Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver repels knife attacker

A taxi driver managed to wrestle a knife from a would-be robber who had held it to his throat, police said.

The attack happened after a male and female, aged in their 20s, got into the 48-year-old driver's car in Dens Road, Dundee, on Sunday morning.

After about a 10-minute drive, the man put a knife to the throat of the taxi driver and demanded money.

The victim suffered cuts to his hands but was able to wrestle the knife free and the pair ran off.

They got into the driver's car at about 0755 GMT and the attack happened at the disused Shell Garage in Strathmartine Road in the city.

Tayside Police said the knife had not been recovered and was last seen on the road, close to the incident.

The male has been described as about 5ft 8in tall, of slim build and was wearing a dark coat with a hood and dark trousers.

The female was about 5ft 3in tall, also of slim build and was wearing a beige/tan hooded jacket of waist length.

Tayside Police have appealed for witnesses.

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IDFIMH

Daft as it may seem, I think I would do much the same.

And I'm not a tight Scottish driver.

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IDFIMH

Well I am and I wouldn't. My life is more important than the few quid I have in my pocket.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I can't argue against what you say, it's just that I wouldn't do what you say.

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IDFIMH

Ditto, the scumbag BUSTARD

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

that was the second attack in two weeks,most cabbies say they would not fight the attacker but when it comes to the crunch i think anger would get the better of your judgement

Reading more detail on the story, I doubt if many drivers would have done it. Strange time for a thing like this to happen as well - ten to eight in the morning:

Have-a-go hero cabbie fights off knifeman

By Graham Huband

A HAVE-A-GO hero cab driver from Dundee last night spoke of the terrifying moment he fought off a knife-wielding man who was attempting to rob his taxi.

The Handy Taxis cabbie said he instinctively reacted when a male passenger pulled out an eight-inch long carving knife and held it to his throat yesterday morning.

The 48-year-old—who asked not to be named but has more than 25 years’ experience in the trade—bravely grabbed the blade and forced it away from his neck and towards his assailant.

At this point, a female passenger joined in the assault to ensure her accomplice was not hurt as the cab driver began to overpower him.

The pair fled after the taxi driver managed to wrestle the blade free from the man’s grasp.

The assault occurred as the taxi driver dropped off the pair at the former Shell garage on Strathmartine Road at Coldside at around 8am, having picked them up a few minutes earlier at the junction of Dens Road and Lyon Street.

The incident is similar to the attempted robbery of another taxi driver in Dykehead Place, Stobswell, in the early hours of Friday. However, the police have not established a link between the two crimes.

The driver told The Courier the attack would not stop him from working and he expected to be back on the road today.

He said he would have been back behind the wheel yesterday had it not been for the lacerations he sustained to his hands and the fact his cab had been left covered in blood.

The man was treated at Ninewells Hospital where he received stitches to a finger injury.

He said, “It was about ten to eight this morning when they flagged me down. The guy got in and sat behind me and the girl sat next to him.

“When I pulled in to let them off at the garage the guy put a blade round my throat.

“To be honest rather than being frightened the adrenaline kicked in and I was more annoyed that this cheeky little [edited by admin] was trying to rob me.

“I think that is probably the reason I had the strength to rip the blade out of his hand.

“The girl tried to get involved but she didn’t manage to do anything because by that time I had got the blade off him.

“They ran off and I would have chased them in the car but there was a bollard in the road and I couldn’t get turned.

“It was then I realised that I was cut to the extent I was, and I went to the office to get the first aid kit and some sort of dressing on my hand.

“I have got a few cuts and one on my left hand on my index finger. It is basically cut from the top joint to the inside of my finger but luckily enough it didn’t damage any of the tendons.”

Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or can identify the driver’s attackers from their descriptions.

The man is in his early 20s, about 5ft 8in and of slim build. He was wearing a dark coat with a hood and dark trousers.

His accomplice is in her late teens to early 20s, about 5ft 3in and of slim build. She was wearing a waist length beige/tan jacket with a hood.

Anyone with information should contact the police on Dundee 223200 or speak to any officer.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007 ... 7636t0.asp

Depending on which day of the week it happened I don't think 7.50am is that strange.

Some of the rubbish I pick up early in the morning are on a par with some of the rubbish night drivers pick up.

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IDFIMH

the timing of this incident 7.50 am is strange due to the fact daytime cabbies start at 7.00 am and he probably only done one fare,the junkie never thought of this ,im going to suggest to the dta to organise a reward,
£1000 would be very easy to raise between 2000 badge holders any extra money could be put aside for further rewards

Simple solution..........M1 spec across the board !!

I've never heard of this before? Don't know about guard dogs in Paris, but minders in Birmingham?

10 December 2007

Taxi CCTV call after city attacks

The chair of Dundee Taxi Association today called for funds to be made available for CCTV in cabs following two violent attacks on city drivers within the space of 48 hours (writes Graham Huband).

Detectives are continuing to hunt a thug who tried to rob a taxi driver at knifepoint in Strathmartine Road yesterday morning and are also investigating an attempted robbery in Dykehead Place in the early hours of Friday in which another cabbie was assaulted.

Association chairman Graeme Stephen said today he was appalled at the latest attacks but said it was a sad truth that taxi drivers were not strangers to unprovoked violence.

He said the association had been lobbying for some time for funding from Dundee City Council to back a pilot project to place CCTV in cabs.

However, he said the scheme had not got off the ground because of the funding issue.

Mr Stephen said, “Taxi drivers are only out there doing their job and they are not really carrying that much money.

“If the culprits do get caught, I would like to see the courts punish them more heavily. It often ends up with the taxi driver’s word against their word.

“I think CCTV in taxis would be a massive deterrent. If taxis had cameras but they didn’t have to be used that would be the ideal scenario for us.”

Mr Stephen said CCTV had been successfully trialled in certain places in England and he was keen that drivers in Dundee were offered similar protection.

He said a good quality CCTV system that would record sound and colour images and would work at night would cost around £700 per cab.

He said, “In Birmingham drivers carry a front seat minder and in Paris saloon car drivers are only licensed for three passengers and they carry a guard dog or minder in the front seat.

“I read that in one place down south where they have brought in CCTV, assaults went down from 100 to just two. I think it would be very successful in Dundee if we could get the funding.”

Police were today trying to identify the man and woman involved in yesterday’s assault in which the 48-year-old cabbie was hailed a have-a-go-hero after wresting a knife from his male attacker.

Police are seeking a man in his early twenties, about 5 foot 8 and slim. He was wearing a dark coat with a hood and dark trousers.

His accomplice is in her late teens to early 20’s, about 5 foot 3 and slim. She was wearing a waist length beige/tan jacket with a hood. A similar description has been issued of the male involved in the Dykehead Place assault on Friday but no link between the two crimes has been established.

Anyone with information about either incident should call police on Dundee 223200 or speak to any officer.

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/outpu ... 967t0.shtm

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IDFIMH

Must admit that the only time i have ever been attacked was at 8am in the morning ( 12 years ago now) so it doesn't surprise me however I am in the camp of discretion is the better part of valour you can always earn more money but if you got seriously injured that might really hurt your finances and change your life for the worse

There is no right, or wrong answer.

Just a few scumbags trying it on.

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IDFIMH

word on the ranks is the police caught the offender ,somebody grassed him up