No matter how pleasant or difficult a passenger has been, paying the fare can trigger all sorts of reactions – and taxi drivers have seen them all before.
Whether it is dealing with an intoxicated group or someone struggling to make ends meet, the atmosphere can change in an instant if there are problems with or disagreements over payment.
Warning signs
Taxi drivers have a sixth sense for these things and sometimes ask for payment at the start of the journey – or make the cash machine the first stop if the passenger says they don’t have money on them – to ensure everything goes smoothly.
They are also very understanding about people’s situations, so when a Falkirk passenger’s bank card was declined as she attempted to pay, the PHV driver agreed to return to the woman’s address later when she promised she would have the cash ready.
But as the Falkirk Herald reports, the situation soon turned ugly, with the driver being attacked and his vehicle damaged as he tried to get away.
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that 24-year-old Kimberly Smith was initially fine and seemed sober when she got into the PHV to take her to a supermarket and the driver waited 15 minutes while she did her shopping. And there were apparently no issues when her card was declined and she promised to pay the driver later.
Trouble
The driver agreed and wasn’t expecting any trouble over the £7 fare. He rang her and returned to her home after she told him she had the money.
But when he arrived, the court heard she “charged at him and proceeded to slap him, punch and kick his vehicle and then attempt to ‘mount’ the bonnet as he desperately tried to reverse out of harm’s way”.
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Clyne said: “The accused walked towards the taxi and began to shout and swear at the driver.
“She lashed out and slapped his left shoulder and then began to punch and kick the side of his vehicle. The witness tried to reverse away from the accused, but his path was blocked due to a car behind him.
“The accused tried to mount the bonnet of the taxi and grabbed on to the wing mirror. She continued to shout and swear at the witness.”
Damage
The court heard that police were called and Smith began swearing at them, struggling with and spitting at officers trying to arrest her.
The Herald reports that Smith caused £500 worth of damage to the PHV during the incident.
Simon Hutchison, defending, said Smith drank alcohol to excess due to previous difficulties in her life. “The social work department seem to be almost at a loss as to what to do,” he added.
Smith – who had been before the court on 17 previous occasions – was jailed for six months.
While it was a shocking experience for the driver – who was trying to help someone – he did the right thing by trying to get away and call the police. The way she reacted with officers shows things could have been much worse if he had stayed and tried to reason with her.
Taxi drivers can normally tell which passengers might give them problems, but every now and then, we are all caught off guard. Fortunately, the driver wasn’t seriously hurt and his vehicle wasn’t too badly damaged.
