T8217Sa
nall-too-common
scenario
.You8217veh
adafew
too
many
drinks
on
Newcastle8217
s
vibrant
social
scene.
Feet
hur
ting
from
killer
heels,you
stagger
into t
he s
treet,
and
jump
in
any
old
cab
.
I8217ved
one
it,a
nd
I8217m
cert
ain
a
large
percentage
of t
he
city8217s
female
population
has
too
.While
99%
of t
he
city8217s
cab
drivers
arebonafide,there
are u
nlicensed
charlatans
out
there
picking u
p v
ulnerable
females.
Ha
vin
g w
orked
in t
he t
axi
industr
y
for
anumber
of y
ears
,
AmandaB
utcher
kno
ws
only
too w
ell
the
dangers
of w
omen t
ravelling
alone
lateat
night.
She s
aid:"The
number
of
people
I8217ve s
poken t
o w
ho
don8217
t
like
getting
into t
axis
after
anight
out
or
who
havef
allen
asleep
in t
he
backo
fa t
axi
is
huge.
"Some t
axis
drop
gi
rls
off
and
driveaway.A w
hile
ago
I s
aw
that
happen
and t
he
gi
rli
nq
uestion w
as
approached
by
aman w
ho t
ried t
o
ab
useh
er.Ihad t
ocall t
he
police."
Scenarios
like t
his
prompted t
he
36-year-old t
ol
aunchNewcastle8217
s
firs
t
all-women t
axif
irm,V
enus
Cars
.
The
female
friendly
cab
firmo
pened
for
business
in
Marchand
is
steadily
gaining
agreat
reputation
from
its
customers
.
Not
only
can y
ou
be s
ureo
fan
extra s
afe
jour
ney,V
enus
Cars
can
alsop
rovide s
ome
gi
rly
additional
extras.All
cars
aree
quipped w
ithh
air
straighteners
,a
s
well
as
deodorant,
hair
bru
shes,nail
files
and
even
sanitary
items.
Amanda,
who
lives
in
Longbenton,said:"Wed
op
ick u
p
anyone,b
ut
our
aim
is
toh
aveall
women
drivers
and
appealm
ainly
to
women.
We w
ill
alsoh
aveakit
handy
in t
he
boot
in
caseo
ur
clients
have
forgotten
anything
for
their
night
out.
"We8217ll
have t
ights,make-up,
sanitary
items
and
even s
traighteners
8211j
ust
in
case8211f
or
a s
mall
fee."
But,A
manda s
ays,the
main
aspect
of t
he
company
will
bem
aking
sure t
hat
women u
sing t
he t
axis
get
home s
afely.The
business
also s
eeks
to t
arget
school r
uns
and
female
executives
who
arei
nNewcastle
on
business
.Venus
has
alsobeen
praised
by
nationalcharity
,V
ictim
Support
.
She s
aid:"Our
firm w
as
established
for
one r
eason
only,to
offer
a u
nique s
erv
ice t
o w
omen
of
all
ages.Not
all
offices
cano
ffer
you
a
women
driver
upon r
equest,a
nd w
e
cano
ffer
you
that
serv
ice.
"Although w
ep
ick u
pboth
women
and
men,the
main
pur
pose
of
Venus
Cars
is
tom
ake w
omen
feel
safer
and
morecomfort
able."
With t
hree
children,including
a
five-year-old,A
mandalo
ves
the
flexibility
of
being s
elf-employed.
"It8217s
great
being y
our
ownboss
.I
lo
vei
nterv
iewing
people.
It8217s
also
very
flexible
and
great
when t
he
kids
are s
icko
r
off s
chool.
The
do
wnside
of r
unning y
our
ownbusiness
is
the
long
hour
s."
Amand
ais
cur
rently
look
ing t
o
recru
it
moref
emale
drivers
.
"Many
women w
ould
lo
ve t
obea
taxid
river,b
ut
think
it8217s
aman8217
s
domain.
Not
any
more.
Wem
ight
be t
he
firs
t
officei
n t
he
Nort
hEast
but
thereare w
omen
drivers
t
axio
ffices
opening
all
over
the
UK
and
all r
ound t
he w
orld."
Venus
offers
a t
ext
serv
ice t
o
inform w
omen t
hat
the
cab
is
on
its
way.
"Wen
ever
leaveg
irls
standing
alone
and
always
text
to s
ay
weare
on
our
way.My
advice t
o w
omen
on
anight
out
would
be t
oalways
use
your
local t
axif
irm s
o y
ou
kno
w
who
is
picking y
ou
up,stick t
ogether,a
nd
make s
ure y
ou
all
get
home s
afely."
EACH
MONTH
WE
SPEAK
TO
THOSE
BRA
VE
SO
UL
S
WHO
HA
VE
TA
KEN
THE
PL
UNGE
WORK
WISE
AND
FOLL
OWED
THEIR
DREAMS
8211
WHETHER
IT8217SS
TA
RTING
THEIR
OWN
BUSINES
S
OR
OPTING
FOR
AC
OMPLETE
CAREER
CHANGE
.I
NowNE
VE
R
FRANCESCA
CRAGGS
MEETS
TA
XI
FIRM
ENTREPRENEUR
AMAND
AB
UT
CHER
WHO
IS
KEEPING
NORTH
EAST
WOMEN
BO
TH
SAFE
AND
FRIZZ
FREE8230HAIL
VENUS!
Venus
has
joined
forces
withMinxT t
anning
and
beauty
studio
in
Four
Lane
Ends,a
nd
AT
asteOfIndiaR
estaurant
in
Forest
Hall, t
oo
ffer
customers
the
chanceo
f w
inning
ac
omplimentary
mealf
or
twoand t
anning s
essions
in
its
monthly
prized
raw.Contact
the
officef
or
details.
9679
Venus
Cars,F
our
Lane
Ends
SocialClub,
Longbenton,N
ewcastle,T
el:
(0191) 2
66-6637
or
07964 2
94
493
email:a
manda@venuscarslive.co.uk,
www
.venus
cars
live.
co.uk62CI
TY
LI
VI
NG
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