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tell the subscribers of Dial-a-Cab exactly what you think. Complaints, compliments or just
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THE ONGOING SAGA OF AN EVENING IN THE WEST END
After a pleasant evening in the West End, my husband - who has been a
licensed Cab Driver on Dial-a-Cab for many years - and I decided to have a
short walk to Tottenham Court Road tube station. As we crossed Charing
Cross Road near Leicester Square Station, a wheeled contraption coming
from the direction of Cranbourne Street turned right into our path and an
unkempt individual mounted upon this object, shouted "taxi mister,
taxi lady?" My husband told him to get lost (or words to
that effect). We observed that this oddity had no lights or indeed any
kind of identification. We continued on our journey with my husband
remarking that it was unbelievable that such a thing should be allowed to
happen without any policeman in sight. However, this was nothing to what
we observed all the way up to St. Giles Circus. Vehicles of all shapes and
sizes occupied every yard of kerb pace with drivers of all colours and
nationalities touting for our custom. It seemed that the only words these
merchants could utter was "...you want minicab, you want taxi?"
One even said he was a licensed taxi! Again, I regret to say there was not
a sign or sight of a member of your police force, this at a time when a
fight involving about 8 or 9 hooligans was taking place on the corner of
New Compton St and Charing Cross Rd.
By now we were both extremely scared and managed to get into
a passing cab. When we told the driver about the happenings, he said that
this sort of thing goes on night after night in the West End but that they
are powerless to do anything. My husband, who is a dayman, suggested that
the licensed taxis should block this vehicle in; our driver said that it
had been tried but they are the ones that get done and not the pirates.
We have two granddaughters, one of whom will shortly become a
teenager and in due course will no doubt want to go up to town for an
evening out with friends and afterwards be pestered and tempted to go into
one of these death traps. Lord only knows what could happen, and indeed if
the press are to be believed, does happen on a number of occasions. As for
these so-called taxi rickshaws, are you waiting for a major traffic
accident involving these death traps before you do something? I cannot
truly believe that you are thinking on the lines of Mr. Micawber, who
said: "...something is bound to turn up."
Martha Harris
Stanmore, Middx
RESPONSE TO MARTHA HARRIS FROM CHARING CROSS POLICE
Thank you for your letter of the 14th of August 2001. I have noted the
contents of your letter and have considerable sympathy with your situation
and experiences in the West End recently. I assumed by 'wheeled
contraption' you are referring to a 'Rickshaw Cab'. I would point out that
at present there is no system for licensing these vehicles in London,
although the competent authority 'Transport For London' - part of the
Mayor's responsibilities and Westminster City Council - are looking at
adopting legislation to enable an effective licensing system in the not
too distant future.
My officers on patrol do seek to advise the operators of
these vehicles as to their behaviour and safety matters. This is, however,
just one amongst many competing calls on our time and resources and we
have to prioritise accordingly. I am unaware of any accidents, whether
major or otherwise, in which these vehicles have been involved. They are
fairly large and usually brightly coloured and therefore visible. My
own experience is that they are also well lit. The reputable operators of
these vehicles, who hire them out to the riders, do so after internal
checks on the hirers and mechanical checks on the vehicles themselves. We
have no power to require these vehicles to be licensed at present and can
only deal with them as pedal cycles. The popularity of this mode of
transport would tend to suggest that few people need much encouragement to
use them, although I tend to echo your views on personally being reluctant
to endorse this particular form of travel around London.
Thank you for taking the time to write. As I have said, we
look forward to regulation of these vehicles in the interests of all
concerned.
Jon Morgan BA (Hons), MSc. CMS
A/Superintendent, Charing Cross Police Station
RESPONSE FROM MARTHA HARRIS TO CHARING CROSS POLICE!
An old-fashioned courtesy ensures that I answer your letter of
20th August in the most polite way I possibly can. I have read your
answers over and over again to see if there was something I may have
missed that would have given me a clue as to whether we are on the same
wavelength, but unfortunately this does not seem to be the case. For
starters, you say that these so-called rickshaws are brightly painted and
well lit. Well, the one that nearly sent my husband and I flying must have
slipped past under you and your officers noses, because other than the
fact that he had made a right turn into Charing Cross Road out of nowhere,
he was without lights or "bright colours." By the way, have you
not beard of the lady who was almost choked to death when her scarf was
caught in the wheel of one of these death traps...?
Now sir, who and what are these 'reputable operators' that
you refer to and the so-called checks on hirers? I presume you mean the
'coolies' who pull them, because as far as am I concerned this makes no
sense whatsoever. You admit that you have no power to deal with them
in a proper manner; there is no licensing, so who the heck can say they
are reputable? Like the mob who infest Crambourne Street with their snide
tactics...?
Incidentally, I notice the complete absence of any answer on
your part re my complaints of the many pirates touting for our custom.
Where is the police protection that innocent citizens going about their
lawful business are entitled to expect?
Finally, I will not at this stage comment on the discourtesy
of your boss, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, in not even
acknowledging my letter.
Yours faithfully,
Martha Harris, (Mrs)
Martha Harris is a former ODRTS telephonist who worked for many years
at our Shirland Road office. Her husband Sam (D95J) is a long-time driver
on DaC. She sent a copy of her first letter to the Commissioner of Police
at New Scotland Yard and they obviously passed the letter onto Charing
Cross police station for the above reply. What Martha says is true and I
sometimes wonder whether day drivers have an inkling of what goes on in
the City and West End every night with minicabs and now rickshaws. Time
will tell whether the November fare increase helps get more licensed taxis
out at night or whether the answer is to pass out more licensed cabs. Of
course, the question could be whether there will be any passengers left
following a huge fare rise at such a sensitive time ...Ed
KEEPING A RECORD
I would like to warn all readers of Call Sign that when dealing
with Mann & Overton, make sure that you ask the name of the person you
are dealing with (better still get it in writing). I was given the wrong
information regarding a warrantee claim. I was told that the part was not
covered under warrantee and at a later date, told by them that it was
while denying that they had given me the wrong information in the first
place. I enclose the relevant correspondence...
Steven Bryant (Y41)
Steven has sent Call Sign the correspondence between himself and M&O.
The story begins when his 'S'-reg TX1 failed its overhaul on two points;
the meter had not been changed and the diff was noisy. Steven went
straight back to M&O from the PCO,
where they changed his meter and, he claims, he asked a receptionist
whether the diff was covered by an extended
warrantee that he had.
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Steven then claims that he was told that the part wasn't covered, so he
left M&O and went to his regular garage where they changed the
bearings setting Steven back a hefty amount. Following that, Steven's
father went to M&O where he was told that his son was never told the
part wasn't covered, because in fact it WAS covered under the warrantee.
Steven was asked to come to the Holloway showroom and asked to identify
the receptionist who he claimed had told him the diff wasn't under
warrantee. He went, but failed to recognise the person out of the three
males on duty. They were, according to Steven, similar in looks, stature
and dressed similarly. He wrote to M&O's Holloway Service Manager
Danny Spencer detailing the above, but was told that all the receptionists
would have known that he was covered. Mr Spencer also replied that
M&O's would have had no reason not to replace the item, as they would
have been paid in full by the warrantee company to undertake the repair.
He also hinted that had Steven's own garage changed the complete unit,
M&O may have been able to get a "post-repair authority" ie
claim the money back afterwards. But the warrantee did not cover a
bearings exchange. He also denied the possibility, claimed by Steven, that
the three M&O receptionists were "closing ranks." "Why
would we need to," said Mr Spencer, "we are a business that
would be paid in full to carry out the repair by the warrantee
company."
Unfortunately, there is no way that either sides' argument can be proved
or disproved. However, one of Steven's points that should be taken up
immediately is for all M&O staff who deal with drivers to wear a name
tag so that customers can know who they are dealing with. This is common
practise in the service industry and makes sense ...Ed
SHARING ACCOUNTS?
I was surprised to read in the August Call Sign that Allen
Togwell believes DaC is incapable of being the sole supplier of taxis to
large corporate accounts, especially in view of the fact that it has not
been a busy year, we have lost the Westminster Special Needs account, the
City institutions are laying off staff and DaC has the equipment to fit
another 1000 cabs.
Allen's preferred strategy is to share accounts as seen with
ComCab and the GS account. However with Allen opening 80-100
accounts each month and ComCab offering six months free subs only then to
write to their drivers advising them to expect a downturn in the work, I
can only see a benefit to Mr Kaley. As CEO of Computer Cab, he was totally
responsible for the poor decisions and non-existent financial planning
that left the LTDA with the choice of bankruptcy or selling the company to
Delgro.
The two radio circuits planning to share accounts are run and
managed with totally different aims;
DaC is run for the benefit of its drivers while ComCab is run
for the profits that it makes its' owners (Delgro).
The benefits of sharing accounts? For DaC... none. For ComCab...
one foot in the door for Delgro and their creeping strategy, a single
charge card (ComCab), a single logo (ComCab) and control of DaC.
In Mr Kaley's own words published recently in the trade press, Delgro will
expand in London, the UK and Europe.
Allen Togwell asks "...why on earth would Richard
Branson buy shares in a company where he had absolutely no control
whatsoever over his workforce?" He could equally have asked why
did a Singapore based company called Delgro buy Com-Cab...?
Michael Calvey (B95)
Allen Togwell replies: I don't ever recollect saying DaC is incapable of
being a sole supplier to any client whatever their size. As regards to
sharing work; in all the years I have been responsible for generating new
business, be it when I had my own company or at DaC, I have always held
the view that I would rather have 50% of something than 100% of nothing.
Mr Calvey, as with many other members of our Society, has little
understanding of the work involved in generating new business. At this
moment, I have a tender on my table consisting of 237 pages. Once
completed, there will be pre-tender meetings, presentations and visits to
our premises. Should it go to the wire, the final decision will probably
be based on fleet size, cost and service. DaC have the least number of
mobiles of all three circuits and as a drivers circuit, we have stuck
firmly to not offering charges that affect our members ie no run-ins,
variable gratuity, rock bottom fixed prices etc etc. The area where we put
greater emphasis is on technology and service. Unfortunately, there is an
enormous amount of work involved in changing suppliers and more often than
not, a company will keep the same supplier unless there is a really good
reason not to do so.
I don't intend replying to Mr Calvey comments about ComCab, such attitudes
against our own have been the reason why private hire are where they are
today. However, so far as to who has benefited most from the alliance with
ComCab: The LRT £6 million TaxiCard account was previously serviced
solely by ComCab. So was Goldman Sachs, so was Clifford Chance, so was JP
Morgan, so was Kleinwort Benson. All these accounts have been negotiated
without screwing the driver or cutting the administration charges. If Mr
Calvey would prefer we flood our circuit with an unlimited amount of
additional drivers and instruct me to buy work at any cost, then let him
put a proposition at the next AGM.
DIGNITY
I would like to thank all at Call Sign who helped to make our
Diane Burstein Theatrical Speaker
Evening on September 6 a really great event. It was so kind
of you to make the effort to put a nice insertion in for us on time, which
helped to publicise this event and gave our Charity the opportunity to be
noticed out there. The evening was very nice and a real success for us.
The money we raised will go to purchase a much-needed piece
of equipment for the new Keech Cottage Children's Hospice for the
terminally ill at Luton. These children's short life deserves a special
kind of care, which with your help enabled us all to make a small
contribution.
Once again, a sincere thank you...
Barbara Fenton (Mrs E01)
Press Officer,
DIGNITY
THANKS FOR THE KIND THOUGHTS...
Through Call Sign, may I thank the BoM, Staff and Drivers for the flowers,
support and kind, thoughtful words following the death of my father. It
was all very much appreciated by my family and myself.
Lorraine Carruthers
Personnel and Drivers Welfare Manager
DRIVER'S FORUMS
Could we please have a Driver's Forum? Yes or no? And if not, why not?
Tony Lawyer (C51)
See the Chairman's Report ...Ed
THOUGHTS OF SID...
Regarding Westminster trips, could passengers please be told to hand their
TaxiCards to the driver before they get into the taxi (as they did in the
days of voice). It saves time, especially if they are going over 4 -
5 miles when you still get the odd passenger who thinks that they only pay
£1 regardless of how much the meter shows. No right turns: Perhaps you
could write to Westminster Council to ask whether taxis could be allowed
to turn right coming out of Brewer Street into Wardour Street for the
short distance between there and Old Compton Street. That would make a
wonderful cut-through to Covent Garden saving time and
money all round. We should also be allowed to turn right from
Bloomsbury Street into New Oxford Street just as the buses are.If
they can, why not us? An official letter from Dial-a-Cab to Westminster
Council might help.
Also, in the last two issues, the
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Chairman has written that we should write to Ken Livingstone. Can
we have his address, as cab drivers can't be bothered looking up things
like that. Let me have it and I'll write to him...
Sid Nathan (K88)
I have passed your letter onto Brian Rice and hopefully he will write to
Westminster. As for the Mayor's address, address your letter to:
Mayor Ken Livingstone, Romney House, London SW1
THANK YOU
On behalf of my wife Estelle and myself, we would like to thank
Call Sign for the very enjoyable dinner we had at a lovely restaurant in
Bushey with Ruth and Lou Gitlin. We enjoyed the evening immensely. It is
so nice that people show their appreciation for the years that we have
been associated with and worked for the Society.
Once again, our thanks...
Ivor Belkin (C97)
AND THANK YOU...
Our thanks to Call Sign for your very kind invitation to Ruth and myself
to dine out with Estelle and Ivor Belkin to celebrate the many years of
Ivor and I working together. We had a fine dinner at the Alpine Restaurant
in Bushey and would like to thank Call Sign for a memorable evening. We
drank to your health as well as to the prosperity of Dial-a-Cab.
Louis Gitlin (B77)
The September issue of Call Sign wrote about Lou and Ivor having the
longest working partnership in the taxi trade having first worked together
at our Pentonville Road premises in 1961. To celebrate the 40 years, Call
Sign sent the pair with their wives out to dinner at the Alpine Restaurant
in Bushey ...Ed
SMOKING IN TAXIS
On the 14th July, I wrote to Ken Livingstone at the Mayor's
office in Romney House, asking him about the possibility of having 'no
smoking' in taxis that wanted it. A reply to my letter came from Peter
Bentley of the PCO who said that the Government had decided not to do
anything and that TfL, after reviewing the subject, had no immediate plans
to change the current position. I also had a telephone conversation with
Graham Sarsons of the PCO. Although extremely pleasant and agreeing with
much that I said, Mr Parsons claimed that the PCO were currently tied up
with 'other things' and that the subject of smoking in taxis had been
temporally shelved. I brought up the subject of Marijuana cigarettes and
he said that any driver who suspected that his passengers were smoking
doped cigarettes could call a policeman or go to a police station. One day
the situation on smoking in taxis will change, but it may well come too
late for some...
May I also change the subject and send to the many American
friends and acquaintances that we may all have, together with the numerous
passengers of all nationalities that we as taxi drivers have taken to and
from airports on route for the USA who have lost or been affected
personally by the terrible events of September 11 2001, my sincerest and
heartfelt condolences and also wish their families a long life for the
future.
Ronald S.Colman (J09)
NEW YORK - 11 SEPTEMBER 2001
Here in Cleveland, Ohio, as in many US cities, we have a lot of Arabic
drivers. On September 11 they were in their cabs trying to make a buck
just like the rest of us hacks. I was sitting at a local hotel when I saw
people come out, take a look at the first cab in line and go to the next
cab. It happened eight times, and then it was my turn to be number two on
the stand. Again a passenger came out, saw the driver, came back to my cab
and got in. I tried to explain to him that the first cab is the one he
should be in since that driver had been there the longest. The man looked
at me and said: "I ain't riding in no cab with a f*****g camel jockey
behind the wheel. Besides haven't you seen what those bastards did in New
York and DC?" I looked at him and replied: "I've seen what has
been on the news and heard it over and over again on the radio and I can
assure you that little Mohammed has been right here in Cleveland all day
trying to make a living driving a cab just like he has every day for the
last five yours that I know of, ever since I've known him. I suggest you
get your fat bigoted ass out of my cab and into his before I tell the rest
of the drivers in line what an a-hole you are and then no one will drive
you any where."
He got out of mine and in to Mohammed's cab. It hurt to do
that in more ways in one. It turned out he was a good cab ride going out
of the county, and me not really liking Mohammed as it is. You see,
Mohammed is the kind of driver that will steal a fare when he can and then
overcharge for his services. We all, as drivers, need to make sure that no
drivers are being overlooked, or passed by because of where they are born
or the colour of their skin or the languages they speak. They're just
hacks like you and me...
Papa Bear
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Thanks for the email Papa Bear. I think it's fair to say that none of us
will ever forget the morning of September 11, 2001... Ed
THANKS FROM A CYSTIC FIBROSIS SUFFERER
I am writing to thank Tom Whitbread very much for the help he gave young
Kenneth McLeod when he very kindly took him and Helen Macfarlane around
London on the last Sunday in August. Kenneth was really pleased and saw
everything that he had hoped to see. It was really kind of Tom to give up
his time like that.
On the following day, we took Kenneth to Windsor (we managed
to borrow a wheelchair from our hotel) and then in the evening, he
fulfilled his "Dream" of being able to go on a flight simulator
at the British Airways training centre at Heathrow. He was lucky enough to
be on the simulator (a 747/400 Jumbo jet) for almost 2 1/2hours and we
really saw him smile then! He had taken his Private Pilots Licence earlier
this year and passed, only to be immediately told that although he had the
qualifications on paper, he would never be able to fly because of his
health. This obviously caused tremendous upset and he seemed to give up on
everything. However, this trip seemed to have brought back a little more
enthusiasm for life.
Unfortunately, a few days after Kenneth arrived back in
Scotland, he was admitted to hospital with a collapsed lung. He appears to
be responding fairly well to treatment and we hope he will be out of
hospital shortly.
Could you also please thank Paul Tully (Y40) for his help in
picking up Kenneth and Helen from the train station on that Sunday and
taking them to their hotel.
Elaine Tozer-Sanders
Founder/Director Dream Holidays
Mytchett, Surrey
Dream Holidays provide "wishes" for children suffering from
Cystic Fibrosis. They contacted Tom Whitbread for assistance in getting a
driver prepared to take Kenneth and Helen on a sightseeing tour of London
in a 'real' taxi. Because of the short notice, Tom couldn't find any
volunteers, so he borrowed a taxi and did the tour himself. He enrolled
the help of Paul Tully to meet the kids and helpers at the station.
Tom, together with Bob 'the dog' Heath, founded Dial-a-Dream over 20 years
ago. Like Dream Holidays, they provide 'wishes' for children between 3 and
18. In Dial-a-Dream's case, the children are usually suffering from
terminal illnesses ...Ed
SUPPORTING BRIAN RICE
I think that Brian Rice and the Board's decision to leave JRTA in protest,
amongst other things against a 'quickie' Knowledge, deserves our full
support. They certainly have mine...
Bob Ambrose (V13)
PLUMB RIGHT
I've just caught and read a copy of the August edition of Call Sign ...
terrific! It has more news, and views of the drivers than the glossy
management-speak we ComCab drivers get in New Link. Don't let your BoM
ever throw in the towel and go all modern - your mag is fab!
Keep up the good work...
Len Plumb
Borehamwood (and ComCab)
Thank you Len - especially for not writing in rhyme! My resident poet gets
upset easily. As you liked the last issue so much, I've sent you a copy of
this issue too ...Ed
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