Walking to work this morning saw a taxi nearly hit a lady on a bike and then open his window and have a good shout at her. She was cycling into the right hand right-turn lane where a single lane becomes two towards a traffic light which had turned red, indicating with her arm (Gilmore Place/Leven Street junction in Edinburgh). He appeared to be trying to accelerate through through the red but was thwarted by her moving over into the turning lane, he turned left when the lights changed.

I didn’t get involved and they continued on, but I noted his PHC licence number. He was well out of order, driving dangerously and being aggressive so I feel I should complain about him, but is it just opening a world of pain? Basically I just want him and his licence issuers to know someone saw what he did, I don’t want to end up in some legal cycle.

next time it could be a babys head

*note i have no idea but its standard stw response innit*

report it. without complaining we have no right to complain. if you see what i mean 😉

You absolutely must report this. The Council who issue taxi licenses do take these things very seriously and will take appropriate action.
So please do the right thing.

TMS

Definitely report it. Otherwise it becomes acceptable practice.

Grrr. So you’ve seen something which you feel is wrong, but you’re hesitating about reporting it in case it becomes a bit of a hassle? Grow a pair.

Recent court case I was involved with (as a witness) ended with the guy getting a suspended sentence rather than an immediate custodial sentence due to another witness refusing to “become involved”.

Do the right thing and report it!

Report it.

Mainly because it’s the right, responsible thing to do, next time it could be a childs face etc etc.

But also because any opportunity to get one over a motorist should be savoured. 😀

Do it. The problem with events like this is the more public they are- the more people who witness them- the less likely it is that any one of them will intervene. Bullies bully because the crowd allows them to.

Women on bikes get treated like this all the time. So play a part in stopping that.

reported a taxi that driving dangerously (tailgating VERY close a car in front at 60mph for several miles and intimidating the driver). As I was not the person being tailgated the police said they couldn’t do anything. Wish I had contacted the council and the taxi company tbh as a lot of that firms drivers are complete a-holes. Big company with a monopoly over a particular route.

On the flip side had a very good response from the local community officer regarding some local school kids racing each other at lunch time who dealt with things brilliantly.

Any chance you could meet the lady on the bike again (e.g. regular commuter)?

If so then tell her you witnessed it and put in a complaint together. It will have a lot more force.

OK I’m going to do it. Don’t worry if it had been anything more than shouting I would have done more than stand there catching flies. My hesitance is based on a former colleague who was gently reversed into as he walked in a car park, made a complaint, and it spiralled into a legal nightmare that consumed a lot of his time and money. Not really applicable here but its made me wary of pursuing things.

Totes do it. Imagine the lass was your good lady.

Just do it, and don’t expect to be able to call a taxi to your house once it goes ‘public’ 😉

Also be careful.

He may have shouted ‘sorry’ and she then abused him, so he reported he. You’re then providing a witness to this – and she could be prosecuted.

Not probable, but you never know.

Not probable, but you never know.

Yeah and the sky could fall in at any moment, not probable, but you never know. 🙄

What is more likely is that the lady got the cab number and has reported it, if you also report it then there is a better chance someone will have a word with the driver.

Big company with a monopoly over a particular route

Checkers?

As above – Report.

In Cardiff our licensing authority operate a points system. Like toting up if you get to 12 points you could have your badge suspended. Things that get you points could be, abussing members of the public, abusing other taxi drivers, assaults, unfit vehicle etc. Its a fair proccess up to a point. You making a complaint after witnessing the incedent, doesn’t carry nearly as much weight as the woman making the complain. You don’t even know what was said for instance. If asked about it the driver might just say ” what woman “.
Your complaint will be noted though, and if this driver already has history it’ll have some bearing, but the council isn’t going to remove a mans livelihood on the basis of a secondhand unverified complaint.

He may have shouted ‘sorry’ and she then abused him, so he reported he

No, it was right infront of me, he would down his window and started shouting, she tried to explain she was signalling to turn right, and he just kept moaning at her. He was just being a richard.

and she could be prosecuted.

can you be prosecuted for shouting at somebody?

Reported a taxi driver earlier this week, to the firm. Got listened to as (a) we are corporate clients of said firm and (b) I have authority to make us not be corporate clients of said firm in the future.

I suspect if either of those factors weren’t there, I may have got little if any response.

I was in a taxi as it drove along right up the arriss of a cyclist towing a kiddie trailer, where there wasn’t room to pass. Been assured that my complaint is being treated “with the utmost seriousness” which I assume means that nothing much will be done about it.

So you saw what happened, you saw the hairy rsed taxi driver giving it to this woman & you chose not to get involved…

🙄

I must be going soft, I really must.
Am I the only one that wouldnt have waded in & defended this poor lass…?

Aren’t Ed City council trying to promote cycling at the moment/or responsible driving tyupe things. Thought I rememebred seeing saomething here about it.

But yes absolutely should be reported, for all you know she reported it but at present would just be her word against his.

Am I the only one that wouldnt have waded in & defended this poor lass…?

She was doing fine defending her actions herself, and then they stopped, so I went on my merry way. Quite a few of us crossing the road were watching. Maybe I should have charged in headfirst shouting “STWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW”, or told him “I know Tandem Jeremy, you know”, but I didn’t.

Been assured that my complaint is being treated “with the utmost seriousness” which I assume means that nothing much will be done about it.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yoy4_h7Pb3M[/video]

Just think about all of the people who didn’t report Jimmy Saville’s (alleged) behaviour, and the (possible) implications of them not doing so

Erm I know it’s fashionable to refer to JS at every opportunity as part of the general frenzy everyone seems whipped up into, but….

I reported a taxi driver who opened his door on me right as I was passing rather than pause for 0.076 seconds for me to pass, causing me to swerve.

The council apparently haul them in for a chat. He was ‘very sorry’ apparently(for getting reported, not his actions no doubt!)
They largely drive like knobs and give the least distance when passing ime.

Am I the only one that wouldnt have waded in & defended this poor lass…?

Assuming from the context of your post that you meant “would” not “wouldn’t”, I guess we can’t all be vigilante heroes like you. I’m sure we all sleep easier in our beds at night knowing people like you are out there fighting injustice and evil on our cowardly behalves. Do you wear a cape, btw?

It sounds like the driver is not fit to be on public roads. Nobody should hide behind their steering wheel and act like such a pr*ck, especially when it comes to a more vulnerable road user. He’s an ar*ehole and I’d report him in a second.

I reported a driver in a works van once. The boss got in touch and sounded truly gutted and annoyed that his staff behaved the way they did. Makes them think twice about how dangerous roads can be.

Just report it to the taxi company. He’ll probably get a slap on the wrist (which should be enough to make him think twice next time) unless he’s been reported before then his employers can deal as appropriate.

Know it’s absolutely not acceptable but sounds like someone whose seen red mist and vented on someone he shouldn’t have.

A friend of mine got cut up by cab a few years back at a roundabout on a club run, cut him up so close that he slapped the side of the cab as it passed dangerously, he caught up with him at the next roundabout and the cab wound down his window and started f’in and blind’ in how bikes shouldn’t be on the road and my friend calmly go out his police warrant card and then took his details and he then lost his cab licence, i know it was probably his livelyhood but that was the best moment of my life.

I’d be surprised if the police were interested given you weren’t a victim, I don’t know re. the Council.

Let us know how you get on.

Report it BigJim. The city’s completely abhorrent at the minute, from Middle Meadow Walk & Gorgie to the usual “of-which-we-will-not-speak”. Piss-poor driving by our friends in black is icing on the danger-cake.

I don’t drive, what’s the script on accelerating through amber changing to red?

Report him.

We got tailgated by a taxi on a lesson and it overtook us. As it did my Pupil realised it was his mates firms car.

He reported it and the driver got fined on his rent or something by the firm.

Im sure the council will be interested in the OP’s incident.

I don’t drive, what’s the script on accelerating through amber changing to red?

Any they say cyclists are meant to know the rules of the road?

😉 etc

Thanks al, thought DruidH would do that one…

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Pretty comprehensive. I’ll have a read. 😛