ON A TAXI DRIVER customer to a
cash point as he said he had no money and I wanted cash up front for this long trip worth about £40 taxi fare, rate 2 tariff at 4.30am I had travelled a hundred yards from the place I had picked him up from, by the Sandpiper pub in Porthcawl, when he started to quickly and viciously punch me with several hard blows to the side of my head. He elbowed my right eye causing me to lose control of the car and blinding my vision. He also broke three of my ribs and damaged my groin, smashed my mouth and nose causing it to bleed profusely - the car crashed into a stationary vehicle.
After this, he opened the door and ran off into the night, leaving me for dead, in and out of consciousness and bleeding badly, after stealing all my money, some £250, my change bag wallet and ripped my taxi meter out of the dash area.
Luckily, two people and a young couple walking home found me with my car about to catch fire as smoke was pouring from the engine bay at the time, covering me and the interior in fuel. Another person also came out of the house, and they rescued me and got me out of the car just in time before it caught fire! They called the police, fire rescue, and ambulance, and I was rushed to The Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.
MY LIFE WAS SAVED BY THESE PEOPLE WHOM I WOULD LIKE TO THANK VERY MUCH!
I survived, but a few wards away in the same hospital two days
later my
mother died of cancer!
I had a nervous breakdown and it’s taken years of treatment and physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, mental health counselling and trauma post-traumatic stress syndrome and serious trauma help, to get me to where I am today.
PHTM OCTOBER 2022 45
I lost the use of my hands and my legs, neck and jaw, ribs and groin and had permanent damage to my right eye. The amount of loss and stress I have endured is unsurmountable - but I’m alive! Sadly, I no longer drive a taxi as my hackney carriage badge was not renewable due to serious injuries and I also could not walk or drive anything for a few years! I now just offer my services as a chauffeur for wedding hire only and I’m currently looking for a job as well.
TAXI! TAXI! - MY STORIES SURVIVE
I’ve penned three books and one is published called TAXI! TAXI! I’ve put up with everything under the sun that gets thrown at a taxi driver and have tried my very best to keep smiling. I even delivered a baby and have been the best man at a total stranger’s wedding.
The list is endless; hence I wrote a book about my life called TAXI! TAXI! in 2014 and actually managed to publish it! This book is an autobiography about operating taxis over many years of my life! I’ve also written True Confessions of a Chauffeur, ready to be published soon. I’m also working on two more books: Taxi! Taxi! Tariff 2! and a children’s book called Tony Tinkerbel And The Magic Garden.
Thank you for reading my story take care out there all of you in your taxi cabs.
Find out more about Jeff Owen and his books on his website:
https://taxitaxijeffowen.co.uk
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