Taxi Driver Online

There are two sides to every story, as always, but no doubt whose side the Echo is taking here. Maybe it's just me, but they use the word 'dad' five times in the article, for example, and indeed four times near the start, which looks like one of these subtle tricks to garner sympathy and thus take sides.

And, of course, it's all on first-name terms.

There's a four-minute video showing part of the incident, and for a change actually worth watching.

Not really sure if the Echo should be publishing the video, though, and watching it without the wider context certainly doesn't do the driver any favours. And, for example, the driver's registration number is read out in the dialogue in the video

Also looks like an illegal hire.

But at least police seem to be looking at the incident from both sides.


Dad 'spent three miles stuck to bonnet of taxi'

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... r-27784280

The dad claims the incident began when a taxi driver took his mobile phone

A dad said his life flashed before his eyes after claiming a taxi driver drove for three miles while he was on the bonnet.

Johnny Connor from Wallasey “thought he was going to die” as he said he desperately held onto the car as it sped through the streets of Wirral on September 11. The dad had gotten into an altercation with a driver, who Johnny claims stole his phone.

Johnny said he was "holding on for dear life" as the car reached speeds of 'sixty miles an hour'. The incident has left the 40-year-old with a severely damaged leg after it became caught under the wheel of the car.

The previous evening September 10 Johnny had been on a night out in Birkenhead but with no money, the driver asked him to put his phone up as collateral for the fare. Johnny agreed and claims that after he was dropped off the driver sped off and stole his phone, a Samsung Z Fold5.

Johnny told the ECHO: “My partner was drunk and we could not get a taxi. I saw a private hire taxi and explained I had no money but I could pay him at the other end. He took us to my mate's house, charged us £35 for a £10 fare because it was an unregistered journey, and then sped off with the phone.”

Johnny tracked the location of his phone before finally confronting the driver on Kings Street in Wallasey on September 11 at 12.30am. The dad claims he tried to block the car from leaving but the taxi sped off with Johnny on the bonnet.

He said: “I reported it to the police but once the phone died I knew that we would never get it back… I stood in front of his car but he went through me and I was holding on to the windscreen wiper. But it snapped and my foot fell in between the driver's side wheel.

"I thought I was getting dragged under the car but I managed to get myself back onto the bonnet. The driver phoned the police while I was still holding on and said he was in fear for his life. I could hear the conversation and started screaming 'I'm on the bonnet'. The police told him to pull over.”

The car eventually stopped but Johnny stayed on the bonnet. The driver sped off again after Johnny’s friend, who had been following in pursuit got out of his car and confronted the driver.

Johnny said: “I was terrified because I did not expect it. Going around roundabouts clinging onto the bonnet was the scariest thing I have gone through in my whole life… I must have been on there for eight minutes. He eventually stopped back at the taxi depot and slammed on the brakes so hard I fell straight onto the floor."

Johnny has had an operation on his damaged leg and has been bed-bound. There is a possibility he will need another operation in the future.

The 40-year-old said: "I have been told by surgeons that my foot popped off my leg and when it popped back in the ball of my foot snapped off and turned around."

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We can confirm detectives are investigating an allegation that a taxi driver was assaulted and threatened while sat in his car in King Street, Wallasey at around 10.20pm on Sunday 10 September.

"They are also investigating reports that a man had his mobile phone stolen and was injured while attempting to stop a car driving away."

Anyone who witnessed the incident on dashcam or CCTV is asked to contact us by DM via our social media desk on Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ with reference 23000865712. You can also contact the independent charity Crime stoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

There are always two sides to a story, but I'm really glad I'm not that driver.

Clearly, he panicked, but he did just about everything wrong a person could do. He could even be charged with attempted murder.

He will lose his PH license, he will lose his DVLA license, and it's 50/50 as to whether or not he loses his liberty.

Last thing, the fella's mate saying hang on there, is a f***ing knob. The fella needed to get to a hospital, not stay and make things worse.

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IDFIMH

And the victim had several chances to get off the bonnet safely at various points, by the looks of things (but not shown in the video).

And I wonder if the driver even got the fare? I was kind of surmising that when they got to the other end they wouldn't pay him, and that's why he took off with the phone (it doesn't actually say whether the driver was paid, and obviously if he wasn't then their version of events won't say that).

And wouldn't be surprised if they got a bit lairy when they caught up with him and confronted him, hence the driver's actions, and why police are investigating an assault.

But certainly not looking good for the driver

A little bit more info, albeit from the fella who was hanging on the motor.

https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/2383 ... xi-bonnet/

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IDFIMH

I'm still wondering if he actually refused to pay the £35, and that's why the driver took off with the phone, or maybe there was a kick off about the fare, and that's why the driver scarpered?

Of course, it was obviously an illegal hire anyway, and presumably it was a hugely inflated fare, so to that extent it's a tad difficult to sympathise with the driver.

But, I mean, the chap here can't even get his numbers right - he told the Echo the fare should have been £10, while in the Globe it's stated as £12

I'm more than certain it will all come out in court.

Unless the driver pleads guilty to the matters he will be charged with.

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IDFIMH

that would have had the alarm bells ringing in my head straight away because the thing is there is such a thing as theft by keeping so accepting passengers property as collateral is very risky.

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

I think the issue here is that he drove away with the phone

That said in the cold light of day we can all pontificate on what he should have done, but he did make a number of mistakes including driving away with the fella stuck to the car, and not stopping.

That’s where he will struggle with any kind of defence.

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IDFIMH

Thought the other article was about this one from Merseyside, which sounds like a very similar incident.

But presumably this one has still to come to court, assuming it ever does, or that it will be reported by the press