While most of us carried on as well as possible with our normal business last Thursday, the black cab drivers in Croydon (and I believe London) were too frightened to take passengers.

My friend had gone to Croydon in the morning with her three-year-old son and having finished her shopping, she found that Croydon was affected by the general emergency situation.

She was anxious to get home, but unable to leave Croydon by tram or bus, she tried to hail a cab. Unfortunately none of the cabs would stop for people. They had all put down their hire signs.

She eventually managed to beg a black-cab driver and he admitted that they were not taking passengers out of fear of having a bomber on board.

If the rest of us are prepared to get on with life why can't they?

Therese Laker
Abbey Lane
Beckenham