David Mellor and taxi driver

And soon, if someone racially abused a cab driver, or sexually harassed them verbally, should that stay in the cab?

No GT.

It's positively feudal to say that the cab driver should just have to put up with any abuse and say nothing.
I didn't say anything of the kind, GT ( as to how someone can so misinterpret what someone has posted). I merely reported what I heard on the radio just after I heard it. I neither agreed nor disagreed with it. Obviously the discussion has gone on (as some of these threads do) and you say that other drivers have been interviewed who have a different point of view.

The drivers I heard interviewed obviously have a code of ethics which this one broke and they were annoyed with him.

What is so sacrosanct about a taxi? The cabbie wasn't recording a private conversation that his passengers were having - that would obviously be an invasion of privacy. He recorded an exchange between himself and David Mellor. If such abusive language had occurred in a different place of work, I would imagine a customer/client would be asked to leave.

Without hearing the whole of the conversation, there is always a doubt that something else occurred or was said that incited Mellor's behaviour but, even if that were the case, his attitude and attempt to humiliate the driver was dreadful.

Whether some cabbies are annoyed about the driver recording this exchange is, I think, irrelevant. No working person should be subjected to this sort of ignorant behaviour without there being some kind of comeback - otherwise such people will think they can behave as they please.

Rose - the feudal comment was not aimed at you, it was aimed at anyone who thinks that the cabbie should just have had to put up with it and not do anything - and there are some posters who have said this either explicitly or implicitly. And Eleo is absolutely right - it wasn't a private conversation in any meaningful sense of the word. And the fact that we don't know the start of the encounter is, to me, irrelevant because what we do know says all we need to know about this odious little oik.

OK, GT understood now!

Not defending DM in any way, as I said before. Just reporting the other point of view as I had just heard it which I thought was interesting.

There are usually two sides to a story.

I have been waiting for years for someone to say 'Do you know who I am' to me. But no-one has ever said it yet.

I would just like to say that when DH was mini cabbing when we were first married he carried a lot of "celebrities" round London and the majority were really nice people. His favourite was Olivia Newton John (Hmm I wonder why that was!) but he got on very well with Peter Cook too.

As someone said in the paper today - if you say "Do you know who I am?" they're really saying "Do you know who I used to be?"

It's a pity the cab driver hadn't picked an awkward place and said something like "okay mate, your journey has just ended...... Now hop it".

Horrible man.

"Do you know who I am?"
"Oh dear, have you forgotten?"

DD got the "do you know who I am?" treatment from a faded 60s pop star a couple of years ago, and was able to reply in all honesty "I'm afraid not, Madam."

I know Mellor is no longer an MP but his attitude is the same as so many of his ilk.

I have just been listening to the Business Select Committee's hostile and arrogant interview of the 38 Degrees chappy. I couldn't believe the way he was spoken to and the presumption that those who signed the TTIP petition were ignorant of the true facts, "facts" which no-one seems to want published. It was unbelievable.

If the fact that people are fed up with the overbearing behaviour is brought up with an MP they all nod saying things must change but I see precious little evidence. They all wanted kicking up the backside.

A colleague on a work call with one of our directors at head office was taken to task by something he'd said during it. We then had a "Do you know who I am?" "No" "Good" and phone down scenario.

Just read the actual transcript of the conversation David Mellor had with the taxi driver. a bit yesterday's news I know. What an arse!

DM not the taxi driver.

I can't believe so much energy has gone into this subject-matter! What does come across is how we all feel about some who consider themselves above treating others in an acceptable/non-acceptable manner.

Let HM have the last word then:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2850989/Mac-David-Mellor-s-Royal-taxi-rant.html

rosequartz

If you've seen today's news you will know what Andrew Mitchell has to do with this, too.

Maggiemaybe That is so funny!

When I complained to our MP (an ex GP) about the closure of the local midwife led birthing unit his reply was that no woman in his family would be allowed to give birth except in a hospital with a doctor!!! Arrogant and overbearing - or am I wrong in thinking it's the 21st century?

Here's his grovelling apology to his listeners on Radio 2. He says he will only drink water at future celebrations and will give a 'substantial' donation to the taxi drivers' Christmas fund for under-privileged children. So that's all right then.

Can't get the video to work, anno, but I assume he did it after his mate had been found guilty of calling a policeman a pleb.
Hope the taxi-drivers are still going to refuse to pick him up.

It was LBC- they clearly told him he had to apologise if he wanted to continue with his overpaidshow with them and especially as he had threatened the cabbie with exposure on that same show

Apology or not he is still an utter oik

Apology was very grudging, blaming the drink. I think the phrase 'in vino veritas' may well apply. I wonder if he would have tried to deny it, but for the recording.