Cab Driver Complains To James O'Brien About "Unacceptable" Extinction Rebellion

15 October 2019, 12:52

A black cab driver told James O'Brien that his livelihood has been affected significantly by protesters blocking streets.

Scott, from London, said: "As a London taxi driver, I'd just like to say I have been extremely disrupted in the last two weeks and I think everyone has a right to protest but it needs to be balanced.

To block streets for weeks at a time is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, to be a self-employed man and to have two weeks out of a month where your earnings are so affected and now it's a case of catch-up."

James O'Brien replied: "And you're having a tough time anyway because of the U word (Uber).

Hang on, I've been at great pains to distinguish between the disruptions and the non-disruptive actions and the whole point of this phone in, mate, is that the protesters were told you're alright in Trafalgar Square where you're not muffing up anybody's livelihood or day but if you do the other stuff, you might get your collar felt."

He added: "Last night, the ones that are sitting cross-legged in Trafalgar Square... I apologise for saying they were singing Kumbaya, you can take the boy out of the tabloids but you can't always take the tabloids out of the boy... they haven't done anything to disrupt your livelihood.

"So I'm not going to argue with you about the police having at some point made the decision to keep the roads open but this is not about that.

This is about people sitting there, peacefully, supporting this cause."

The black cab driver responded: "But for the last week Trafalgar Square has been closed to traffic, the Strand has been closed, Whitehall has been closed, Pall Mall has been closed."

But James pointed out that it's "not because of the people sitting in Trafalgar Square".

Scott replied: "They were only moved to the pedestrianised part in the last few days."

The taxi driver later said: "When it comes to closing roads for weeks on end, i find that unacceptable."