Showing posts with label 2018 at 12:09PM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2018 at 12:09PM. Show all posts

Wednesday 22 August 2018

Hero Taxi Driver Saves Regular Passenger From Blazing a House Fire.

Cristian Dumitrescu (left) with John Hawkins 

A hero Taxi driver spotted smoke coming from the home of one of his regular customers and ran into the building to rescue him.

Cristian Dumitrescu was driving along New North Road when he saw the fire emerging from one of the almshouses near Exeter College.

Aware that an elderly man - his regular customer John Hawkins - was likely to be inside he raced into the building and helped him to safety.

Cristian Dumitrescu (right) with John Hawkins who he helped rescue from a burning building

Both men went to hospital where they were treated for smoke inhalation.

Cristian said: "I was with a customer in my Taxi going to the station when I saw a house burning.

"I begged the customer to wait in the cab and I ran to the house and heard someone who was screaming for help.

"I opened the door and I got in the house...I heard a man's voice screaming for help on the first floor.

"I couldn't see him because there was too much smoke. I got to him and put him in my back and I got out from the house."

Jo Guscott, of Apple Taxis who Cristian drives for, said: "Cristian was doing a job and driving past when he saw smoke coming from the building and just had to stop to assist.

"He had to run upstairs to where the man was in his flat and he helped him to safety.

Firefighters on the scene of the fire in New North Road
"He probably saved his life.
"Cristian also came to the rescue of a man who fell of his mobility scooter in Stoke Canon.

"He really is our hero."

New North Road was closed for over an hour between Hele Road and Howell Road while fire crews tackled the blaze.

One crew from Danes Castle, two crews from Topsham and one crew from Crediton attended the scene.

Watch manager Sean Faulkner, from Danes Castle Fire Station said that the men escaped the building 'just in time'.

"We're unsure how the fire started at this moment," said Mr Faulkner.

"There was a fire in the first floor living room. One male was got out just in time as we arrived.

"Flames were issuing from the flat involved.

"We extinguished the fire from the property quickly and affectively and then used positive pressure ventilation to remove all the gases and make it safe for everyone to return.

"There's fairly severe damage - a lot of heat and flame damage and 100 per cent smoke damage.

"There's a big clean up operation but it could have been a lot worse.

"Fortunately smoke detectors were in the property and they alerted the occupier.

"It shows show important they are."

New North Road was fully reopen again by 4.30pm.


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Saturday 30 June 2018

Former TfLTPH John Mason Takes To Twitter, To Give His Opinion On Uber Appeal.

Former Director of TfLTPH John Mason, took to Twitter late on Friday night, to give his few remaining  Taxi driver followers, his take on the Uber appeal division and the verdict of judge Emma Arbuthnot. 


In a series of eight tweets John said:

Without wanting to poke the bears that are my last London taxi driver followers, at the end of this week I would put forward the following:


The decision this week was not about whether #Uber should have been licensed. 


I read all the skeleton arguments and supporting evidence and I personally feel that TFL put up a strong justification for their action. Given #Uber agreed that the decision was correct then the Magistrate seemed to only have to decide whether #uber were fit and proper now.


I could be wrong of may have missed it but given the speed it looks like those conditions were provisionally agreed between TFL and #Uber if the Magistrate was minded to issue a licence.


I thought Helen was robust and TFL Counsel Martin Chamberlin was very good. He led the Add Lee Bus Lane action and was very good from my experience.


I do agree with a lot of the irate taxi drivers and indeed PHV operators that are on Twitter that this decision is inconsistent. I agree that smaller operators and individuals would not get such an easy ride if they admitted what #uber had.


I know a lot of cabbies that may end up reading this may still feel aggrieved that they were licensed in the first place. I maintain they were licensed as the met the conditions of licensing at the time.


I struggle to see what legal action the UCG or any other Org can take that may have any chance of success but I’m not party to info and advice they have.


In conclusion, based on what they admitted they did and what TFL started they did, I am surprised. I don’t buy into the whole Chumoracy stuff but in this day and age who know?! Maybe it was the Russians?



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