Bajan taxi ‘hero’ goes viral for scarring would-be robbers
Gavin Riley / Our Today
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Being a Caribbean taxi driver is often an arduous, unrewarding profession, where one has to contend with the elements, rowdy customers and the ever-present threat of criminals.
For one such public service vehicle (PSV) driver, 46-year-old Marlon Tempro, it was far from the usual routine late Sunday night (July 16), as he expertly used his motoring skills to put the fear of God in two would-be robbers.
The man, hailed by Barbadians for his bravery and calmness in adversity, went viral over the past 48 hours after dashcam footage of his encounter spread like wildfire across social media.
Two 45-second clips, which Our Today has obtained, shows Tempro in the midst of the late-night assault.
Looking for his next set of customers, Tempro purportedly picked up the two men around 11:45 pm in the parish of St Philip. Pretending to signal for a bus stop, the pair later revealed their intentions, brandishing a handgun and other weapons.
The gun-wielding assailant then points the firearm at Tempro, attempting to put the driver in a headlock, which he defended against. The gunman is heard threatening to shoot Tempro but he continues to drive unfazed.
Manoeuvering wildly, Tempro was told “he gone dead” as he still fought off his attackers while driving, increasing the ZR minivan’s speed all throughout.
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Instead of capitulating, Tempro defiantly accelerated his vehicle, all while fending off blows and taunts from both of the assailants seated directly behind him.
Throughout the dashcam clip, the white ZR minivan rocked and weaved on the Barbadian roadway, throwing the criminals behind him violently from side to side as the vehicle continued speeding.
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The gun-toting accomplice later became no help to his colleague; overcome with fear, he repeatedly screamed for his mother at the top of his lungs.
The ZR van eventually slows down at the end of the clip, at which point all three men hobble out of the vehicle.
It was not immediately clear from Tempro’s Nation News interview on Wednesday whether the attempted robbers were apprehended.
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