16/10/2026
“DON’T SEND ME A PAKI”
Yes. That’s something people still say to us.
In 2026.
And quite frankly, I’m fu***ng sick of hearing it.
I’m going to address something that’s been going on for far too long, because I don’t think some people realise what our staff and drivers are expected to put up with.
We still get passengers ringing Local and saying things like:
“Don’t send me a paki.”
“I don’t want one of those foreign drivers.”
And various other versions of the same disgusting request.
Let me make something absolutely clear.
If the colour of somebody’s skin or where they were born determines whether you’ll get in their taxi, Local isn’t the company for you.
And I mean that.
We have some brilliant drivers. Different backgrounds, different nationalities, different religions.
They’re out working, earning a living, supporting their families and doing a job that plenty of people wouldn’t fancy doing themselves.
They deserve to be treated with basic human decency.
Now, I want to make an important distinction here.
Expecting a good standard of service is absolutely reasonable.
You should expect your driver to be polite.
Courteous.
Helpful.
To know the area and use sensible routes wherever possible.
And if you’ve genuinely had a bad experience with a particular driver, tell us.
We’ll investigate it.
If there’s been a genuine disagreement or conflict, we can even arrange for that passenger and driver not to be allocated to each other again.
That’s completely different.
Having a problem with a particular driver’s behaviour is one thing. Having a problem with an entire race or nationality is another.
And we’re not going to pretend those two things are the same.
We’re called Local because we’re a local company.
The overwhelming majority of our drivers are from around here.
But being born in Blaydon isn’t a requirement for being a decent taxi driver.
If somebody wants to work hard, learn the area, treat passengers properly and become part of Local, they’re welcome here.
I couldn’t care less where they were born.
And here’s something else I wish people would think about.
Sometimes it’s late at night.
You’ve rang because you need a taxi home.
We’ve got a driver available who can come and get you.
He’s licensed, he’s working, and he’s perfectly capable of taking you where you need to go.
But you don’t want him because he’s ‘foreign’.
What exactly are we supposed to do?
Tell you there’s no taxi available?
Leave you standing there because the only driver working wasn’t born in the same postcode as you?
It’s ridiculous.
And more importantly, it’s wrong.
Our drivers shouldn’t have to wonder whether a passenger is going to refuse to get in their car because of what they look like.
Our staff shouldn’t have to listen to racial abuse down the phone.
And nobody working with Local should feel that we’ll tolerate it just to keep a booking.
We have zero tolerance for racism.
Not when it’s directed at our drivers.
Not when it’s directed at our staff.
And not when somebody tries to dress it up as a harmless preference.
If you’ve got a genuine problem with the service, I’ll listen.
If one of our drivers has done something wrong, I’ll deal with it.
But if your only complaint is the colour of their skin or their nationality?
You can take your business elsewhere.
I’d rather lose the fare than expect somebody working for Local to put up with that s**t.
And that’s not a marketing statement.
That’s where I stand.
Local is for everyone. Racism isn’t welcome here.
