Steve (Letters, February 25) should have talked to some Hackney cab drivers before writing.

He would have found out that Brighton and Hove City Council does not and cannot have a policy encouraging drivers to pick up from certain ranks since all cabs are independently owned.

Cabbies make their own decisions.

All cabbies relish the chance of a "waver" on returning to a rank. This changes to an extent after pub closing, for obvious reasons.

If a cab you try to flag down passes you by and you're in a reasonably upright position, it's not that you don't fit the right criteria.

The chances are it's on the way to a called pick-up.

The roof light goes out when the meter is engaged.

There is a code of conduct among cabbies that they don't pick up "wavers" close to a rank out of respect to those people already waiting for a cab on that rank.

-Douglas Lowe, cabbie for many years, Brighton