An American visitor’s dream trip to London turned frightening when she says three rickshaw drivers worked together in an apparent attempt to steal her phone.
Heather Ford, 39, says she was “ambushed” during a rickshaw journey last Thursday, shortly after watching Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre.
The mother of two had travelled from Tampa, Florida, for her first solo trip overseas. She says she had prepared carefully, even attaching a strap to her phone to protect it from thieves who might try to snatch it.
However, she says her concerns began just moments after accepting a five-minute rickshaw ride to The Clermont Hotel, where she was staying.
Rickshaw operators in London have faced repeated criticism over allegations that tourists are charged excessive fares, with one passenger reportedly billed £450 for a journey lasting just seven minutes last year.
Mrs Ford told Our News Outlet: “I heard the driver speaking on the phone to someone and mentioning that he was going to The Clermont. But when we reached the hotel and I pointed it out, he turned right, went past the station and stopped on a small side street.
“He said the fare was £52 for a journey that had taken barely five minutes. He insisted on £40 in cash and said the remaining amount had to be paid by card.
“A second man then pulled up beside us on another bike and began asking for my phone so he could take photographs.”
American tourist Heather Ford, 39, says she was confronted by three rickshaw drivers during her London visit last week
Mrs Ford released a photograph taken moments before she says the confrontation began
She says the driver intentionally went past the turning for The Clermont Hotel, where she was staying in London
“Then a third man appeared from nowhere and said, ‘Give me your phone, don’t you want memories?’ The driver I had been travelling with began making the same demands.
“When I refused, one of them demanded that I hand over my physical bank card so he could pay on my behalf. I refused again, and all three became increasingly angry. They kept saying, ‘That’s how you need to do it.’
“I shouted, threw a £10 note towards the driver who had picked me up and ran away. It suddenly became clear that this was not a normal situation — they were trying to rob me.”
Mrs Ford fled back to her hotel. A receptionist there allegedly told her that rickshaw drivers regularly target visitors in the area around Charing Cross.
She had travelled from her home in Tampa, on Florida’s west coast, to Edinburgh earlier in the week before continuing south to London.
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The trip had been “years in the making” and represented “the opportunity of a lifetime”, she said. But after the nighttime encounter, she was left anxious about being alone in the capital.
“As soon as I returned to the hotel, I was shaking uncontrollably. I was sick in the bathroom,” she said.
“It was my first time travelling abroad alone, and I had researched everything and felt well prepared.
“The experience made me feel incredibly unsafe in London. The following morning, I was constantly on alert whenever I left the hotel. I just wanted to go home to America.”
‘That holiday was supposed to be empowering for me, I’d been planning it for years, and I left feeling like I’d screwed up a bit. I really wasn’t doing well – but I had no idea that could happen on one of those rides.’
Mrs Ford is only the latest in a list of hundreds, even thousands, of tourists to have been ripped off by rogue drivers who have turned the streets of central London into the ‘Wild West’.
Mrs Ford said her ‘dream’ trip to London was ‘ruined’ by the ordeal
One official price list seen by Our News Outlet this week revealed that customers can expect to pay fees of up to £10 per person per minute for a rickshaw ride – meaning a 15-minute journey for one person would cost £150.
Only months ago, Mayor Sadiq Khan launched a crackdown on drivers in a bid to eliminate extortionate charges, traffic jams and anti-social behaviour.
Under rules introduced by Transport for London in February, riders now have to pay for a license, pass a safety test and hold at least a driving theory test certificate before charging for rides.
Fare caps will also be introduced at the end of this month, which will limit charges to a maximum base fare of up to £5, plus a per-minute rate of up to £1 per minute for the first passenger, so a five-minute trip for one would be priced at £10. A further £3 can be added to the charge for each additional passenger.
During his announcement of the clampdown, Sir Sadiq said: ‘After years of campaigning, I’m pleased that TfL will be regulating pedicabs across the capital to ensure they meet proper operational standards.
‘Pedicabs should be a fun way to explore London, but too often people face rip-off fares, blaring music and unsafe behaviour.
‘We’re bringing in these new rules so that both customers and drivers can benefit from an industry that is more safe, reliable and professional.
‘This will play an important role in supporting our vital night-time economy and enabling more people to enjoy all that our great city has to offer as we continue building a safer, fairer, greener London for everyone.’
