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The Economist
I would be interested in hearing your comments about the article in The Economist dated October 12. I found it to be biased, uninformed and irresponsible.  This magazine has a long-standing account with us as well! What is the world coming to...?
Tony Doltis (R38)
To be honest Tony, I'm not sure what to say about it. I've read the article (Free Riders) several times and I really believe (apparently the only one to do so) that the author has penned a badly written article that he intended to be a sarcastic look at the touting end of the minicab trade. However, it came out as a rather silly anti-taxi piece. The biggest clue comes in the writer's last sentence: "Help the third world - take a minicab." Biased, uninformed and irresponsible? As it came out - yeah, I'd go along with that...
   As for having an account with us, the two are totally separate, after all, do our drivers only bank at those financial institutions that use our services? ...Ed

The Times
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and that certainly seems to be the case with journalist Anthony Browne and his article from The Times, 17th October: "I had that greedy chap in the front of my cab." After reading his article, there is no doubting the media are still the champions of misinformation. The Times newspaper was once looked on as the cornerstone of quality journalism, but recently seems to prefer to travel along the gutter route.
   Mr Browne's article was a no-holds barred, vitriolic attack on London's licensed taxi drivers. The story - or rant might be a better word - was littered with fiction and inaccuracies, such as London's cabbies are "a white, working class Mafia," "rude and arrogant," "outrageous fares" "6 miles £30, Heathrow £60," "earnings of £70,000" etc.
   It is a sad state of affairs that articles like this will drive gullible people, who still believe that everything they read in the papers is the gospel truth, further into the satin claws of London's illegal minicabs. These touts are prospering due to the current climate and now can be seen openly working at major railway stations such as Clapham Junction.
   I don't know how much Mr Browne is paid by The Times, but I hope it will go some way to accommodating him a permanent home in New York, whereby he can travel in the Big Apples yellow cabs - the ones he clearly adores and finds so "cheap and plentiful," - his words not mine - just like the garbage he peddles.
David Heath (W27)
Anthony Browne is also the Environmental Editor at 'The Thunderer' and it would appear that most licensed taxi drivers would like him to choose a different environment to live! We all know that because the press use so many taxis, one bad experience can give them the germ of an idea for an article slating all of us. The maxim that 'no publicity is bad publicity' is shown to be untrue in this instance, but I doubt that too many regular users believe much of Mr Browne's claptrap. Unfortunately it isn't physically possible for him to replace it from whence it emanated. However, when we respond to misinformation such as that from Mr Browne, replying with our own misinformation does not help the situation and trade newspapers that go on to justify meter increases by constantly referring to diesel increases should realise that if the Editor of a small internal magazine such as Call Sign can look up the recent cost of diesel, then so can The Times. For the information of TAXI, the cost of diesel has dropped over the past few years: 1st June 2000, 81.9p per litre, 1st June 2001, 77.9p per litre and 1st June 2002, 75.9p per litre, a rate it is currently holding. While other essentials have probably increased, to try and fool the press with misinformation serves no useful purpose ...Ed

Royal Parks
Re last month's article on minicabs using the Royal parks, if Addison Lee, West One or Ambassador wants to use the Royal parks, there is a simple answer to their dilemma. Remove the illegal signs from their vehicles. As fine examples of reputable minicab firms, how can the Public Carriage Office let this farce continue? They should not even be considered for licensing until the signs are removed. Come on PCO, let's have some enforcement.
Colin Jenkins (Y22)

John Saunders
I was very saddened to hear of the passing of John Saunders. Whenever one thought back to the stalwarts of many years, John was among those that came to mind. Whether in the control room, either supervising or dispatching or on the Board of Management, there was always something to be contributed from him. John always enjoyed the many facets of the trade, from cab driving to the political viewpoints he had. Even in later years, he was willing to help the Society. I recall in the last year or so that I was still on the Board, I had occasion to ask for his help to attend the Elgin and Warwick  Avenue ranks to monitor the allocation of the Special Needs journeys, he did so with aplomb!
   It seems so sad that we appear to be losing many of the long serving members who helped to bring the Society to its eminence of today. I am sure he will not be forgotten.
   Rest in Peace John...
Aubrey Siteman (Ex-C07)
Barkingside, Essex

I would just like to say that our John was to the longer-serving members, a one hundred percent Lords / DaC man. We all enjoyed his dispatching - totally fair and honest. I am also grateful to him for proposing me on to the Board. Rest in peace dear friend.
Martin Freeborn (C67)

I was deeply shocked when I learned of the death of John Saunders. Back in the early 70's, Johnny was the man who was my mentor in the control room. His skills at despatching were second to none and it was a pleasure to work alongside him as he ploughed through the work gaining the confidence and trust of the drivers. At the end of our day, we would often sit and chat over a cuppa and fag discussing 

Thanks To Dial-a-Cab Staff
Hi Dial-a-Cab in London, we recently had one of your drivers (name of Leslie or Les), who was wonderful. We had left a camera in his cab and he actually went looking for us at our hotel and then was accommodating in meeting us the next day to return the camera. This was great and really saved our vacation for us as all our cameras were in the bag. In addition, you have an operator named Sam (a woman) who was very helpful on the phone and worked to help us find the cab. Thanks so much to Les, Sam and Dial-a-Cab.
Jim Underhill
Denver, Colorado, USA (received via our website)
Call Sign managed to trace the (cash) ride, so well done to the driver Leslie Devereaux (B79 and also to our telephonist Sam French who co-ordinated the return. Our telephonists are often found helping passengers who have lost items, but are rarely acknowledged, so well done to Sam and Leslie...Ed

Sovereign Capital Or Radio Taxis?
Sorry for being slow on the uptake, but I wouId like to ask a question or two of the Board or
the MD of the company who has made a bid for DaC. What would happen to the working
practices of DaC and the Drivers were Sovereign Capital's interest / share of the future company be subject to a hostile takeover bid from another party? How would Dial-a-Cab and it's Drivers be protected from a predator making such a bid? In the introduction to Sovereign Capital (the company bidding for DaC) they mention a fitness centre / sports club chain. I recently read an article about a fitness chain being subject to such a bid.
   What consideration has been given to a merger between the two driver-owned co-operatives, Dial-a-Cab and Radio Taxis? As we both operate under a similar set of rules and use similar systems for allocating work, surely some thought must have been given to creating the biggest radio circuit not only in London, but Europe and possibly the world?
   Owned and operated as a non-profit making organisation by its shareholders, is this option
not worth thinking about before we start making profit for ordinary shareholders.
   In "From the Chairman's Office," Brian Rice mentions that the Auditors have finished the accounts for the financial year.  Could he please tell us how many subscribers are currently on the circuit and the income derived from them? How much would he estimate the combined worth of the DaC fleet?
Mark White (B86)
P.S. Alan, do you really think that your reply in Mailshot to John Able (M31) was wise?
   If memory serves me, tariff 3 was not increased at the last change in the summer.
Regarding your PS, Mark, you are quite right. What I meant to say was just ASKING for a further increase in the night charge in the summer, as the trade reps did, was stupid and did nothing to improve the way clients were already perceiving us as being greedy ....Ed
Brian Rice replies:
Hello Mark, I haven't heard from you for such a long time that I thought you had retired! However, on a more serious note I hope that your domestic problems are resolved and that you can now look forward to the future.
   The Editor has sent your letter to me for an answer instead of Sovereign's MD Peter Brooks, as it is getting a little near his deadline for the magazine. If Sovereign's controlling interest were subject to a takeover from another company and the price was right, my guess is that they would sell their interest for a profit, making DaC and its shareholder/drivers worth considerably more - but of course I can only speculate, as indeed I can only speculate that the working practices of the drivers would not change. At this moment in time, no-one - and I mean no-one - knows what would happen, but my guess is that if any owner were to become too draconian, then the workforce would vote with their feet.
   Regarding a merger between Mountview and ourselves, that has been discussed several times over the years but to no avail. I believe a merger would be very difficult to achieve, although nothing is impossible. As for our systems, they are completely different and we would have to work as separate companies until we could come up with the millions of pounds that would be necessary to have the two fleets working off the same system. Mind you, it's a thought: DaC/Mountview! It's like Arsenal/Tottenham, or perhaps more pertinent to me, QPR/Chelsea!
   Regarding how many subscribers we have, that will be announced at the AGM as it is sensitive information and not something that I would like our competitors to know, other than to say that it is the same size as it was this time last year and the subscriptions received from Sept 2001 to Aug 2002 were £2.1m excluding VAT. The worth of the fleet? Am I buying or selling? Probably in excess of £25m.
   Mark, knowing you as I do and with the questions that you have asked, I just know that we are now involved in lengthy correspondence - oh dear...!

Mick Garner And The PCO
I received a nice letter from the Public Carriage Office that I thought you would like to see (printed below). They certainly don't seem as bad as Uncle Mick painted them! They also sent me a copy of his original 1955 Cab Drivers Licence which was issued at a cost of three shillings. I have no doubt that he probably complained it was too much at the time!
Michael Isaacs (Mick Garner's nephew)
Hendon NW4

Condolence Letter From The PCO
Dear Mr Isaacs
I am sorry to learn of your uncle's death and would like to express my sympathy regarding your loss. I note from your uncle's file that he was licensed as a cab driver for over 50 years providing a valuable service to the travelling public in London. As a memento of your uncle's career, I am enclosing the licence issued to him in 1955. Unfortunately, his very first licence issued in 1952 cannot be found.
Please accept my sincere condolences for you and your family.
Roy Ellis, Head of the PCO

Thanks for the letter Michael and a photocopy of the licence. Unfortunately, the repro quality prohibits me publishing it, but boy did Mick look young on it! ...Ed

Politically Incorrect...?
Whilst sitting around the place recuperating from that operation that a number of men about my age get, I thought it might be a good idea to drop you a line about one or two items that appeared in your excellent November issue. Invariably, I am in complete agreement with what your 'Politically Incorrect' columnist Chas Kissin says, especially regarding politicians and Livingstone in particular. Our fellow drivers would do well to remember him when it comes round to voting in about 18 months time for a new Mayor.  Mind you, some of the opposition he faces at that time doesn't look much more attractive! Chas brings up the question of where some of the lotto money goes to and again, like me, is angry as to who these recipients are. And this is where we part company - albeit on a temporary basis. He states that he still buys tickets, well I have stopped and will not recommence until I have a say in how the money is spent which I have been given to understand will come shortly due to thousands of complaints.
   We have for a year now been trying to raise enough money to bring back our beloved ship HMS Vengeance from Brazil, where until recently she was the flagship of that country's Navy.  Its significance is that it is the last aircraft carrier remaining in the world that saw service in the last war. W e have been offered free docking services from all over the UK, including Greenwich, but the Lottery Commission doesn't want to know. Now I realise that many people will say it's only a ship, but if we got it, the money would be far better spent than giving it to the likes of some of the recipients; for instance Help Age International - to improve the welfare of old people in Central and South America! So what's wrong with helping our own old people? Oops sorry, they're only Brits, have we learned nothing these last 50 years?
   While the pen is in my hand, may I respectfully point out to Geoff Levene (K43) that:
(1) Unlike most of the early asylum seekers who had to find ways to keep themselves without help from Governments, today these so-called asylum seekers are being kept by us and the money would be far better in our pockets than in theirs! Has he not wondered why in recent council elections, 3 BNP candidates were elected in what are normally safe Labour areas? This has I believe, concentrated the mind rather more clearly and quickly,
(2) We just do not have the room for them.
   Its time our idealist fellow subscriber came off cloud 9 and saw where the real fault lies. I'll tell him. The villains of the piece are our so-called partners in the EU. As I understand it, all refugees etc fleeing or coming from another country must be taken in by the first EU country they come to. Now the only EU member further west than us is Eire! So how do they come to he here? Simple, they're just bunged onto a train and sent here via Sangatte, after all, they tell each other we're all soft and politically correct... Well, I ain't!
Yours even more politically incorrect
Sam Harris (S95)

Kupkake's Korner
I wish to reply to Mr Levene's (K43) comment regarding the Islington Bus Lane fiasco. The
signage at Upper Street was NOT clear enough for those of us who have not yet reached the
status of QC - myself included - and my comments reflected this.  We are in an over regulated trade where the rules are constantly being massaged to our disadvantage in favour of buses and cycles and ANY voice of protest is better than meekly accepting change and redirection without comment like sheep. We know where THEY all end up don't we!
   So far as I am aware, I do not know K43, or even need to ever make his acquaintance, but my "excruciating" poems are written in a "cab-speak" or colloquial prose, reflecting MY views and experiences encountered during my working week, in a style that other drivers might relate to. I don't need his sympathy or support; I'll just keep fighting TfL in my own way.
   Karl Marx once said: "The last man alive will be a bureaucrat." This, I'm sure, is true and he'll be working in TfL, no doubt.
Modesty forbids me to name names, but fellow drivers, many comparative strangers, will often approach me to compliment me on my ability to grasp a situation and record it in rhyme! So I do it. K43 can always turn the page.  One need not be a QC to do that either.
David Kupler (Y74)

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