I sympathise with the letter from Patricia Downes (Letters, April 23) - the taxi driver should have stopped.

But I found her final sentence - "did you not think you might have hit a child?" - disturbing. It implies the driver still wouldn't have stopped had that been the case. I'm sure he would have.

However, it was the letter from Robin Tulley which made my blood boil.

I have been a cab driver in Brighton for 12 years and I think I am qualified to respond.

Passengers are doing cabbies a favour, not the other way round? I shall have to remember that next time I pick up someone who is too drunk to stand or has not washed for a month so you can smell them before you see them - or, in some cases, both.

Believe it or not, taxi drivers are human beings too and would like to be treated as such. Common courtesy costs nothing.

The taxi cab usually belongs to the driver, so it would be appreciated if passengers could treat it with respect, rather than slamming doors, eating or drinking, smoking, fouling it or running off without paying.

Mr Tulley would like the driver to interact with him. Well, I would like the passenger to respond to me when I strike up a conversation. It works both ways.

The majority of cab drivers do a worthwhile job in often stressful conditions and are rarely given the respect we deserve.

The Brighton taxi trade ferries thousands of satisfied customers every day so it's inevitable there is the odd disgruntled customer. From personal experience, they are few and far between.

No one is forced to take a taxi. If Mr Tulley doesn't like the service we provide, my advice is to catch a bus or, preferably, walk.

-GJ Bates, Southwick