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A sex - change taxi driver left her job because bosses carried on calling her dale instead of her new name Lucy.

Crimson haired Lucy Evans 38, who fathered a child as a man, said she was also bullied and made to feel a freak by other cabbies. And she heard them refer to her as a tart.

She told an industrial tribunal at Exeter that her name was also changed on time sheets.

Lucy of Crediton Devon, is claiming sex discrimination against peak taxis, of sidmouth.

Owner Rob Shapland - Hill said he had received 15 complaints about her gaudy make up and clothes.

Amother of 2 teenage girls had also complained to him about miss Evans describing her operation to them in detail.

the tribunal reserved its decision

News Of The World page 9 Sunday 28th October 2007

werent you the one who turned up as a tranny

not my fault you misread the invite which read come as a granny

Hi,

I just signed up for this forum after googling my case.  It's funny  because a friend of mine actually read the NOTW article for me but until now I have not actually seen the words (I also believe that a rather unflattering picture of me appeared on the original article as well - I look angry in it because I just spotted the photographer lurking behind a skip outside the tribunal )

So, here's the facts (bearing in mind that a judgement has still to be made):

I am 37, not 38.

The company received no complaints about me - instead they received one comment from the mother of two teenage girls concerning the graphic details of my operation.  It turns out that they were 16, though I picked them up from a nightclub at 3.30 on a Saturday morning and thought them older (as did the entire staff at Corina's nightclub in Sidmouth).  I actually answered their question about the procedure and had I known that they were 16 I would not have continued.

The only other comment was made by an employee called Jill of East Devon District Council, made to the wife of one of my managers.

In fact there were many instances when passengers would ask for me as Lucy because they felt more comfortable with me.  I never received anything but the best wishes of the passengers of Sidmouth.  They were lovely.

tbc

Next my manager threatened to discipline me if I was to talk to anyone about being transsexual, despite the fact that I was entering full transition and driving wearing female clothing, breast forms, makeup and jewellery.

The same manager then told me to 'pack it in' and 'why don't you just leave' when I complained to him that he was giving me stacked bookings on three occasions on the same evening.

The same manager referred to me as a 'liability'

He refused to call me Lucy, tried to prevent me from changing my job sheets to Lucy and suggested that he would not do so even when I was to obtain a gender recognition certificate which makes it a criminal offence to disclose a now legally female's previous identity.  This manager even acted contrary to instructions from the company secretary.

I was ridiculed by my operations manager when he placed a cartoon on the company notice board that made fun of transsexuals.  Someone took the opportunity to put my former name on top of the cartoon.

Despite numerous complaints by me about what was happening to me the operations manager made no attempt to resolve my concerns.

My appearance was ridiculed within my earshot by a colleague and a manager.

Finally I was promised that the issue of my name would be resolved and it was not.

To answer the question about the allegations made by me against peaks they are:

a number of counts of 'less favourable treatment' - basically under the sex discrimination act 1975 (amended in 1999)

cumulative 'less favourable treatment'

a number of counts of 'harrassment'

a count of failure to provide a contract of employment

a count of failure to conclude a grievance.

a count of unfair dismissal.

You should know that I would have done anything to have just been left alone to work for a living.  I hated the whole legal process and all that it entailed.  I particularly disliked appearing in a tabloid newspaper.

I was prepared for passengers to make fun of me.  They never did.  What I was totally unprepared for was being treated so badly by managers and colleagues.  Even if the court does not find in my favour the owner of peaks has already gone on record as saying that something had gone seriously wrong and that he was sorry about the way things were handled.

Wow Lucy, I am not a tranny or in need of a sex change and am pretty right wing, but I applaud  you for wanting to lead you life as you want without harassment     

I will be interested to see what the GMB boy's take is on this ???

Don't sound to friendly Lucy people might get the wrong idea LOL

But no, I am about 15 miles from Thetford, still a fu*king shit hole LOL..... but the county is great!!!

Thank you for your kind words.  I will keep everyone informed.

Lucy x

Not easy when you go against the tide Lucy, but wish you luck babe.......or is that mate?

Just my sense of humour friend, thanks for letting us know how things are going 

Got yer babe!!!

Denise and I certainly exchanged a few massages, but I don't think I upset her.

Well Denise???