cycle_pathic_maniac
24-08-2009, 17:12
Taken from the letters page from Taxi.
Dear Sir
I would like to let you know of an incident
that happened to me on the 27 July 2009
at about 8.15 pm outside of the Harrods
rank.
On approaching the rank whilst I was
driving in the nearside lane, a rickshaw
rider who was riding in the offside lane
veered sharply to his left cutting directly
in front of me causing me to brake hard
and swerve to my left (thank god there
was not a cyclist on my inside!). I
sounded my horn as a warning to him but
I was forced to come to a stop on the zig
zags at the rear of the rank.
Within a few seconds the rickshaw
rider was along side me. He was white
mid-20s with an eastern European accent.
He rammed his rickshaw into my driver’s
door blocking me on the zig zags
and trapping me in my cab. At the same
time another rickshaw driver pulled to the
front/right of my cab to make sure I was
truly trapped. What happened next has
left me horrified of the dangers we now
are faced with.
The rickshaw rider that I sounded my
horn at was now screaming obscenities
through my opened window; I was then
punched in the face and threatened if he
ever saw me on this rank again he would
slit my throat!! Thank god that the taxi
driver in front came to my rescue; I have
since found out his name was Jason -
badge number 57043 - who had witnessed
the whole incident.
I called the police. The rickshaw riders
then parked their rickshaws in
Lancelot place on the opposite side of the
road and started to walk back over to us
to carry things on. It was now Jason’s turn
to be assaulted by the other rickshaw
rider whilst the rest of the rank pulled
around us - more concerned of losing out
on a job!
The police were very quickly on the
scene and within minutes had the rickshaw
riders in handcuffs and on their way
to Chelsea police station where Jason
and I spent the next three and a half
hours giving statements.
I am now faced with the repairs to my
damaged cab and a night’s lost income,
but had this been later on in the evening
in a more remote part of London it could
have been a whole lot worse.
I would again like to thank Jason for
his superb support and also never lowering
himself to physically retaliating against
these thugs. I would urge any other taxi
driver to assist in these situations.
Badge No. 51128
http://www.taxinewspaper.co.uk/issues/199/Taxi_199_Pages25-36.pdf
Dear Sir
I would like to let you know of an incident
that happened to me on the 27 July 2009
at about 8.15 pm outside of the Harrods
rank.
On approaching the rank whilst I was
driving in the nearside lane, a rickshaw
rider who was riding in the offside lane
veered sharply to his left cutting directly
in front of me causing me to brake hard
and swerve to my left (thank god there
was not a cyclist on my inside!). I
sounded my horn as a warning to him but
I was forced to come to a stop on the zig
zags at the rear of the rank.
Within a few seconds the rickshaw
rider was along side me. He was white
mid-20s with an eastern European accent.
He rammed his rickshaw into my driver’s
door blocking me on the zig zags
and trapping me in my cab. At the same
time another rickshaw driver pulled to the
front/right of my cab to make sure I was
truly trapped. What happened next has
left me horrified of the dangers we now
are faced with.
The rickshaw rider that I sounded my
horn at was now screaming obscenities
through my opened window; I was then
punched in the face and threatened if he
ever saw me on this rank again he would
slit my throat!! Thank god that the taxi
driver in front came to my rescue; I have
since found out his name was Jason -
badge number 57043 - who had witnessed
the whole incident.
I called the police. The rickshaw riders
then parked their rickshaws in
Lancelot place on the opposite side of the
road and started to walk back over to us
to carry things on. It was now Jason’s turn
to be assaulted by the other rickshaw
rider whilst the rest of the rank pulled
around us - more concerned of losing out
on a job!
The police were very quickly on the
scene and within minutes had the rickshaw
riders in handcuffs and on their way
to Chelsea police station where Jason
and I spent the next three and a half
hours giving statements.
I am now faced with the repairs to my
damaged cab and a night’s lost income,
but had this been later on in the evening
in a more remote part of London it could
have been a whole lot worse.
I would again like to thank Jason for
his superb support and also never lowering
himself to physically retaliating against
these thugs. I would urge any other taxi
driver to assist in these situations.
Badge No. 51128
http://www.taxinewspaper.co.uk/issues/199/Taxi_199_Pages25-36.pdf