Taxi touting

[churchill123]

i was charged with taxi touting last week. I was walking towards my car when a man pretending to be lost approached me whilst i was waiting to cross the rd towwards my parked car. I asked him if he was ok as he looked lost and confused. He said he was lost as he was not from the area and that he was trying to get to his hotel in kings cross , london. I pointed out to him he was walking in the opposite direction and that he had to walk the othher way to get to kings cross stn. He seemed genuinely lost. As i was going past kings x stn on my way home and it was only 500 metres away i said to him il drop him off there where he can get his bearings again and find hiw way from there as he claimed he would. No mention of any reward or money was made by anyone. I was going to do it as a act of kindness. I like to think if i was in a large city like london and was lost being from another area someone would direct me and help me like i was willing to do. Anyway as we walked towards my car he pulledout a warrant card and identified himself to be a policeman. He arrested me, handcuffed me, and placed me at the back seat of my car. He then prepared a statemtn on the roadside and asked me to sign it, which i refused. We then went to police stn and interview was conducted. In interview we contradicted each other as to who approached who. Also i asked him to confirm if i had asked for any money or did he offer any money in return for a lift. He confirmed i NEVER. He also confirmed that he DID say he was lost and was looking to get to kings cross. I was still charged with taxi touting. After interview he changed in his behaviour towards me. Pre interview he was cocky, confident and friendly. Post interview hee was seething because i asked him if money was involved in our convos. Presumably no money or reward=no touting or very difficult to prove!! Will this get thrown out of court do you think? Feedback would be grateful....thanks

[DrFilth]

if you hired a solicitor and won the case can you not claim for the cost of the solicitor

[churchill123]

I was just told today that if i won the case i would be able to recover my costs back. the problem is i cant afford 700 up front like most are asking for. If it was like 200-300 then i could struggle and do it....i will spk to some sols and see if they will accept staggered payments from now until trial day...after all its 8 weeks away!!!

[DrFilth]

good luck

[DocHH]

At least there is now only one charge to answer. I really think you need legal representation. You have more to lose by not having it. Have any of the Solicitors you have spoken to expressed a "no win,no fee" possibility? I also would have thought that if you are not convicted, all reasonable costs should be reimbursed. I'll check back here in 8 weeks time to see how you have fared. Good luck.

[hc4361]

You can't get 'no win no fee' for this sort of thing, only where there is a third party's insurance to claim from.

[mrs_overall]

All solicitors will give you a free 30 minute initial consultation. Why not take advantage of this and get some free advice.
Do some research on the internet on any state cases of taxi touting you can find.
I've sounded this one out on my borther who is a traffic cop and he said its the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard of.
Good luck.

[mrs_overall]

typo - "stated cases"

[churchill123]

The more I mull over it the more i think legal representation would be essential because i might forget to ask the correct question the right way...i know theres teqniques in cross examination where they start off with the most trivial and mundane question and end up with a power punch knockout blow towards the end...and thats where a solicitor would be able to do it. The one thing ive got is time to find someone in the legal sphere who may take this up for me. I may take a free consultation up once the whole evidence comes through i.e interview tape , transcript, police statemtns etc. Then i can take that along and get them to have a look at it...perhaps even book a couple of hours and run through it and get opinions and tactics from them. They may take it up on better rates etc...if its a case of getting most of my money back if not convicted then i may have to try and find the funds and get legal rep. Up until now everyone ive spoken to has said they are amazed this even going to court. Ive just read in a bookl;et that the legal definition of taxi touting requires services offered(in this case driving) to be made in return for a reward(financial). Once these components are established then there is touting, but in my case no money or reward was mentioned by anyone which is admitted by the police in interview! I need to express this properly in a courtroom!

[footprint08]

Hi there, was wondering whereabouts this happened exactly? I am a uni student carrying out research into Crime in Kings Cross and am really interested in following up on this? Perhaps I could email you/have a chat?

[footprint08]

hi there I am a student looking into crime and local issues in the KX area - where exactly was it you were stopped by this police officer? I'd be really interested to have a chat with you so I can follow up and see whether this is something that has happened to other people in the area and what the rationale behind it is as seems unfair?

[churchill123]

Hi fotprints...this happened on tottenham court road near the macdonalds on junction with oxford street...approx half a mile from kings cross. I will keep everyone posted on here as to what happens as there has been lots of interest in this case. The trial date has been set for early december. I shall be getting all the relevant paperwork before that and i will summarise the case before i go to court. Thanks

[hc4361]

Strange thing to do, register on this site to make one derogatory comment on an old thread, innit.

[hc4361]

Here in the UK we are very fortunate that a person is innocent until found guilty by due process of the law.
The concept seems to be beyond your comprehension as you have decided he is guilty without having access to all the evidence.
Yes, taxi touting is very wrong and I am very glad the police are actively prosecuting for this offence.
I shall wait for the court judgement.
Don't forget the biggest sexual offending taxi driver was a licensed black cab driver, not a tout.
http://www.timesonlin...me/article5894879.ece

[hc4361]

And your stats are wrong. It is 143 offences per year, not month.
In the past year, there were 143 cab-related sexual offences committed in London, and although this marks a 20 per cent fall in the past eight years, the number of attacks has more than doubled compared with last year.
http://www.enfieldind...sed_mini_cab_drivers/

[hc4361]

Of course Warboys wasn't included in the stats - he was not a taxi tout.

I find your hostility towards an alleged offender distasteful. Save until the judgement.