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You’ll never believe what items Scottish taxi passengers leave on the back seat

Taxis parked in Edinburgh, Scotland (Getty)
Taxis parked in Edinburgh, Scotland (Getty)

From drug taking and sexual encounters, to shocking items of lost property, a survey of taxi drivers has provided a fly-on-the-wall insight into the behaviour of passengers in Scotland.

The results, commissioned by the UK’s leading taxi insurance broker insureTAXI, reveal that the general public are no stranger to risqué behaviour during cab rides.

One in five of taxi drivers in Scotland have seen passengers taking drugs in the back seat while 18 per cent have witnessed fare-payers engaging in sexual activity.

One in ten taxi drivers have seen a passenger carry a weapon, such as a knife or gun, and nearly half (45 per cent) have had to phone the police to report a crime.

And next time you call your better half or a colleague, you might want to double check that they’re definitely where they say they are, as nearly a half (45 per cent) of drivers in Scotland said they’ve heard a passenger lie about their whereabouts or destination during a phone conversation.

As well as the scandalous activity that takes place in the back of cabs, the survey of over 1,000 taxi drivers revealed an eye opening list of lost property items found in the back of UK taxis.

The list of shocking items found by drivers includes:

  • A baby
  • A dead cat
  • False legs
  • False teeth
  • Urns
  • Dirty underwear
  • Drugs
  • A plasma TV
  • A lawnmower
  • A baby goat in a cage

Tim Crighton, marketing director of insureTAXI, part of The County Group, said: “People think the life of a taxi driver is as simple as picking people up and dropping them back off again – but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We know from speaking to our customers day in, day out that each driver faces trials and tribulations, from the dangerous to the hilarious.

“We invited taxi drivers to take part in the research so we could reveal to the public just how challenging – and sometimes shocking – the role of a taxi driver can be.

“So next time you jump into a cab and ask the driver how their day has been, don’t be surprised if the answer isn’t quite what you expected!”


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