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The recent elongated hot spell prompted Call Sign to ask a few of our
drivers how they were coping with the extreme temperatures of up to 115F in
the front of their taxis...
Those subscribers with air conditioning in their cabs just
wound up their windows of course and smugly grinned at our sweaty reporter
through the glass! However, lesser mortals when asked the same question gave
a wide range of ideas for staying cool. While railway lines were buckling
and tarmac softened as temperatures soared, Dial-a-Cab drivers kept London
moving...
"I think in Celsius," said Jeff from Goffs Oak
'roasting' on the Marylebone Station rank, "30°C sounds cooler than
86F and somehow feels better!"
Another driver - "just call me Bill" - confided in
us: "I keep my food and bottled drinks in a cooler-bag. So far my wife
hasn't noticed it missing, but she reads Call Sign and may well put two and
two together now!"
A third DaC driver sported a huge electric fan that ran off the
power socket on his TX1...
"I have to turn it down when people give me paper money
otherwise it tends to blow the notes away and I can't afford that no matter
how hot it is!" he told our by-now sweating reporter who then enquired
if the fan was PCO approved?
"It met with my approval when I saw it in Halfords,"
was the instant reply from the driver grinning with pride! Our Hack made a
mental note of that response for future use should he himself be confronted
for some unapproved item...!
And The PCO...?
Even the residents of Penton Street were not immune from the sun.
Call Sign asked a spokesperson for the PCO about the unrelenting heat and he
told us that their thermometer had reached 94° in the inspection area on
the day that the residents of Gravesend in Essex sweltered in temperatures
of 101F.
"Was that Centigrade or Fahrenheit," Call Sign asked
the PCO in all innocence about their 94°? Disregarding the question,
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DAC DRIVERS
GETTING HOT...
HOT... HOTTER!
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the spokesperson told us that drivers sitting in cabs up on the ramps during
inspections were even warmer than the 94° ground level temperature! They
were enduring an almost greenhouse effect - so it was human temperatures as
well as environmental ones that were rising! To their credit, the PCO staff
issued water to those presenters that looked as though they might keel over.
"The wise one's brought their own supply," the spokesperson
concluded.
Medical advice to cope with the hot weather seemed to advocate
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staying in the shade whenever possible (difficult when driving around town),
drinking around 3 litres of fluid a day, wearing lightweight clothing (NOT a
string vest when in your taxi!), a hat to protect your cranium from the sun
and if the heat suddenly makes you feel tired, pull over in a safe spot when
empty and close your eyes for ten minutes. Sunscreen is an optional (though
prudent) extra.
However, one thing is fairly certain. At the first sign of
rain, everyone will want the sun to return...!
(c) Call Sign Magazine
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Call Sign Helps to Save the
World's Mountain Gorillas |
Sadly, there are just 650
Mountain Gorillas left alive in the world. Yes, in the entire world,
just 650 remain before the breed becomes another Dodo and extinct
forever. But if you would like to help preserve them, there is a way.
Later this month, on Sunday September 21, there is a
fun-run being held in the City of London where 650 runners dressed as
gorillas will complete a 7-mile run (or walk if you prefer) in aid of
the species. There are 400 entrants already and the Dian Fossey
Gorilla Fund have asked to see if Call Sign can raise any more
volunteers.
You will need to guarantee at least £100 in sponsorship
(which they would like you to pay in advance) and in return you will
be allowed to |
keep your gorilla costume.
The day will be great fun and held in a very good cause.
If you are interested, phone Rebecca on 020 7916 4974.
Or you can enter on-line HERE |
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