These two extracts from the Isle of Wight Observer published on 12th October, 1889 tells of cab wars at the bottom of George Street in Ryde.

The cab shelter on the Esplanade has been a great source of contention. We are afraid to say how many times it has been moved, or proposed to be moved, but on each occasion someone has objected. What pleased the cabmen, did not please the neighbouring residents. The Council have, now, it would seem, finally made up their mind, for they have moved the shelter to the rear of the stand at the bottom of George-street, and have put it on a brick foundation. But again we have nine of the neighbouring inhabitants joining in a memorial to the Town Council, protesting against the shelter being placed in this position. We have reason to believe that the objection of the inhabitants is not so much against the cab shelter than to the conduct of some of the cabbies who are attracted together around and inside it. We have heard some rather startling tales of the behaviour of some of these cabmen when in the shelter, and it seems a hard thing that quiet and respectable men should suffer through the conduct of a few “black sheep.” We think the Council ought to be far more particular than they are in granting licenses, and that when a cabman has been brought before the magistrates for misconduct on the stand, his license should not be renewed. If the rowdy members were weeded out, there would be a better living for the men left, and a greater incentive to keep themselves respectable.

A gentlemen, who lives near the cab stand, tells us that he does not think the cab shelter is very much used by the respectable cabmen, who seem to prefer eating their dinners on their boxes to going there. The reason he believes to be that a certain rowdy clique hangs together and keep out those they do not like. One cold day he saw a lot of cabmen fly out in a very excited way, and on enquiry, found that some mischievous imp had taken revenge on his comrades by sprinkling the hot stove with cayenne. Under the influence of the fumes of this powerful stimulant there was soon not a dry eye in the place, which was speedily cleared.