TAXING TAXI THREAT

19-10-2006

Every year in the run up to Christmas, warnings go out not to flag down a taxi unless it's a black cab. But Edward Cameron's brother just wanted to get home quickly after a night out. It might have been the most expensive ride of his life.

Taxi drivers are the fourth emergency service - at least they often drive as if they are.

In terms of ‘antisocial behaviour' when it comes to a Saturday night they probably get as much attitude as the police.

But it doesn't give them the right to do what one of them did to my own little brotherlast weekend. Granted he's 22 but it's still no excuse.

Coming home from a night out with a couple of mates he flagged down the first cab that would stop, a private hire car which technically wasn't allowed to pick them up without a booking.

They agreed a price, ten quid, paid up front and off they went.

Halfway home in a dodgy area of Wolverhampton the driver decided that in fact they owed him another two quid. My brother refused and the cabbie, who works for a large firm based in the city, said that it was only a few extra pence each.

When they refused again he threatened to leave them where they were, in Wolves' notorious Whitmore Reans. My brother leaned forward to protest, demanding his money back, and the cabbie told him to get back or he would stab him between the eyes.

As my brother recoiled the cabbie stopped reaching for the glove box.

No knife was produced and the cabbie started to drive off again and my brother and his friends allowed him to take them just out of the dodgy bit of Reans before they told him to stop and let them out there.

Threatening force with a knife, even if no knife is seen, is still an assault.

My brother reported the incident to the police but asked not to take any further action - he didn't want to go through the whole court thing.

A mate who's a copper said it would have ended up being their word against his because there would have been no record of the journey with the taxi company as the driver wasn't pre-booked.

This means I won't expose the cab firm, however much every fibre of me wants to, because it would technically be defamation.

But to anyone on a night out around the Midlands just heed my warning, as you inevitably go out and drink more with Christmas on the way, don't get a cab on your own.

If you must flag one down, make sure it's a Hackney carriage, because if you flag down a private hire no-one will ever know where you went.