Drunk American tourist assaulted taxi driver, Dubai court hears

An American tourist who allegedly hit a taxi driver while drunk has been charged with assault and consuming alcohol.

Dubai // A tourist assaulted a taxi driver after the cabbie honked his horn loudly, a court heard.

The Dubai Court of Misdemeanours heard that the American tourist E?A, 43, took a taxi on November 29 last year to a hotel for dinner.

On the way, another taxi was behind them and its driver started honking his horn.

E?A got out of his taxi and spoke to driver N?L, a 28-year-old Pakistani. The two began fighting and exchanged blows.

“I saw that taxi when I was looking for a cab but I didn’t take his taxi and took another only to be surprised that he followed me and started driving to my left and right and honking his horn,” E?A said.

N?L said: “I was heading to Rashid Hospital when another taxi in front of me did not move as the traffic signal turned and when I honked my horn at him to move, the passenger who was in the back seat flashed his finger at me.”

“He started screaming at me, then pushed me so I punched him in self-defence,” the tourist said. N?L returned the blow before both men were taken to a police station.

E?A was charged with assault and consuming alcohol while N?L was charged with assault. The driver said that before he did or said anything, the tourist punched him on the nose, breaking it.

“I defended myself and resisted him but then when police were notified by the other taxi driver, he tried to run away,” said N?L.

M?L, the Bangladeshi driver who was driving the tourist, testified that E?A initiated the assault when he flashed his middle finger at N?L then stepped out of the car, opened N?L’s taxi door and both started fighting.

A verdict is expected soon.