John picked up his passengers, a young man reasonably dressed and a young woman who was more brash with her dress.He didn’t like picking up in city centres at night and would carefully assess his customers to ensure they wouldn’t be trouble. In his view the couple looked okay, a bit fresh, but he was sure he could deal with that.
‘Where to?’
‘Can you take us up to Wibsey Bank?’
‘Okay. Belt up.’
John set off thinking it wouldn’t be more than twenty minutes. As usual he liked to make conversation with his passengers. He looked through his rear view mirror and was surprised to see the couple kissing, tongue down the throat kissing. He didn’t like this so decided to butt in.
‘Have you two had a good night out?’
The bloke turned round and despite his clothes and innocent features he responded aggressively, ‘ That’s not your business. Just get us to our destination.’ He then turned round and started biting the young woman’s neck.’
‘Look mate you’re in my cab and I like polite passengers who behave, so stop what you’re doing or get out of my cab.’
‘It’s none of your business what we do! Just get us to our destination.’
‘Well it’s my car mister and I don’t like what I see.’
‘The don’t look you dirty sod.’
John put his foot down hard on the brake and his passengers flew forward. They hadn’t fastened their seat belts. He stared over his seat and thought, ‘No real damage was done, but it could have.’
‘Now mister you can get out. If you want me to take the young lady home I will, providing she has the fare or you give it her.’
‘I’m not getting out. You can stay here all night.’
At this point the woman spoke. ‘Look Alex I don’t want trouble. Let me go home. I’ll give you my telephone number and we can meet up again.’
‘No! I ordered the taxi to get me to our destination.’
At this point John opened his door, walked to the back of the car, opened the door, looked Alex in the face, ‘Out!’
Alex stared at this grey haired man. ‘You try and pull me out and you’ll have a fist in the face you old git.’
Very quickly John had his arm and pulled him out of the door onto the pavement. ‘I might be an old git, but I can deal with prats like you. Now I want you to walk away. The young lady can go with you if she wishes.’
‘Alex I don’t want to walk home in these heels. I’ll pay the fare.’ Alex stared at her, ‘What?’
John had started the car, ‘Get your seatbelt on Miss’. She shouted out of the window to Alex, ‘I’ll phone you.’ The car started off, Alex staring then shouting, ‘I haven’t given you my number.’ She waved and John saw her smile.

Mike Moody