Taxi Driver Online

Is anyone else as fed up as I am about the way we in the taxi trade are treated by the cops? And that the system is geared up to use reference to Cab Inspectors and Council kangaroo courts to intimidate us?

FAO Chief Constable
Lothian & Borders Police
25th June 2007

Dear Sir

Re: Police Harassment - Officers A and B

I refer to an incident with the above two officers in Lauriston Place at Lauriston Gardens on Saturday, 23rd June 2007 at 22.30 hrs. This raises serious questions about the conduct of these two officers and their operational instructions handed down by your authority, which I require you to answer.

I was driving a taxi with a passenger aboard (details noted), sitting at the traffic lights at this junction when, looking to my near side, I noticed officer A adjacent to me indicating that I should wind down my window,

He asked me what a yellow traffic signal meant. My response was that it meant stop, unless unsafe to do so. This appeared to perplex him and he questioned my answer, telling me that I had driven through a yellow signal at the last set of lights.

By this time the traffic lights had changed a full cycle and I, at least, was aware that we were causing an obstruction, which I pointed out to the officer. He signalled me to pull over through the lights, which I did.

Officer B then approached my near side window, commanded me to turn off my meter and step into his car – MA03AEW.

Question 1. By what specific authority has this officer the right to command me in respect of any matter concerning my meter?

Once inside the vehicle B then reiterated his question regarding the traffic signal and would not accept my response, saying I had driven through on yellow when I should have stopped. I reiterated my response pointing out that the roads were wet, greasy and to have stopped suddenly may have been unsafe.

Fact. The highway code states “AMBER means “stop” at the stop line. You may go on only if AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident.

Question 2. How can these officers operate in the Traffic Division when they appear to have such scant knowledge of the highway code?

B then asked me what the stopping distance is at 30 mph. I replied it was around 80 feet to which he curtly replied - 75 feet. He then asked me whether I was an advanced driver and, when I told him I was not, he arrogantly replied that he was. His manner was offensive to me.

B then stated that the matter would be referred to the Cab Inspector and I asked him if he was attempting to intimidate me.

They showed me the video of the alleged transgression which depicted the traffic signal changing to red when I was a good way through the junction.

B then asked me what my plate number was and I answered ????. B then stated, “I daresay we will see plate ???? again”. Recognising this as another attempt to intimidate me I advised them that I objected and that I would note their numbers.

I asked for an opportunity to obtain a pen in order to record the details and A stated brusquely, “I don’t have to let you get a pen, you’ve had ample opportunity to see our numbers”.

I was asked for my taxi driver’s badge which I removed from around my neck and handed it to A. I was then questioned in an abrupt manner.

“What’s your name” A asked.

“Jim Taylor” I responded.

“It says James here” barked A.

The remainder of questions were asked in the same demeaning manner, as if I were a criminal loathed by this officer.

During this process B interjected asking whether I had the insurance for the taxi. I replied that it was in the taxi. “We’ll be having a look at that”, he said. However, B’s zeal did not extend to him actually scrutinising the insurance document.

They then said they were on their way to somewhere and the matter was at an end.

Furious with being accosted by these two officers I went to Torphicen Street police station to log the incident. Being closed I made my way to St Leonards.

I was interviewed by Sergeant C who, although I requested it be noted in the station log and an incident number issued, logged the details of the incident in his notebook. Interestingly, when I was fumbling for my pen, Sgt Wood had no difficulty in offering me his pen to use.

Question 3. Why are such incidents reported not logged in the station record and an incident number issued.

Question 4. Are the actions and tone of these officers as instructed by your authority? Is it right and proper for police resources to be expended in such a trivial way, particularly at such a period of peak demand for them?

Question 5. There has long been cooperation between the police force and the taxi trade in our common interest of dealing with an often difficult public. Doesn’t the unacceptable “Gestapo” type tactics employed here by these two officers jeopardise this relationship?

The unwarranted extent of this “shake down” was clearly designed by these two officers to intimidate me. They must also have known that there was nothing I could do to stop my passenger from leaving my taxi and continuing on his way in another, causing me to lose the fare already on the meter.

While I welcome the matter of the manner of my negotiating this traffic signal being brought to my attention, the conduct of these officers was unbecoming of a police force that claims to serve the public. With the continual erosion of civil liberties through the creation of ever more police powers, I am concerned that the public’s life is going to be “hell” if those powers are operated with the arrogant attitude I experienced of officers A and B.

I deprecate the futile attempt to intimidate me by intimating the matter would be referred to the Cab Inspector. Indeed, a copy of this correspondence will be sent to him, as well as being posted on the internet (the officers’ names/numbers withheld) in order that it be subject to the widest scrutiny.

I require this matter to be dealt with by you as Chief Constable and it recorded on the records of the officers concerned along with the appropriate disciplinary measures taken. It occurs to me that I should be issued with a written apology in respect of the appalling treatment meted out to me by these two officers along with an assurance that their intimidating behaviour is not the official policy of Lothian and Borders Police.

Yours sincerely




Jim Taylor

Cc Cab Inspector

To my mind thats a well thought out letter and one that i feel should be worthy of a quick response, it would appear to be despicable behaviour from the cops and i await seeing your response from the chief constable, although i feel somehow it will be passed down to some admin assistant to deal with.

_________________
Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

Good letter.
Let us know how you get on.
All the best

_________________

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

I will lay odds on that any reply will be along the lines that you were driving to fast for the road conditions if you were unable to stop safely when the lights went to amber.

_________________
Grandad,

If it's the same set-up up there, as it is down here, then your complaint will cause them no end of aggro until it's sorted.

So stick with your complaint, and don't take any wishy washy reply as being the end of it. If you don't get a proper apology, then give this mush a go Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland.

_________________
IDFIMH

Who told you that Sussex? Complaints are two a penny to the Police, it's all part of our 'how dare they' society we now live in.

It always amuses me how people get on their high horse every time they get caught doing something wrong / breaking the law, and it's an 'outrage' / 'disgusting' / 'have'nt they got anything better to do' , yet it's the same people who are shouting about inaction to tackle the general scumbag orientated society in which we find ourselves living in in 2007.

Jim mentions the erosion of civil liberties? In Britain? You must be joking, there are to many civil liberties, hence the reason out streets are now crawling with scum, that are immune to prosecution, unless it happens to be they're 23rd offence that month.

But of course thats not 'us' is it? 'We' were only caught doing 60MPH in a 40 zone, or carrying the wrong amount of passengers, or smoking. or being out of area or......... and it's an 'outrage' that someone has the ordassity to catch 'us'.

I wonder when people, and Taxi drivers, will just accept the punishment when caught breaking the law?

A little birdy.

All the time a complaint is live the PCs don't get any promotion, and there are now masses of paper-work over the simplest of complaints.

The boss gets p***ed off as he has to do the investigation, and more paper-work, then his boss has to go over it.

If the complaint came from a criminal, or a serial police complainer, then you are right they get short shrift, but as far as I know Mr Jasbar is not one of them.

_________________
IDFIMH

Any witnesses to their behavour ? So once again we have to take your word for it, funny that !
Another thing I've noticed when you are confronted with authority they are always in the wrong, funny that !

Maybe its your manner ?

A 'little birdie' isn’t quite correct.

The matter is a complaint about attitude / insubordination, that doesn’t have any affect on promotion (were they going for it??), it won't tie any 'bosses' up as all complaints are investigated by the Professional Standards Dept, so another 'little birdie' told me.

Well we will just have to wait and see then.

_________________
IDFIMH

In this instance, I'm quite sure, if there was enough evidence then they would have given Mr Jasbar a fixed penalty ticket.

But the video evidence proved Mr Jasbar was not acting outside the law, so what punishment should he then accept?

_________________
IDFIMH

Yes Ross, I do have my passengers details. Quite keen he was to give me them too.

But I have to ask myself whether my word is more credible - or yours, given that you have already volunteered that you are a self confessed racist, homophobe and a bigot. Your words, not mine.

Kinda speaks volumes eh?

you must be hurting ! 3more penalty points and your out !

My post was'nt aimed at Jim's particular incident. I have no reason to doubt what he says, after all he was there, we were not.

The main point I was trying to cover was this new found 'how dare they' (unless it suits us) attitude that the so called law abiding people in this country adopt when caught doing wrong.

But then you already know my retirement plans.

I know the answer to that one thats easy, when the punishment actually fits the crime!!

_________________
Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!