Terrifying taxi ride this morning

[Zenana]

Just got a taxi from York train station to Kings Manor in Exhibition Square (or so I thought). I could easily have walked but was running late. The driver asked me if it was York St John and I said no, the University of York. I asked if he wanted the postcode he said no.

I realised he was going way out of the town centre and the meter said £8. I questioned this and he told me to shut up and "stop confusing me". Said I'd told him it was the university of York and when I started to try to explain talked and shouted over me and said I wouldn't listen.

He thankfully had pulled over at this point and I told him I'd get out and walk and pay him for this journey. "You robbing me. You robbing me. You robbing me" he just wouldn't stop. He called me a fucking bitch and drove away.

I didn't take his details or anything I was too shaken up. I'm amazed how upset it's made me.

I had a 45 minute walk to the meeting and I'm glad as it's allowed me to calm down a little but I'm so upset at this vile misogynist.

Op. For “threatening and abusive behaviour” In both cases it must be proved either that the accused person had the specific intent (see intoxication) to cause the other person to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against him or, simply, that the threatened person was likely to believe that violence would be used against him.

Did you feel this way? If so, is there any proof that would suggest it was reasonable you felt this way?

Expectation of a customer at a major station: That the drivers at the rank will get from A to B quickly; and that you can rarely choose the car or driver next in the line that is using that rank.

Normal, expected behaviour for a taxi driver:
To take the postcode from a passenger when offered, if there is a way of confusing 2 similar end locations.
To 'use the radio'.
To charge.
(Sometimes): To say that the location is really close even if the customer still wants to use a cab.

None of the above look to have happened, coupled with rude and frightening behaviour from the point at which they were telling the person to shut up when they knew the route was wrong. What started as a few minutes walk became 45 minutes.

So whether on the radar of the police or not, this experience met no requirements of general taxi purposes, and does need to be reported to those who might take an interest in the 'quality' of the service and the suitability of people who can just pick up customers. Something comparable to cowboy builders or whatever.

True....but its often a friend of a friend of a friend....

Absolutely report OP.

That must have been very scary.

He behaves that way because he gets away with it.

Black cabs and taxis outside of train stations, airports, etc are normally like this - you just jump in and go, you don't have to call for one. This is normal procedure at a railway station.

Why would you chose to be over sympathetic to a verbally abusive man, over the op?

Call the police first op. Get a crime reference number. Don't expect the police to do anything - they won't - but having the crime reference number will add weight to your council report.

Report him to the council next, including crime ref number and be clear you've reported it to the police.

The taxi licensing dept will register the details. What will happen will depend on his history and if he's known, plus the length of time he's had a licence. If he's been taxiing for 15 years with no previous, it will probably just be recorded. But if he's new and/or has previous, taxi licencing will look into it and take action.

Our LA broadly have a 'three strikes and you're out' policy for reports of drivers swearing/ behaving inappropriately etc.

Bullshit! The OP hasn't said what his nationality was nor what hers is!

Yet the police have plenty of time to harass women for wrongthink, funny that.

Without even recognizing that this man had the OP under his control because she was in his vehicle and he could have taken her anywhere he liked.

It’s hard for me to believe any woman would not see how upsetting and even terrifying this could be for another woman.

I am confused about what people think happened here.

The op and the taxi driver were at cross purposes about what each other thought they were doing and wanted from the situation.
If you know York and these locations it's very easy to understand how that came about.

She told him to let her out. He did.
She still intended to pay. He didn't realise that.
He got agitated and called her a bitch.
This upset her.

Nobody has said the shouting was acceptable behaviour though personally I doubt a criminal case could be made.

But this was a mistake in communication. I can see no suggestion he was attempting to kidnap her, molest her, attack her or even scam her?

He was yelling at her to shut up while she was still in the taxi, and driving her in the opposite direction of where she needed to go. While she’s telling him it is the wrong way.

No one said he tried to kidnap her, but have you ever been in the car with a strange man at the wheel who is screaming at you?

And aren’t taxi drivers licensed in UK? No one said it’s a criminal matter but here, anyone with a license to practice an occupation is subject to specific rules of conduct. You can file a complaint with the licensing board.

Here’s an example of the licensing code for one US state. It’s quite details and even addresses the driver’s personal appearance.

https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/052/chapter30/chap30toc.html&d=#30.74.

And all the time @AliceOlive he was telling me to shut up and stop confusing him and talking over me very loudly. He completely refused to listen to me.

He stopped the car not to let me out but to put in the postcode on the third time I suggested it which proves he was going in completely the wrong direction. This was when I said I'd get out and walk and pay him first. He yelled "you robbing me!" three times (and for the pp who questioned that, that's not mocking him, that's exactly what he said). He clearly wasn't listening as that's when he called me names and zoomed off.

The police have asked me to report it online to the council and to them.

I don't think his intention was to kidnap me either but his actions prove he's unsuitable for the job and it was frightening.

You don’t need to justify yourself. Please ignore the few posters who are hell bent on defending the abuse of women. Don’t let them make you second guess yourself.
Most of the posters have been very supportive and empathetic.

The last time I was in a taxi for a very rare night out it was so stressful like the taxi driver was not all there and he pulled out without looking on a roundabout. I couldn't relax.
We've also had reports of taxi drivers snorting coke, going to fast, hitting the kerb and they seem to be a free for all.

Sounds horrific op but I'm glad you're reporting it

I’m glad you are reporting it also and that the police have validated that it should be reported.

It’s so shocking how standards and expectations have declined. Particularly in the past decade.

Uber is no safer. Whilst the below is a story from the US, there’s no reason to believe it’s not the same here.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/uber-reports-141-rapes-2020-even-sexual-assault-incidents-declined-pan-rcna36287

A mistake in communication?! He called her a fucking bitch, what part of that was a mistake? It’s unacceptable behaviour, stop making excuses for it.

A few years ago, Uber lost their license to operate in London because of inadequate checks on who was driving for them. Whilst they have improved their procedures, they're not going to be immune to the same problems affecting other taxi firms.

Unfortunately that ban was overturned on appeal, @FSTraining, and the claimed improvement in their procedures isn't something I'd want to assume

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60885937

An NYC Uber driver dropped us off in the wrong city in New Jersey. He knew at this point it was wrong but had ended the trip so said he couldn’t take us to the right place. It was the middle of the night and we had friends with us from France. I knew the area a bit so didn’t completely panic but it was not a situation I’d want to be in as a tourist.

Also had an uncomfortable experience in Paris.

I’ll never take Uber in a major city again.

I also had an Uber try to pick me up in my own city with two people in the car. I said no way.