Taxi Driver Online

Probe into ‘flirting’ firemen

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2008/08/17/probe-into-flirting-firemen-79310-21546876/
FLIRTY fireman are putting lives at risk by “cruising” through a busy city centre in an emergency vehicle to impress girls, it has been claimed.

And now an investigation has been launched after a disgusted taxi driver wrote to fire chiefs to complain about the behaviour of the fire fighters.

The cabbie — who does not want to be named — claims to have seen crews “shouting and leering at girls” in Newcastle city centre.

He clams to have witnessed such behaviour on a number of occasions . . . and managed to capture one incident on his mobile phone camera.

It shows a young woman reveller clambering out of a parked fire engine as another chats to a firefighter.

Last night, as Tyne and Wear fire and Rescue Service confirmed the vehicle is one of their official appliances and not a spoof party engine booked by a hen party, bosses revealed a full investigation had been launched.

The self-employed hackney carriage driver took the picture one Saturday evening after deciding to gather pictorial evidence.

He said: “In my view, it’s a total waste of taxpayers’ money. I saw firemen get these women up into the cab.

“They are going round town getting whistled at by women and they are hanging out the windows of the fire engines. It’s absolutely scandalous.

“It’s an outrage and something needs to be done about it. If a house is burning down where are they? Stuck in town.”


In the past, the region’s fire services have been critical of party fire engines that parade hen parties around our city centres, but the cab driver said: “There is a party fire engine that goes round town which does private bookings. You can tell it a mile off from a proper fire engine, though.”

He said he had previously written anonymously to the chief fire officer Iain Bathgate before Christmas, complaining about the alleged cruising.

Kevin Hepple, area manager for community safety at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said they were taking the matter seriously. He said: “The vehicle in the photograph is a Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service operational appliance and we’re in the process of investigating the reasons why it has seemingly stopped in this location.

“While appliances may often be seen passing through the Quayside in Newcastle on their return to home stations after being called out to incidents, or after carrying out other duties, they shouldn’t be parked unless it’s to deal with a query from a member of the public or to carry out a standard inspection of a premise.

“If that hasn’t been the case in this situation, we will be investigating and will be taking any necessary action.”

He added: “Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service would never condone the misuse of fire and rescue appliances or the valuable time of professional firefighters, as it’s being alleged is the case here.

“However, until we’ve been able to complete a thorough investigation we’re unable to confirm what has occurred in this instance or to comment further on it”.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Now who does that sound like?

I wonder if he'd moan when they're pulling him out of his house as his lungs are collapsing with the heat and smoke and his skin is starting to bubble and blister?

I wonder?

That's the point though isn't it. They wont be around to pull anyone out of a burning house if they are trying to pull birds in the city centre.

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Grandad,

It just so happens I know a lad from Fossway (also a city cabbie) who told me that the appliance(s) concerned are from the city centre station, what difference does it make whther they're out on the City Centre's Station ground or back at the Station?

Fires can happen anywhere within a Fire Stations area, they may well have been closer to the incident from the quayside, they would certainly be more ready for a job than if they had had a 'cold' start from the base station.




Perhaps the whingers wife ran off with a Fireman?

The fire engines here often drive around town on a saturday night to make sure that they can easily access all the streets in town which are sometimes blocked by illegally parked vehicles.

If they cannot get through then people get towed away !!!

The trade should mention that when the council talk about increasing Taxi numbers.

I think the HC driver concerned is a bit of a crank

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well maybe a bit of a "saddo", but there are a number of issues here. I don't think public money is being wasted if the firemen are on duty and the appliance is stationary. I don't think it is scandalous that women are whistling at them, (happens to me all the time) but if any members of the public were being driven around in the engine, then the question of insurance would arise. I don't think firemen are expected to shout at people either, except in an emergency. As for the instigator of this tale, then writing anonymously to the head of an emergency service and then declining to be named in the press speaks absolute volumes.
Having said all that, though, if a woman was seen climbing out of the engine full of blokes, then do they need enhanced CRB checks and be deemed "fit and proper?"

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-e ... -21546876/

Some of us don't need a fire engine to impress the girls. lol

Notice I fixed your URL at no extra charge.


Regards

JD

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