Taxi Driver Online

In light of the ever present danger to taxi Drivers should the law be amended to allow a taxi driver to be able to plead "reasonable and lawful excuse" for carrying an offensive weapon?

As it stands it is unlawful for any person to carry an offensive weapon except under very special circumstances which amount to what is reasonable for the purpose of self defence. This does not include the general carrying of offensive weapons for the purpose of continual apprehension that the weapon may be needed at some stage to defend oneself.

We have had several short threads on weapons of defence and in particular one which included the use of a very large torch made up of a solid structure which could duplicate as a mini weapon of potential mass destruction if placed in the wrong hands. We also had the case were a driver was prosecuted for having in his possession a canister containing a banned substance for the purpose of general use as a weapon of defence or attack, which ever way you wish to look at it?

I'm sure some will say we shouldn't go down that road and some will say we should but considering a complete new taxi act is being proposed is there any room in such an act for the provision of extending self defence to vulnerable taxi drivers?

I should remind everyone if you didn't already know that it is an offence to carry any object in a public place and that includes a vehicle, that can be classed as an offensive weapon. This would include such things as a piece of metal pipe or other similar type weapon or perhaps a banned substance or irritant contained in a spray cannister. The list is endless but a new act would give rise for the opportunity to write a whole new section in relation to driver safety something which should have been done a long time ago.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I think there may be an opportunity to make the threat of requiring an amendment to the Bill.

The age of vigilantism is rapidly approaching if this government continually refuse to restore the rule of law. The natural extension will be independent 'police' forces to protect taxis...or....buses....or....kebab shops...or............

Each 'force' will have it's own interests to uphold leading, in the extreme, to anarchy and civil war.

Sorry, I'm waffling............

The principle, that one must consider is "reasonableness" in relation to the immediately prevailing circumstances. In other words the terms in which it may be lawful or unlawful to carry an offensive weapon for the purpose of self defence?

We turn to the Scottish decision in Grieve v. MacLeod. There an Edinburgh taxi driver carried a two foot loaded rubber cosh in his cab; he was charged with carrying an offensive weapon in a public place,and he argued that taxi drivers are sometimes assaulted at night, perhaps severely, and he carried the cosh for self-defence.

The High Court of Judiciary in Scotland held that while each case must depend on its own facts, the appellant had not established the defence of reasonable excuse.

TDO does not have this case but the point is clear, establishing reasonable excuse is of paramount importance.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

I think a can of spray may not be ideal, but as I keep saying neither is a knife in the neck.

If people can buy certain sprays from France, and as we are still in the EU, then one has to wonder why we can't carry it as a safety device.

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IDFIMH

A can of air freshener or deodorant could reasonably be carried in your vehicle, as could a torch.

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

...shine a torch at them and spray them with pine fresh or lynx spice ???..that will stop em !!

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FORUMS ARE A GOOD PLACE TO LET OFF STEAM ! DONT TAKE LIFE TO SERIOUSLY ..

I don't shine it in their face

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

A torch can be carried to the right of the driver's seat and, therefore, easily accessible for, ummm...., shining at house numbers.

I'm hard pushed to think of where I could stow a can of air freshener so that it is available for ready use to, ummm....., mask the smell of the last scroat to get into the car! However, I like the idea. I'll give it some more thought.

Thinking further along JD's question, (which I wasn't at 12.39 am!) there is a danger of 'arming' ourselves overtly because the scroats will then come looking for a fight with a cabby. Now we have an apparently armed police force, has the prevalence of gun crime increased beyond the levels that may be expected with an unarmed police force? Can a parallel be drawn with 'arming' cabbies or giving them a 'reasonableness' defence to carry a weapon?

Maybe there could be some different rules depending on whether you were 6ft2in or only 5ft5in tall.

Perhaps shorties could carry "mace" to even up the odds with the majority of the huge drunken bums wot want to nick yer ard earned cash??????

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Our safety is Paramount

Driver's door pocket.

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

Currently the only legal self defence spray in the UK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btOaoL03TpU

Look nice sprayed all over the back of the cab.

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IDFIMH

The problem with having a weapon is if the bad guy takes it off you and uses it on you.
Your wits and gut instinct are your best weapons.

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stressed controller!!!

as your sitting down all day in the cab you may suffer from an aching back, i suppose you could justify carrying a tin of deep heat back relief with you.

just swap the wide angle nozzle for a directional one, like off a tin of WD40, and they wont like that sprayed in the face for sure!!