A taxi driver has scorned a passenger who paid £10 for cab rides to and from a food bank that was a 10 minute walk from his house – passing an Aldi on the way.
Kev McCartney was on shift last week when he received a call to drop off a regular customer at a food bank but just ten minutes later he picked up a job on the radio to go back and collect him.
The former RAF member vented about the man’s behaviour on Twitter, saying he wanted to make a point about how food banks are being mis-managed.
‘I picked a bloke up in my taxi, he paid me £5 to take him to the food bank,’ he said in a social media post. ‘He paid another taxi £5 to take him back again. He passed Aldi both ways.
Taxi driver Kev McCartney has scorned a passenger who paid £10 for cab rides to and from a food bank that was a 10 minute walk from his house – passing an Aldi on the way
‘If he spent ten minutes walking he probably could have got twice from Aldi and better quality.
His comments have since gone viral with thousands responding and liking his message, and pushing several taxi drivers sharing their similar experiences.
Former cabbie Mark Tuffrey said: ‘When I was a taxi driver we had a regular fare, pick him up from his house and take him to the cafe opposite the taxi rank…£5.
‘He’d have breakfast then get a cab from the rank back home, stopping at the Salvation Army to pick up his food parcel. Used to drive us absolutely mad.’
‘I picked a bloke up in my taxi, he paid me £5 to take him to the food bank,’ he said in a social media post. ‘He paid another taxi £5 to take him back again. He passed Aldi both ways’
BigBobz added: ‘My brother-in-law is a taxi driver and has had this numerous times by different people. One of the worst is a guy gets a taxi to the pub and goes across the street to the foodbank and gets as taxi back from the foodbank.’
Julie commented: ‘I don’t normally come into someone’s conversation but I have to agree with Kev, I worked in a taxi office you would be amazed at how much it does happen.’
Kev, from near Blackpool, Lancs, said he was not surprised by the angry reaction, saying he had even watched some food bannk users attempting to flog their donations at taxi ranks.
He said: ‘My point is it wasn’t that particular individual – some people got the point and some didn’t, my point is how these food banks are being managed.
‘It wasn’t just that lad that struck me [as an issue].
His comments have since gone viral with thousands responding and liking his message, and pushing several taxi drivers sharing their similar experiences
‘There was a girl coming out with a baby in a buggy and two bags of shopping with the free food in it. She was talking away on the latest iPhone, so she’s obviously not struggling for money.
‘We have people coming from these food banks around the taxi ranks trying to sell us what they’ve been given.
‘[So the issue is] about how food banks are really managed and is it going to the people that really need it?
‘I have nothing against food banks, people are giving generously, but it needs to be going to the right places.’
However, not all commenters agreed with Kev – with some questioning why he was discussing his customers private trips in public.
Kev, from near Blackpool, Lancs, said he was not surprised by the angry reaction, saying he had even watched some food bannk users attempting to flog their donations at taxi ranks (stock photo)
Tracey Pritchards said: ‘Why as a taxi owner would you blurt out the reason why someone took a ride in your cab? Is that not confidential? You have no idea why he needed to do it.’
Andy sarcastically said: ‘You seem nice.’
One person who used to work at a food bank defended the users and pointed out that the ‘whole system is flawed’, as some individuals receive vouchers for banks 15-20 miles away, with many having to get taxis as there wasn’t public transport.
Steven Kennedy said: ‘He may have been disabled and had no other money other than the required travel money.
‘No doubts you will let us know how he jogged up to your taxi lifting weighs, but there you go.’
Jessica Franklin added: ‘I would assume they get more than £10 worth of food so it probably makes sense.’