THANK YOU
Many, many thanks to all at Dial-a-Cab for the magnificent bouquet, bottle of bubbly and their very kind comments. I shall look back on my many years at ODRTS with much pleasure and I wish the Society continued success for many years to come.
Stuart Crader (Ex-E75)
Stuart has been with DaC for almost 30 years and never faced a complaint. Enjoy your retirement Stuart ...Ed

...AND GOODBYE FROM RALPH
After 25 years on Dial-a-Cab, I now have to resign as I am entering semi-retirement and the wretched forty jobs a month rule is now no longer within my reach. I think it unfair that those of us who have been members of the circuit for many years and who have supported the Board through the good times and bad, cannot be treated with more sympathy in their semi-retirement.
   However, I would still like to thank everyone at Brunswick House for the way they have looked after me over the years. And also you, Al, for a great in-house magazine. Long may Dial-a-Cab prosper...
Ralph Hayman (F77)
Good luck to you as well Ralph...Ed

TAXI DRIVER OF THE YEAR
As I won't be in London during the Taxi Driver of the Year Show period (I'll be at the Olympics
instead), I would hope you will provide a link to where I can see some pix of the great day.
Thanks in advance,
Marc Hiam
Warragul Taxis, Australia
The Internet version of this issue of Call Sign including the show photos, will be on-line on or around October 9th - which just happens to be my birthday...Ed

SUGGESTION FOR A NEW CALL SIGN COLUMN
Isn't it annoying when someone asks, for example, if the Blackwall tunnel is open; the question goes out to the fleet, but rarely does the answer arrive? On a slightly more important note, we must all have questions about Dial-a-Cab operations that we would like answered and for which a simple telephone call could get an answer. But this may well be a 'Frequently Asked Question' (FAQ) that everyone would like to know the answer to, but not efficient to the BoM answering on a regular basis. So my idea is for a new regular column in Call Sign called 'F.A.Q. Corner'. Unfortunately, this may involve more work for you, Alan!
   We send in our questions and you ask the BoM or whoever would be responsible for that piece of procedure, for a reply. That then gets published! So if you agree, I will set the ball rolling with a question to the BoM...
   Is there a minimum we may charge for a Credit Card job, both street and through the system?
Alan Nash (A95)
This idea was tried in my early days as Editor and the questions dried up after two issues, but I'm happy to give it another go. If you have any procedural questions as against normal letters, send it to Call Sign and mark it FAQ. On reflection, I may change the title as FAQ sounds like a variation on that of a clothing company with the 'almost' rude name! And the answer to your question is that there is no minimum fare on those trips ...Ed

THE CALIFORNIAN CRITIC
As a regular Internet reader of Call Sign, may I compliment you on an excellent publication. If you don't mind, I'd like to offer some personal views on your October 2000 issue.
   Jery's World: - I always enjoy looking at his cartoons, he is just the best!
The TX1 in San Francisco: I wonder how long will it be until these purpose-built taxicabs grace the streets of beautiful San Francisco? The time is not yet due to differing vehicle standards between the UK and the US, but let's hope that the day will come soon when we can be as lucky as you guys at Dial-a-Cab and drive a real taxi. Wouldn't it be great if the Dial-a-Cab taxis were driven around San Francisco's streets? I think this would be the best city in the West Coast area for the famous black cabs of London and especially Dial-a-Cab taxis! Just let me know and I would be more than happy to be a part of your sales team. That would be brilliant, as you say. I like that word; BRILLIANT!
The Life and Times of a DaC Drivers Wife by Leigh Briden: I really enjoy her articles, especially where she said: "...It has come to my attention that one of my husband's fellow taxi drivers has remarked on how terribly annoying it is that a mere woman, indeed one that does not even drive a taxi, should be allowed to write a column for a taxi magazine."
   Please Leigh, keep up the good work writing for Call Sign and don't let those male taxi drivers get in your way. After all, she is married to one of them...!
   I was also very touched by the outing to the Southend-on-Sea with all the disadvantaged children. I think that's really great! Our cabs do nothing like that over here, I hope they all had a brilliant time.
Josie Allison
Seal Beach, California ...via email

'TALK OF LONDON' DRAW
I hope I'm allowed to win this draw twice! What a great night out it was. My wife Jan and I want to thank to the Talk of London and their Manager Danny for looking after us after winning the September Call Sign's Talk of London draw.
  Three guests and myself were thoroughly entertained. We enjoyed tasty food professionally served, a fine selection of wines and spirits, a great cabaret, which we marvelled at from our ringside seats and some late-night dancing to get rid of our fat! London needs more venues such as this. It was also great to actually be on the inside rather than just dropping off outside.
   I will definitely be doing all I can to promote this venue.
Bill Cornish (T76)
Call Sign gives away a table for four at the excellent Talk of London nightclub/restaurant in every issue of this magazine. To be entered into the draw, just send your name, call sign and telephone number to Call Sign. One winner is drawn out each month and all the others go back into the following draws. As Bill says, the Talk of London is the ideal venue for anyone who wants an excellent night out. And Bill - NO! You can't win it twice! ...Ed

'PARKING SCAM'
Just about to leave on my holiday, but this is to let Call Sign readers know that our dealings with the Fraud Squad are ongoing re the problems of fines being asked for unissued parking tickets. I also hope that most of you read the excellent article in the London Evening Standard on Thursday September 7th. It is far too long to reproduce in Call Sign, but I hope the separate item published on that day in the Standard could be fitted in.
Roy Martin (R42)
The following item is published courtesy of the Evening Standard (September 7th)...Ed

'THE PUBLIC ARE BEING ROBBED'
Internal Westminster City Council memos leaked to the Evening Standard detail how a number of attendants have been removed from' the council's Apcoa contract, after being caught carrying out dubious activities on their beats. One April memo shows how an attendant was sacked after making up false tickets "using tax details already known." Another states:
"Certain matters have come to light which shed doubt on the validity of penalty charge notices issued by an attendant." An attendant identified in another memo "is the subject of disciplinary action over falsified pocket book notes and not fixing tickets to a windscreen before issuing tickets."
One disaffected worker in Westminster's appeals and complaints department left after three months in disgust at the authorities and sympathy for conned motorists.
The 28-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, said: "I feel Westminster knows exactly what has been going on. The whole system is corrupt. I couldn't do it any more. The public are being robbed blind. They've made it so hard for people to prove they weren't there at the time, when their tax disc details are stolen. Something is going seriously wrong somewhere and I think Westminster council has got to look at how many people they are sacking. Basically, not enough drivers are getting enough tickets to fulfil the quotas, so attendants lie and cheat. It's a laughable performance all round and leads to stress for the poor drivers. The money is bad for attendants and there is huge pressure to issue loads of tickets - but it is still wrong."

DRIVERS WITH THE NEW TERMINAL
Call Sign asked drivers with the new terminal to tell us what they thought and to offer any suggestions for future modifications. Any suggestions have been passed on to the DaC software department and Tom Carter will answer some of them in the next issue...Ed

Being a new DaC driver (since mid June),  I have already been fitted with a new terminal due to the number of account trips I do. It is a real doddle to do 40 jobs a week let alone a month, so let's get cracking from now till Xmas! Having been on Mountview for many years, I soon learned to love Data Despatch because it was so easy. I'd pull over and just wait for a job to come to me. Then Mountview fitted a GPS antiquated system where I would have to bid for a job on top of me and then get offered a trip three or four postal districts away. My work halved! This still happens to this day, as many of you know. I decided to join DataCab and soon learned that old fashioned voice despatch meant that there were quite a few cheats in voice-land!
   My time came to join DaC and quite honestly I have never known a friendlier BoM and staff. Your slogan of The Gentleman's Circuit is so apt! Being back with Data Despatch was like meeting up with a long lost friend and I have never seen so much account work in my life! How do you manage to keep all these account holders happy when it gets so busy? What an unenviable job the call takers must have, I prefer my job any day.
   Anyway, around two weeks ago, I was asked if I would like the new terminal. I thought about it for at least one second and said like a child, "yes pleeeaaase!"
   My comments on this equipment are the same as everyone elses. Unbelievable, fantastic, etc, etc. I will not bore everyone with the good points because I'd be writing this letter for a week. Suffice to say that I agree with Brian Rice and co that Dial-a-Cab is the greatest. Please fellow drivers, keep it as the greatest. The other circuits and minicabs would kill to have our fantastic work.
Sheldon Collins (B61)
(Hon Treasurer of LTFUC.

I've had the terminal in my Metro Series 3 Westminster (BMW Topaz Blue Metallic) since the beginning of July. Learning how the new application worked was very easy and in fact the whole thing is VERY driver friendly. As for the graphics, they are absolutely brilliant! I have no real criticism of it but live in hope that perhaps the next generation of software might be voice activated as well?
David Kupler (Y74)

The new terminal definitely gets the thumbs up from me. I often get ComCab and Mountview drivers enquiring about my new terminal and love watching their mouths drop as I move a map around the screen with my finger. But the map function is only a small part of this wonderful new terminal, which works very much like the old terminal making it very easy to move over with minimal disruption - but with many great new facilities and enhancements. It has been very well thought out. The 'Waiting' timer and 'Soon to clear' timers are of immense use and my divers watch is now being left at home!
   The editor did ask also for any dislikes or improvements. He picked on the wrong person here as in my former occupation, I used to write, test and specify software! So my suggestions may appear to be nit-picking of what is a really an excellent product, but you did ask...!
Alan Nash (A95)

   I was recently fitted with a new style terminal and considering the amount of hype, I must say that I am disappointed with it.
   I don't like having to press accept or reject twice and the same applies to many other functions. The screen is very hard to read when sunlight is coming through the cab (I have tried lots of different colour combinations), the screen is full of finger prints making it more difficult to read, your status disappears after a few seconds, the screen saver is now set at two minutes (previously three). The map, although a nice gimmick, also disappears when the screen saver engages. The text messages that you send to the dispatcher are not always acknowledged. Apart from the map, the old terminal did everything that the new one does except print details and receipts. I think that it would be extremely dangerous to use the map feature while driving because to engage it is quite involved.
   This is only constructive criticism and is not meant to be having a pop at anyone. The only

way to improve the system is by feed back from drivers.
Paul Shaw (B19)

   I absolutely love the new terminal! I think the map facility is a great boon even if you only need it occasionally. I love the timers. It certainly helps when you do a temporary off while having a short break in the cab. No longer do you have to keep watching the time. The same applies to the soon-to-clear facility. You know when you have to clear the job quickly. I have had no problems at all and if I was pushed to suggest anything, perhaps the bleeps could be made louder. Otherwise it is just fantastic...
Danny Moses (P98)

EMERGENCY VEHICLES
With the recent petrol shortages, I fully understand the frustrations of Dial-a-Cab drivers as well as other drivers. The one thing I cannot understand is the fact that licensed cabs have now been declared emergency vehicles. I'm sorry, but in my opinion, (and I speak for myself only) an emergency vehicle is either is in the armed forces or has a flashing light on the roof.
   The drivers would probably say differently, but if he or she were a real emergency vehicle, he or she would answer any Westminster cardholder having to go to hospital or for a doctor's appointment and most certainly not have an accept/reject button.
   I would be interested to read the opinions of the drivers. Please do not reveal my identity for obvious reasons.
Name withheld,
DaC Call Centre
Call Sign has long held a policy of not publishing anonymous letters to Mailshot. I am breaking that policy on this occasion because I would like to hear any responses to the points raised. I do know who the writer is and he or she works in the Call Centre...Ed

FUEL CRISIS
Could a delegation of Board Members arrange a meeting with Westminster Council, the objective being to elevate our status to that of essential service? I have just watched 12 pages of Teletext covering thirty categories of personnel listed as emergency / essential services. These ranged from ice distribution to vets. Well if chilled drinks and sick cats take precedence over the sick, elderly and disabled, then I would like an explanation. We carry thousands of Westminster disabled passengers - these are essential rides. This service must have been severely affected during the fuel shortage period. How many children have been left at school gates? How many sick people have missed their doctor / hospital appointment? Surely we have a case. In under 50 days from now, this could happen again and I believe the effect could be much worse with winter almost upon us and the resolve of the pickets hardening. Let's act now before it is too late. I await your comments with interest.
R.G.Connor (G96)
Hopefully an answer that satisfies you will be in the Chairman's column. By the way, in your list of those on a higher priority fitting than licensed taxis, you missed the essential company of Dunkin Donuts. Do you think that someone is having a laugh ...Ed

DAC HEALTH SCHEME
I have, just had the opportunity of reading the last edition of Call Sign magazine (September) which I found most interesting and which certainly underlines the great progress the Society has made. I was particularly interested to read Allen Togwell's comments about the ongoing 'ignoring' of the- need for drivers to be members of the DaC Health Scheme.
   Years ago when the Society decided to offer this facility to subscribers, like many others, I joined and paid my subscriptions which were automatically debited via my credits. I especially also joined the-then Permanent Health Insurance which extended the cover to the retiring age of 65 years. Understandably, I prayed to the Almighty that I would not have to claim on it and that my health would continue to go on for a thousand years!
   This was the situation for a long, long time and then one day my wife and I decided to visit Blackpool by coach and see the Illuminations. It also gave me an opportunity to re-visit some of my ex-RAF dives, cafes, cinemas etc., which held such fine memories and which I enjoyed so much. I wasn't in Blackpool for four hours, when I suddenly tripped and fell over almost into a small manhole where the cover had been left off on the pavement. The result of this accident was that I had to have a number of scans and eventually had a 'Rotator Cuff' operation on my left shoulder because it had been diagnosed as a very severe rupture.
   Had I NOT had Dial a Cab's Health Insurance, I can positively confirm that I would have been in a very serious financial situation. The policy paid me out the sum of £200 per week, which generally speaking, arrived on time and coupled with a smaller amount from the-then DHSS, I was able to get through and NOT have the worry that I know some drivers have experienced.
   As a Licensed Taxi Driver who is one of the small businessmen in the country, it is a businessman's responsibility to insure all kinds of things to safe-guard themselves and their place of trade. This covers everything that one can think of. When you go on holiday, sensible people take out travel insurance that hopefully they will never ever need to use it. There appears to be a tendency to insure almost anything or everything. But when it comes to insuring ourselves for health reasons, things seem to go to pot!
   For the sake of your wife/partner and children, as well as for yourself, those of you who have not yet joined the Health Scheme, I respectfully ask you to think again to what you have now read and do not hesitate in signing up for this most necessary cover. Remember one other thing too, the bigger the membership, the better opportunity the Society's Brokers have of negotiating better terms and that has to be for our good.
   Just one further item and that is about driver's dress. I would like to endorse the comments of Tom Whitbread where he criticises the turnout of some drivers. I have written on this subject in the past and have very strong views in that a DaC Driver is a representative of the Society and should act and dress responsibly at all times. Surely it makes one feel good when we dress smartly and sensibly and if it does mean that at many times during the day or night we actually look smarter than our passengers, then 1 say great! Let's keep it up! I would much prefer to see a driver dressed in a neat shirt and slax than to be embarrassed by seeing a guy showing off his torso or biceps as if he is about to enter 'The Home of Spartacus'.
Ron Colman (Ex B13)
Ron Colman has been off for almost four years and now that he is well, he would like to return to DaC. His request for assistance in getting a cab can be found elsewhere in this issue. It's nice to hear that you are better, Ron...Ed

Call Sign Home Page

Powered by NetXPosure