2009-07-20 - Black Cab hit and run

^ why's that? Seems odd.

fingerprint the hubcap

It's unbelievable that this taxi did a runner,

I think it's unsurprising that someone who could have thier livelyhood taken away did a runner.

What is unbeleivable is that the police don't react in the way they should. And the level of petty bureaucracy required to get anything done.

Note this is not to say I agree with what the cab did, but I can see why he did it. Either way he needs his balls nailed to a cross... metaphoricaly! :-)

one of the conditions when the CC system was being approved was that the system was exclusively for managing the congestion charge.

Call it scope creep if you like. a number of government agencies tried repeatedly to get access to the info but it was (IMO rightly so) rejected by TFL at the time.

hmm. edit. seems to have now changed somewhat. :-(

another thing, if there is the slightest bit of damage on the cab, including hub caps missing, it is pulled off the road until repairs are made and signed for, by the carriage office
could be able to track through that

hmm. edit. seems to have now changed somewhat. :-(

Reading that suggests that a) they'd have to make a specific request (which somehow I doubt they'd bother for a cycling-related incident), and b) the image will have been removed from the system by midnight the following day anyway.

LF03, narrows it down to about 1000, was there any signage on the doors?? dial a cab etc

ever had someone walk into you whilst texting?.

I know, cunts, can't they see i'm busy on my phone...

Might be completely daft suggestion, but what about Personal Injury Lawyers?

If they got a sniff of a possible sizeable compensation, they may open a few doors

you would count as a witness. i'm not entirely sure who wouldn't. even your father would if they saw it, it's not like you're fucked if you get mugged and only your dad sees it.

On this I think you are wrong.
Black Cabs, by their very nature, are inherently a lot more dangerous than other vehicles.
Every other vehicle is going to a set destination. The driver knows where he is going - some more than others - and will direct his attention to getting to his destination.

Black cabs on the other hand, are being directed by passengers, often on a whim, (whilst directing their attention to being conversational, chirpy, claiming to know the Krays or being casually racist) and when they are not the driver's attention is focussed on getting the next fare. They do u-turns, sudden turns, go for gaps as they see them - the works. And often without so much as a look in the mirror, let alone the indicators.

lmao!

Black cabs are also inherently racist.

Said +1

Please report this incident to the police [officially, on paper and follow up], request [forcefully and directly] that they look at the cctv footage.

Please also report it to the PC office. They will do fk all but they must respond to you. Take their response to do nothing to the court, file a civil action suit against the police and PC office for doing fk all, become every cyclist's hero.

PLEASE.

Or at least make an official report or two.

I had to have words with an Alfa driver who beeped at someone today. I was polite and forceful and he was meek and obedient. I think he thought I was a copper.

Yup. i've found polite and forceful works wonders over spitting rage. I almost got squished between a curb and a driver who didn't see me, low speed thankfully. Went around and pointed out the chin that had just been done up by the road the previous week and told him to always watch out for cyclists. Since I was polite, he was polite. Granted, that won't always be the case but you catch more flies with honey than vinegar!

;831769']Please report this incident to the police [officially, on paper and follow up], request [forcefully and directly] that they look at the cctv footage.

Please also report it to the PC office. They will do fk all but they must respond to you. Take their response to do nothing to the court, file a civil action suit against the police and PC office for doing fk all, become every cyclist's hero.

PLEASE.

Or at least make an official report or two.

Good advice. It's also worth at least getting legal advice--sorry if someone has already mentioned it above and I've missed it. With complicated situations like this, an experienced legal pro will be able to tell you fairly instantly if it's worth pursuing, and will be able to pursue it if it is. There are some lawyers on here, but most of us are amateurs.

At this stage, I always advertise that one of the LCC's membership benefits is a dedicated legal helpline for members:

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=49

(Usual disclaimer that I have an interest in advertising this, but it is genuinely useful for getting through this sort of situation.)

As a general rule, you should ALWAYS report road traffic collisions that result in personal injury. The levels of under-reporting are shocking.

Oliver
LCC

Sorry for the thread dredge and potentially obvious question, but I've looked around and can't find anything about the idea of fitting black cabs with CCTV. After a couple of comparatively minor incidents, I remembered this story http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23823467-van-driver-sacked-by-firm-after-deliberately-swerving-into-london-cyclist.do

It would surely make a massive difference to cab driver behaviour. Also, is there anything in taxi training about respect for cyclists and other road users?

is there anything in taxi training about respect for cyclists and other road users?

Nope. The only training is studying The Knowledge.

They would have to have passed a driving test too though.
SO the trusty highway code should have been studied....I doubt it though.

Unlike bus drivers, they don't need to learn how to 'drive' a taxi, just as long they got a license, they can drive whatever they like.

Bus drivers will always have my respect, they're probably the most considerated drivers in London, especially when they tend not to rush.

I know there are some bad bus drivers who really do drive badly, but let not allow that to taint the already great one on the road.

What about cctv on cabs though. A good idea surely?

CCTV in places of work are usually frowned upon by the people working... In other words it's as likely to happen as CCTV in teachers classrooms (ie never)...

If you want CCTV your best answer is to buy the camera's on the 'report dangerous drivers' thread...

What about cctv on cabs though. A good idea surely?

CCTV in places of work are usually frowned upon by the people working... In other words it's as likely to happen as CCTV in teachers classrooms (ie never)...

CCTV are already in cabs and in classrooms.

Sorry I was unaware of any in classrooms (not the same as corridors and external camera's in schools) and the nuts and nuhts went out on strike a couple of years agoabout not having cameras in class rooms...

The ones in cabs don't point at the driver do they?

Unlike bus drivers, they don't need to learn how to 'drive' a taxi, just as long they got a license, they can drive whatever they like.

Bus drivers will always have my respect, they're probably the most considerated drivers in London, especially when they tend not to rush.

I know there are some bad bus drivers who really do drive badly, but let not allow that to taint the already great one on the road.

+1

I've encountered a few chancers who'll overtake and then almost immediately pull in to a stop (even better when they find that there's no space and end up at a nice jaunty angle across your path leaving you with almost nowhere to go) but by and large my experience with buses in London has been that they are patient and considerate. Often willing to sit at the stop a little bit longer to let you past, cancelling manouvres when they see that it will allow you space to get in front and waiting a short while after the lights change to allow the fools who do a late dash up the inside at a red light to get in front.

+2. Never had any problems with bus drivers either. Often wait to let you pass, I think they have come to realise that bikes can pretty much out-accelerate their buses up to a point, so don't bother trying to beat you off the lights.

Remember a lot of 'professional' drivers rely on their licence to earn a living, so aren't going to be all kamikaze trying to knock people off. That's not to say there isn't bad eggs out there, there will be in all jobs.

Black cab drivers aren't too bad, its worth bearing in mind that black cabs are a lot quicker and a lot more manoeuverable than buses so will appear more aggressive/dangerous. I'm not defending it, but bus drivers are paid a set wage whether it takes them 20 minutes or 2 hours to complete a journey, whereas black cabs thrive on making as high a number of journeys as possible to earn their wage.

'Minicab' drivers on the other hand...

The cctv in cabs points inside for passenger safety. In the article the vans cctv pointed out at the road.