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Going Home
I don’t expect to see an enthusiastic rush by members to change the rules of code 3 to accommodate Richard Potter’s (T51) suggestion (April Mailshot). Can you imagine all the working cabs happily booking in to receive jobs that are staying in town to help coverage? But it’s OK, because the guys going home with money in their ‘sky rockets’ are doing the few roaders that still exist on the Fins!    Call me cynical, but coverage might just drop off whilst working drivers look elsewhere for decent rides? Part of the fun of booking into EC5 is the gamble that you may be offered a Waterloo, South Kensington or, please, please, a St Albans! You pay your money, you take your chance. Anyone agreeing with Mr Potter, feel free, lobby the Board to get a change. But I would say that if you’re going home and want to help, try WC1, WC2 and E1 etc. Work on the Fins will be covered, thanks very much.
   One way that would help with better time coverage is to have EC5 work entering the bids with a post code attached, i.e. EC51, EC52 and so on. This will stop us coming from the Angel and having to run to Tower Hill, whilst watching our colleagues running from Tower Bridge to pick up at Snow Hill. We are always being told that a computer can do anything you want it to providing you ask it. So come on, lets have a simple change that will help everyone. 
Andy Cannell (S25)        
Allan Evans replies: In answer to your question Andy, I would probably agree that the majority of members would not wish to change the present rules of the ‘going home’ facility and in any case it was a proposition and the Board could not overrule that.
   Trips are in bids because they are not immediately covered as I mentioned in my April article. Trips with the home zones unmasked would then be offered to drivers who have their code 3 activated and as long as they have booked in within the correct time parameters, they would be offered all bid trips that are allocated from EC5 that have the matching destination zone to theirs.  If it helps members home, I am sure they would accept the trip and it would not hinder the coverage.

Making Money from the Motorist?
The London congestion charge has been successful in reducing the amount of traffic entering the central London zone, which makes the reason for such a significant increase from £5 to £8 unclear. The charge has been credited with reducing central London traffic by 30 per cent, but if it is working so effectively at £5, the only reason for increasing it can only be to make yet more money from motorists?
Philip Hale

RAC
You mean like the taxi driver licence that cost me 15p? I don’t think a regular calculator could fit in enough zeros to measure the percentage increase! …Ed

Chas’ Accident and Airbags
It was one afternoon in March, at the usual one-hour catch up as my days work ends and my husbands begins, that I first heard about Chas Kissin’s (P99J) accident. The next month, the story had made it to Call Sign. The damage was quite severe to Chas as well as the cab. I had always just assumed that you were all protected in the same way as any other driver, but no, far from it!  You don't even have air bags fitted! You have got to be joking, taxis are hardly cheap! You would think that in the interest of safety, an air bag would be fitted as standard. I'm sure that I can't be the first to bring this up, but where do you go to make the

point, who listens and who can make these  changes?
   Just a simple change could save lives. Chas was lucky his head didn't go through the windscreen. Remember, it was just luck!
Sylvie Livett (wife of J52)
Thanks for making an interesting point Sylvie. Having looked into the matter, it does appear that to have an airbag, you must wear your seatbelt. You are also no doubt aware that taxi drivers have an exemption and that seatbelt wearing is optional. Until such time as it becomes compulsory to wear seatbelts, it seems unlikely that the London taxi will have an airbag fitted. The EU would like to override that legislation and force us into wearing seatbelts and of course, an airbag would then follow soon after. As an aside, Call Sign has been told of accidents in taxis that have involved fatalities. Over the past 25 years, just two people – a driver and a passenger – have been killed whilst in a taxi as the result of a road traffic accident. Like it or not, the London taxi is as safe a vehicle as it is possible to drive and I would hasten to add, with probably the best safety record of any public transport vehicle …Ed

The Mystery Face in Chas Kissin’s Accident Photos?
The graphic photos of Chas Kissin’s (P99J) horrific crash intrigued me. At first it seemed difficult to believe that anyone could survive such an impact without really serious injury - or not survive, full stop! I’m not making light of my fellow columnists’ plight, but as a former motor engineer and having had a few knocks myself while on the road, the extensive damage to his cab told its own story. By inclination, I am a deeply spiritual person although I do not publicise my convictions unless asked and respect each person’s beliefs whatever their religious persuasion. However, I feel compelled to pass comment on that photo of the shattered windscreen. Is it me, or has anyone else noticed that if you rotate the magazine clockwise through 90°, a face appears in the centre of the spider’s web of glass? I can clearly make out a mouth, nose, eyes and even silver hair!
   As a young priest in his native Poland, the recently departed Pope John Paul II saved many Jewish lives from almost certain death during WW2. As Pope, he forged links with the State of Israel, counted many Jewish dignitaries as friends and actively promoted harmony between the two religions. Perhaps I’m getting carried away here, but as I study the face in the shattered glass, it looks to me remarkably like that of the late Pope. If so, then it seems that JPII was still busy saving Jewish lives towards the end of his days in this world! This would explain, to my mind anyway, how my fellow scribe and co-religionist lived to tell the tale. Yup, spooky, aint it?
Alan Green (E52)

Thanks for the Flowers
Would you please convey my sincere thanks to the Board and all the staff at Brunswick House for the lovely bouquet of flowers recently sent to my home. I have now been discharged from hospital and am well on the way to full recovery, your kindness and thoughtfulness has helped towards that end.
   Although enjoying a relaxing time at home, I am deep down looking forward to getting back to the daily grind, which will hopefully be soon.
I wish you all well…
Eddie Sheridan (T54)
Pleased to hear that you are recovering well, Eddie …Ed

Who Are the Mugs (Continued)
Re Michael Beevor’s (N76) letter in the April Call Sign, I find that even though he may be a beevor, he is not very eager. He gives the impression that he is writing on behalf of the whole cab trade, but he is deluding himself if he believes that. As the Editor stated after Michael’s letter, this is a great job for those that think it is and as for me, I find that most drivers are very content with their lot. To say that he – meaning we – can’t make a living, is a joke. Not only that, but cab drivers have the freedom to come and go whenever they please – something few others can do. As for the £3.50 he has to pay at Heathrow, at least he gets £1 back. Why complain? That sounds a pretty reasonable amount to me to pay for 2 – 3 hours parking on private property? Isn’t it also worth considering the £50 -
 

£60 he is getting for doing the
journey back into town?
   Three and a half years to do the Knowledge? It only took me 12 months – but then I am a genius, if only an average one! As for comparing cabbing with being an electrician, it just doesn’t add up.  As most of us know, you can’t compare like with like. Perhaps Mr Beevor should tell the PCO about his predicament and they then may allow him something like a £20 flag drop. It sounds reasonable to me. After reading his letter, the only sensible thing he says so far as I am concerned, is that if there were fewer taxis on the street, the void would be filled by minicabs. I agree 100% with him there! Of course, if he really is that disenchanted with this job, why doesn’t he become an electrician like his friend? Would that be so shocking? By the way, did you hear about the electrician called Sparks who was had up before the judge for assault with battery? Found guilty, he was put in a dry cell…!
Stanley Frankel (K46)
I said all I had to say to Michael Beevor in my reply to him last month. As for you, Stanley, you are the only man I know who started off as a lousy joke teller and gradually got worse! …Ed

Thanks Call Sign
I have now received confirmation that my PCN at Boswell Street has been cancelled. Thank you very much for your help.
Barry Spear (Y16)
Barry was sent a PCN for – according to Camden Council – going straight across from Boswell Street WC1 into Procter Street. Call Sign spoke to Camden Council and cameras are now watching the spot. While the charge of going straight across was a physical impossibility because of the pavement and guard rail along the centre, Camden intend stopping quick u-turns round the railings. However, we pointed out that Barry’s PCN said Procter Street when the turning was in fact Drake Street - which leads to Procter - and Camden cancelled the PCN on those grounds. You can still drive further down Theobalds Road and do your u-turn, but not immediately after leaving Boswell Street. You can read about Barry’s case in more detail elsewhere in this issue …Ed

Signing Petitions
Some months ago I was approached by a fellow DaC driver outside a large German account in London Wall that we service and asked if I was aware that our Management was giving some of our work to Private Hire and losing us money? Would I sign a petition to get them to clarify what was going on? These are not the actual words used, but near enough. Before I could ask any more questions, my passenger got into the back of the cab and I had to go. As a driver of 39 years, I have signed many petitions against Private Hire and there seemed no harm in signing this. Imagine my horror when I received the letter from DaC informing us of the recent FSA investigation and realising that mine was one of the 100 signatures used to bring this about. I fully recognise that I must take some responsibility for this, as my signature is mine to give or to withhold. However, I am of the opinion that it was gained by deception. If the person who obtained it had been above board, they would have contacted me again to inform me of what it was really intended for and I would have withdrawn it. This was not the case.
   I have spoken to Brian Rice and offered my apology for unwittingly being a part of this and he accepted it without hesitation, but I thought it only right to put my hands up in public.
Michael Pollington (K17)Thanks for the letter Michael. Whilst you have been the only driver to put your name to paper, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing with drivers offering similar sentiments. Who do I blame? Sadly – as Michael says – it’s the drivers who signed a petition without reading what it said. The investigation has undoubtedly damaged this Society and cost it substantially in probable lost revenue. On the bright side, the FSA is an expensive organisation to operate and their charges to guilty or even part-guilty parties can be high. DaC were cleared and not asked to pay a single penny…Ed

May 2005 Call Sign Home Page

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