a) driver awareness sharpens, and (b) the necessity for solid-state CCTV in licensed vehicles becomes more urgent by the day. We used to warn against drivers getting out of their vehicle; now it seems they’re not safe sitting inside the vehicle either. If suf- ficient acts of violence result in the trade isolating no-go areas (as in Hull), then that is the only way to save one’s skin and sanity. We will continue to lobby national Government on these issues. Meanwhile, we continue our driver safety campaign with renewed vigour: Do please get in touch if anybody wants a supply of “No Excuse for Abuse” window stickers, as they are making inroads in many council areas now with drivers and passengers alike.
TERROR TIMES... “I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE KILLED”:
BOLTON CABBIE SPEAKS OUT AFTER ATTACK
A taxi driver has told how he thought he was going to be killed by a gang of teenage boys in what police have described as a “vile” racist attack. The Bolton News reports that Ali Mah- boob, from Bolton, was set upon by seven youths during on Saturday after- noon 13 April after he asked them to stop throwing stones at his car. The 44-year-old was racially abused and threatened before he was beaten with sticks as he picked up a fare. He said: “They had a piece of wood and hit me 25, 30 times, I
DERBY DRIVER ATTACKED FOR ASKING PASSENGER TO STOP EATING
A “smirking” thug attacked a taxi driv- er when he told him he couldn’t eat his McDonald’s meal in his vehicle. The Derby Tele- graph reports that Thomas Dowd had been picked up from a bar in Spondon on March 13, he had been drinking and was in the front pas- senger seat. He asked the driver from Chads Cars to go to the the drive- through restaurant in Osmaston Park Road on the way to Sunnyhill. Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how as they went through the
62
drive-through the defendant
ripped
into his bag of food. The driver told him to stop eating in the car and when Dowd refused, he pulled over at a garage but the defendant re- fused to get out so the taxi driver rang the police. The defendant start- ed to get out of the car and threw his coke at the driver- saying: “You don’t know who you are messing with” and then threw a punch at the driver which landed on the bridge of his nose with two more blows to the face and right eye.” At court, a state-
ment was read out from the taxi driver concerning his in- juries. The statement read: “I have had to take time off work as I couldn’t see out of my right eye, so I couldn’t drive. “I am self employed and I can’t say how much I have lost by not working. I don’t expect this to hap- pen I am shocked.” Dowd pleaded guilty to assault by beating and one charge of criminal damage. Magistrates adjourn- ed the case while a pre-sentence report was prepared. Dowd was given unconditional bail until that date.
fell over and they were beating me on my back, my head and my face. “I don’t know how I managed to get up and run to the taxi, how my body man- aged it but I thought ‘They are killing you’. “I got in to the taxi and I was so ex- hausted I did not feel any pain, it was only later the pain started, and it was my customer who said I had been injured.” Mr Mahboob was waiting outside a house in Kenyon Way, Little Hulton, when a stone was hurled at his wind- screen. Stones con-
tinued to be thrown at his car as he was driving off. The taxi driver pulled over and asked the group to stop throwing the stones and was badly beaten. He suffered cuts and bruising to his lower back and face and required hospital treatment. Mr Mahboob said he was left extremely worried by the abuse he received. “One said to me ‘you Muslims, we are going to do to you what happened in New Zealand’. I was very worried, I didn’t work for a few days in that area. “This is the fourth
time stones have been thrown at my car causing damage, but it could make a driver lose control.” Police are now appealing for wit- nesses and infor- mation to catch those responsible. The attackers are said to be seven white teenage boys who were wearing dark clothing and hooded sweatshirts. PC Daniel Marshall, of GMP’s Salford district, said: “Inci- dents of this nature will never be tolerat- ed in our com- munities, and we are doing everything we can to find those responsible for this vile attack.”
MANCHESTER DRIVER ATTACKED WITH HAMMER AND MACHETE
A taxi driver was attacked with a machete and ham- mer after being called to a house in Trafford. Police say two peo- ple have been ar- rested following the incident in Flixton on Tuesday 23 April. The Manchester Evening
News
reports that police officers told how the taxi driver was called to an address on Irlam Road. When he arrived there the offenders opened the front doors and began to attack the driver with weapons. It is not thought that his injuries were
life threatening. During the robbery the robbers stole £100 in cash before running away from the scene. The car was also damaged. On the GMP Traf- ford North Face- book page, officers said: “Two offenders have been arrested in connection to a robbery on a taxi driver on Irlam Rd, Flixton. “They have called for a taxi from an address and as the taxi pulls up, the two
open the
drivers door and the front
door and attack the driver with
passenger a
machete and a ham- mer. “They steal £100, damage his taxi and then run off. “The following day, the same taxi com- pany receive a call for a taxi from the same location with the voices sounding similar. They alert us and officers attend. “Two
offenders
matching the same description for the previous
robbery
are detained and are found to be in possession of a hammer and mach- ete. “Great arrest. The offenders
aren’t
from the Trafford area.”
MAY 2019
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