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Call Sign February 2012
We know that you shouldn't do it and Call
Call Signs Danny Fresco charged by police...
Sign has published many stories of drivers get-
FOR PICKING UP ON A ZIGZAG!
ting caught picking-up or setting down on
zigzag lines. On a few occasions, the drivers
have got away with it.
£60 and 3 points for
Sid Nathan (K88) was stuck in traffic at St
picking up a 90 year
Pauls when suddenly his passengers opened the
old frail passenger on
door and got out of the taxi leaving the Dial-a-
zig zag lines
Cab driver stuck on zigzags because just as they
got out, the traffic in front moved leaving Sid
Astonishingly and consid-
stranded. Sid asked Barrie Segal for advice, which
ering he was under caution,
he followed to the letter and the PCN that
the police told him not to
arrived within days was cancelled.
bother as it would cost him
Editor Alan Fisher also received a PCN for
a day in court with any asso-
stopping on zigzags when picking up a passen-
ciated costs and an even
ger in Waterloo Road just outside the station.
higher fine! They even hint-
He appealed by asking exactly where Lambeth
ed that he wouldn't want
Council suggested he stop as much of the road
the PCO involved these
was either zigzags or bus stops? He asked
police obviously being
the frailty of the passenger was that he would
whether he should have told his lady passenger
unaware that the PCO no longer licence taxis.
be charged with the offence and then read his
to drag her case 100 metres down the road
In Call Sign's view, the police comments
rights!
where he would wait for her, but instead he
would have given Danny a good chance of hav-
The policeman (and partner) called Danny
stopped according to Lambeth's cctv footage
ing the charge overturned but Danny went to
over, told him he would be charged with the
for 9 seconds. Like Sid, he too had the PCN
his local station, paid the fine and sent off his
offence of stopping on a zigzag line and then to
cancelled.
licence to have the three points added on.
Dial-a-Cab will pay for PCNs brought about
Danny's ultimate embarrassment, took his photo
Danny said to us afterwards that regardless
standing by the taxi.Yet even though Danny tried
through waiting for an account customer, but
of humanitarian reasons for stopping where he
to explain about his passenger who sat in the
even they will not pay a fine for stopping on
did, he realised that he was breaking the law
taxi for the whole time - the policeman didn't go
zigzags because the chances of winning are tiny
and as such couldn't argue too much. However,
over to check out the story.
and we know we're not supposed to do it.
that same law means that had he been caught
Danny tried to point out that the passenger
But even Call Sign was shocked at the out-
via cctv, then it would have been just a fine so
come when this magazine's lay-out man Danny
was very old and had trouble just getting into the
why does the law give you 3 points if caught by
Fresco was caught stopping on zigzag lines in
cab, let alone walking to the end of the lines but
a policeman even if he thinks he IS the law!
the police were uninterested. They just asked
Sloane Street to pick up a frail 90-year old pas-
him which police station he'd like to go to pay
senger. When the policeman approached him,
Baghwat Singh
the fine. Danny said he wanted to appeal against
he knew he was going to get a ticket, but the
Call Sign Online
the £60 fine and 3 points on his licence.
last thing Danny expected bearing in mind