| 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
Martin Barry
Through Call Sign, I’d like to thank everyone at Dial-a-Cab for their kind
thoughts following the death of my wonderful father Martin. We send our
deepest thoughts to everyone who has lost a great friend and the world’s
best taxi driver.
Mandy Tolga
There was a report on Martin’s passing away in the last issue. He was
cremated at Manor Park Crematorium. DaC were represented by Tom Whitbread
and many taxi drivers attended to say goodbye to a lovely man …Ed
Being Open?
I warmly welcome Brian’s claim that he is the most open and transparent of
Chairmen. Therefore I cannot comprehend why he finds it so difficult to
follow the precedent set by previous Chairmen and to tell the membership the
individual salaries paid to both himself and other Board members.
Grant Davis (L39)
Brian Rice replies: You may be a nice guy Grant, but this is becoming quite
boring. I’m sure you keep asking this same question that I have answered on
numerous occasions before, just to twist my tail! The total of Board Members
salaries are disclosed in the figures every year - as well you know. We are
required to do that by law and we comply. Do you really believe that our
Accountants and Auditors, Chantrey Vellacot, who are one of the largest and
most respected financial advisers in the country, would allow us to do
something that was misleading? The only reason you require emoluments paid
to the Board to be disclosed on an individual basis is so that you can
endeavour to intimidate individuals and that is something I will not allow.
I have no problem informing you that my hourly rate as Chairman is £32.29
while the Board’s rate is £25.23 gross. Why am I not like other Chairmen?
Probably you are better placed to answer that than I am…
Walk the Walk
I have raised £1280 for breast cancer in my Walk the Walk half marathon and
am sending the cheques off today. Two people have not paid, but I have put
the money in out of my own pocket. Thank you to Call Sign for your help and
support over the past few months…
Pam Gadsdon
DaC Call Centre
Well done Pam. The two outstanding sponsors probably forgot to send in their
monies and Pam would obviously appreciate it if they could do so asap …Ed
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
It occurred to me recently that many of your
readers will have an old mobile phone or printer cartridge tucked away in a
drawer at home or at work. What they may not realise is that their unwanted
items can benefit the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Old mobiles and
empty printer cartridges can be recycled and the proceeds will be used to
help fund vital research into the early detection, diagnosis and treatment
of lung cancer as well as providing support for sufferers and their
families. With 38,000 new cases of lung cancer being diagnosed each year and
80% of those diagnosed not surviving longer than 12 months, lung cancer is
the biggest cancer killer in the UK. But that's not all. Recycling is
environmentally friendly too (mobile phones and printer cartridges take
hundreds of years to biodegrade). So you can help the Earth and support a
very worthwhile cause too!
Please help us continue our vital work with lung cancer sufferers
and their families by donating old printer cartridges and mobile phones from
home and work. For details just call 08712 50 50 50, visit our
website
www.recyclingappeal.com/roycastle or simply drop your unwanted
items in the post to: Roy Castle Recycling Appeal (EL), 31-37 Etna Road,
Falkirk FK2 9EG.
Janine Drew
Fundraising Manager
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
Parking Tickets
On Jan 26 this year at around 11.30am, I received a PCN notice for parking
in Curzon Street W1 while assisting an elderly, blind passenger from my
taxi. I appealed but lost and paid the fine in full. To my surprise, just
over 4 months later, I have now received another PCN notice for the
non-payment of a parking ticket that was issued on the same day at
approximately the same time for an adjacent street (Shepherd Street).
I did enter Shepherd Street to set down a passenger, the same
passenger I earlier dropped off in Curzon Street - a continuation of the
same hiring - but at no time did I see a traffic warden and no ticket was
issued or placed on my taxi. At £50 a time, a PCN is not to be ignored or
taken lightly, so as I had just received a parking ticket, I was very wary
about getting another one. If this ticket had been issued correctly, surely
I would have appealed against both tickets at the same time and for the same
reasons.
Although I haven’t read the article myself, apparently there has
been a story in the press recently about a traffic warden who was sacked for
not issuing enough tickets. If the story is true, it would appear that some
wardens are under a certain amount of pressure to reach issuing targets.
This situation could lead to the temptation to create tickets. |
The circumstances surrounding the issuing of
the Curzon Street PCN and the failure of the subsequent appeal, left me
feeling harshly dealt with, but I paid the fine. However, I do not see why
I should pay for a parking fine that I am not only not guilty of, but
didn’t receive in the first place.
Kevin Went (N19)
The May issue of Call Sign told how Kevin received his PCN for helping a
blind passenger into her bank before continuing the journey to her home.
However, his second ticket while on the same journey brings back unhappy
memories of DaC driver Roy Martin’s (R42) campaign in 2000,
when he revealed via Call Sign that many PCNs were being written out
incorrectly by wardens who were issuing tickets, but not putting them on
the vehicle’s front screen. Consequently, many DaC drivers were
receiving demands for double the original amount because they hadn’t paid.
But the reason they hadn’t paid was because they never received the ticket
and by the time the new demand arrived, they couldn’t remember the
original offence! The Evening Standard later took up the campaign and many
wardens lost their jobs.
On the bright side, several DaC drivers have commented that since
Call Sign revealed about the meeting that took place between Westminster
and DaC, wardens in that borough have been more accommodating to DaC
drivers. If you have found that to be the case (or the opposite) please
let other subscribers know via Call Sign…Ed
And Mr 31 Cabs…
Having just read the July Call Sign, there are a couple of points I
would like to mention.
Re John Hudson’s (W34) letter: As Brian Rice says, I have paid 31
times and I do think that when I sell to another driver on DaC there isn’t
really a strip out, just a change of call sign, but I still have to pay
the full amount for a fit only to my next cab. I suppose I just have to
accept the ruling! By the way, my present cab - a Nightfire Red Gold model
- has not got a buyer yet and is available around the 23rd October with
approx 19,000mls on the clock. Anyone interested can call me on 0208 922
0547.
Also in the issue, there are references to ‘Black Cab’ drivers even
by the Commissioner and Mayor Ken. Well "Taxi" newspaper call for this
practice to stop and I also think it should as I am not black and my taxi
is red! I am the Taxi driver of a licensed taxi, the rest are private
hire/minicabs.
Last night in the middle of my dinner, the bell rang and a foreign,
well-dressed man wearing a shirt and trousers (if only all our drivers
were so well dressed!) was at the door and said "Taxi." I asked where his
Taxi was and he stood there pointing at an estate car. I informed him of
his wrong doings and if this is the norm now, well we will get more bad
press due to our name being used by the PH trade.
May I wish all going on holidays a great time.
Martin Freeborn (C67)
I agree with Stuart Pessok that taxis are not black cabs but licensed
taxis and I personally never use the phrase black cab in Call Sign.
However, I can’t stop the Commish or the Mayor using it when they write…Ed
Not so Poppy!
I was shocked to read the article from Poppy - the cab drivers wife - who
writes an article every month for the magazine. Do cab drivers not have
enough abuse and problems from the general public without one of their own
contacting the PCO to complain about a driver on her own husband’s circuit
(July Call Sign)? I understand that he refused the fare,
which was wrong, but she did not say he was rude - this would have made me
angry but not to the point of taking his number and contacting the PCO.
Can she honestly say that her Glen - Knight of the road - has never turned
down a fare? If so he must be a real Knight!
My husband works nights so that he can spend quality time with his
family and children and on a regular basis tells me some of the terrible
things he has to put up with from the public which would shock anyone. I
understand that everyone is not the same and most of the people that he
has in his cab are fine, but there's always one or two or more…
To suggest that the cab driver send her some flowers must be a joke
and his appearance should not have even been mentioned, as it had no
bearing on the incident other that to try and belittle him. I do not feel
that Poppy lives in the real world and that
|
you should try finding different
cab drivers wives to write articles every month - which would be more
interesting.
Just for the record, my husband wasn't the cab driver in question
and we do not know the person involved. I've never felt compelled to write
before, but her article really disgusted me.
Poppy get a life!
Ashlea Gander (wife of V20)
Thanks for writing, Ashlea. Sad to say that a magazine containing just
good news would become very boring very quickly! Agree with her or not,
Poppy’s articles are always interesting …EdHappy
Birthday Ed!
Congratulations on entering your eighth year as Editor (July Call Sign).
Hasn’t time flown! I really do look forward to reading the magazine each
month and over the past seven years it has grown from strength to
strength. It is without doubt the best magazine in the cab trade. I find
all the articles interesting but always turn to your page first because
not only is it usually interesting, but always topical.
As a retired and still-interested Taxi driver, Call Sign keeps me
informed as to what is going on. May you carry on the good work for many
years to come.
Mr A.Stanton
Ilford, Essex
Thank you Mr Stanton, but where is the present to go with the greeting!
…Ed
A Call Sign Error!
Can I point out an error in my July article. I mentioned that I missed
D-Day because I was out in the Pacific. Actually D-Day took place before I
had even joined the Service and it was a further 9 months before I
found myself way out there. I do not know how this mistake occurred, maybe
it was in the editing! But apologies anyway…
As an addendum to the article, I’m very pleased to say that a few
days ago I received confirmation from the Lottery Commission that I was
eligible for the veterans grant, which will enable Martha and I
to go out next year at an unbelievable reduction, so
as I mentioned in the July issue of Call Sign, if any driver knows anyone
who could be eligible, please give me a bell.
Sam Harris
Stanmore, Middx
Yes Sam, it was in the editing. So hit me! … Ed
Radio Taxis on the ‘Net?
I am a regular user of the Internet. I remember some time ago that DaC and
Mountview went head to head over the radiotaxis.com domain name.
Today I logged into radiotaxis.com, only to find a link not to Dial-a-Cab,
but to Mountview. My question is: After a lengthy court case which I was
led to believe we won and with Mountview paying some quarter of a million
pounds in costs for losing, why are they allowed to use this domain name?
I just wondered what the Boards take on this is as I thought we owned that
particular domain?
Steve Brown (D67)
Brian Rice replies: You are indeed totally correct Steve, however, I am a
little bit surprised that you e-mailed the magazine direct because in the
past you have never
been shy of mailing me personally when you needed an answer. Although I do
not have a problem with answering publicly and it is excellent for the
magazine, why the change of heart? Anyway, here we go…
Whilst I was endeavouring to avoid any litigation going ahead
between Mountview and us, it came to my attention that the domain name of
dialacab.com was for sale from a third party (amongst others, we already
had dialacab.co.uk). I approached Mountview and urged them to buy
the domain name explaining that I would then swap it for radiotaxis.com
and thereby avoid any litigation. They did as I advised them, then on the
day of the Court case they said they would swap domain names but only on
the proviso that we paid all their legal costs to that point - that of
course, in addition to ours! Well, you can probably guess my reaction - so
the case went ahead. As you know, we won the case and the rest
is history.
Now after several years and the dust settling, I approached
Mountview and told them that I would swap the two domain names that were
in our possessions which they readily agreed to and as you point out
Steve, this has now been done. Consequently, the moral of the story is
that DaC never ever wanted litigation because we knew that the only people
who would benefit would be the legal profession. At the end of the day we
won the case, we were proven to be correct and in the right. So now, when
it suits DaC…. you can have it! |
