Is This Really Offensive?

[trt]

What's wrong with showing the flag, its not as if she's a member of the N/F. Some of these Councils live in the dark

http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/437815/Fly-the-flag-with-pride

[jno]

is she by any chance competing with other drivers of different ethnicity? There might just be more to this than meets the eye.

[jomifl]

Those red crosses are really terrifying, you could end up in hospital!

[2sp_]

On the face of it I don't find it offensive, I just don't see the point of letting customers know she is local. Unless she is trying to say that she knows the roads and streets extremely well?

But as jno has said, I'm suspicious that there might be more to this story.

[viv38]

I wanted to comment, but the link won't come up, so I can't - damn !

[mikey4444]

Not sure quite why she needs to indicate that she is a "local" driver, unless she intends to make it clear that she isn't foreign. If she has a Hackney licence, than she may be infringing a rule here.

[boxtops]

That's my thought, it's something about the terms of her licence that she mustn't display partisan material in her cab, and she's providing a public service.

[naomi24]

Perhaps people are reading something into it that isn't there.

[bazwillrun]

perhaps shes proud shes english...oh I forgot only ethnics are allowed to say theyre of proud their heritage...soon as a white english person does it....

[New Judge]

People in Ms Said’s town probably suffers from the same problem suffered in a number of towns. That is it is becoming increasingly difficult in many towns to find a taxi driver that can speak and understand reasonably plain English. I have encountered this in many places in England, particularly in the Midlands and the North. Perhaps she is trying to advertise the fact that her intending passengers might just end up where they want to go with no difficulty in making themselves understood.

Of course her local council will use their full might to stop the heinous practice she has developed. Whatever her motives she must be stopped at all costs, though I think the council may find it difficult to take action under the ludicrous Equalities Act. No matter. They hold the power to withdraw her licence for the most trivial of matters and that is what they have threatened to do.

[boxtops]

Her name's Said which seems ironic, could be taken to be Saied/Sayeed by those who don't know here.

[Just-Jude]

She's telling everyone she's local and white, looks like racism to me, the council made the right decision.

[FredPuli43]

Is there evidence that she .refuses fares who are not white British ? No. So what's the problem? If the council have some policy about standards in taxis, such as no stickers or advertising, only the driver's cab licence to be displayed, the ban would make some degree of sense. Black cabs in London have an extraordinary amount of rules about everything from construction to use; it's only in recent years that black cabs did not have to be black and could carry advertising; so this council may have such rules. Otherwise it is hypersensitive thinking; the St George's flag has certain unfortunate connections, like the Confederate flag in the States, and putting 'local driver' on it is a bit odd, since, presumably, every licensed driver for a town or borough is local and/or has proven knowledge of local streets and the locality.

[mikey4444]

It would seem to me that JJ has probably got it right here. In the link it makes it clear that a rival firm in Teignbridge made a complaint ::

"But after one complaint from a rival cab firm she was stunned to receive a letter from the council accusing her of breaching equality laws"

Now, I wonder what the colour and nationality of that other firm is ? Perhaps this woman is making it clear that her Cab isn't the other firms ?

Its a bit more subtle than putting a sticker on that said some thing like
"Notajonnyforeigner" I suppose !

[FredPuli43]

Puzzled how this supposed racism or inequality would work in practice. Cabs at ranks have the 'cab rank rule', which means that whoever is first gets the next fare and cannot refuse it. The passengers likewise wait for and take the next available; they will be refused if they don't because of that rule. If cabs are plying for hire, are we to understand that intending fares will wait, refusing all other cabs, until they see her sticker ? Do people ring up to book a cab and say "Send me a driver who is white native British" ?

[trt]

##Do people ring up to book a cab and say "Send me a driver who is white native British"?##

Probably not Fred but, think you could ask for a driver that can speak and understand English!

I certainly would if most of the taxi firm drivers where I live were Asian or another non British nationality.
Fortunately I don't have that problem.

[Gromit]

This has cropped up before.

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question899883.html

Part of the regulations for taxis is that flags must not be displayed. Everyone has to abide by that rule, so why shouldn't this woman?

[New Judge]

By the way, her name arises from the fact that she was married to a Maltese man for sixteen years.

[douglas9401]

Is there a rule about the shiny dreamcatchery things hanging from rear view mirrors in many 'private hire' cabs?

[pixie373]

Can't see any problem with it. Not quite sure how it helps her, though.

[jno]

if flags are banned, then flags are banned. She doesn't really have a leg to stand on.