Indian-origin woman charged for assaulting cabbie

Toronto, Sep 10: A 33-year-old Indian origin woman in Canada has been charged with assault for throwing a bag full of vomit on a taxi driver.

Police say the incident took place on August 23, when a taxi picked up Selena Narayan-Lachapelle from downtown Calgary and drove her to a home in the northwest Sandstone Valley area, Calgary Herald newspaper reported yesterday.

Lachapelle grew nauseous and threw up in the vehicle after which the driver provided her with a bag to vomit into during the ride home.

The woman, however, continued to throw up on the exterior of the vehicle and when the driver requested a cleanup fee, the woman became abusive and threw the bag of vomit on him, covering his clothes, phone, car seat and floor mats, police said.

"She became upset and agitated," said a police officer, adding, "She was intoxicated by alcohol and wasn't prepared to pay the cleanup fee."

However, the passenger's family later paid both the cleanup fee and fare. The driver later reported the incident to police at an open house, which was held on August 25 in response to the incidents of abuse against taxi drivers. Kurt Enders, the president of Checker Yellow Cabs, described the incident as an "extreme case" and said he is pleased that the police appear to be paying closer attention to incidents of abuse against cabbies.

This is the first time I have heard of a bag of vomit being thrown at one of the drivers, Enders added. Lachapelle is scheduled in court on October 14, the report said.

PTI