Amsterdam taxi driver kills passenger on Leidseplein

Puffin13 · Post by **Puffin13** » Mon 6th Jul 2009 06:43 am

Amsterdam taxi driver kills passenger on Leidseplein
July 06 2009

Sunday morning, a taxi passenger died after being severely beaten by a taxi driver.

The incident happened at the taxi stand at the famous square Leidseplein.

The exact course of events is still unknown, but it was said that the passenger was agressive.

Taxi drivers at Leidseplein have a terrible reputation. There are frequent reports of over-charging customers, refusing short rides, rudeness to customers, fights amongst taxi drivers and rude behavior against women. The situation appears to be worst during the night.

Leidseplein square is lined with theatres, clubs & pubs, and restaurants, so there are many clients to be transported. Since the liberalization of the taxi market in 2000, the situation in the taxi market in Amsterdam has rapidly deteriorated.

Amsterdam has taken measures at the Central Station taxi stand to improve the quality, but other taxi stands in Amsterdam are still problematic.

There were many shocked reactions throughout Amsterdam. The Mayor (Mr Job Cohen) asked the government for more powers to regulate the taxi market. The government has responded that cities will get more possibilities.

Apparently, one of the measures can be that taxi drivers must be a member of a taxi group. One person taxi companies can not be punished, whereas a taxi group can cancel the membership of a driver who misbehaves.

Source

Toker70 · Post by **Toker70** » Mon 6th Jul 2009 12:21 pm

That must be a first,i wonder was the passanger pissed up.

doobydave · Post by **doobydave** » Mon 6th Jul 2009 01:39 pm

The exact course of events is still unknown, but it was said that the passenger was agressive.

Possibly less so than the surviving taxi driver?

lampshade · Post by **lampshade** » Mon 6th Jul 2009 06:44 pm

Lol I've never had any trouble with drivers in the Dam, but don't use them much to be fair. It's all about floating around on your own 2 feet for me.

Andrey · Post by **Andrey** » Mon 6th Jul 2009 10:44 pm

Most likely it's price. Sometimes they charge little more (like +50%), which can be a conflict for those who count money.

blackshore · Post by **blackshore** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 05:31 pm

Toker70 wrote:That must be a first,i wonder was the passanger pissed up.

The guy who got murdered was a friend of a friend, she had been out drinking with him that night, apparently they agreed on a price for a ride the the cabbie wanted more at the end of the ride - there was words and the cabbie punched the guy who died.

One of those unfotunate street fight situations that went badly wrong.

lampshade · Post by **lampshade** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 05:35 pm

blackshore wrote:
Toker70 wrote:That must be a first,i wonder was the passanger pissed up.

The guy who got murdered was a friend of a friend, she had been out drinking with him that night, apparently they agreed on a price for a ride the the cabbie wanted more at the end of the ride - there was words and the cabbie punched the guy who died.

One of those unfotunate street fight situations that went badly wrong.

One punch?

blackshore · Post by **blackshore** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 05:42 pm

lampshade wrote:
blackshore wrote:
Toker70 wrote:That must be a first,i wonder was the passanger pissed up.

The guy who got murdered was a friend of a friend, she had been out drinking with him that night, apparently they agreed on a price for a ride the the cabbie wanted more at the end of the ride - there was words and the cabbie punched the guy who died.

One of those unfotunate street fight situations that went badly wrong.
One punch?

Something like that - my wife told me about it the other day when she spoke to her friend breifly on the phone the next day.

Boner · Post by **Boner** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 07:00 pm

Just did a quick google search:

Amsterdam taxi death wider angle

The fallout from the death on Sunday of would-be taxi customer Rob Sitek after being punched in the face by the taxi driver occupies many of the papers. None more so than the mass-circulation De Telegraaf, which devotes most of its front page and a whole inside page to the story. It also covers the wider angle - the sorry state of the taxi sector, especially in Amsterdam.

"Rob was a great guy" opines its headline, quoting the victim's brother with whom he had spent a night on the town before the fatal confrontation. Rob, described simply as an 'Amsterdammer', was usually picked up and driven home by his partner, Karin, after he had enjoyed a night out. She says: "There's so much aggression. [...] I'd say: I don't want you taking a taxi." The paper points out more than once that the taxi driver, who remains under arrest, is a member of the Moroccan-Dutch community. A neighbour describes him as "a quiet man who doesn't come over as at all aggressive".

Meanwhile, MPs are blaming deregulation introduced in 2000 for the chaotic state of the taxi sector, and Amsterdam has announced tighter policing of Leidseplein square, where Sunday's fatal incident took place. De Telegraaf is cynical, complaining that the measures come nearly eight years too late.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch ... -july-2009

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 08:38 pm

You know what! on my 1st night in amsterdam way back in the year 2000 they were some big dispute in centrum about NEW taxi rules,You may remember puffin! it was in january 2000 & the cops with the big sticks were taking no s**t,& ps i remember some junkie who stole dog food about 3-4 years ago being beaten to death by fed up store owners & locals alike.

Sombrero · Post by **Sombrero** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 11:29 pm

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Tue 7th Jul 2009 11:36 pm

Sombrero wrote:Such a shame that there are so many shitty taxi drivers around because everyone with a driver's license can basically get a taxi license in Amsterdam. Most of the taxi driver's don't even have street knowledge, don't take passengers for a short ride and are generally rude to customers. I really hope this will change soon. At least it gets a lot of attention from the media and politics now...

50 euros to schiphol is rather much if you ask me,I took a taxi in amsterdam once & the guy wasnt talkative @ all! in fact he turned his arab music up,& whats with the guys who wear suits to drive taxis?.

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Wed 8th Jul 2009 12:17 am

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/4342 ... tml?p=40,1

Theres that link.

Andrey · Post by **Andrey** » Wed 8th Jul 2009 01:48 pm

Just 50Eur to Ams Center? That's quite cheap! I paid once 70, that was my last time ever I use taxi there.

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Wed 8th Jul 2009 02:00 pm

Andrey wrote:Just 50Eur to Ams Center? That's quite cheap! I paid once 70, that was my last time ever I use taxi there.

70? fs,I read yesterday that a couple of japanese tourists got charged like 900 euros for 2 bowls of pasta 1 bottle of wine + a fruit salad,Needless to say they didnt pay & the best bit was the service charge @ a hefty 125 euros lol,Greedy b******s.