An airport taxi driver has been left HACKED off, after Liverpool John Lennon Airport banned him for spending a penny.
Mark Yates, 45, has been driving his black cab for 23 years, and pays airport owners Peel Holdings more than £4000 each year to work from the outside the passenger terminal.
But on Thursday airport bosses slapped him with a 28-day ban from the site after he took too long to relieve himself, costing him a fortune in Christmas fares.
Mark said: "I couldn't believe it when I found out, it's totally ludicrous to hit me with this completely unfair ban.
"It's the busiest time of year and I've got a wife and kids to support, but this is going to make paying for Christmas almost impossible.
"I was only following the rules which Peel have given to us. In the past one or two of the lads used to go to the toilet in the bushes, and of course the Airport banned that which I totally understand.
"But from the back of the taxi rank it's a really long walk, the entire length of the terminal building, just to use the toilet.
"I was probably gone about twenty minutes, but we're quite within our rights to get out of our taxi, as long as we're not one of the first three in the rank, and I was the fourteenth.
"It's just absolutely ridiculous, I can't believe it."
The married father-of-three was even more astounded that the ban was slapped on his taxi by Airport manager Tracy Adieu, just minutes after he had greeted her inside the terminal.
He added: "I'd just seen her, and obviously we're there all the time so we recognise one another. I waved and said hello as I passed her, I've never had any problems with anybody.
"The airport is my livelihood, it's been my job for as long as I can remember. Last night I felt completely lost not being able to go in.
"I've tried to contact the airport bosses to appeal, I don't even mind a compromise, but they won't even speak to me. I've tried a dozen times and nobody will talk to me about it."
Robin Tudor, Head of PR for Peel Airports said: "A Hackney driver was banned from the Liverpool John Lennon Airport taxi rank for 28 days in line with the agreed 'Code of Conduct' that all drivers sign up to, having left his vehicle unattended for over 20 minutes on the rank causing an obstruction and disruption for other drivers wanting to gain access to pick up fares from the airport.
"During the time this driver was away from his vehicle a gap of approximately 10 cabs in length developed between the entry barrier to the rank and the unattended vehicle, causing disruption for other drivers wanting to access the rank.
"It is for the above reason that the Airport took the decision to ban the driver for 28 days in line with agreed protocols.
"This driver returned to the Airport today to protest against his ban causing further disruption at the rank and it was necessary for Merseyside Police to attend the scene to remove the driver from the site.
"Liverpool John Lennon Airport takes the operation of the hackney rank very seriously. Vehicles left unattended anywhere at the airport can not only cause obstruction, but can become a security issue too. It is for this reason that the Code of Conduct is in place and why the necessary disciplinary action has been taken."
garston 32, elsewhere around 2 years, 5 months ago