| Mailshot is your chance to
tell the subscribers of Dial-a-Cab exactly what you think. Complaints, compliments or just
to write about Call Sign. This is YOUR paper within your magazine....
You can also email your letters to: callsignmag@aol.com
RELIGION AND CALL SIGN
I read your Editorial and was about to answer you quite mildly,
but in my own forthright way, when the New York news came on and the
terrible events began to unfold. Probably like you, I have many friends
and family in NY and have just been on a roller coaster the whole
week. Thankfully, all my loved ones are now accounted for and
I pray the same goes for you. I had such depth of feeling when starting to
write to you last week but had to put everything on hold.
"Last year I was 'told off' by the daughter of one of
our drivers for wishing Jewish drivers a Happy New Year and Christian
drivers a Happy Christmas while missing out her holiday of Eid. I said
then that I didn't want to upset anyone and consequently there will be no
individual greetings, although there will be a Christmas issue - albeit a
totally non-religious version."
Well these innocent words you used did it for me, I'm afraid.
I hope you don't mind if I now write as politely as possible to say you
run a well read magazine out there and although it is not your intention
to get involved in politics, your stance of appeasement does not go down
well. To your Christian readers, deep down you will offend them if
you do not make the usual Christmas Greetings, which everyone always takes
for granted and to your many Jewish readers they also take it for granted
to look for their New Year greeting in the magazine.
At the last count, there were 90 religions in this little
Country and you cannot and don't have the space to speak for all of them,
so take a stand and to the rest, I say let them get on with their own way
of making greetings for their many various holidays. If we don't make a
stand for our own freedom of expression we are just going to become
another frightened Asian satellite.
I am sorry if I sound heated, being Jewish maybe I shouldn't
talk this way, but I want to speak out. It would appear our politicians
and leaders won't.
Look around at what is going on here and ask yourself what
sort of country are we leaving to our children and grand children. My
heart is full of dread at the lack of democracy for the
indigenouspopulation. Take a stand, don't let anyone dictate to you, as a
good Editor, wish your readers whatever you think they want to hear,
unless of course, your Asian readers are in the majority. Your Taxi
Drivers are a spirited bunch and wouldn't want to hear their magazine has
to be watered down.
Sorry to spout off at you. Your friend (after this I hope)...
Barbara Fenton (Mrs E01)
Thanks for the letter Barbara. Call Sign is a magazine for people of all
nationalities and religions drawn together by their connection to the
licensed taxi trade. Greeting for various religious festivals should be a
fairly simple thing to do, however we live in a politically correct world
where everything has to be double-checked before being rechecked again.
The writer of the original letter, Pinar Misiri, is the 15 year-old
daughter of a DaC driver. Her letter was a well written and well
thought-out look at life from her side and perhaps a letter such as yours
might have been useful at the time to start a debate on where greetings
start and stop. As you say, I don't really want to become to deeply
embroiled in politics, neither do I want to cause any upset over something
so innocuous as a greeting. If anyone else has views on the subject, I'd
be interested in seeing them ...Ed
TOURISM FROM AN AUSSI POINT OF VIEW
Hi to all at Dial-a-Cab in London. I happened to hear on ABC Radio (modelled
on the BBC), a report in a programme called 'The World Today' in which
ABC's London reporter Matt Peacock sent in a report, part of which reads:
"In Britain, the tourism industry, one of the
country's biggest employers, could now lose up to A$7.5 billion because of
a dramatic slump in Britain's tourism. Tourist chiefs are now saying that
they hope Australians and New Zealanders may help to make up the numbers,
because they have a much more carefree attitude to travel..."
The full report can be read and also listened to
HERE
So Digger, are you NOW going to brush up on your language skills in
dealing with our mob coming across to prop up the Old Dart and can you
tell the difference between an Aussie and a Kiwi? If you can't, you could
be in real trouble, as you NEVER want to call a Kiwi an Aussie!
You might even get an article for your mag out of this!
David Gawthorn
Melbourne, Australia
The only way I can tell the difference between the two is that the Kiwi
may ask for the nearest library, whereas the Aussi passenger asks for the
pub next door to it! Before anyone writes in, I'm just joking...!
David Gawthorn is an author/taxi driver in Melbourne who wrote a
successful on-line book called 'Are You Free? Confessions of a Taxi
Driver'. If you enjoy reading about the cab trade, you'll find that his
ebook bears a remarkably similarity to driving a cab in London and is a
really enjoyable read. If you want to download a copy, go to
www.zeus-publications.com. The last time I looked, the cost was around A$8
which is about £3 (no paper!). The advantage of reading on-line is that
once the book is saved, in addition to reading bits and pieces whenever
you want, you can also adjust the size of text ...Ed
BILKED BY DIALACAB...?
Whilst the heading may be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I wonder if
have unearthed an anomaly in the normally efficient DaC despatch system?
Today, just before 5.30am, I accepted from the 'Bid Zones' a 6.30am
booking in NW99. Because there was sufficient time to arrive by the booked
time, I did not advise a delay, so you can imagine my frustration when
within a few minutes, the job was scrubbed! No explanation and no fare
'scrub'. Several hours later, the Call Centre advised me that the
passenger had complained about the service and cancelled the cab after
being advised I would be late by 30 minutes. Apparently, so I was told,
work in NW99 automatically requires a lead-time of 90 minutes from the
time the driver accepts the job! Apart from losing out on a lucrative
roader and DaC missing a handsome administrative fee, think of the damage
to the customer relations of one of our larger accounts.
Unless I have been mis-informed, or that this was a cover-up
for a cock-up, could I
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please have a proper explanation...?
David Lessman (D19)
Jason O'Brien, the Call Centre Help Desk Supervisor replies:
The booking concerned had been requested for 06:30 and went
on offer at 05:00 in NW99, which has a 90-minute lead-time. Unfortunately,
after 15 minutes in the primary and bid zones, the job was still
unmatched, although 4 drivers had been offered it and chose to reject.
Therefore, a call had to be placed to the client to advise of the
difficulties we were experiencing and the possibility of delay. The client
was not happy since she had a flight to catch, but our representative
assured her that every possible effort would be made to locate a driver at
the earliest opportunity and that she would call back as soon as the
booking was matched to a driver.
At 05:25:39 the booking was accepted and the following
automated message was sent to the driver: "Thanks for covering this
trip, please send delay with minutes to get to the pickup location."
The purpose of this requirement is so that the driver can advise an
accurate assessment of his arrival time which will override the system
default, which is 'accept time' plus 'lead time' and which in this case
showed an ETA of 06:55:39. When our representative called the client at
05:29:47, no ETA revision had been received from the driver and therefore
the client was provided with the system's estimation which wasconsidered
by the client as unacceptable and subsequently, the booking was cancelled.
On this occasion there was a lapse in communication between the driver and
Call Centre. Although the driver did not estimate his arrival time
to be later than the booked time, he should still have sent the 'delay
advised' as requested. Although the 'delay advised' facility must always
be used when a delay on the booked time is estimated, it should also be
used when notified to do so by the Call Centre and advisable on any trip
where you have to run. The representative that dealt with this problem,
although fully trained, has only been with us for a few months and with
hindsight, could have pressed the driver for the required information or
sent him to voice prior to calling the client back.
Communication and the valuable information contained within
it, is essential to the smooth running of the Call Centre and this example
clearly illustrates what can go wrong when we don't communicate. There are
two communication related points I would like to make, which from my
position, will assist in the elimination of some of the problems we
experience. Firstly, when sending a 'delay advised', you are
advising how long you will be from the time you press the send button and
not how late you will be. It is advisable to send your initial assessment
as soon after accepting the trip as possible. However, if having
already sent a delay, which is within, say ten minutes of expiration and
you now feel it insufficient, please update. This facility can be
used more than once on a trip, it will update our screens automatically
and allow us to apprise the client accordingly. There is nothing
worse than having an initial delay accepted, running for a trip, but
getting there five minutes later than advised only to find the passenger
couldn't wait any longer and you get scrubbed without payment.
The second thing is that if you are unable to park outside
the address with which you have been supplied, it is essential that you
advise us on voice exactly where you are parked before you return to data
to advise arrival. What often happens is that an advise arrival is sent,
we telephone the client and they come out, but the driver later advises
he/she is parked around the corner. Imagine that the client has locked up,
does not have a mobile to call us, it's raining and a street cab pulls up.
Understandably, they won't walk the streets looking for you and won't make
payment.
SEARCHING FOR A 'REMOVED' CAR!
I am trying to trace one of your cab drivers who was extremely
helpful on a Thursday evening in September in order to thank him properly.
My car was removed by Camden Council from a suspended parking bay to an
adjoining street, but the wrong address was given on the
notice. The result was that in pouring rain, I had to go on a
wild goose chase without locating my car. The cab driver, who
only identified himself as Bob, was very patient and sympathetic and in
the end when I gave up on the search and asked to be dropped off, he asked
for my phone number and details of my car just in case he came across it.
Within five minutes of being dropped off at home, I had a phone call to
say that he had had an idea where the car might be and sure enough had
managed to locate it. He then insisted on coming back to pick me up to
take me to the car. I just managed to catch his licence number and what I
thought was his cab registration number. Could you please convey my
grateful thanks to him for all he did. It is very heartening to know that
there are such kind and helpful people around when one is in need.
May Lim
London NW3
Well done Bob Roney (R17), I think you've made a friend for life! ...Ed
CRITICISM OF THE EDITOR?
First let me say that I applaud the decision to leave JRTA,
even if it was for the wrong reasons and too late. The reason for this
letter is not that, but the last article that Brian Rice wrote in Call
Sign (October). To say that I disagree with Brian's views does not do
justice to how wrong I think he is, but again this is not the reason for
my letter. I am not prepared to express my views in this letter; I will do
it at the Forum meeting. Brian says that he has made his views known to
those who asked for them, well as far as I am concerned that is fine. What
concerns me is that he may have done this in his capacity as Chairman of
Dial-a-Cab. If the response was signed B Rice (cab driver) on plain
notepaper then I have no argument. If, however, there was mention of his
position at Dial-a-Cab or it was on Dial-a-Cab headed paper, then that is
wrong. This brings me on to my second point. Brian has used his space in
Call Sign inappropriately by writing on this subject. If by implication
you feel that this is also a criticism of you, then you would be correct
to see it that way. As I have said on other occasions, Brian has no
mandate to talk on cab trade matters from the members. He can only talk on
Dial-a-Cab issues. I, and many others like me, am funding both sides of
this argument.I am a member of Dial-a-Cab for the benefits that it offers
and I
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pay my subs to a trade organisation, in my case the LTDA, for trade
representation. Brian has stepped over this line too many times and it
must now stop.
Steven van Gelder (C87)
As this is mainly a letter of criticism of me as Editor, Steven, I will
answer it. Call Sign has always been happy to publish varying opinions
from both Board members and drivers. You may choose to belong to the LTDA,
as indeed I do too - although I am currently an extremely disappointed
member. What you are saying is that the LTDA speak for me regardless of
the fact that I disagree with their current policies. And what of those
DaC members who - rightly or wrongly - belong to nothing? They are members
of DaC and had a voice through JRTA, which, as you point out, they no
longer have. But as members of this Society, why should they not expect
some representation from the Chairman who can no longer do it through JRTA?
You say that Brian Rice has no mandate from members to talk on cab trade
matters and can only talk on Dial-a-Cab issues. I am currently the Editor
of this magazine and my choice is as it always has been, the freedom of
all DaC members to have their say providing it does not break any laws or
damage DaC. In my book, Board members are also DaC members and are
entitled to give their views in their Call Sign columns. I will not bother
looking through the rulebook to find where it says that the Society's
magazine must speak only of DaC matters, but if anyone can find such a
statement, I'd be interested in seeing it. I am proud of Call Sign's
Mailshot page; no other radio circuit has anything like it.
It also astonishes me when DaC subscribers who complain about
anything the BoM write, also contribute to a UK Internet list that
contains the most appalling and disgusting letters on cab drivers by their
fellow cab drivers that it has ever been my misfortune to read. They even
have a warning at the bottom of each letter saying that you cannot show
the letters outside of their little circle of trouble-makers for fear of
breaching the Data Protection Act. The moderator - himself a DaC driver -
obviously considers the conversation to be fine. However, one driver, to
his credit in my book, was so disgusted that he wrote to me and gave me
some examples. One certainty is that this little group who believe that
they control the cab trade, once they read this will start a witch-hunt to
find the person who dared complain about their activities. I don't include
Stephen van Gelder in the above criticism and I know not whether he is
still a member of that list, but I do not understand how anyone can
complain about the democratic way Call Sign operates giving everyone the
right to speak. When Brian Rice writes in Call Sign, he writes as Chairman
- and a very respected one by most in the trade. When he writes externally
to the Mayor, PCO / TfL, his views are also respected. So until someone
shows me where it says he can't give those views in Call sign, then that
is how it will continue until I either have proof or am replaced as Editor
...Ed
WESTMINSTER SPECIAL NEEDS - AN ESCORT WRITES
On behalf of the Special Needs Escorts (Westminster), may I pass on our
thanks to all the drivers for the past 4 years, for their help and support
whilst driving the children to and from school.
As you are aware, many of these children are in some way
disabled and to see a smiling face showing some kindness by talking to
them means a great deal.
It was a pleasure each day for both the escorts and children
to know that regardless of which driver got the job, there would be a
friendly driver to give us a safe and stress-free journey.
Thanks and keep smiling lads - we all miss you.
It would be appreciated if you can in some way pass this
message on to the lads, but please keep my name and address unprinted.
A Westminster Escort
London
I do not usually publish letters without names except in special
circumstances. This is one of those times, as I wouldn't want this
particular escort to get into trouble ...Ed
RECOMMENDING A TAXI GARAGE
I would just like to thank 'Just Taxis' of Benfleet, Essex for
a fine 24,000 Service on my TTT
Metrocab together with the required Warranty work. The moment I commenced
the drive to
London after leaving the garage, I immediately noticed an improvement all
round. Ironically
and much to my pleasant surprise, I had a DaC job from Canary Wharf to
Chatham and the proof
of the pudding was much noticed on the A2/M2 and then on my return journey
home along the
A13. It was like driving a Rolls Royce! Since going to Just Taxis for all
my work, I have been
completely and totally satisfied in everyway and in my opinion, so long as
they maintain and
occasionally double-check the work of their mechanics, then I for one will
continue utilizing their service. In my opinion, their success is due to
the manner in which Just Taxis convey themselves to others, coupled with
sincere truthfulness and the desire that they really do want to make their
genuine clients completely satisfied. At the end of the day, each and
everyone of their taxi driver customers - myself included - only wants a
fair and reasonable service of attention to their vehicles, coupled with
consideration, a minimum waiting time and a fair cost. I have recommended
this garage to many and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Ronald S.Colman (J09)
If you think that your garage is worthy of a mention, let Call Sign know
and we'll pass it on to our drivers. Just Taxis is in the Manor Trading
Estate, 7 Parsons Road in Benfleet ...Ed
CALL SIGN LIBRARY
Well done with the on-line Call Sign library and thanks to
Vince. As soon as you do something well, there is a request for yet more.
Any chance of including Nash's Numbers, the regular feature on page 2?
This is a most useful reference list and is worthy of inclusion (unless of
course it is already there and I have been unable to find the right page
and open it.)
The magazine is well presented and fun to read.
Laurence Kelvin (W88)
Thanks for the email Laurence. Technical problems meant that Nash's
Numbers have never gone into the on-line version of Call Sign, but as so
many have asked, we are going to try to give Nash's Numbers its own
section in the library. But don't tell Alan Nash in case asks for money!
...Ed
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