Time For Bed

Theres nothing like putting my foot in it when a female passenger got into the car with a very young child.

I asked her where she was going to and she answered me and in the same sentence she spoke to the child but I didnt realise this.

Her reply and I quote, was "Lumley Street, - When we get home I`m taking you to bed"

Obviously (or maybe not obviously, the address part was meant for me and the rest she was saying to her child but it didn't sound that way to me and my ears pricked up and I answered her by saying that it was a very kind offer but I really couldn't as I had other fares to pick up.

She gave me a disgusting look and I pointed out to her what she had said she then realised and fortunately we both had a good laugh about it.

RESPECT...... Wots that?

Is it just me or every cabbie that this happens to. Why does a mother get in the back of the car with a young child around 2 or 3 years old and allow the child to put their dirty shoes on the seats and allow them to put their grubby little hands everywhere making marks on the furnishings.

I will not drive off until a child has a seatbelt on as its a safety issue and its the law so the mother puts the seatbelt on the child only after I had told her too and within travelling about 500 yards the child had undone the belt and was trying to stand up on the seat putting his sticky hands all over my window whilst the mother didnt do a thing. I stopped the car and told him to get his feet off the seats and get his belt back on. He looked at me and quietly did as I told him but I shouldnt have to do this.

Its not my job to tell mothers to make sure their kids behave and then she had the cheek to ask me why I shouted at him to sit down to which I replied to her. "You weren't gonna do anything so I had to". She said that he wasn't doing any harm and was just inquisitive. She obviously didn't care what her little darling was doing in the taxi and didn't seem to mind that he was stood up on the seat with his moody shoes.

Maybe its the usual attitude of "Its not my property so I don`t care "

How would she like it if my previous passenger had done the same and then I went to pick her up. Would she sit in the same seat with dirt all over it.

Have respect for other peoples property. Its not too much to ask...

Responsible Adult

She was a young girl with a baby in a travel seat who got into the car. She opened the rear door. put the baby seat in the car complete with baby in it and then went round to the other side and got in the back seat and told me where she wanted to go to.

I asked her if she was going to strap the baby in and she said that she never does and it will be ok. I told her that its not ok, its dangerous if I pull up quick and its illegal. She then proceeded to strap the baby seat into the car and hadn't the faintest idea what to do. She had the child facing forward and didnt know how the seat belt attached to the baby seat. I had to sort it all out for her.

During the journey I asked if it was her child and how old it was. Yes, it was her child and it was 7 months old. Makes you wonder how a young mum can have a child of 7 months and have no idea how to fasten the child into a car safely. She told me she normally travels in her boyfriends car and the baby is never fastened in as its easier to get in and out the car but since she split from her boyfriend she has to get taxis.

Laziness is what it is, she puts the "cant be bothered strapping baby in attitude" before her childs safety. What sort of a mother is this.? I told her this as well. I don`t think she valued my opinion but she won`t ever travel in my vehicle without her baby being properly strapped in.

I doubt she would ever travel in my car again as she would be scared I`d have another go at her over safety of children.

Smelly food and wind

It was a windy day, not too windy as I picked a fare up from one of the many local fast food chains. She got in the car with her food and young son and as you know, the smell of this stuff tends to linger so down goes the windows a little bit to let some fresh air in.

Kids, being kids and having to play about, the litle boy decided to put the back window down and the wind started blowing in the car. The female passenger (who had rather long hair) told the young boy to put the window up, exclaiming and I quote the following, "Put that window up now, I've got hair all over my face".

The young boy calmly turned round to her and said "Why don`t you get a shave then"

Kids seem to say the funniest things.... and in all innocence

A Stones Throw Away

Picked up a fare tonight and took her to where she wanted to go and on route I noticed a bunch of kids around 10 years old and as I went to drive past them they hurled stones and rocks at my car. My immediate thought was to stop the car and get out and deal with it but I know if I had done this then the chances are that I would have been arrested and so I left it and carried on driving as I knew in the back of my mind that passenger safety was my main concern.

I dropped my passenger off and checked the car for damage and couldn't see anything. I then set off back the way I came and these same kids were still there. I slowed right down and they must have thought I was going to stop as they legged it through some alleyways into a maze of flats.

These kids know they can get away with it as its not easy to catch them as they know the area very well. The police are never around when you want them and the big question is.. "What are these kids of around 10 years old doing out on the street at 10.30pm at night". Do their parents not care where they are and what they are up to.

Apparently its becoming a regular occurrence  Kids throwing objects and missiles at passing cars and buses and its happening all over.

Egg Record

Over the weekend I picked up a fare who had with him what must qualify as the biggest Easter egg ever to be carried in the boot(trunk) of a taxi. Sadly he wasn't willing to share the giant egg which he had won as a raffle prize. But he was generously delivering the big brown beauty to a kids party for the lucky brats to smash and devour. Sounds like my sort of game but unluckily I didn't get invited. A pity because I bet it was good to watch the kids having fun.