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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to report a taxi driver for what I perceive as a racist remark

176 replies

treesntrees · 30/12/2014 12:57

The taxi driver asked me for my address then jokingly (I thought) said oh you don't want to go there it is too rough. I replied that it was so quiet it was boring. He then said "It's ebola central". Not being quick witted my mouth dropped open in shock. When I had recovered my breath I said "that's a bit of a racist remark" His reply was that ebola comes from Africa and as a lot of Africans live in that road it is ebola central. My response was to stop the taxi and get out. If I had been quicker witted I would have stayed in the taxi then said sorry mate I can't pay you in case You catch Ebola. So should I put in an official complaint to the taxi firm or am I being unduly sensitive. In actual fact although there's about half a dozen African families in my road they are still very much in the minority.

OP posts:

Coyoacan · 30/12/2014 23:48

I am a bit flabbergasted at the people who think this was just a joke and that are being too "precious"

Well done, OP, for reporting him and I hope your complaint is taking seriously as nobody belonging to a minority should have to risk getting into a taxi with him as the driver.

Greysanderson · 30/12/2014 23:52

Don't see how people are being confused by his comment.

Ebola is currently in 2 countries in Africa, the people living on the OPs street are black in the taxi drivers mind default African (could be black british or from the Caribbean etc) Ebola in Africa, black are African = African people have Ebola stay away from Africans.

Shattered2014 · 30/12/2014 23:54

Dawndonnaagain I don't understand why you think I would feel good about you or your daughter being abused. However in this instance calling the police over a joke - albeit with racial overtones- is pretty extreme.

PhaedraIsMyName · 31/12/2014 00:34

grey I'm one of the people who thought it was a stupid and nonsensical comment. Until today there were no Ebola cases in the UK.

It is however a comment I would not have been comfortable with and I have no problem with the OP reporting it. It will not cause him his job if it was a stupid one-off. If it wasn't , there may be consequences.

SorchaN · 31/12/2014 04:06

It was definitely a racist remark. If it's reported to the taxi company, a disciplinary case should be raised. If this cabbie has never been reported before, the consequences are unlikely to be terribly severe. If on the other hand the cabbie has been reported frequently for racism, the disciplinary system should lead to warnings or (if warnings have already been given) sacking. Sacking is rarely the immediate outcome of a disciplinary procedure for a first offence. Many organisations these days require staff to do sensitivity training and tests; my own workplace has done this. It's not exactly a surprise in this day and age that people are offended by derogatory remarks about ethnic minority status. If it had been me, I would certainly have reported it.

Inthedarkaboutfashion · 31/12/2014 08:14

However in this instance calling the police over a joke - albeit with racial overtones- is pretty extreme.

She didn't call the police. She called the taxi company.
Racism isn't a joke, it isn't a laughing matter so dismissing it as a joke with racial undertones says a lot about how you view racism.

cheifbrody · 31/12/2014 08:46

This is a joke thread... yes.....

Some people have far to much time on their hands

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 31/12/2014 08:52

Someone perceives someone elses comment to be racist so that person (who made the comment) should lose their job purely because theye think what they said they said was racist.

Dear me

Some of you desperately need to get over yourselves. It's laughable.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 31/12/2014 08:59

If CherryChocolate had posted well before me I would've said What Cherry said.

simontowers2 · 31/12/2014 09:28

Threads like this make me realise how Rotherham happened. Serious.

LynetteScavo · 31/12/2014 09:48

There are a lot of "cabbies are racist" comments on is thread.

ApocalypseThen · 31/12/2014 09:56

It was clearly and transparently a racist remark and the driver should be aware that it's not part of his remit to inflict his views - or humour - on passengers. It's extraordinary the number of people prepared to defend this type of conversation.

Things have to change. Nobody should be subjected to this kind of nonsense when they hire a taxi and being prepared to complain and complain is the only way to let these people know that they are behaving in an unprofessional manner.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 31/12/2014 10:06

I expect Taxi drivers don't necessarily agree with the views of all their passengers from time to time either. But they still take them to their destination, who can they complain too?

Snapespotions · 31/12/2014 10:14

I am really struggling to understand how anyone could argue that the remark wasn't racist. Could someone explain this to me please?

To me, it seems very clear that this was a comment on the number of black people living in the OP's neighbourhood, and an ignorant, offensive comment at that.

The widespread tolerance of casual racism is a major problem in my view. I am saddened by the number of people on this thread who think the OP is wrong for reporting. I think we have a duty to report.

Whether the taxi driver loses his job or not will depend on his employer's view on what happened. If he has form for making racist comments, he will probably get sacked, and rightly so. If this is a first offence, he'll probably just get a warning.

Dawndonnaagain · 31/12/2014 10:20

Threads like this make me realise how Rotherham happened. Serious.

ODFOD.

Dawndonnaagain · 31/12/2014 10:21

I expect Taxi drivers don't necessarily agree with the views of all their passengers from time to time either. But they still take them to their destination, who can they complain too?
The Police.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 31/12/2014 10:34

Oh yeah cos the police would take the view of someone pissed up VERY seriously

Dawndonnaagain · 31/12/2014 10:37

MrsItsNow You didn't specify drunk, did you.
And yes, in other circumstances they would take it seriously, that's what they are paid to do.

SunnyBaudelaire · 31/12/2014 10:39

oh for goodness sake so a taxi driver makes a dickish comment - isnt that what they do?
I would say that if you were to complain about him, you need to get out more.

Dawndonnaagain · 31/12/2014 10:56

oh for goodness sake so a taxi driver makes a dickish comment - isnt that what they do?
I would say that if you were to complain about him, you need to get out more.
And if he'd called my daughter a Spaz? Or a Paki? As she is called at school, do we need to get out more?

The fucking casual racism on this site is terrifying.

DurhamDurham · 31/12/2014 10:56

So you could potentially get this person sacked for making a prattish remark? Just vote with your feet and use a different taxi service next time.

SunnyBaudelaire · 31/12/2014 10:59

but he didnt call your daughter either of those things did he dawndonna?
I do not even know why you are saying that, it is complete non sequiter.
And no I am not 'casually racist' I just know that taxi drivers make stupid remarks.
Once one of them told me my street was 'like the third world' - should I have had him sacked? er no.

Dawndonnaagain · 31/12/2014 11:05

Which bit of Racism is unacceptable do you (and others) seem unable to comprehend Sunny?
No, he didn't call my dd any of those things, although she is called them on a regular basis. We report people for doing so. It is unacceptable to dismiss racism as 'stupid remarks'.

SunnyBaudelaire · 31/12/2014 11:08

oh racism racism how many time I have I heard that word bandied about in order to shut down any kind of rational debate.
I am sorry if your dd is having a hard time but it is nothing to do with this.

53Dragon · 31/12/2014 11:11

Calling the taxi firm is a fairly low-key way of highlighting to the driver that his behaviour is unacceptable. As others have said, he'll be self-employed anyway, so they won't be unduly bothered unless this forms part of a pattern of behaviour.

A more heavy-handed approach would have been to contact the local taxi licensing authority, but they wouldn't ban a driver for a one-off remark like this.

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