A violent confrontation between a taxi driver and a 70-year-old employee of a vehicle rental company at the main taxi stand in Naousa, Paros, has drawn attention in recent days as further details of the incident emerged.
The confrontation took place in a taxi parking area where, according to the 70-year-old, an agreement had been reached between local professionals and the municipality allowing rental vehicles to stop for a few minutes to pick up and return vehicles.
Speaking to Greek broadcaster MEGA, the man, identified as George Sterckeman, said the confrontation began when he saw the taxi driver pushing a female tourist who was returning a rental vehicle.
Sterckeman said two customers had brought back an all-terrain vehicle and that a chain had been installed by taxi drivers to prevent other people from parking in the area.
“We had agreed with them, with the [taxi] leadership and with the Municipality of Paros, that we could drop off and pick up [vehicles] there for five to 10 minutes,” he said.
According to Sterckeman, one of the women went to his office to tell him that she had returned the vehicle. As they walked back outside, he said he saw the woman, who was Belgian, being pushed by the taxi driver.
“I see from in front of me that she was Belgian, her mother, and he was pushing her,” Sterckeman said.
He also claimed that the taxi driver had previously been involved in disputes in other locations, including Paros airport and the port.
“This man had a problem and, even if nobody bothered him, he would still cause a disturbance,” Sterckeman said, adding that the two had previously argued over the same issue because, in his view, the driver acted as though “the whole parking lot and all of Naousa” belonged to him.
Taxi driver fired
According to information cited in the report, the taxi driver was fired following the incident and asked Sterkeman to withdraw his complaint.
Sterkeman said he refused and intends to continue with the legal proceedings.
“I will take it all the way. There is no way I will let such a person work with tourists again, because he is extremely dangerous,” he said.
Sterkeman said the driver apologized and asked him to withdraw the complaint and end the matter there.
“I told him no,” he said.
