sadietoo Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 DS is 18 and went out last night with some so called "mates".... they took a taxi home, and when almost at their destination one of them asked the taxi driver to stop because he said he was feeling sick....they got out the car, and guess what...they all legged it.Within seconds DS then realised how stupid and wrong this was, and went back to the driver and offered to pay him...the driver then put him in a headlock and stole his wallet!....We have reported the whole incident to the police...DS is truly sorry for being such a complete idiot, but says too much alcohol and peer pressure meant he didn't think it through ... he doesn't want to press charges against the taxi driver (so far unidentified anyway) because he feels it was partly his fault So today I am fuming that 1. He has such a stupid and idiotic group of "friends"... (not that one of the little darlings has bothered to text or phone him to see if he is alright or offer to cover their share of his losses). 2. The Taxi Driver couldn't control his temper, and see that there was another way to resolve the problem, if he'd just have let DS make a phone call....instead of which he is guilty of assault and the theft of a wallet which probably didn't have enough money to cover the whole of his fare anyway!! On the plus side, I'm sure DS has learned a useful lesson and as he has now got to the end of sixth form, and will hopefully be going up to Uni this september, after last night these "friends" are history apparently.... we can only hope Grrr.....things can escalate so quickly can't they ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 oh my word, how scary i know people can be daft when young and having had a drink - but did the taxi driver have to respond like that your son came back and offered to pay friends arent very "friendly" are they you should ring one of them up (parents) and tell them what happened... cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 The taxi driver will have encountered this sort of situation more times than enough, so I'm afraid that his reaction was more or less inevitable. Well done to your son for reconsidering his position, and doing the right thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Sorry but whatever the circumstances,that was assault & robbery,wasn't it? Yes,those boys should be ashamed of themselves,but that Taxi drivers behaviour towards your son is inexcusable! Your son,who sounds sensible & lovely,was trying to do the right thing & the Taxi driver should never have manhandled him & stole his property. Also,if he had had any sense he would have stopped the taxi,let the one boy out who was 'feeling ill' & stood there next to the car while he 'recovered', leaving the rest of them in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I know what you're saying Cinnamon, but taxi drivers don't just lose fares on a regular basis, they are very VERY often victims of assault and robbery themselves, he may well have thought Sadietoo's son had come back to have a go. It doesn't excuse it and yes, technically it could be considered robbery, it was certainly common assault. I wouldn't be a taxi driver on a Friday night or any OTHER night to be honest, there isn't enough money in the world. Hope your son is not too stressed by it, and hope his friends reconsider, they're probably all laughing it off as "one of those drunken pranks"......right up until the consequences catch up with them BeckyBoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Totally agree with you BB. If I were Sadietoo,I would be fuming too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 A friend of mine was a taxi driver for a few years, and worked mostly night, and weekends, as that's when he could make more money... He had to face all kinds of things every night, people running off without paying, people being drunk and abusive, people booking him then not being there when he turned up to pick them up, and so on and on... After a while he started following people who'd run away, and once a young woman ran off without paying and he followed her... realising he was in pursuit, she stopped and seemed to consider herself the victim, shouting at him to leave her alone and not go near her... maybe she was hoping someone would pass by and think he was assaulting her, all he wanted was for her to give him the money she owed him... Never, though, did he assault anyone. And never would he have stolen anything from anyone. Physically attacking someone and stealing their wallet is not acceptable, even when in the frustrating situation that driver found himself in. No one had physically threatened him, and his response seems out of proportion. The sad thing is, having been wronged, he then put himself on the wrong side of the law... I can't see what good that will do for him in the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchanted Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Oh Sadietoo, I'm fuming with you. while I do sympathize with taxi drivers getting ripped off etc, what this grown man did was abysmal, especially given that your dear sons morality prevailed and he came back to right the wrong that he was only partially responsible for. We were all young once, did things with friends we wouldn't do on your own, under the influence etc, so make sure you praise your son for ultimately doing the right thing and yourself for bringing him up so well. A painful lesson for him that dabbling with crime can put you at risk of greater crime. As for pursuing this taxi driver to answer to the assault and theft allegation, you must do all you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Trouble is, your son may face a counter-allegation, and charges, and by his own admission, he did leg it without paying the fare. It would be a shame for him to risk getting a criminal record, or even just a caution as it could impact on his ability to get a job or university place. Just something worth considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 Sadietoo...........as you know I'm local, could you pm me the name of this driver's company, so we don't use them in the future What happened is inexcusable on both fronts.....sad your morals-led boy (well done you ) has had to pay the price Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 The taxi driver will have encountered this sort of situation more times than enough, so I'm afraid that his reaction was more or less inevitable. Well done to your son for reconsidering his position, and doing the right thing. I agree with the second part of your post, Egluntyne, but not the first. Most taxi drivers would never consider acting like this man. My Dad has been a London cabbie for 20+ years now and has encountered similar situations many times. He has lost many fares, been threatened and had knives pulled on him lots of times (he's 70). Passengers have thrown up, and worse, in the back of his cab, preventing him working for a couple of hours and requiring a full valet of the passenger compartment. And the abuse that some people throw at him when he refuses to let them smoke... which is illegal anyway, as it is his workplace. He's developed a kind of sixth sense for when a 'fare' is likely to go bad, and ways to deal with those situations - but never assault or robbery! He says that if a passenger does a runner, the consequences of chasing them/trying to stop them are far worse than losing the fare - he could be assaulted himself, or find his cab has been trashed, burned out or clamped on his return. Or if accused himself, lose his licence. So he tends just to let them go, chalk it up to experience and get on with his job. What this driver did is inexcusable and he should lose his licence. As is what those so-called 'friends' did in bailing out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 I think that this is pretty shocking. You know your son, could there be more to this than he is letting on? Are you sure the driver did what he is telling you? For instance, might he have given chase, grabbed him by the scruff and taken the wallet? If what the says is true, I think that I would struggle not to report this if only to have it on file perhaps. It is assault and theft, there is no excuse for anyone to lay their hands on someone and steal something from them. What the boys did was wrong. He could have held on to your son and called the police. Admittedly not good for your son but at least legal. Why didn't he just accept payment, give him an earful and get on with his evening Was he a taxi driver or a mini cab driver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Have the police got back to you? It's not like the driver just took the money he was due, he stole your son's wallet which presumably had other things in it which will need replaced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlegs Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Wow thats some fairy story, we have a group of 18yr olds all the worse for wear, trying it on and one gets caught, even Miss Marple could tell you that your sons version was told in the fear that there would be a knock on the door from PC Plod. I'm with the taxi driver, these people don't drive taxi's for a hobby he's got bills to pay just like the rest of us, perhaps your son should drink less or learn to run faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 That's awful. I can definitely see why you're fuming, I would be too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Wow thats some fairy story, we have a group of 18yr olds all the worse for wear, trying it on and one gets caught, even Miss Marple could tell you that your sons version was told in the fear that there would be a knock on the door from PC Plod. I'm with the taxi driver, these people don't drive taxi's for a hobby he's got bills to pay just like the rest of us, perhaps your son should drink less or learn to run faster. that was nice! NOT. I'm sure Sadietoo knows her son well enough to know when he's telling the truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Let's avoid the personal comments please folks. Any update sadietoo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted June 27, 2011 Author Share Posted June 27, 2011 Update... DS went to Police Station and gave a statement. There is no question of DS being charged (and the police didn't even ask names of the so-called friends)...they are only concerned with the assault and robbery and said they have a duty of care to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again. To be without his wallet is a complete pain, but I think DS views it as the price he's had to pay for doing something so stupid in the first place. Now he has told me more about the situation he found himself in he had about 30 seconds notice of the intention to run which was indicated to him by a hand movement from one of the other guys just before the cab was stopped, they got out and ran, and he started to run too, adrenaline and alcohol not being a good combination, and then his brain kicked in and he stopped and went back to the cab. Fortunately, when the wallet was snatched from him (he had it out to pay the guy at the time it was taken - not sure how fit a taxi driver would have to be to chase an 18 year old and get his wallet out of his pocket at the same time, I'll leave that one to Miss Marple) his driving licence fell out, and he quickly picked that up, his mobile phone hit the deck too and broke into two parts, and he retrieved those (but fortunately was at the very end of his contract anyway so not a problem), but we've had to cancel his bank card, and his new sim card for his new phone contract that we'd sorted out just a day before was also in the wallet... normally not a huge problem, but he is just about to go abroad for the summer, and so he won't have access to his bank account until we can get the new card out to him. The really daft thing is that he doesn't understand why the others even felt the need to run, the shared cab cost was going to be less than a fiver each, and that's less than the bus fare. Also, if the cab driver had brought him home instead of stealing his wallet, there is a jug in our hall which always has emergency taxi money in it, in case any of the kids need to get home and have missed buses/ lifts etc or if he'd called me I would have come out to pay...Still all in all a valuable life lesson learnt..and I agree, I wouldn't want to be a taxi driver for all the tea in china, but that still doesn't excuse assaulting someone else, and I wouldn't want to be in a car with someone with so little reign on his temper. Sorry for the essay, thank you for your commentsX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 glad to hear he is ok, and sorry he/you will have all that hassle. it sounds like a valuable life lesson learned, particularly which mates you can trust and which you cant; and also that the police have a good handle on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchanted Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Really happy to hear your DS did report it to the police and that they are taking it seriously, and rightly so. Unraveling the story, just shows that 'doing a runner' is as much about the thrill as the money and I challenge anyone who was once a teenager to deny they never did anything stupid. Your son didn't have long to react and consider how to best manage the situation his friends put him in and showed courage and integrity in going back to pay. The taxi driver is the big villain here and should answer for his crime. I hope they find and prosecute him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 I wouldn't want to be in a car with someone with so little reign on his temper. I agree. I know there are many good cabbies but you are quite vulnerable in a cab. Over 20 years ago I took one home from the station as I'd gone out in london with my brother and my husband was away on a business trip. I can't remember all the details now but the driver was very unpleasant and he drove past my home and was going to do a big loop to get back (deliberate to increase the fare, he was cross because it was a relatively short trip) and I insisted on getting out up the road rather than let him add more money on the meter by circling around (money was very tight at the time) he worried me enough as soon as I got in I called the police and reported him (black cab) and I'm not the jittery sort. I hardly ever took cabs after that (still rarely do) I had to on a work trip to Rome and the driver drove down a deserted alley beside the hotel and stole some of my money (lucky that was all). Impossible to report and get to my meetings and of course I couldn't claim off insurance without a police report and I couldn't claim the stolen money as expenses . I had a regular taxi I always used for airport runs and he was very nice but work policy changed and I had to use a different cab company. The first time I did the driver was late meeting me at the airport then made a very personal lewd comment about me so I walked away and got a black cab home (that I had to pay out of my money for as it was not pre approved cost and much more expensive). I insisted on using my regular taxi for airport runs after than but sadly he has now retired. So funnily enough I still do almost anything to avoid taking a taxi unless it's a driver I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sageandonion Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Really happy to hear your DS did report it to the police and that they are taking it seriously, and rightly so. Unraveling the story, just shows that 'doing a runner' is as much about the thrill as the money and I challenge anyone who was once a teenager to deny they never did anything stupid. Your son didn't have long to react and consider how to best manage the situation his friends put him in and showed courage and integrity in going back to pay. The taxi driver is the big villain here and should answer for his crime. I hope they find and prosecute him. So it's ok for the taxi driver to have the full force of the law descend upon him but the teenagers to get away with making off without payment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Good to hear that you have reported it I wonder if there were any CCTV cameras in the area. I am sure they will be able to trace the driver if he was a licensed cabbie. There were several options open to him and to assault someone and take their wallet really should have been one of them I think the inconvenience that your son is not experiencing will drive the point home that he was party to committing an offense that could have had more serious consequences. Crikey, it's not easy being a parent is it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Crikey, it's not easy being a parent is it Nope, I suspect all of us with teen age boys will have read this one as another possible way for them to get into stupid situations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchanted Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 So it's ok for the taxi driver to have the full force of the law descend upon him but the teenagers to get away with making off without payment Two wrongs don't make a right When one member of the group immediately offered to right his part of the wrong he'd became party to, the taxi driver committed the more serious crime of assault as well as theft and so yes that should be dealt with by the full force of the law. I'm sure that the teenagers will get a severe ticking off at home. I think the instigator particularly should get a slap on the wrist and be made to do a 'something to make up for what he did'. I do not condone theft of any kind and neither do I condone taking the law into your own hands. There were many options open to driver; accepting the incomplete fare from the young man with a conscience, or insisting on full payment from him by driving him home, or following one of them home noting the address and reporting the matter to the police. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
