![TooManyTaxis](http://toomanytaxis.com/wp-content/uploads"/bh-logo.png" "TooManyTaxis"){kind=logo}
AS REQUESTED BY IAN SHANKS: AN APOLOGY
Apologies Ian but I genuinely thought the Captain of any ship would take responsibility for the behaviour of his crewmembers, I was wrong!
This does seem to illustrate what a lot of people on this site have talked about in the past,with ref. to your practice of taking on all and sundry as Taxi drivers. I do see a connection between this incident and the Berwick issue. I don’t know whether this driver was a Berwick driver but this incident does perfectly illustrate the need for proper Licensing of Drivers by the Local authority. TooManyTaxis would like to assure the Public that the vast majority of Taxi/Private Hire drivers on Tyneside are well behaved,conscientious and sober when they go to work.
Source: Evening Chronicle
A TAXI driver who went on a suspected boozed-up drive claimed he had only eaten chocolate liqueurs when police found him slumped at the wheel.
Out of control Dariusz Lech was spotted breaking the speed limit, driving without headlights on, breaking heavily, and swerving down Newbridge Street, Newcastle.
Cars travelling in the opposite direction tried to avoid the Blueline cabbie and flashed their lights in a bid to alert other road users, Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard.
Robert Cain, who works for the same taxi company, first clocked Lech driving his silver Ford Mondeo Estate cab when he noticed he was travelling with no lights on.
Flashes from other vehicles prompted the 37-year-old to turn them on but he continued to drive at speed along the 30mph stretch of road until he slammed on his breaks at some red lights. Swerving across the road as he drove up towards Shields Road, Byker, Lech then pulled in at Snax 24-hour petrol station and Mr Cain reported the incident to the police.
When police arrived at the garage, they found Lech slumped in the front seat, smelling of alcohol and slurring. He was arrested and taken to Etal Lane Police Station but refused to do a breath test.
Lech, of Banbury Road, Fawdon, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis, although he claimed he had only been eating alcoholic chocolates and hadn’t been drinking.
Edith Sanderson, prosecuting, said: “At around 10.05pm, on September 18, 2009, Robert Cain, who works for the taxi firm Blueline, was driving down Newbridge Street when his attention was drawn go a silver, Ford Mondeo Estate taxi.
“It was travelling in the same direction but appeared to have no headlights on. Vehicles travelling in the opposite direction were flashing their lights to alert the driver and he then turned them on. The vehicle continued to travel at speed until it came to the junction with Crawhall Road. A red light was displayed and it braked heavily. When the green light showed, it moved away quickly.
“The taxi was swerving from left to right and other vehicles were flashing their lights to warn of its presence.”
In a letter, read out in court by a probation officer, Lech claimed he hadn’t been drinking but had taken strong painkillers and then eaten some chocolate liqueurs.
He wrote: “I can’t defend myself. I shouldn’t have done it.
“I hadn’t drank any liquor. I’d taken some painkillers. In my car, I then ate some of my birthday chocolate liqueurs. I started to feel unfit to drive and drunk, so I pulled over.”
Chairing magistrate Peter Arnold banned Lech from driving for 12 months and sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 40 hours’ unpaid work.
A spokesperson for Blueline Taxis confirmed he had been dismissed.
Possibly Related Posts:
- Residents’ anger over urinating Slough taxi drivers
- Welwyn Hatfield cabbie suspended
- Council chiefs let rape suspect cabbie run school taxi contract for 18 months AFTER being warned by police
- Former taxi chief fined over use of unlicensed vehicles
- Police probe wrong insurance shock for 50 Private Hire cars
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
@blueline driver, Somebody probably would.
I wonder if all you bitches would be sniping on the same way if it was one of our Asian brother hack driver which committed the same offence?
I would just like to apologise on behalf of my country in view of the recent damning article in your local Evening Chronicle. I had no idea that hordes of our plumbers were flocking to your city to become taxi drivers.
I must explain that this is all due to a misunderstanding that came about when I told all the plumbers (and one window cleaner) that there was very little work for them and they must now head for the BREADLINE. I think there has obviously been a misprint and this has caused a massive influx of new and totally inexperienced drivers to one of your local private hire firms.
Please accept my condolences for the devastating effect this has had on the livelihoods of all the proper full-time private hire drivers who have suffered as a result of this. I would also like to add that should your country ever be invaded by the Germans (who buy there sat navs from Aldi) all the post codes are directed towards Kenton Lane.
Krakopen A’Bottel.
Rumour has it Mr Lech is going to transfer his Berwick Plate onto his Trabant Car back home in Poland, however he was advised by his Village Council, to obtain a “Mum’s Taxi” sticker from Mothercare while he was still in the UK, as they feel that a Mum’s Taxi plate would be more legal than a Berwick Plate!!.
Mr Lech has tried to bribe the Lass at his homeland Council (Poland) with a Box of Terry’s All Gold, but she was afraid she may get caught Drunk in charge of her Donkey and Cart on the way home!
In his defence he said he had to swerve down Newbridge Street due to the massive tailback of his colleagues cars waiting to get down the Bigg Market. He also said his headlight bulbs went out because he bought the bulbs in Aldi (apparently they’re imported from Poland). He didn’t respond to other drivers flashing their lights as he thought they were just pleased to see him. When asked why he was slumped at the wheel he said he’d pulled a muscle in his back.
When asked why he was breaking heavily he said it was because he was pissed.
If Mr. Letch had spat out his chocolate liqueurs uncle Ian could have had tonight off.
@SC, Ian took exception to my using his Logo and Motto in the image. Strange I know as the story is about his company so why not show the Logo? I thought I was doing him a favour. I was only too happy to comply though, but…at risk of being seen as spitting out the dummy I will now delete any and all comments which I deem to be advertising for that particular company. “So There!”
Have you seen the latest in tonight’s chronicle, in lieu of a Locality Test the Licensing department are introducing a Urine Test for Eastern Europeans? They reckon this is much harder to pass.
Puts a whole new meaning on the word pole-axed.
I found an earring in the Big Market it could be the one Mr. Letch has got missing.
AS REQUESTED BY IAN SHANKS:AN APOLOGY
Apologies Ian but I genuinely thought the Captain of any ship would take responsibility for the behaviour of his crewmembers, I was wrong!
This does seem to illustrate what a lot of people on this site have talked about in the past,with ref. to your practice of taking on all and sundry as Taxi drivers. I do see a connection between this incident and the Berwick issue. I don’t know whether this driver was a Berwick driver but this incident does perfectly illustrate the need for proper Licensing of Drivers by the Local authority. TooManyTaxis would like to assure the Public that the vast majority of Taxi/Private Hire drivers on Tyneside are well behaved,conscientious and sober when they go to work.
What a load of bollox, the bloke was hammered, he refused breath and blood test, why would you do that if he’d only been eaten chocolates! They missed the bit out about him nearly hitting a car head on!
I am sure Mr Lech was the bloke from the “Milk Tray” Ad!, you know the Ad where the bloke climbs through the Lasses Window and leaves her a Box of Milk Tray from the 70′ and 80′s TV Ad.