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Views on life as seen through the
THE FINSBURY TART "No, no" says I She turned away They say it's the oldest profession, |
VIOLENCE IN THE CAB
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The March 2001 shock issue of Call Sign contained several reports of
violence being perpetrated against Dial-a-Cab drivers by their passengers
whose only aim had been not to get from A to B, but to rob the driver at any
cost. One of the reports featured George Smith (K97). He had been with Dial-a-Cab for 19 years and like most cab drivers, went to work to earn a living and nothing else. He felt reasonably safe in his cab with the front doors locked as they usually were until that Sunday in January 2001. His outlook on life changed that evening after picking up two men from Victoria Station to take them to Brodlove Lane, off The Highway. Once at the destination, he was directed into a dead-end street where one passenger alighted from the cab while the other remained inside the cab. The man still inside the cab then thrust a gun through the partitioning window, demanding that George hand over his money to the other passenger who was now waiting by the driver's door window. George gave them £50 and they ran off leaving a very distressed DaC driver in his taxi. George reported |
 the attack to the police who informed him that there had been several such incidents within that past week. "One driver," George told Call Sign, "picked up these same two men from the rank in Cabot Square where many of our drivers pick up every night. I wish that we didn't have to pick up cash trips if we want to be in E14C?" George is now fully recovered and working normally. But even better was the moment in mid January where his two attackers finally got their come-uppance. Appearing in court, they were slammed by the judge and sentenced to substantial periods in prison. The attacker who held the gun got 12 years while his accomplice got 8 years. DaC drivers - and all taxi drivers - can rest that bit easier... |
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