London Mayor, MP and vaunted future Prime Minister Boris Johnson was involved in a testy exchange with a cabbie last week, telling the driver of a famous Hackney Carriage to “fuck off and die.”
The video was captured on a mobile phone by an onlooker and subsequently peddled to The Sun newspaper. According to the report, the driver accused Boris of failing to protect the capital’s traditional black cabs, which have suffered from competition from app-based companies, such as Uber.
“You’re one of them mate. That’s what you are. One of them,” squawked the cockney wag.
“Why don’t you fuck off and die, why don’t you fuck off and die -- and not in that order,” replied the Oxford Graduate.
“Yeah bollocks, I hope you die,” concluded the driver.
A “source” close to the mayor told The Sun: “Boris has dozens of chance conversations with Londoners every week. Many are productive and friendly, some are colourful, I know most end happily. I believe this particular cabbie however is a serial heckler.”
The incident, which happened around midnight on Friday 5th June, is reportedly part of a broader dispute between city hall and the black cabs, the latter claiming the mayor isn’t doing enough to protect the trade against competition from Uber. Cabbies claim the smartphone app uses unlicensed drivers from outside the city with little knowledge of the capital’s roads.
According to The Guardian, attendees of an industry meeting excoriated Johnson in May for not having "the guts" to tackle Uber, preferring to let black cabs "die on his watch."
Click here to watch the Boris video via our friends at Murdoch Towers.
The B-1000 and the T-800
Earlier on Wednesday, Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted on one of the city’s famous Boris Bikes, the T-800 enjoying a tour of the capital ahead of the premiere of his latest movie “Terminator Genisys.” The 67-year-old detailed his journey on social media, as he puffed through the morning rush hour traffic.
Having spotted Arnie on two-wheels from the inside of a bus, the following exchange took place between Londoner Dan Morgan and the Cyberdyne Systems cyborg:
Arnold Schwarzenegger attends the Fan Footage Event of 'Terminator Genisys' at Vue Westfield on June 17, 2015 in London, England
