This issue sees me enter my eighth year as
Editor, something I find rather astonishing!
It was in June 1997 that the first Editorial
bearing my name appeared in Call Sign and I
felt reasonably certain that with no
previous editing experience, the job would
only be temporary. I signed off that first
column with the Latin Post hoc, ergo
propter hoc (after this, therefore
because of this). Or in other words, if you
had to blame anyone in connection with the
mag, then I guess it had to be me. I assumed
that request would be fully and frequently
adhered to! Up to now, it hasn’t been too
bad!
Almost as amazing to me is the fact that I have now been on email
for eleven years! I still get drivers
telling me that they are considering going
onto the still-incredible concept of instant
electronic mailing and I have to pinch
myself when I realise how long I’ve been
using it. I was introduced to it in 1993 by
the late Dick Kawadler, then-Editor of
American cab mag Trip Sheet in Las Vegas.
The only problem was that I knew no one else
on email other than Dick and former DaC
Board member Steve Sanders. I was even sad
enough to email myself just so that I could
receive some mail! Dick had quite a few pals
in the US who he exchanged emails with, but
what Steve and I would have given for some
spam in those days!
Ever since day one, I’ve been with the same service provider.
callsignmag@aol.com now
receives regular emails from around the
world in addition to Dial-a-Cab drivers,
Board members, staff and apparently half the
subscribers of Radio Taxis (London) who
still try to get their letters published
here! My email address is actually a long
number that I won’t bore you with and I
added the personalised Call Sign address as
an extra in 1997. So when I say that I have
now changed my server and address, you’ll
realise that I didn’t take the decision
lightly.
With files getting bigger and bigger, I asked Compuserve for a
broadband service - something they couldn’t
provide. However, they are owned by America
on Line (AoL) so I have now moved across.
Sadly it also means changing my email
address, but I had little choice. So please
make a note of Call Sign’s new email
address: It is
callsignmag@aol.com. Note the ‘mag’
after callsign as against the old address. I
shall be keeping and checking both addresses
way into the future, but please try to get
used to the new one. Now altogether: Happy
Birthday to Me…!
Keep Digging?
A recent article by Steve McNamara in
TAXI advised me to "stop digging when in
a hole!" Steve’s point was that although he
admits Brian Rice objected to the original
PCO proposals regarding |
minicab signage, he adds that
"…so did every other man and his dog!"
According to Steve, Brian wasn’t
"…present or represented at any of the crucial
meetings when final decisions were made and
consequently took no part in those
discussions."
Well Steve, one of my specialities is digging
myself out of holes, so bearing in mind that
the LTDA didn’t enter the fray until this
year, let me refresh your mind as to how the
trade became aware of the situation re
then-possible signage on minicabs. That
he wasn’t at any final meeting where ‘I’s were
dotted and ‘T’s crossed, is undoubtedly
correct, but without his constant meetings
with senior ministers at the Ministry for
Transport, PCO and Mayor’s office, it would
probably have been too late.
What Brian Rice did was to bring the matter to the public gaze via
his meetings and constant references in Call
Sign. Had the LTDA become involved much
earlier, then the DaC Chairman wouldn’t have
needed to spend quite as much time on the
subject. After all, he runs DaC, but his brief
doesn’t say that he should have to do everyone
else’s job as well…
The first reference appeared in Call Sign in December 2002.
It spoke of his concerns that possible
exterior signage on minicabs could be used to
fool the public that they were getting into a
reputable minicab. Further updates were
carried in Call Sign via the Chairman’s
reports of May 2003, July 2003,
August 2003, September 2003 and
January 2004, with a further warning in
the DaC 2003 ‘End of Year Report’.
Where were the LTDA warnings to the trade in 2002 or even the first
half of 2003? Perhaps if there had been
something, then Brian Rice wouldn’t have had
to spend quite so much time on it. Minicab
signage could have had a devastating impact on
DaC’s business as well as the rest of the
trade. Steve, do you really think that Brian
Rice should have sat around while DaC burned
in the off-chance that the LTDA would
eventually pick up the reins? The LTDA have
done much for this trade – including for that
large majority who refuse to join any trade
organisation but are happy to say thank-you
when picking up the benefits – but admit it,
Steve, without DaC’s involvement in bringing
the situation into the
public domain, it could
well have been too late… |
And as a PS to
that, you’d
never believe that Steve
McNamara and I agree on 99% of things
connected to this trade!
No Change!
So Ken has won a second
term as Mayor. Whilst I personally would have
liked to see how Steve Norris handled the job,
there can be no doubting that Ken has been
his own man throughout and not someone who just courted publicity at
election time. But he did make one important
promise to this trade while seeking our votes…
Now that he no longer needs that vote, let’s see what we get from
his office. He said several times in the
run-up to the election that Licensed Taxi
drivers would not have to pay to have their
cabs updated to pass the stringent emission
regulations. How will he do that? Well that
isn’t our problem chaps. He gave an
undertaking whilst on the election campaign
that we wouldn’t have to pay. Is he a man of
his word? I’ve always thought so even
though I haven’t often agreed with him. We’re
about to find out…
One more thing: I’m sure I speak for the majority of licensed Taxi
drivers when I say: Please Ken, NO MORE BUSES!
They are choking the centre of town, causing
long tailbacks when other traffic (yes, Ken,
there IS other traffic) tries to pass the long
queues of buses at bus stops. Like it or
not Mr Mayor, other than at peak times most of
the buses are not even 20% full and totally
unnecessary. If my maths is correct, that
means there are five times too many buses!
I’ve also heard all the spiel about how he got the trade usage of
the Islington bus lane, but look how long it
took. We could have built a new airport
quicker! Had he really wanted to change it, he
could have done so almost immediately. We
await patiently to see our fate…
Speaking of Taxis…
I’ve had so many drivers
asking how my new TXII is, that I
thought I’d give you a brief update. After
7000 + miles, my back axle hasn’t dropped off
neither have my shock absorbers called it a
day. In fact, with under 2000 miles to go for
my first service, I’ve yet to start a list! It
drives like… it drives like a taxi!
Which is handy because that is exactly what it
is. As of this moment, I am still delighted
with it…
Congratulations
My sincere
congratulations to Alan Cohen of the London
Taxidrivers Fund for Underprivileged Children
on his CBE in the recent honours list. Why
they haven’t given the whole Committee an
honour each I don’t know. They all deserve it…
Alan Fisher
callsignmag@aol.com |
