Monday, April 30, 2012

Hit and Run Taxi Victim's Got Gingham



30th April, 2012 (Montreal) Seeing as I was the one who shot the first video of the man who got run over by a cab on Saturday night, I want to send my wishes of compassion to everybody involved.

First off, of all the media interviews I've done, only the Radio outlets and French TVA ran everything I had to say. A lot of context has been missed, and much more is still to develop.

So here is my account (I have not edited it as more information on the incident is gathered. I have left comments on the letters section regarding any further developments.)

It began with the slamming of a door, and ended with somebody fighting for his life. The video has over 230,000 hits at time of writing, proving it has compelling power over the viewer.

This was one of the most odd sights I've ever recorded as a journalist, activist and football fan. I've seen riots, frays and all sorts of mob situations and this one had an air about it that seemed all too familiar.

The incident hits home to me for special reasons. First off, the man who got ran down is my neighbour. Secondly, I saw the event from the beginning, where each party was still innocent of so much, still not aware of how much violence they were about to incite.

My first empathy went to the cab driver. The front seat passenger got out, and slammed the door so hard I thought a car had crashed behind me. I had been on my way home from painting a mural with THE STADIUM ART MOVEMENT [see here] and was about to enter my apartment building when the cab driver jumped out of the cab with a furious look on his face. Certainly the door had been slammed extraordinarily hard, and certainly the driver had a right to be upset about this.

The passenger, my neighbour (although I was not aware of it at the time) was possibly at the end of a long night of partying and in what I would describe as a belligerent mood and was in no way intimidated by the cab driver who had now ramped up his consternation into a flat-out yelling match. The passengers friends remained in the back of the car so it would not appear the argument was over payment of fare, just an immediate reaction to how hard the door was slammed.

Perhaps they were being kicked out of the car? But I've since learned the victim is a local in the neighbourhood so my guess is this is where they had intended to get out. Who knows what the atmosphere had been like inside the cab until the door got slammed, perhaps they had said things that the driver had taken offense to? Perhaps they were being utterly innocuous. Only the driver and passengers can say.

There were plenty of people on the street at this time, a popular corner for people coming back from bars and clubs and most of them would have certainly remarked on the increasingly vehement shouting match that was underway, but like me, they would have assumed it was just another late night yell-off that would play itself out. Looking at the passenger and his carefree attitude (he was certainly not going to sit down and negotiate a peace treaty with the cabbie) and looking at the fury on the face of the cabbie, I saw a stalemate, felt a bit guilty for gawking, and went inside my apartment building.

It was 3:48 when I got in. I remember the time, thinking it was much later than I had realized. I puttered around and readied for bed and did enough  (maybe even checked a few emails and texts, turns out my girlfriend doesn't miss me that much) to take at least 8 minutes of time.

The mural at Montréalité [see here] eighteen minutes before the incident
I had my camera in my hand as I was looking at shots of the mural I've been painting.

Then I heard noises of crowd consternation and hoopla from outside. I opened the window and could see the intersection of St-Laurent and Rachel filled with several people chasing the cab. Some of whom were obviously his earlier passengers. My memory is blurry at this point except to say it was obvious that the argument had now escalated so far that a crucial eight minutes of my story is totally missing: the passengers were now being chased by the cab in the wrong direction down St Laurent. Among them were innocent passers-by. The driver gunned the gas south and crashed into the lamppost.
By now the crowd was inflamed and I turned on my camera. Making no moral judgement, it just seemed very likely something even stranger was about to happen. At the very least I felt for the cabbie's safety because at this point the pedestrians were all on the defense and ready to attack. Even random passersby below me who hadn't seen anything yet were assuming the worst in the cab driver, one yelling at me to 'put it on youtube.'
Once the cab driver had crashed his cab into the lamppost my assumption was that was going to be the end of the story--enormous damage had been done so far and whatever grief he'd had with his car door was surely eclipsed by the state of his car now.
Who knows what actions from his former passengers drove him to this state. There was an eight minute gap between my initial witnessing of the door slam and the driver hitting the pole.
Just know that my video represents only 20% of the entire fracas and if you were to simply stumble upon it without context, then it is reasonable to assume it is a group of enraged hooligans trying to catch a maniacal driver. A toxic combination you don't want to have at your wedding.
The eight minutes that happened contain the most potent version of events.
I'm interested to know what the friends of the original passenger did once they exited the cab.
I'm interested to know what the cab driver was requesting from the passenger.
After all, non-violent communication has as one of it's tenets: a request.
There is no use yelling at somebody for doing something wrong. If somebody does something that upsets you, it must end with a request, like "Will you please compensate me for the damage" or "Please, for the sake of my other friends who drive cabs, don't slam the door like that."
In this case, the cabbie felt there was going to be some resolution possible by confronting the door-slammer.

I am no expert in human relations, and I try not to sum up somebody's character by judging them by the way they look, however, looking at these guys, none of them appeared as if  they were ready for a friendly lesson on how to be nice to people.
And that's another thing when it comes to confrontation: teaching somebody a lesson. Nobody wants to be taught a lesson. People want to hear requests. And this is why I posted the video and why it hits home to me. I hate being taught a lesson. I would much rather you ask me to do something specific, like stop behaving in the way that I do because when you see it happens certain feelings stir in your humanity, and as a compassionate fellow human, can I please possibly empathize and relate to this feeling and there for change my behaviour? I don't want to find a booby-trap and hear the claim "Gotcha!"

That'll teach you, yeah?

So back to Saturday: when I saw the fury in the eyes of the cabbie, and the response of the pedestrians after being hit, I felt compassion for each side, based on my knowledge of them in more innocent times, just babes in the woods, only eight minutes away from changing their lives forever.
Again, I re-iterate my prayers and thoughts for both the driver and the victim. I wish each side had known when to blow it off and release the catch.

Why is this posted on Got Gingham?

Well, I am an artist and a story teller, and this did happen. At first I was reluctant to run the footage, thinking it might be exploitative, or slant the story, and certainly by many of the comments many people have been jumping to ridiculous conclusions worthy of the toilet wall.
That's not for me to stop. As a former journalist, I believe in the law of the commons and the love of humanity.
Only a few hours prior to this incident, 15,000 student protesters marched across the same intersection. I watched the hundreds of policemen and riot cops, feeling their tension, ever-alert, waiting for something to kick off. All about us was one giant form of social control, twitching and ready for a flare-up (all the recent student protests gripping Montreal right now have been calm).

Then not four hours later, here at the corner of St-Laurent and Rachel, left unsupervised, our citizens are totally free to act as they choose with total credit for the consequence of their actions. This is our freedom we have in not living in a police state. Yes, we can police ourselves, and in this case, many of the witnesses did act as bona fide Justices of the Peace. And once the victim was hit all hearts and minds went to thoughts of his safety and preserving his life.

What's more, we might complain about the cops and the State and talk about repression, along with the brutality, violence and division in modern "civil" society. But when we mess around by ourselves and break things, we still have to call Nanny to fix it. We certainly weren't going to call a bunch of hippies like me. The citizen response was immediate.

I don't judge anybody here.

I wish the judge would see that the cabbie was panicking and reacting to something that happened in that 'crucial eight mintues' between door-slam and lamppost smash.

Certainly he didn't drop off a bunch of cub-scouts, and certainly the passengers and others who joined in ganging up on the cabbie were acting violent and out-of-touch with civilized behaviour, but in this case, because I saw them before it all happened, I just wish they could turn it back to the point where they just let it go.

The cabbie could have held his tongue when the door got slammed, then shouted "Glass Bowl" at them as he drove off, while the passengers might have given them the jolly middle finger and yelled something abusive back... and that would have been it. The passengers would have got to their next meet thinking what a great night it's been so far, and the driver would have got home to his wife later, and asked how his night had been  and would have said something along the lines of "Oh, you know, ma petite cherie... un samedi soir comme d'habitude."

I stick up for the cabbie, and I stick up for the passengers. I picked up the camera AFTER many people had been seen and heard calling 9-11.

What we are really needing here is a change of consciousness.


Jonathan Himsworth,

of Got Gingham and the Stadium Art Movement.


Latest from:
CBC[see here]
CTV [see here]
G & M [see here]
Gazette [see here]
La Presse [see here]
Huffington Post (CP) [see here]
GlobalTV [see here] and  [here]

Further commentary by Nathalie Collard (La Presse) [see here]

95 comments:

  1. Is the guy that got ran over ok?

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    1. Looks like the guy's right ribs are broken and his jaw got cracked.

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    2. Fantastic job on the article Jonathan. You really caught the general apathy and indifference that surround us in our me first world. I like the continued reference to the 8 mins. How everything can change so drastically, and unfortunately for all those involved, last a whole lot longer than 8 mins.
      After just watching everything from your video upload, I would have said that the driver had time enough to leave the scene before anything dangerous happened, but that was before I knew what happened before the camera rolled. Thanks for bringing that clarity to such a sad situation.
      Cheers
      Burlington, Ontario

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    3. dang only three broken ribs? at least his jaw got cracked otherwise I wouldnt be able to sleep tonight. But lets all pray to god tonight for complications in mr @$$'s recovery or better yet no recovery at all :D God bless!

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    4. The victim who got run over kinda deserved what he got for pissing off the driver, idk y sum ppl treat cab drivers like shit

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    5. Wait until something terrible happens to you and no one is willing to help you. Then you will know what karma is for saying something as inhuman as that Anonymous.

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    6. Great article Jonathan. It was well written and had a lot of good points. The only thing I don't like is that you didn't ask the victim's permission to post this video on the net. You should probably think about how you would feel if the whole world saw you get run over by a taxi. Regardless of how dumb these guys were to provoke the situation, your ignorance to the victim's feelings reflect the apathetic world in which we live in. This guy's now a celebrity thanks to you. From now on he won't be able to go anywhere without being noticed and probably scrutinized. But then again, maybe posting the video will save people's lives.

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  2. From my viewpoint, dude should not have had that surprised look in his eyes.

    He looked like a big fat bully banging away at the car. With people stupidly surrounding the car, they eventually caused the cabbie to panic and drive off. Standing near or around the car is just begging for trouble.

    I live in Vancouver, home of the riot, and it all started with yahoos just like Mr. Pancake here.

    If you mess with the bull, you get the horns. Word of advice, when you see trouble, just get out of the china shop.

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    1. "home of the riot" really? The riot? That was only big news because of how out of character it was for Vancouverites, and how unprepared the police were. In Montreal that story goes away in a week or two, for better or worse.

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    2. As a Montrealer living in Vancouver on and off for the past 11 years... And sorry, Vancouver is *not* home of the riots (I can hear the pan-Canadian laughter). I love living here, but there's a reason it's called "no-fun city".

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    3. ****home of the riot*** is what the individual said. The big riot which everyone knows about retard

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    4. home of the riot? dude, you make me ashamed to live here

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  3. On second viewing, Mr. Pancake kicked the cabbie's door back closed rather violently. That essentially escalated the situation.

    He exactly got what he deserved.

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    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. Your answer shows your level of intelligence... You are probably one of the rioters. The riot was a cancdian disgrace.

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    4. Your answer shows your level inteligence. You must be one of the rioters. The riot was a canadian disgrace.

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    5. What is with you people? You are saying that because physical damage was caused to an inanimate object, a hunk of metal, that it is ok for a life to be put in danger, possibly even taken in response??

      Cars have a price, you can mangle, mutilate, utterly destroy one, then build it all back. A Life, life itself, is priceless, and once it's gone, it's gone, no amount of shopwork will change that.

      Is it really only I, a 15 year old, who sees the stupidity of such beliefs as those? What a world

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    6. Seriously, people taking the side of the guy that got hit by the car or feeling pity for him, are dumbasses. What is it with you people with your pity, humanity etc. WAKE UP! Its not always by being nice that you solve things. The taxi driver is frkn 47 years old.

      IF MY DAD WAS IN HIS CAR and a bunch of drunk f***ers would be kicking his door and even trying to open it (to give him hugs) I would so wish they would freaking die.

      He indeed got what he deserved and people never learn until they really pay for their crimes. This young guy assaulted this man and would have probably caused him much more severe damage if he would have opened the door.

      Conclusion, he deserves it. Hope he gets jail time too.

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    7. Hey 15 year old kid.

      Life is wasted on drunk yahoos who think that they are invincible, and who beleive that their actions have no consequences.

      He kicked the car because he thought that he was safe with the mob mentality.

      When he was run over by the car he was banging on the hood standing IN FRONT OF THE CAR after he chased it down a second time.

      Like Confucius says "Inanimate object that stand in front of running car will get tired."

      lol

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    8. and if the cab drive actually listened to the violent short tempered hooligans and came out. What do you think would have happened? I am pretty sure it would be the other way around. Judging from the attitude in the video, if he ever got out those two would beat the crap out of him

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    9. "How bout you sit in your car while a group of drunk idiots are kicking at it and jumping on top? What are you gonna do then."

      Drive off and leave as quickly as possible.. and not drive around like a maniac slamming into light polls and deliberately trying to run people over.

      As much as i can feel for the cabbie.. He deserves the full extent of the law for his actions.. period.

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  4. I understand completely what you mean....There is several times, I could have lost my cool, I was in a car accident with my mum( who was driving) and sis a couple weeks ago. Although no one was hurt, I felt very angry and felt like losing my cool at the other driver who did not see the red light. I have taken cabs many times in my life and never once did I lose my cool at the driver.. I feel sorry for both parties, it is sad it got that horrible.

    On a side note, I like your website and like the drawing. I am a fashion student and seen so much gingham at school. And my boyfriend is british and a illustrator living in montreal...I lived in england for a year. So love the drawing.

    But I hope both parties, I don't know learn something about anger.

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    1. Funny, I on the other hand hope that both parties get the maximum punishment for indulging in such stupidity. I think if we eliminate this type of thinking we can have a better society.

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    2. If people were not held responsible for their actions in this world then there would be no jails, as there would be nobody "responsible" for any crimes.

      If what I said doesn't make sense at first, ponder it for a few minutes. It may come to you eventually. (not meant in a mean way at all)

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    3. ^ It posted my comment in the wrong place?

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  5. Yeah, the dude was a moron for doing what he did to the taxi driver, but the driver broke the law by hurting a man in such a way. A life is precious, even when the victim is an a--hole. People can sit here and say that he deserved it, but no, he didn't. No one deserves pain. It's a freaking car, that's all it is. Cars can be replaced. Lives can't.

    What if it had been one of the bystanders who appeared after the friends had gotten out of the car? The driver wasn't aiming for the man who slammed the door. He didn't give a sh-t who he hit. Some young woman could have been the victim or some other man. All people have lives and others who love them. To resort to such, to trying to kill a man over your CAR, your replaceable car, is moronic, immature, and absolutely pathetic.

    I hope his car door survives! *eyeroll*

    I really do hope this man is okay. He didn't deserve to be hit and the people that were there didn't deserve to be part of it. This kind of thing scars physically AND mentally.

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    1. No one forced him to act like an idiot around a moving car. And the physical and mental scarring is not a bad thing, they are reminders of the price of stupidity (on both sides.)

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    2. for you bleeding hearts out there, you live by the sword you die by the sword, people die all over the world for less.

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    3. how sure are you that judging from his personality and violent temper that he hasn't already caused physical or emotional scars in people's lives? He just got off from a night of partying...sounds like the average douches/bullies that you would always see in high school. These people always think about themselves

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  6. Thank you. The post below at 6:16am is mine. This is all making me reconsider my thoughts on the progression of the human race. When people stop having value in the lives of others, that's when you know something mentally is wrong with them. Though they will refuse to acknowledge it. I want to know if the victim is okay. It makes me nauseous to think that he may have died because some dick was SO UPSET that his car door was slammed.

    It could have been ANY of the people on the street to get hurt. The driver just got lucky when it was the guy who slammed the door. If it had been one of the bystanders, then what would everyone on here be saying? Would they feel remorse? Or would they say, "Oh it's his/her fault for being there!" The bystanders obviously came in after seeing the driver chasing people with his car and thought the driver needed to be stopped, regardless of what started the B.S. in the first place.

    I just love how people can claim they'd hurt someone this way. It takes real guts to shoot someone in the face, stab them, or hit them with your car and not feel and know in your heart you did something terrible and inhuman.

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  7. And I think all the ills of society is from us circumventing natural selection and emphasizing on coddling idiots by stating that they have a right to be stupid and avoid the consequences. The bottom line is this: your body is made of flesh and water, a car is made of metal and oil. If the two collide, you will be injured far more than the car. If you are too stupid/drunken/enraged to make a decision and go try to wrestle a car, regardless of who is in the right or wrong of the situation, you are stupid.

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  8. The driver had more than one opportunity to drive away, but instead lets his anger get the best of him and almost ends a man's life.

    Sickening. Over a car door.

    I see how both sides are in the wrong in terms of the argument, and the initial violence. But the cab driver took it to another level here. Thank god that person is okay.

    I read articles on the event, saying that the cab driver stated he "had no choice, was under attack and couldn't escape". My asshole, you couldn't. He's in a 4000lb vehicle.

    Makes me sick.

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    1. I agree with you fully.

      I'm a bit sad he didn't die, in fact.

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    2. And by agree, I mean that I agree with the Anon above my post.

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    3. it's not just about a car door. It's about being continuously mocked by a customer who broke the door and refuses to admit he's wrong. I don't know what kind of conversation they had in there ,but you have to know that humans are not capable of just simply CONTROLLING their emotions and you know this. Under a circumstance like that while you're being chased and you're Car(Important for the job) was wrecked...That asshole wasn't going to pay it. You're just going to drive off feeling mocked humiliated ,falsely accused of being the one done wrong. While the other vandalized and crushed the cab drivers only possible job available needed to survive. He's 47 years old and where is he going to get the money to repair. Not everybody was born in a rich household and not caring that their car door is broken. You know how fking expensive that is? Lower classes need to make a living too ya know. Under that kind of situation almost any human would do that unless if they were taught to always cower in fear their whole lives.

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  9. Exactly. A thick line apart...

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  10. Thankfully, a thoughtful and insightful observer was present to record and comment on this unfortunate event. Thanks Jonathon, all the best to you. Pleased to have you in Canada.

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  11. The person that initiated the problem is the victim, not only did he slam the door but he probably insulted him with racial slurs whether that's true or not doesn't change the fact of the matter. This idiot jumped in front of a moving car with intention to cause damage, well that wasn't a good move was it ?

    Do you think the taxi driver wakes up in the morning with the intention of hitting drunken idiots ? This taxi by the way works at the airport. Why would I know you say because I work myself as a taxi at the airport. You cannot drive with physical apparent damage so the taxi driver having hit a lampost stayed on scene and then the hooligans started attacking his car and trying to make the problem even bigger when he felt surrounded he backed up to engage on Rachel Street and the idiot kicked a moving car suffering the consequences.

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  12. Look at it this way: If it was ur friend you would be mad as hell and want justice for you downed friend. No matter who's fault is was. This is CANADA...I repeat. CANADA. We don't get down like that. Be it frogies or pigies from Trenton. The driver should loose his license and be thankful if no jail time is given. It's like stabbing someone in a fist to fist fight. For us to say good for the victim: They both need to be on fair ground. Last point: ALL you dumb asses that say good for the injured "Mob" Let's have a fight, what ever happens happens - I'll drive my jeep and you.... just use ur hands and feet superman. ok - K!

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    1. I agree, tenfold... thank god there is another human out there >.<

      love the ending line btw xD

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  13. All parties involved escalated the situation in my opinion and not an ounce of common sense was used.

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  14. I`ve tried to explain to people that there is way more to this story than what they see in the video, and I have been called all kinds of things, and also, a racist.

    Would it be fair to say that this cab driver tried to run over people at least once BEFORE you shot the video? If that`s the case, then his self-defense claim doesn`t have a leg to stand on.

    It also seems to me that the media has played and replayed those 2 same videos over and over again to create some kind of sensationalism, without any regards for the witnesse`s testimonies. There were at least 10 people there, they should have interviewed some of them but no, they prefered to hide the facts.

    My belief is that this cab driver has obvious mental issues, and probably was suffering from them a long time before this tragedy. I just hope he doesn`t get declared non-criminally responsible like so many other monsters before him. At least it seems that the cops got the story straight and it is not a coincidence if they are charging him with attempted murder.

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    1. How exactly is the cab driver mental in your eyes? You don't know the man, nor do you know what truly happened. Don't judge.

      Currently, the only evidence that is available to the public is the video, which clearly shows people running towards the taxi, and damaging it. Multiple times, the vehicle turns around to get out of the crowd. And he isn't the only one who was charged. It's unfortunate that people seem to think that it was completely the cab's fault.

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  15. While this cab driver is trying to make a living, these drunk people are wasting money on alcohol with nothing else to do. Think about that. I am sure this cab driver's intention was not run someone over. Last thing a cab driver wants is to have to repair his vehicle out of his own pocket due to drunk people.

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  16. I wonder if the guy jumping on the roof of the car had fallen on his head when the cabbie accelerated and was as critically injured if everyone's opinion would be the same. This was a case of many people making bad decisions at once, unfortunately for the cabbie, his is the most obvious and he will pay dearly for his mistake.

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  17. Montreal is a haven for criminals,refugee,and crazy people....

    It takes two to make a quarrel.

    This vedio is 1 part of millons..... lol..................... you'll see more .......lol

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  18. Why didn't anyone apply first aid to that poor guy's face?! I'm surprised he didn't bleed out. That cabbie should have just driven away after the door slammed, he's dealing with drunks - what good can happen from that?! How terrible!

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    1. I see a gang of wild dogs circling and tring to scare a potential prey ( even if the prey provoque them). They probably do that to single girls walking at night or elderly couples every week. Way to go, boys!!! Now THEY know what fear is all about... May they understand the lesson or end up in jail, where they will learn about abuse and rape the hard way.

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  19. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  20. I see I am talking to a fine young gentleman

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  21. To Kirsten...

    I HIGHLY doubt this was the result of only the door slamming. They were jumping, kicking, and trying to get into the car. I don't think he was trying to run someone over... I think he was panicked, and tried to get away from the situation, and unfortunately, by doing so he run someone over. I would do the same... And by that I mean I would also be panicked and scared for my life and try to get away.

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  22. I love how people talk with such confidence that they would have acted better than the driver.

    Imagine for a second, alone in your car, your 47 years old, 7-10 drunk guys are around your car, kicking your door, jumping on your roof, trying to OPEN your door to kick your ass (probably even kill you), they are drunk. Yes of course, you would have opened your door and said please guys can you stop doing this.

    Ignorants, maybe one day this will happen to you, and you'll tell us about it. About how you had plenty of time to think what to do and done the right thing. This man had no criminal record he was a dad and working to provide for his family. Stop bullshiting.

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  23. I love how all the liberal hippies here come back to the point that its "only" a car, and the car can be fixed etc. These guys were clearly trying to open the car door. What do you think they were intending to do when they got a hold of the driver? Give him a handshake? No they would have beaten the shit out of him. The cabbie was in fight for his life. When you are outnumbered and surrounded, you don't tend to think as logically as someone who is safe at home watching the video.

    Don't poke lions and expect not to get bit.

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    1. I agree a 100% with you. People panic when threatened, it's a fact of life. Don't expext, because you are young, that everything is allowed in society. Scaring people for fun is a stupid game. Three young guys who were catcalling and treatening me while I was walking one night learned to check if the lonely girl doesn't have a large dog with her on the beach. I did... Nobody was hurt but I think one of them soiled his pants. I think he learned the meaning of fear that night.

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  24. He got exactly what he deserved

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  25. Thank you Jonathan for sharing your story on your blog.

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  26. Wow, I fear for the sake of future human society if people like you, all you, guys are still living on the planet with these attitudes. You really think just because he has a car, no one should f**k with him? And then, to top the icing on the cake, you guys think the guy getting run over DESERVED it? And for the guy's siding with the drunk guy, do you really see anything better coming out of the situation he got himself in? Either he would be on the receiving end, or the guy delivering.

    Waaay too many people are trying to defend the Taxi driver, though. At no point in the video did I feel like he was in a cornered situation where, in the panic of the moment, he just HAD to drive into a crowd of people. Heck at 0:44 he could have easily, EASILY, driven away from it. He actually turned BACK into the crowd.

    How can you guys not question his motive here? Why would you defend the driver for reacting badly in a panic situation but not defend the guy who was too drunk to know any better?

    I'll tell you the reality; They're both dumb and stupid. Both the guy getting run over and the Taxi Cab Driver should be tried in court for their misbehavior and disruption of peace.

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  27. I don't blame the cab driver for what he did. If he got out of the car they would've torn him apart. His only choice was to use his car to try and scare them off. He did that when he reversed (without hitting anyone) they still came back for more. This time he had to prove the point and he ran over the guy. Overall I think the cab driver might have done too much but i still kind of feel like the guy deserved it.

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  28. This guy totally got what he deserved, the cabbie though was irate at what he did, he felt threatened when the idiots jump on his car, once that happened he took it on himself to get him self out of their.


    You are not the Police, Jumping, Hitting, Damaging personal property is a Crime on its own, when you take it upon yourself to do what these people did, you end up like this guy, if you ever come across a person or cab driver that is acting in a inappropriate way all you have to do is Take down his License plate number, Cab Number, Cab Company once you have these numbers, YOU CALL THE POLICE, after if you feel like taking things further you call the cabs number and report the insolent, the company will probably give you a small appreciating such as a free cab ride, or something. But if you take your way and deal with it this way you get hurt.

    I would not be surprised if the police after the person who got injured would get out of hospital himself be charged for disorderly conduct, damaging personal property and malicious intent to cause bodily harm, all this video shows is a bunch of idiots at work.

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  29. From what I've seen both parties are to some extent fault, however when people started beating up the car and hitting it it was fairly obvious someone was going to be hurt. Any damage done to that car will be the driver's responsibility... And you know how much small dents and scratches can cost to fix. At that point it looks like he was just trying to get out of what was turning into a dangerous situation. I think the mob of people was mostly to blame for that one guy getting hurt...

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  30. i'm glad the dude is alive. someone already made this comment... for all the bleeding hearts - innocent people die all over the world for no reason at all...

    if i was the judge - i would give them both 1000 hours of community service.

    others punks i would give 2000 hrs each.

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  31. It looks like this took place over a 10 minutes, why were the police not called?

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  32. Police were called well before the filming started

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  33. I see people kicking a car and jumping on all parts of it, this guy got what he deserved, the cabbie was probably at that point with that many people around his car in fear for his life. What did you think the cab driver should have gotten out for a fair fight him against a crowd. I'm glad us laws are not the same.

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  34. Its simple actions speak louder than words , the cab driver should have cut his loses after hitting the pole but he stayed because he was angry and wanted vengance for his dumb actions and the passengers were outraged by the cab drivers actions " trying to run them over"so then the mob mentally set in and they reacted to the cab drivers actions and took it personal and attack his cab, then either out of fear or frustration , fear of being gang beat or frustation of what he did to his own cab he reacted without thought running the passenger over. none of this would have took place if people took responsible for their acts adn stopped to think of the outcome.

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  35. LOL, he deserved it so much.

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  36. Natural selection in action. I have no sympathy for Mr. Pancakes.

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  37. Here in the US, we have an acute deficit of empathy; sociopaths abound, spewing racist vitriol and often physical harm. Good on you for sincerely trying to defuse the situation. I've found myself in a couple of altercations driving my Chevy Suburban around, changing lanes and not seeing a small car in blind spot, then startled by their horn. Each time as I got adjacent to the small car, I put my window down and said 'hey, i'm sorry, didn't see you' - and understanding they were rightfully alarmed by a big vehicle coming into their space and probably a bit pissed off - they said 'oh, ok, no worries'. Eh, the gesture of apologizing was painless and considering the prevalence of people having guns in their cars in the US, I'd rather defuse the situation than be shot. Cheers.

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  38. No sympathy, ok. But why so much hate ? Natural selection... hopefully for you, unlike others social species we are not eliminated asocial, too aggressive and sociopaths cases, like in nature.
    Chanel

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  39. The guy was a dumbass douchebag and he deserved what he got. The only reason natural selection didn't get him before is because we've become a society that protects those dumbasses.

    Imagine, you're walking in the woods, and out of nowhere a bear cuts you off. Then it pees on you. It's entirely the bear's fault, and you have all the rights to be mad at the bear. Do you start kicking it in the face and jump on it's back?

    This situation epitomizes exactly why society is sometimes so shitty. People are not held responsible for their actions. They then think they can do anything. Let this be a lesson that there are consequences when you act stupidly, and let us hope for less of that dumbass in our gene pool.

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  40. DON´T DRINK AND DRIVE / DON´T DRIVE AND HIT A DRUNK.

    TO SUM IT ALL UP; DON´T DRINK AT ALL.

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    Replies
    1. So much hate because many of us have been terrorized, insulted, bullied, stealed from by young angry males trying to show of how dangerous and powerful they are, like in this video. And some women have been raped by gangs like this one. I went into such a rage when I saw these young disgusting psychopaths at work that it get the worst out of of me. I see this, I read the completely biased version of the owner of this blog and I, too hate people.
      By the way, it's fashionable to take side for youngsters ( I sometimes do) but here I draw the line.
      Mr gotginham, if someone close to you gets beaten or raped by a pack of enraged drunks like this one, you will see this video a lot differently. Why don't you show us some juvenile porn or a live gangbang while you're at it?

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. I don't take sides. It is a case of my compassion for the outcome. This was a nasty situation where the cab driver was seen to be aiming his cab at the passengers and other random pedestrians. The cabbie's lawyers reports that he was trying to use his cell phone to call 911 when he hit the lamp post. I am not being biased when I say he drove the car towards the the group and with no regard to his feet on the pedal. I clearly saw before filming, the taxi heading towards pedestrians--his former passengers and other bystanders. His former passengers are not angels. It is alleged now they made racial comments during the cab ride. It makes a plausible explanation for the fury on the the cab driver's face once the Mr. Kapelli exited the car by slamming the door.
      As for the question 'if somebody I know got..." I am a writer and a story teller and I am not going to pretend something didn't happen. If I personally knew them, and they were acting like this group of passengers acted, I would film them, yes. And if my friend was a cabbie and I saw him driving his cab towards a group of people and smashing it into a lamp post, I would film it.
      If it was graphic juvenile porn, then the laws protect that content. So does the idea you had (your idea--not mine!)
      I put it out there because it hits close to home.
      Some media report that all the passengers got out of the cab at the same time. This is not true. The cabbie and the front-seat passenger argued for at least a minute or two while the other remained in the cab. As for racist remarks from the passengers, this is plausible, but how can we prove it.
      As for the unpaid fare... The Cabbie got out of the cab before all the other passengers had even got out, so technically, they haven't left the cab yet.
      Now, if it is true that Mr Kapelli struck the cabbie in the chest before quitting the cab, then it explains why the cabbie was so furious.
      Other reports talk of the cabbie getting out of the car with a snow-brush and a bottle and throwing it at the victim. This didn't happen till later. The cab driver got out of the cab 1 second after Kapelli on the outset.
      When he returned to his cab is still to be determined.

      I am not biased. I feel compassion for both parties, because it was a horrible night in my neighbourhood.

      I feel we are all responsible for our actions and it is not my place to judge them.

      Everybody is innocent till proven guilty here, and that is the message I am trying to convey.

      I will keep this comments section open as long as we all stay calm.

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  41. The loser who got hit ganged up on the cab driver and lost.

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  42. From the two videos I have gathered these thoughts; both parties were in the wrong in this situation, mob mentality leads to idiotic behavior no matter what the circumstance and that I can only hope that both parties recover from the incident. I personally am not religious I do not believe that there is anything after death, therefor the most important thing is life to lose it in such a silly way is beyond me. Finally I would like to bring o everyone's attention that much more gruesome and horrific things occur all over the world, the only difference being we don't have anyone filming them.
    Thank you for the videos and very well written article.

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  43. Hi Jonathan,

    We've seen a couple of video footages of this incident but as you said, whatever that led to it wasn't recorded, so it isn't up to us to say what becomes of the cab driver or the guy who was run over. However, the courts will have access to another piece of video footage from the cab itself - unless I'm mistaken, most of today's cabs like this one are equipped with video surveillance gear which should provide them with the other half of the story that led to this.

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  44. This is a fight or flight situation. If no1 left the scene for as long as the blotter is claiming (more than 8mins) then this is not a flight situation but a fight situation. Both parties made the decision to confront, one side with power of numbers and the other with his car as weapon. What you seeing is a fight scenario. The guy who challenged him was K.O. And the cab driver won. The challenger took a hit and the cab driver took his turn for hit back. This was a fight. Both parties are fully responsible for their decisions and it's cost. The cab driver must lose his license and go to jail for neglect driving. The challenger to the cab driver is responsible for racial slur and bullying a cab driver. I have no empathy for either side. Thanks for the video and blog.

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    Replies
    1. Sorry bout typos I'm typing from a messed up thing. Lol

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  45. The cab diver was interviewed on the news tonight, why the journalist asked him if he in fact had tried to run over the mr. Kapelli before the video he said his lawyer told him to remain quiet and not answer this question. I don`t know about you, but that`s kind of suspicious.

    You don`t go on the news and say whatever suits your case then refuse to answer those questions that don`t. If he had nothing to hide, he would have answered the question.

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  46. From what I saw, the driver tried to leave and they threw something into the back of the car while shouting obscenities and the stupid fool that put himself in front of the car kicks the door for the first time on tape. The door opens after the woman knocks on it and then the door gets violently kicked shut and kicked again. THEN somebody tries to open the door to pull him out... the driver attempts to leave but probably didn't expect a fool to jump in front of a moving vehicle.

    The "close-up" video shot by the gang of dumbasses themselves catch their own stupidity on tape. The guy taping the entire time is laughing and egging his friends on until his stupid friend jumped in front of a moving vehicle (in an attempt to cause further damage) and ultimately got run over.

    Put yourself in that situation... Montreal rife with riots as is at the moment, it's 4am in the morning and a gang of bullies are kicking your door, jumping on your car and trying to open the door to pull you out. You are going to naturally panic and try to leave. I don't think it was a conscious decision he made to run somebody over... the dumbass jumped in front to try to damage the hood at an unfortunate timing.

    A smart person looks both ways before they cross a street. A dumbass tries to stand around a moving vehicle while thinking they're funny and tough. Car vs human? Car wins. Too bad Darwinism didn't take one for the win.

    My sympathies to the cab driver just trying to do his job and go home.

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  47. The footage taken of the incident cant lie. It doesnt matter what race; gender & age. Put yourself in the driver's shoes, what would you do in that situation? I would find a way to get maneuver my cab out of there, if someone gets run over, too bad, but i refuse to be beaten into a pulp by irresponsible drunks, Drunks should respect taxi drivers because when we have too much to drink our life is in their hands. I hope this incident serves as a lesson to all party animals. Go out & have fun but set aside a budget for your driver. Late night??? It is a long day for them. Hope the guy that was hit would really learn a leson ftom this & become a spokesperson for MADD & the Taxi Drivers. THERE's a reason for everything. He will live in order to fulfill his purpose and save a lot of people's lives. It is all good, his buddies and all who witness the incident hopefully will have a wake up call.

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  48. Love the article where you talk about both sides and don't show a strong a favortism over either parties. Very thorough analyze of the situation. Keep up the good work

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  49. Thanks for adding context to what would otherwise be a very "slash and burn" media story.

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  50. "The most shocking thing I've ever recorded as a journalist, activist and football fan. I've seen riots, frays and all sorts of mob situations and this one had an air about it that seemed all too familiar"

    Wow, I am somehow perplexed by the fact that you have witnessed "riots,frays and all sorts of mob situations". Dude, where are you from, let us know so we can stay clear and far away.

    You claim to be a journalist yet you seem biased because he was your neighbour. You say you saw the event from the beginning, the operative word is SAW therefore what you claim was a door slam (again biased) could have been anything for example:
    - pay me my money
    - why the racist comments dude
    - I got a gun motherfu**er
    - I am going to slit your throat

    Your first empathy went to the cab driver. The front seat passenger got out, and slammed the door so hard also certainly the door had been slammed extraordinarily hard, and certainly the driver had a right to be upset about this.

    Dude stop passing off what you SAW from a high vantage point as journalism. You should deffinately change professions, also make sure that you add this to your resume that way no one will hire you.

    Everyone, let's just see what unfolds frome this incident in a court of law, not by some so called (crap) journalist!

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    1. Terry... why dont you stfu.

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    2. gotta agree with this guy... this "journalist" needs to build a bridge and get over himself...pretty biased and more about himself than anything else

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    3. Point is, I am a journalist in the sense I worked in radio for many years, and it was my job to disseminate information. Right now, I am an artist, and in my capacity of artist, I watched this unfold. I happened to bring in to the context that as a journalist working all sorts of sporting events where I might see public order offenses, this was one of the more riotous and intense ones I have witnessed.

      Terry is right in saying that anything could have happened between the door slam (see his list) etc and says that there was bias. I wrote what I did so that my memory would be fresh. I added where my empathy lies as a way to distinguish myself from other journalists. After all, I DIDN'T SELL THE TAPE, I left it open for public consumption. There is no bias here--what you see is what you get. However, I am a witness and have to be honest about what I saw. When I say I feel empathy for my neighbour, it is in the sense that I can relate to him as a victim. Not that I think his actions were at any stage honourable, nor if I were to sit in court, would I defend anything he did. I just happen to empathize with him in a neighbourly way rather than a random stranger getting run over on a youtube video might seem TO YOU. That's all. No bias.

      I don't argue with you, because I want your opinions to be freely aired. 50,000 people are reading this now, so yours does count. This is not an act of journalism by some 'crap' journalist--it's the view of an artist who happened to witness something and turn it over to his colleagues in the field. I need no bridge to get 'over' myself. It happened to me. I cannot change pronouns without sounding like even more of a tosser.

      I am happy with my standard as a professional journalist and the contribution I made in Vancouver to football and radio and would always get a kick out people taking the piss.

      See, as an artist, I've found that when you get a critic from a random person who has little background to go on, it means you must be doing something right. If you're totally crap people don't even bother. They look at you like somebody using potato prints, or can only pluck one string on a guitar or make up moon-joon-spoon rhyme and give you a kind smile of non-encouragement.
      Want to call me a crap artist? Let it rip. I am so ready. All bridges burned mate, on that river.

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  51. Any reason why the close-up video is now private?

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  52. i wonder why the cabbie didnt call a "code 13"......

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  53. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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