Madeley taxi driver wheelchair incident

[Fambo Number Mive]

This is astonishing. Just another example of how badly disabled people are treated in England (not sure about the rest of the UK).

She wrote on Instagram that the driver told her it was "too difficult" to drop her at the station's accessible entrance because of heavy traffic, and that he "had seen me stand & so 'knew I could walk'".

"When I told [the driver] that I can't manage stairs, he proceeded to tell me that it was MY problem not his," she explained.

"As if this wasn't traumatic enough, he demanded his fare even though the journey had been prepaid.

"When I tried explaining this on the street, he became very agitated &, in sheer frustration, HE TOOK MY WHEELCHAIR from behind me without warning & carried it away to put in the boot of his taxi, leaving me on the side of the road."

The actress's mother managed to grab the wheelchair, although the driver "tried his best to stop her", Madeley said...

Madeley said that when she tried to report the incident to the Metropolitan Police, she was told it was not a hate crime and that no criminal act had taken place.

Fairly sure taking someone's wheelchair from them and putting it in your taxi without permission, and then preventing someone from retrieving it is a criminal act. I wonder how many similar incidents happen across England but don't make the news because the victim isn't a famous actress.

Madeley's twitter thread is here: https://twitter.com/ruth_madeley/status/1415233035776270339

The police inaction is disgraceful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57838553

One Twitter user replies:

I've had so many incidents like this. I once had a bus driver refuse to put down the ramp to let me OFF the bus??

[canadagoose]

What an ignorant scumbag of a driver. I hope the council revokes his licence.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I can't be the only one who expected this to be some calamity involving Richard.

[Cold Meat Platter]

I can't be the only one who expected this to be some calamity involving Richard.

Disgusting clickbait. Shame. Shame.

[bgmnts]

I can't be the only one who expected this to be some calamity involving Richard.

Definitely thought Richard Madeley absent-mindedly referred to someone in a wheelchair as a cripple whilst getting into a taxi.

[TrenterPercenter]

The kind of stuff that could easily get me sent down if I witnessed this; worked for 5 years with the severally disabled and saw some shocking things.  I really do feel disabled people have been swept under the carpet the last 10 years; they don't fit into the cultural wars narrative for either side so they've largely been forgotten.

[Glebe]

Horrible cuntish behaviour, fuck.

[bgmnts]

The kind of stuff that could easily get me sent down if I witnessed this; worked for 5 years with the severally disabled and saw some shocking things.  I really do feel disabled people have been swept under the carpet the last 10 years; they don't fit into the cultural wars narrative for either side so they've largely been forgotten.

Yeah can't argue with that. That's why Johnny Vegas is such a legend to me for being so invested in the paralympics a few years ago, and creating one of the funniest and most heartwarming few minutes of telly.

https://youtu.be/_nxbGc9BWr8

The world needs more Johnny Vegas and less cunty cabbies.

[JesusAndYourBush]

I can't be the only one who expected this to be some calamity involving Richard.

Me too!  I was imagining a Partridgian faux pas involving a wheelchair-using taxi driver.

[Brundle-Fly]

It's probably the Scottish postman from last year who left the old woman lying injured in the snow because he was too tired to help out. He got the sack and in shame, moved to London to become a cabbie?

[madhair60]

I hope the council revokes his licence.

i hope that cancer revokes his life. cence

[Icehaven]

They should have let him take the wheelchair then had him done for theft. Not the most convenient route to justice perhaps but less frustrating than the cunt getting away with it.

[holyzombiejesus]

I can't be the only one who expected this to be some calamity involving Richard.

I thought it would be about some prang near Keele and Betley.

[touchingcloth]

As far as I'm aware, we didn't put their wheelchair users to death. Just something to think about.

[Captain Z]

Keep hoping that a Richard Madeley anecdote will have appeared each time I click on this.

[Gurke and Hare]

The police inaction is disgraceful.

What criminal offence do you believe the driver should be investigated for?

What an ignorant scumbag of a driver.

Yes.

I hope the council revokes his licence.

It's TfL rather than councils, who are responsible for taxi regulation in London. The BBC story mentions that they're in contact with Madeley, they should do something as they're usually pretty strong on taxi compliance.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Isn't taking someone's wheelchair from them and trying to prevent it being retrieved a criminal offence?

Also, demanding a fare for a journey that has already been paid for.

[Zetetic]

Those are both freedoms guaranteed to Englishmen in the Magna Carta.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Fucked if you're in a wheelchair and consider yourself a sovereign citizen then aren't you?