Taxi driver punched by Watford thugs

5:30pm Thursday 31st January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Adam Binnie, Senior Reporter

Taxi driver punched by Watford thugs Taxi driver punched by Watford thugs

A taxi driver had his tooth knocked out by a gang of thugs during a dispute over a fare in Watford.

Atique Rahman, 35, picked up six men aged roughly 20-years-old from Watford Colosseum on Saturday, January 19.

When he dropped them off at Watford Junction, an argument over the fare broke out and Mr Rahman was punched in the face, knocking out one tooth and damaging three others.

Mr Rahman, who has been driving a taxi for 18 months, said: "When I picked up the six guys they asked me how much it was to go to Watford Junction.

"I said it would be on the meter, but wouldn’t be more than £10, and they said that was fine.

"When we arrived I got out the driver’s seat and went to open the back door, and they asked me how much it was.

"I told them it was £8.50 and they said ‘no it’s not, the controller said it would be £5’ so I told them again it was £8.50."

Mr Rahman, who lives in north Watford, told the men to telephone the controller and gave them his mobile phone. The controller told the men the fare was £8.50.

Mr Rahman said: "One guy reached into his pocket and gave me £3, and one of the others gave me 2p. I said, ‘what is this, the fare is £8.50?’ and told them if they didn’t pay I’d call the police.

"That’s when one of them punched me. There was no argument so I wasn’t ready for it. Then they all ran off down Clarendon Road."

After a visit to the dentist, Mr Rahman was told one of his teeth had been permanently knocked out, and three others had been damaged. He will find out next week whether they will have to be removed too.

British Transport Police said the investigation was ongoing, and a number of leads, including CCTV images and details of the taxi booking, were being followed up.

Mr Rahman added: "I called the police and went to hospital but I haven’t heard anything else, there are plenty of cameras in the town centre and train station so they must have seen it.

"I want the police to arrest these people to show them they will do something about it, otherwise people will think they can get away with it."

Comments(28)

Boosey says...
6:30pm Thu 31 Jan 13

I know hitting the driver is not justified and the attacker is nothing but a bully but £8-50? A rip off! and they could have walked it in 10 mins.

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watfordway says...
6:50pm Thu 31 Jan 13

How can it be £8.50 from the Colloseum to the Junction, what did he do drive round the ring road 3 times?

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pepsiman says...
7:11pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Charging that much he'll soon have enough for a new set of choppers lol

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watfordrick says...
7:18pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Yeah he got what was coming!

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mummy_1 says...
7:28pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Watfordric, well let's hope that the men do not run into you and yours the next time they are out and about.

Boosey, Watfordway and pepsiman, it was £1.50 less than they planned to pay.

I really hope that they are caught and have to suffer being named and shamed in this same paper

Mr Raham, not everyone out at night is a savage as it would appear after your experience and reading the comments on this story.

What world do we live in?

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highhigh says...
7:48pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Dont get me wrong the taxi driver did not deserve to be physically assaulted, but the prices these cabs charge are unreal! There is no need to be greedy. There has to be a balance. I reiterate for the people who slate me: I don’t agree with the way the cab driver was treated.

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LSC says...
9:24pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Although it at first glance it does seem expensive, how much would six bus fares for the same journey have cost? (Assuming there was a bus that takes that route). I'd guess around £6, it is slower and you might have to walk at either end anyway.
An extra £2.50 divided amoung 6 doesn't seem so bad when you look at it that way.

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HornetJJ says...
10:05pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Firstly - Who gets a cab from The Colosseum to Watford Junction? Secondly- £8.50! Are you having a laugh, its half a mile!!

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Chezzie says...
10:08pm Thu 31 Jan 13

I used a cab from outside Watford junction on this night and had to go to the otherside of Garston and it only cost me £5 ?....I'm not saying I justify what these guys did...No way, everyone has to earn a living but!!!!!!

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G_Whiz says...
10:19pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Head line should have said 'Police hunt for the worlds laziest thugs!'

or

'World record broken for most expensive cab journey!'

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OKbyMe says...
11:06pm Thu 31 Jan 13

watfordrick wrote:
Yeah he got what was coming!
You are an idiot

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TRT says...
11:49pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Doesn't say what time of day it was. But at gone 11pm I got a cab from the Junction to Bushey and it was only £7.50 on the meter. I can't believe they wouldn't have walked it!

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garston tony says...
7:17am Fri 1 Feb 13

I dont understand why the focus is on the fare (especially when the thugs knew in advance how much it was) and not on the despicable act of hitting this poor man.

Concentrating on the fare gives the impression some think the attack was justified like the idiot watfordrick

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TRT says...
7:49am Fri 1 Feb 13

It's an absolutely unjustified attack. Which makes one wonder if we've got the whole story.

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OAC Bailiff says...
8:10am Fri 1 Feb 13

poor man he didnt deserve that doing his job to earn a crust still thats what a lot of taxi drivers are up against i thought taxis had cctv in them now

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Watford Voice of reason says...
9:20am Fri 1 Feb 13

No one deserves to be attacked and I hope the thugs are caught and prosecuted.

But how could a metered fare possibly come to £8.50 for that journey? It can't be more than a straight 600yds from the pick up point to the traffic lights on St Albans Road, then a further 200 yds to the station.

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drunkenduck says...
10:29am Fri 1 Feb 13

I got a taxi (had no choose) to the north Watford cinema one way, that cost me £10.

The question is now, who decides the prices of these fares? As this news article is showing, the taxi firm and properly others too, are "Ripping off the consumer".

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LSC says...
1:05pm Fri 1 Feb 13

I still don't quite understand the fuss over the price (although I'd have walked rather than pay it). Minimum wage is now £6.19 and many people who earn it can barely get by. Bare in mind the taxi has to get to the pick up point as part of the job, so the whole time for this was maybe 20-30 minutes, and there is no guarantee of another job immediately afterwards.

Taxi insurance is frighteningly high, you have to pay for a taxi licence and we all know the price of fuel and maintaining a vehicle that spends it's whole time on the road, not just a commute.

With jobs like this, I bet the guy is lucky if he takes home £5 an hour.

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G_Whiz says...
1:57pm Fri 1 Feb 13

garston tony wrote:
I dont understand why the focus is on the fare (especially when the thugs knew in advance how much it was) and not on the despicable act of hitting this poor man.

Concentrating on the fare gives the impression some think the attack was justified like the idiot watfordrick
I expect the focus on the fare is because we are so used to violence in this country, We love gangs, gangsters The media loves violence. Movies, music and games are obsessed with it.

We will never get used to being ripped off though!

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LawAbidingCitizen82 says...
3:16pm Fri 1 Feb 13

There is obviously more to this story than we are hearing, doubt we will ever hear the other side now though as someone decided to break the law.

I feel sorry for the taxi driver, losing a tooth is obviously not nice but I dont know whether he is telling the whole truth.

I'd like to know the firm he works for and where about they are situated because an £8.50 fair is outrageous. Which makes me think the customers may have been told a lie for the following reason.. If the controller had told them £10 for a 1 minute journey over the phone I'm sure the potential customer would hav told them to f*** off there and then.

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george j says...
4:09pm Fri 1 Feb 13

perhaps they were charged extra as they booked a seven seater.although they should have walked.

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ian9898 says...
8:02pm Fri 1 Feb 13

I know witnesses to this and I am afraid to say that the report is a tad wide of the mark!

Maybe the taxi driver should take a good look at himself in the mirror for an "adult" to behave like he did with "kids not thugs" is disgraceful.

Nobody deserves to get hit, I am not condoning that in any way but his behaviour was also not becoming of an adult providing a service to the public!

I hope his employers take a good look into this!!!

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mummy_1 says...
9:50pm Fri 1 Feb 13

All metered cabs would have a minimum amount 'on the clock’ . Probably £3.00 before the journey started.

I am guessing that 'from the Colloseum' means that the car was on the other side of the dual carriage-way, facing West Watford which meant it had to drive up towards Rosalyn Road, turn left, along Upton Road, and left or right towards Watord Junction.

While this journey is not a million miles it is not a direct route and probably only cost the passengers £1 each in journey time.

It is a disgraceful thing to happen. Why are we focusing on the cost of a cab fare? These guys probably spent £££££s on over-priced alcohol. Disgusting vile people almost getting empathy from readers for their vile behaviour.

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Boosey says...
11:05pm Fri 1 Feb 13

LSC wrote:
I still don't quite understand the fuss over the price (although I'd have walked rather than pay it). Minimum wage is now £6.19 and many people who earn it can barely get by. Bare in mind the taxi has to get to the pick up point as part of the job, so the whole time for this was maybe 20-30 minutes, and there is no guarantee of another job immediately afterwards. Taxi insurance is frighteningly high, you have to pay for a taxi licence and we all know the price of fuel and maintaining a vehicle that spends it's whole time on the road, not just a commute. With jobs like this, I bet the guy is lucky if he takes home £5 an hour.
If you take a stroll or drive round the Cassiobury Estate take a look at how many taxis are parked in the driveways. Lucky to take home £5 an hour?
get real and someone has mentioned cctv, well they would have it but expect the council to pay for it.
I have never heard of a poor cabbie, although they should be able to carry out their days work without being attacked.

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LSC says...
11:42pm Fri 1 Feb 13

Boosey wrote:
LSC wrote:
I still don't quite understand the fuss over the price (although I'd have walked rather than pay it). Minimum wage is now £6.19 and many people who earn it can barely get by. Bare in mind the taxi has to get to the pick up point as part of the job, so the whole time for this was maybe 20-30 minutes, and there is no guarantee of another job immediately afterwards. Taxi insurance is frighteningly high, you have to pay for a taxi licence and we all know the price of fuel and maintaining a vehicle that spends it's whole time on the road, not just a commute. With jobs like this, I bet the guy is lucky if he takes home £5 an hour.
If you take a stroll or drive round the Cassiobury Estate take a look at how many taxis are parked in the driveways. Lucky to take home £5 an hour?
get real and someone has mentioned cctv, well they would have it but expect the council to pay for it.
I have never heard of a poor cabbie, although they should be able to carry out their days work without being attacked.
A lot of our local taxi drivers are of Asian origin and they tend to have little problem sharing a house with a large family; in fact the bigger houses around Cassiobury are ideal for this.
So you might well have 4 or 5 wage earners per household, but that doesn't make the individuals rich.
I also have met quite a few cabbies who hold down two jobs.

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Razor Sharp says...
4:52am Sat 2 Feb 13

LSC wrote:
Boosey wrote:
LSC wrote:
I still don't quite understand the fuss over the price (although I'd have walked rather than pay it). Minimum wage is now £6.19 and many people who earn it can barely get by. Bare in mind the taxi has to get to the pick up point as part of the job, so the whole time for this was maybe 20-30 minutes, and there is no guarantee of another job immediately afterwards. Taxi insurance is frighteningly high, you have to pay for a taxi licence and we all know the price of fuel and maintaining a vehicle that spends it's whole time on the road, not just a commute. With jobs like this, I bet the guy is lucky if he takes home £5 an hour.
If you take a stroll or drive round the Cassiobury Estate take a look at how many taxis are parked in the driveways. Lucky to take home £5 an hour?
get real and someone has mentioned cctv, well they would have it but expect the council to pay for it.
I have never heard of a poor cabbie, although they should be able to carry out their days work without being attacked.
A lot of our local taxi drivers are of Asian origin and they tend to have little problem sharing a house with a large family; in fact the bigger houses around Cassiobury are ideal for this.
So you might well have 4 or 5 wage earners per household, but that doesn't make the individuals rich.
I also have met quite a few cabbies who hold down two jobs.
And don't forget that the progeny of some of the said taxi drivers have become professionals and earn good salaries, so in an extended family scenario owning expensive property is less reliant on income generated from a taxi business. Some seasoned taxi drivers invested in properties over the decades and now have a modest property portfolio generating rental income.

Agreed that the taxi driver does not deserve to be assaulted, but the fare seems excessive, unless it was a risk premium associated with the occupants being sick in the vehicle or the taxi was specifically requested to carry the group.

Why didn't they just settle on £5 and walk away rather than punching the taxi driver? What purpose did that serve? Well ....... at least the dentist will make a profit out of the current scenario and the tax payer will pick up the bill yet again (assuming the treatment is on the NHS) and the taxi driver could be entitled to up to £3,500 via a criminal injury claim http://www.criminal-
injuries.co.uk/cica-
compensation-calcula
tor.html

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Low key says...
10:36pm Mon 4 Feb 13

I think the cab driver was in the wrong for asking a price of 8. 50 and may have well just asked for a beating in the first place. I do not agree with what these thugs did, and I personally think oceana has influenced all these situations that occur in Watford and so i vote that it should be shut down with immediate effect.

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Boosey says...
10:56pm Wed 6 Feb 13

LSC wrote:
Boosey wrote:
LSC wrote: I still don't quite understand the fuss over the price (although I'd have walked rather than pay it). Minimum wage is now £6.19 and many people who earn it can barely get by. Bare in mind the taxi has to get to the pick up point as part of the job, so the whole time for this was maybe 20-30 minutes, and there is no guarantee of another job immediately afterwards. Taxi insurance is frighteningly high, you have to pay for a taxi licence and we all know the price of fuel and maintaining a vehicle that spends it's whole time on the road, not just a commute. With jobs like this, I bet the guy is lucky if he takes home £5 an hour.
If you take a stroll or drive round the Cassiobury Estate take a look at how many taxis are parked in the driveways. Lucky to take home £5 an hour? get real and someone has mentioned cctv, well they would have it but expect the council to pay for it. I have never heard of a poor cabbie, although they should be able to carry out their days work without being attacked.
A lot of our local taxi drivers are of Asian origin and they tend to have little problem sharing a house with a large family; in fact the bigger houses around Cassiobury are ideal for this. So you might well have 4 or 5 wage earners per household, but that doesn't make the individuals rich. I also have met quite a few cabbies who hold down two jobs.
Other driving industries are governed by working hours, if a taxi driver has two jobs he must be breaking the law or putting other people in danger through fatigue. It seems one rule for them and one for us. No sympathy whatsoever.

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