Woman taxi driver robbed in Bristol
A woman taxi driver was robbed at knifepoint by three men she picked up from Bristol bus station late at night.
The men took Renee Callen's £95 takings and tried to steal her taxi but she managed to drive away with the car doors still open.
They attacked her at about 10.15pm on Friday after getting into her taxi outside the city's central bus station, off Marlborough Street.
The men asked to be taken to Easton, but once they were driving asked Ms Callen to drop them off at Staples office supplies store off Newfoundland Road.
"One of the back seat passengers held a knife to my throat and demanded money. I had about £95 in the cash dispenser, which they took," said Ms Callen.
"One of them tried getting the car keys but unless you turn the ignition key completely round you can't pull it out.
"By this time they were out of the car. I spun the car round and sped off with the doors open.
"All I wanted to do was get the hell out of there."
Ms Callen drove to Temple Meads railway station and pulled into a bus stop to dial 999.
She was told police officers would be with her as soon as possible but they were diverted to another emergency.
An hour later, at about 11.45pm, British Transport Police, who cover the railway network, phoned her and asked her to go to their office at the station, where they took a statement on behalf of Avon and Somerset police.
CCTV footage from Bristol bus station showed two of the robbers but police said the images were not clear.
Police have asked for anyone who saw the three men getting into the cab at about 10.15pm on Friday to get in touch.
They were black, slim and in their teens or early twenties.
Anyone with information on the robbery in Bristol is asked to contact police on 0845 456 7000.
3 Comments
by Grahame, Central Bristol
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 10:34AM
“We have the most expensive criminal justice system in the world. Given the limited resources devoted to front-line policing, taxpayers would be right to assume it must be overstuffed with bloated costs, addled with inefficiency, and with public safety prioritised pretty low down the food chain.
When armed robbery and attempted car-jacking isn't responded to for lack of resources, it can only leave local tax-payers indredulous (yet again) at just how little 'bang' we get for our 'bucks'. Either we have too few officers, or we have police officers tasked on the wrong things at the wrong times for the wrong reasons. Probably both.
That anyone should be left abandoned by the police in such circumstances is appalling. The very least we should be able to expect is an emergency service capable of responding to an emergency! 'Lack of resources' in this context means either insufficient or badly managed resources. And that means it's a pathetic excuse for a city with over a thousand officers on its payroll.”
by ep reader, warmley
Wednesday, October 29 2008, 8:16AM
“the sad world we live in! here we have it again were someone is out earning a living and thinking if anything happens to me i know the police will be here to protect me. wrong!! no wonder crime pays. i know there understaffed but the police cant catch a cold at the moment and the crims know that!”
by Rob, Bristol
Tuesday, October 28 2008, 7:24PM
“I feel for the good lady, but sadly a sign of the times. I gave up my taxi licence earlier this year as it is just not safe anymore. As for the police not turning out, that too is typical, but then if someone had nicked a mars bar in Tesco 3 squad cars would arrive. Yet again a cabbie is left out in the cold. I have heard this so many times. I hope the lady concerned is ok, good luck to her!”