A taxi-driver angry that another taxi had picked up a fare he believed was his broke the aerial on the other car, tried to push off its roof sign and frightened three young passengers, a court heard yesterday.
Brendan McManus (42), of St John's Court, Artane, Dublin, was fined £200 and ordered to pay £100 expenses after he admitted behaving in an uncivil way and damaging the other cab in December last year.
Dublin District Court heard that the incident started on the Navan Road when three teenage girls hailed the other cab. McManus thought the girls had hailed him, and while they boarded the first taxi he drove his car on front of it, preventing it from moving off.
Garda Noel Snowe of the Carriage Office said that before the other taxi-driver could say anything, McManus became abusive, broke the aerial and pushed the magnetic roof sign on the other car, causing slight damage.
The other taxi drove off towards Cabra, and McManus followed almost "bumper to bumper", ignoring a number of people trying to flag him. After the first cab dropped off its passengers, McManus was verbally abusive again.
Garda Snowe said that as a result of the incident one of the young girls was afraid to use taxis.
McManus apologised for his behaviour, but claimed he had been waiting to manoeuvre to pick up the passengers when the other car arrived. Judge James McNulty said it was a serious incident that did not reflect well on him or the industry.