A woman was left mortified when she was reportedly 'fat shamed' by a taxi driver, who suggested she "travel in a larger vehicle".
Kyer Hoskin, 29, from Cambridge, was about to get in a taxi this week, when the driver "looked her up and down" and suggested she find in a bigger cab.
Mortified, Kyer refused to board the vehicle, and instead went to the next taxi along in the rank, before submitting a complaint to Cambridge City Council as soon as she got home.
Kyer, who is a carer, says she would have been able to fit in the car with no problems, and doesn't require a seatbelt extender.
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"I approached the first taxi in the queue and asked him if he took card [payments]," she recalled.
"He was umming and aahing about the wifi on his phone and said 'it might not work when we get there so please make sure you have cash' but nobody carries cash at the moment because of Covid.
"Then he looked me up and down and as I was about to get into the back of the cab he said 'don't you think you might need a bigger one like that one over there?'
"I said 'I'm not going to get in if you're going to be like that' then I went to another taxi. I spoke to the driver and said 'he's fat-shamed me saying 'do you need a bigger cab because you're not really going to fit'.
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"The driver said it was disgusting and I said 'Is it? It's quite normal for me, I do get it quite a lot'."
According to an email from the council, the complaint will be logged on the driver's personal file. They also confirmed any allegations made against licensed drivers would be thoroughly investigated and 'appropriate enforcement action taken'.
However, someone claiming to be the taxi driver's colleague wrote on social media that the cabby was putting Kyer's 'safety and interests' first.
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They said there is less leg room in the hatchback in 'comparison to a multi seater' and previously another 'big individual' was unable to put their seatbelt on.
"There's a reason for why I'm big, I suffer from a binge-eating disorder and not a lot of people understand that very well," Kyer continued.
"It made me angry, [comments like this] get me quite upset. It annoyed me, nobody should speak to me like that, but I'm quite used to it.
"The week prior to this I had actually nearly been taken off the road, off my moped, by some people calling me a 'fat c*** get off your moped'.
"You wouldn't believe some of the responses I had on social media. One lady was trying to be supportive but she worked for Slimming World and decided to send me some vouchers.
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"It's not my size that's the problem, it's the ignorance that's the problem. It's hard being big, there's just no need for people to make it worse by having a go at somebody about their weight.
"It's only going to make the situation worse because they'll end up going home feeling sad and then bingeing because they feel bad.
"I don't have problems with taxis generally, it's not like I need a belt extender usually. I kind of get he was trying to be nice in case the seatbelt didn't fit but that's not my problem.
"He's a taxi driver, if a seatbelt doesn't fit surely he should have an extender available to him?"
Kyer explained she had shared her experience in a bid to stop people from "being ignorant" and to help others.
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"A written apology from him would have been nice, that's what I would expect from anybody," she said.
"If I had the chance to speak to that driver I would probably say 'be mindful of what you say to somebody' because especially something like that because you could end up killing them.
"I know that sounds dark but in this day and age it's very true. I know people say sticks and stones... I honestly think words are worse."
After sharing her experience on social media, Kyer was flooded with supportive messages, and she also received one from a colleague of the driver.
They wrote: "Sorry to hear about your experience. A colleague shared a screenshot in our taxi WhatsApp group and I did get in touch with the driver in question to hear his side.
"He felt that you may 'struggle' in his [car] as there is 'less leg room in comparison to a multi seater'. Previously another 'big' individual experienced difficulties and he was unable to put the seatbelt on.
"I am assured your safety/interest was at heart. He also added we are in unprecedented times and drivers are waiting up to three-four hours for a job. I obviously don't know his intentions but I do know it's [a] long wait for a job atm [at the moment].
"I have sat in that rank for [a] few hours and went home without a job."
A Cambridge City Council spokesman said: "As Licensing Authority, we take the behaviour and conduct of our licensed taxi drivers extremely seriously.
"Our officers work hard to seek to ensure all our licensed drivers are fit and proper, deliver a high standard of service; and protect the health and safety of the public at all times.
"Any allegations made against any Cambridge City Council licensed taxi driver is thoroughly investigated by the Authority, and appropriate enforcement action is taken in accordance with our licensing enforcement policy."
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and MediaTopics: Life News, Life, Real Life