Taxi driver told teen he 'would rather take a junkie home’ after tip snub

A ‘terrified’ 18-year-old was told to ‘drop dead’ by a taxi driver after being asked for a tip despite enduring an unpleasant trip.

On Thursday, the girl told South Ayrshire Council’s Regulatory Panel (Licensing) that, during the ride, she heard Dennis Nutt talk about a ‘junkie’ over the radio, believing he was talking about her. He also ignored her when she asked him to turn his music down, and didn’t reply to her when she tried to speak to him several times.

At the end of the journey Nutt asked the girl to give a tip, despite his behaviour and, when she didn’t, told her that he would rather take ‘a junkie, as they give a tip’.

The girl told councillors that after paying for her fare, Nutt’s taxi ‘spun away’ and he shouted ‘drop dead’ at her.

She told the panel: “After I paid him, I made sure it was the £8, they spun away and that is when they shouted out ‘drop dead’.

“I was genuinely scared that he was going to be violent with me because of the manner of his voice and the way he was holding the card machine.

“I thought he was going to come out and assault me. And I was alone, so I was terrified.”

Licensing Panel Chair Councillor Alan Lamont thanked the girl for coming to speak in person.

He said: “When we hear it in person it always has a bigger impact.

“I know it takes a lot to come in when you probably weren’t aware of the set up.”

The girl replied: “I got a bit of a fright when I came in as I wasn’t expecting it.”

Nutt did not speak at the meeting, instead leaving Richard Colville of South Ayrshire Taxi Owners Association, to represent him.

Mr Colville attempted to explain Nutt’s words and actions.

He firstly addressed the use of the term ‘junkie’, saying: “Dennis would like to point out that he used the term ‘junkie’, but it wasn’t directed at the customer.

“It is a term that would be used to describe a fare. He understands that it is 2025 and we shouldn’t be using that word or term anymore.”

He then suggested that he had not responded to the passenger as he was using the CB radio.

Mr Colville said: “The music wasn’t overly loud because he was still communicating over that [the CB radio} and said he turned the intercom off because the passenger was on the phone and he didn’t want to be intrusive.”

He then said that the driver had only asked for the tip as he used a card machine that would require a transaction to be cancelled and a new one started if the passenger wanted to add a tip once the process was underway.

A second separate complaint was levelled at Nutt, accusing him of abusive language when he called a passenger who had booked him but then took another taxi after he turned up at the wrong location.

Mr Colville said that Nutt refuted the claim of abusive language and had only made the call to tell the passenger that they would be sent a charge ‘as he felt he was entitled to it’.

He said that Nutt had driven past a number of potential passengers en route to pick up the complainer, losing out on fares.

Labour Councillor Ian Cavana said “I’m a wee bit disturbed here. You’re saying that he used the word ‘junkie’ but it was only in [industry] terms.

“But there’s only two people in that taxi at the time, so how else can the other person sitting beside the driver take it?

“Why are you using the word junkie at all?”

Mr Colville insisted it was simply a term that taxi drivers use to describe a ‘drug run’.

Councillor Mark Dixon commented that he was ‘shocked’ that the operators did such business enough to warrant a ‘code word’ for it.

Councillor Alec Clark echoed Cllr Cavana’s criticism, saying: “It’s alright to say that it is not in reference to the girl. But, if you are the passenger and somebody says that, you will take it as a reference to you.”

Councillor Martin Kilbride took further issue, saying: “If they are going to ask you three times, ‘are you talking to me’, it would only be polite to respond and say ‘no, I’m on my radio’.

“To ask for a tip. How you get tips in life is being nice to people and courteous.

“Nobody should be under pressure asking if you are going to give a tip.”

MrColville addressed the second complaint around the driver attending the wrong location arguing that it would have only taken a couple of minutes to go to the correct location.

Cllr Lamont pointed out that the passenger had thought the cab she got into was the correct one.

Cllr Clark said: “I don’t want to take anyone’s livelihood away, but it almost seems to me that Mr Nutt needs some anger management.

“I would suggest that he needs to complete additional taxi and private hire training to ensure he is aware of and clear about his responsibilities as a licensing taxi driver.

“I think he is lucky in my view not to be option two [suspension].”

Councillors voted unanimously to make Mr Nutt undertake a training course next week. If he does not complete the course, his licence would be suspended.