SYDNEY taxis have become mobile havens for drug use and police unwittingly may have triggered the trend.
High-visibility police operations are driving drugs out of pubs and clubs but according to a Sun-Herald survey the crackdown may be forcing taxi drivers to confront the problem.
A poll of 75 taxi drivers revealed almost two-thirds had witnessed passengers consuming drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy, during a journey.
''It's crazy the amount of people using it,'' Sam said. ''I'm talking during the day, people dressed in suits, heading across the city to business meetings, lunches and dinners.
''Many of them are sniffing from something attached to their key rings. Others tip it straight out of a bag and don't seem to care if you see.''
NSW has 20,000 taxi drivers, with 100 new licences being approved last week. All cabs will soon have three internal cameras but drivers argue that with no details on who passengers are, and no physical proof that drugs were involved, police are powerless to prosecute.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said: ''Keeping their own safety in mind, we would ask drivers to provide us with all possible details so we can fully investigate.''
A NSW Taxi Council spokeswoman said: ''There are no official figures indicating an increase in drug-taking in cabs. However, it does occur from time to time when passengers might forget they are being photographed by the taxi's security camera.
''Drivers are taught not to escalate any situations, and while they have a history of working closely with police to solve crime, it is not often that a taxi driver would get someone's name and address or other relevant information.''
High jinks: cabbies reveal what goes on in the back seat
"It's crazy the amount of people using it … I'm talking during the day, people dressed in suits, heading across the city to business meetings, lunches and dinners … Many of them are sniffing from something attached to their key rings."
"My street directory has been used by passengers several times for drugs. Recently, I had one group request a tissue to clean the front cover. Then they took it in turns to snort lines of cocaine off it. They even offered me some."
"One guy was still doing it [cocaine] when I'd parked and I had to say, 'Mate, look, come on, this is wrong.' He was like, 'Yeah, sorry, I'll be done in a second.'
"Only one in10 passengers is normal when you work at night. The rest are not normal."
"I've told people to stop doing it but you have to be careful. Some passengers are best left alone."
"I found a small bag of white powder in the back seat and took it to Dee Why police station - but they didn't care. What could they do?"
"They offer you lines of coke as though it's the norm, like they're mints or something."
"We are forced to collect the dirt at the end of the day."
"I suppose to them it's less risky than doing it in a nightclub where security are constantly on the lookout."
eduff@sunherald.com.au |