Anti-LTDA?
Let’s get one thing straight, this page – like it or not – represents the views of the person in the Editor’s seat, so until things change in that direction, that means the views are mine. So let me state categorically that I am not anti-LTDA. If I were, I would cease to be a member of that organisation. But that doesn’t mean that I must agree with all they say and currently I don’t agree with too much coming out of the TAXI publicity machine, even though I have to admit admiring Bob Oddy’s obvious knowledge of our trade.
   The LTDA are entitled to their views as much as anyone, however, their publicity reaches quite a wide audience and many of their readers go around quoting TAXI (aka LTDA) as though it were the cab trade Bible. It’s far from that…
   They are against what they term as a "Quickie" Knowledge even though few cab drivers get out in less than two years with many taking substantially longer. Yes, the fewer drivers there are, the more work it would leave the rest of us. But life doesn’t run quite that simply and if we do not provide the service that passengers want, then sadly, they won’t slap their thighs and proclaim: "…aw shucks, we’ll have to wait until more cabs pass out on the Knowledge," they will look to private hire because that group doesn’t seem afraid to expand! But the LTDA-led campaign against a "quickie" KoL will hold back new drivers for such a long period of time, that it will make it unworthwhile even bothering to start.
   It may well be the devil we know being better than the devil we don’t, but we have to accept that if there is to be an expansion in the hire and reward business, then better it should be public rather than private hire.
If anyone can show me proof that Knowledge "boys" are passing out much quicker, I’d be happy to publish it, however, I, like many in the early 70’s, took 15 months to pass out and that seemed forever. Two years is not a "quickie" Knowledge and seems about right to me.

I have to commend the Zingo publicity machine because there can be few, if any licensed taxi drivers who do not know about Manganese Bronze’ telephone hailing system. Their regular brochures are extremely professional and certainly make Zingo out to be a lucrative addition to the normal method of cab driving. However, this magazine will not accept their  

  
advertising. Why? Simply for the same reason ComCab or RTL wouldn’t expect me to advertise them. They are all in opposition to Dial-a-Cab...
In November 2001, Call Sign became the first trade magazine to interview the-then on-paper only Zingo system. I spent an hour with their PR people asking questions, but the most important one was in the title of the article: Is Zingo a danger to the existing licensed radio taxi organisations?  According to Zingo, the answer was no and they expected many drivers who were already on radio to be happy to use the radio and Zingo. They told me there would be no pre-booked jobs, no account facilities and no dispatchers.
I concluded in later issues of Call Sign that I would far rather see Zingo getting work than the minicabs and touts were taking, but I was concerned that they would eventually be forced into taking account work because quite simply, they had invested £7million in the system and needed to get something back.  They insisted that they wouldn’t.
   Now in the latest Zingo Times, they have announced the launch of their own chargecard because, according to Zingo’s MD Mark Fawcett, "…they have been asked for account facilities by large and small companies alike."
   Several months ago, Call Sign revealed that Zingo had been seen giving presentations to some of our large corporate clients. Again Zingo denied this and claimed it was to show individuals within the company rather than the company as a whole.
   Do I blame Zingo? Of course not, it’s business and they wouldn’t be very business-orientated if they ignored such opportunities, I just don’t like being taken for a mug with their pretence of being all things to all men. As I said earlier, good luck to them, but they are nothing more or less than competitors and should be viewed as such…
Call Sign And Excel Exhibitions
There is an obvious danger in magazine Editor’s believing that they know what is best for
their readers. I have already banned an ad for a table-dancing club because I disapproved of the accompanying graphic showing an almost-nude lady in a provocative pose and there were several pro and anti letters at the time on 

whether I had the right to determine what is or isn’t suitable reading material. In the past I 
have published items that some would consider "unsuitable" but I’ve gone ahead because they were published under the guise of being fairly humorous but true items.
   The famous Evian water advert I published two years ago, featuring a very large-busted woman wearing a tiny bikini and holding a bottle of Evian water, brought castigation from a reader in the USA! The recent ‘Old Street Prick Tattoo’ article brought some criticism (and a surprising amount of praise). But that tattoo parlour IS there and drivers wanted to know what it meant! 
This issue’s Old Street sculpture item may seem in bad taste to some, but it comes in response to drivers asking what it is all about, so Call Sign investigated. Some will like the result, others will call it disgraceful. But where do I draw the line at telling you what you should or shouldn’t read? Take Excel for example…
   Call Sign has devoted more than its share of advertising space to Excel at no charge to them, because their exhibition site brings in much work for DaC members. Alan Nash is constantly reminding drivers of what’s going on there and whether it looks as though cabs will be needed.
   However, in early September, Excel held an Arms Trade Fair that – not surprisingly – they didn’t advertise in Call Sign’s Excel update. No doubt Call Sign readers have seen the public demonstrations at Excel itself and near Lancaster Gate where some of the advertisers were staying.  These people are now doing exactly what we did some years ago, when we sold arms to Saddam Hussein – who was then our friend. They are selling arms for people to kill each other with.
   My first instinct was to tell Alan Nash not to give them any more publicity, but I changed my mind and decided that it’s none of my business. Whether I have made the right decision or not is entirely up to you, because whatever I decide on this particular point is going to be wrong. As I said at the beginning, there could be a danger in me believing that I know what is good for you and what isn’t…

Sovereign
Well, no one can accuse Sovereign of rushing! I believe that being so slow may have cost them some votes when the time comes. However, our Chairman has told me that Sovereign are now on the verge of coming to a decision. About time too!

Alan Fisher
callsignmag@aol.com