London: A Muslim cab driver in the United Kingdom has been fired from his job after he evicted a family from his taxi for carrying a bottle of wine. The driver has been sacked as he threw out a family carrying an unopened bottle of wine, of which he said, "it's against my religion."
Adrian Cartwright, 46, had hired the taxi to take his family out for dinner at an Indian restaurant near Oldham, Greater Manchester.
But before they could make the five-minute journey, the driver, in his 20s, spotted the bottle of white wine and promptly refused to take them, the Daily Mail reported. The family was turfed out on to the pavement and he drove off.
"We all got inside the car and the driver said: Is that alcohol? When I said 'yes' he replied: I am sorry but I can't allow it in my cab, it's against my religion," a furious Mr Cartwright wrote on his Facebook page.
"I knew it wasn't worth arguing so we had to get out," Mr Cartwright added.
He also complained to the driver's employer Borough Taxis, who have around 70 Muslim drivers, and within half an hour he was sacked.
The company's former chairman, Fazal Rahim, who has also driven for them for almost a quarter of a century, said the driver's attitude was unprofessional.
"I am a practicing Muslim, like a lot of the drivers. This was not a decision based on race or religion, however, but about being a professional taxi driver," Mr Rahim said.
The taxi company has apologised to Mr Cartwright and his family and explained why the cabbie must be sacked. The identity of the driver was not disclosed.
Adrian Cartwright, 46, had hired the taxi to take his family out for dinner at an Indian restaurant near Oldham, Greater Manchester.
But before they could make the five-minute journey, the driver, in his 20s, spotted the bottle of white wine and promptly refused to take them, the Daily Mail reported. The family was turfed out on to the pavement and he drove off.
"I knew it wasn't worth arguing so we had to get out," Mr Cartwright added.
Advertisement
The company's former chairman, Fazal Rahim, who has also driven for them for almost a quarter of a century, said the driver's attitude was unprofessional.
Advertisement
The taxi company has apologised to Mr Cartwright and his family and explained why the cabbie must be sacked. The identity of the driver was not disclosed.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Sip, Savour And Sette! The Ultimate Guide To Food And Alcohol Pairings Opinion: Opinion | Labour Day Special Toast to Wine and Work - Real And Pretentious This Restaurant In Italy Gives A Free Bottle Of Wine On One Condition World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Puja Khedkar's Mother Was Hiding In Lodge As "Indubai" Using Fake ID At Least 2 Passengers Die As Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derails In UP Infosys Posts 7% Increase In Q1 Net Profit At Rs 6,386 Crore Watch: Rescue Teams Crawl Through Derailed Coaches Looking For Survivors Delhi Court Refers BRS leader K Kavitha To AIIMS For Medical Check-Up Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.