Credit Card charges
I can put my debit card in a machine at the station and purchase my tickets, I can phone my takeaway and order using my debit card, I go out to fancy restaurants and can use my debit card, I can in fact use it almost anywhere and not be subjected to a massive handling charge.
   But get into a DaC taxi and the greedy driver in the driving seat will charge you a big greedy handling charge for wanting to use your debit/card in his taxi (this is no doubt what the punter will think).
   Can you please tell me why in the year 2006, DaC applies such a greedy, outrageous handling charge because a poor passenger wants to use his card in the cab? Please do not give me a diatribe about us having to take 1 minute to clear it with the banks etc. Can you honestly warrant taking £7 off a punter because he wants to go from the City to LAP and use his card? This surmounts to nothing more than wanton greed! Let’s remember that this is the age of the electronic cyber card using person - it is not 1978 when handling charges were the norm.
   A few ideas because I think they are really needed at Brunswick house...
   Why not have sticker in the on the partition window in the taxi that says: "Your DaC driver will charge you absolutely nothing except the metered fare for using your card in this taxi. Have a nice day."
   Surely this would bode well for DaC and may even lead to more accounts being taken out etc. DaC could be seen as market leaders and not like all the other circuits who want to rip their passengers off for daring to use a credit card in a London Taxi - innovation being the key word here!
   Ok, ok! If greed once again gets the better of you, why not take a percentage of any gratuities added to the fare? All drivers will tell you that because of the handling charge, virtually no one adds a gratuity. In fact, I tell passengers not to bother because you are getting tucked up anyway. There would be more gratuities added if there was no handling charge.
   Or if you still insist on fleecing Joe Public for using his card in a cab, please just have a £2 min - £2 max charge. It is just immoral to charge someone say £10 on a £90 fare! I am sure every single DaC driver will agree with me.
Daniel Priddle (N96)
Brian Rice replies: Daniel, you are becoming a regular contributor to the magazine; bad signals and "not as good as ComCab" in last months issue and now the credit card issue! Anyway, everyone is entitled to their view. Regarding credit cards, we have to pay a percentage of the 12.5% to the credit card company as a merchant fee. This year we turned over in excess of £2m in credit card transactions, so not everyone objects to the handling fee. It must represent value for the client otherwise they would not use the facility. What you must also take into account is that other retailers can fix their own prices and incorporate the merchant fee into their calculations before they fix the price of their goods. We cannot do that as our pricing is governed by TfL. Finally, our normal account customers pay more than 12.5% for the convenience of having an account with DaC. If the credit card handling charge was reduced, account clients would desert DaC and hail cabs off the street or radio and pay via their credit card because it would be cheaper. I’m sure you wouldn’t want that Daniel - would you…?

Alan Jones and the Karate Kid?
My name is Brian Fitkin and I am writing to you from, Stockholm in Sweden. I have for a number of years been trying to trace a good old childhood friend by the name of Alan Jones. The last I saw of him was back in the early 80’s when he lived in Carshalton, Surrey. When he moved from there, we lost contact. This evening I punched in his name under London Cab driver Alan Jones and managed to see a headline "No Gratitude For DaC Driver Mugging
Rescue." I took a chance and clicked on it and up came Alan’s photo in your magazine dated July 2004 (page 14). I am, therefore, wondering if you can give me any information about his whereabouts, as I would love to get in contact with him again? If you have an email address or phone number or something, that would be great. However, I have a feeling you might not be willing to give out this kind of information for obvious reasons. If this is the case, could you please give my email or phone number here in Sweden? Also, if you have no way of contacting Alan, maybe you know which area of London or England he is living in the moment?
Brian Fitkin
Stockholm, Sweden
Call Sign has now put Brian and Alan (R40) in contact with each other – just the latest of a seemingly never-ending list of people who try to trace London cabbies via the Call Sign Internet site (dac-callsign.co.uk). Incidentally, Brian Fitkin is a world-famous karate champion who has represented GB and written several books on the subject. We weren’t about to upset him! …Ed

Cabvision curtains!
I have been meaning to write for ages and would like to mention a complaint, idea and comment beginning with the complaint. I have been totally unable to find the DaC address in the magazine, but had to go online to find it. Having gone online, I could find no e-mail address for general mail, ie those who are not potential customers, so still had to revert to writing a letter!
   Second an idea for those with a TV in the back. Why not fix a strip of Velcro to the top and bottom of the screen. Then get a piece of black cloth the same size as the screen, sew a strip of Velcro to two opposite edges, combine the strips at the bottom and let it just hang down?
   For passengers who do not wish to have the TV distracting them, they merely have to lift the cloth up and stick it to the Velcro on the top of the screen. Those who are really clever can sew the letters ‘TV’ onto the cloth so passengers would know what is behind it. On the other side of the cloth, they can sew something simple (no, not sing something simple, for those with old enough memories), such as ‘Lift Up’ so they can hide the screen. I am waiving my commission on this invention.
   Thirdly is a comment / question. What is the policy on sending members gifts of flowers, fruit etc? When my husband (H05) had an operation, you sent a lovely basket of fruit and in return we sent a lovely photo of his scar! It is a thoughtful gesture and I appreciate you cannot know who needs cheering - I doubt any of you are physic - but maybe something could be put into the magazine about it, even if it is only to point out you have a budget for this sort of kindness.
M.Edwardes (Mrs H05)
Thanks for the letter Mrs Edwardes. In answer to your questions: Every issue of Call Sign has what I refer to as a bumph box which gives details of the magazine’s postal and email address. In the issue you were looking at (January) it was on page 13. In addition, both on the Editor’s page and on the Mailshot pages you can see the Call Sign email address. You can also use the Call Sign website facility and write via dac-callsign.co.uk.
   As for the Cabvision screen, as good an idea as it is, I doubt that Cabvision – who pay the commission – would think much of it! Fortunately, they agreed to Call Sign’s suggestion of a standby button that will automatically release itself whenever a new passenger enters the cab.
   As for your third point, Tom Whitbread has written about this several times. Whilst DaC doesn’t like to hear of drivers with serious illnesses or disabilities, if unfortunately some do come down with an illness or disability of that nature and someone informs the office that so and so is in hospital and unable to resume work, DaC will try to send something to cheer that person up. But they can only do it if they are given details. With 2000 drivers, you cannot assume that someone is ill because they haven’t signed on for some time. There is no budget as such, but should we find that money is drying up, we might consider sending Tom Whitbread round to the house to cheer that person up ie by singing: "You could have asked the nurse to do your 40 jobs while your broken leg healed!" …Ed

Thanks for the flowers
I would like to thank everyone at Dial-a-Cab for the lovely bouquet I received whilst recovering from my operation. Can't wait to get back to work! Thanks again…
Jackie Kott (Y88)
Glad everything went well, Jackie …Ed

Me too!
Just a quick email to say thanks to everyone at Dial-a-Cab for the lovely flowers I received following a recent operation in hospital. I am at home now and on the mend. Thanks again to everyone at Dial-a-Cab…
Paul Mansfield (A83)
Nice to get good news, Paul. Hopefully you are now back in the saddle …Ed

And me…!
I would like to thank all the Dial-a-Cab staff for their good wishes and the flowers sent to my wife Sue after she fell down the stairs on Thursday 2 February, breaking her leg and ankle in the process. She has now had a plate and 8 screws put into the bone. The flowers certainly cheered her up.
Paul Tully (Y40)
Best wishes to Sue from the drivers as well …Ed

Restoring faith in humanity!
At about 8 o'clock on Tuesday evening 17 January, I took one of your cabs from Marylebone Station to my flat in Delaware Road, Maida Vale. Being distracted by an incoming phone call as I left the cab and paid, I stupidly left my brief case in the taxi. Although the only thing of material value in it was a chequebook, it contained a lot of personal papers that were important to me. I immediately spoke to your company to report the loss and rang again the following morning. On both occasions you were courteous and helpful, though I didn't hold out much hope of recovering it. When I returned to my flat last night - a mere 48 hours after the loss – I found that some kind soul had posted the brief case back to me with all its contents intact.
   I wish I knew whom personally to thank (and recompense). Meanwhile can I please pass on my heartfelt thanks generally and assure you that I shall relay this story to all I meet as I think it is the best possible advertisement for your company and the quality of people who work there.
John Bodkin
London W9
I don’t know who did the trip, but well done whoever you are. You can’t buy that type of publicity …Ed

CoF Review
The CoF Review sent to us by PCO / TfL was over 10 pages long and really told us nothing – the ultimate in bureaucracy! They probably had a tram of writers on board for this costing over 30,000 salaries. What a waste of our money…
David Heath (Ex-W27)

Problems at Heathrow
I recently accepted a booked job at Heathrow Airport. I left the cab feeder park and drove down to park in the NCP car park at terminal 1. Just after entering the car park, I received a phone call from the Dial-a-Cab control room informing me that the job had been cancelled. I have no problem with the customer’s right to cancel a booking, but I do have a problem with the driver only being paid what is on his meter after pulling out of the car park and losing his position from the car park queue for no fault of his or her own. I spoke to the dispatcher, who was very sympathetic and helpful, but sadly those qualities do not help me pay my mortgage. He did give me a £15 scrub, so after doing 2 hours in the car park and the prospect of going up to the park to do another 2 hours, I was not exactly over the moon. The car park system at the moment is the fairest I have known, so I cannot fault that and I don’t see why they should make any changes to that system to accommodate radio drivers who have blown out on radio bookings. So I think as a member of DaC, I would like to ask the Board if they really believe it is fair that one of their members should lose out so much because the customer forgets to cancel a booked Taxi?
   When I first went on radio, I was told that I should never lose out on a radio job. Well I have to say that unless you get another job off the radio very quickly (because at least you are put back to the top of the radio queue), you will lose out both on time wasted and money lost. I am not saying that we should never lose out on a radio job, but I think that jobs dispatched at the airport carry a different criteria and if a customer forgets to cancel their Taxi, why should that then become a costly mistake for the drivers who after all are only trying to do their job? DaC should make sure the driver is properly paid and if Dial-a-Cab has paid out of their funds, then so be it. It’s supposed to be the driver’s circuit anyway and we are all hopefully paid-up members.
    I am glad to say that in my case I did receive a job very quickly, I was not out of pocket at all so I am not bringing this to your attention over sour grapes. But I  really do think that DaC

Fraudulent credit cards?
I have just received the new credit card procedure letter. Firstly I want to ask if this is just a way of DaC covering their backside in order to hold back payment in the event of a stolen card being used? Or is it because they have not updated their terminals to take chip and pin?
   I find it a coincidence that this letter has been sent out just 2 weeks before the chip and pin method comes into force. From the 14th February, banks will no longer honour payment on a fraudulent credit or debit card transaction if chip and pin has not been used. If it has, then they will honour payment. But DaC have not got chip and pin, so however hard we scrutinise a card, check a signature and rub a pen over it, if it’s stolen we won’t get our money even if we follow DaC’s instruction - or will we?
   My bank manager has informed me that chip and pin will soon be the only way that a credit card transaction can take place and signatures will not even be allowed at all. So what is DaC going to do in the future to combat this? Also, take into account that you clear a credit card at the end of a job and this is where the pin is needed and the poor signal anywhere outside the north and south circulars will just add to the problem. So is it not about time we got a better credit card system in the cab that work in all areas and not just inner London and one that even if we were victims of fraud, would mean we’d still receive payment?
Michael Beevor (N76)
Brian Rice responds: Michael, I believe you are reading something into a situation that isn't there. I would hate to contradict your Bank Manager, but the swipe and signature will never be phased out. Just think about it, if a tourist was visiting the UK from say the USA where they do not have chip and pin, are you suggesting that he would not be able to use his credit card here - of course he could! Incidentally, chip and pin came into existence of 1 January 2005 and following that date, if a fraudulent transaction was made and the merchant was not equipped with chip and pin, then the merchant would be responsible for the transaction. Our new generation of terminals will be equipped with chip and pin, however in the meantime it is quite a simple equation; to upgrade the fleet would cost approximately £400k that would be depreciated over a five-year term. Consequently, it would cost DaC £80k a year for chip and pin and there is nothing like that amount in fraudulent transactions - they are minute. So Michael, if you do exactly as our Financial Accountant Warren Smith has instructed you to do, then you will not lose out!

Go Go with Tom Tom…
At the AGM, Sid Nathan (K88) asked about getting more info on where actual street numbers were in the pick-up street, especially in long one-way streets such as New Cavendish Street etc. I have a Tom Tom One SatNav, which also works on postcodes. If customers give the full postcode and the Call Centre passes that to the driver, together with the door number the driver will even be given the shortest route to the door! I don’t use it too often as their shortest routes are not always the best option, but it is a very useful tool to have.
Mark White (B86)
I must be honest and say that I use my SatNav very rarely, but when I do it can be a real boon …Ed

Dear Mr Togwell…
You wrote in February’s issue of Call Sign that the main reason for Chelsea’s success is their teamwork. Then you add: "Admittedly, they have the cream of their profession." The truth is that Chelsea are successful because of the £200million that Mr Abromovich has spent on them. I can assure you that had he invested the same amount of dosh in Leyton Orient, they too would have been a highly successful outfit. Let’s be honest; if you put Tom Whitbread in charge at Chelsea and made Mr Mourinho manager of the O’s, who do you think would achieve most? Man Utd and Arsenal are both lacking confidence, but that is because the former doesn’t have Roy Keane and the Gunners are simply not the same outfit without Vieira. Both are great players that can inspire any team, even though teamwork plays its part.
   Then you mention teamwork and cab drivers in the same breath and I cannot help but laugh. If DaC is successful, it’s not because we work as a unit but simply because as we are all self-employed - we do everything for our own benefit. As for being united, that will be the day that ‘Spurs beat Arsenal! If drivers really cared about the service we provide, why are so many of them up in arms as soon as one mentions the ridiculous amount of time it takes to do the Knowledge, or the fact that the number of cabs on the road is diminishing? There are more drivers over 70 than under 30 and surely that speaks for itself. Of course the game is not finished, even though I’ve been hearing the same chant since I first drove my hansom cab back in the days when Pontius Pilate was just a navigator. When the economy is booming, we simply cannot cope with all that radio work, whilst when a recession looms we hear all the moaning minnies bewailing the fact that there are too many cabs on the road. May I suggest that the next time we come on hard times, we cull all the drivers who are aged over 30…
Stanley Frankel (K46)
Allen Togwell replies: Firstly Mr Frankel, we have the cream of our profession because unlike our competitors, we have a stringent selection process through which only those
who we consider to be of the right character and attitude (which includes being a team player) are selected. Personally, I feel it wrong of you to generalise by saying our members only do everything for their own benefit. Having been on the board for 18 years, I feel I am in a better position than you to judge our members and the following is a driver attitude that in my opinion has not changed…
   One evening just prior to us going live with data despatch, a call went out that one of our drivers was being assaulted in Russell Square. I was POB and had cause to go past the incident. When I got there, I saw at least a dozen of our cabs already there giving assistance. Were those drivers there for their own benefit or because they were united in assisting a team member of their circuit? I can relate 100's of similar examples in addition to the enormous selfless teamwork by those who work tirelessly for the various charities. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of data despatch was that we no longer hear the banter, camaraderie, assistance or teamwork amongst our members. But does that mean it no longer exists? No it doesn't, but then neither is it encouraged to flourish when there are those among us who are forever critical or cynical about what everybody on our Society - Drivers, Staff and Board - really do accomplish as a team.

Why I left ComCab…
I was interested to read the letter in February Call Sign from Daniel Priddle (N96). I thought he spoke a fair bit of sense and I felt your response was a little curt and dismissive. I also joined DaC two years ago, having previously subscribed to ComCab since its inception as London Wide Radio Taxis, with a break of around two years 1990-92.
   The reason I changed to DaC was not, as you appear to assume, that DaC is the be all and end all, but simply because it is the best of a very mediocre bunch and the subs are far less than ComCab. As soon as ComCab was bailed out by the Chinese bus drivers, we were immediately deluged with correspondence informing us of new petty rules, amendments to existing petty rules and new ways of raising cash for our new masters. There were fines for refusing jobs, fines for not covering enough jobs, their refusal to accept Metrocabs onto the circuit, dispatching jobs at such a distance as to be uneconomical to run for and then fining drivers for not running for them. I for one had enough and like Mr. Priddle, voted with my feet. I joined DaC because it was not ComCab and it was not run by Mr. Riesel.
   My time with DaC has been both productive and pleasant. That is not to say it could have been better. As Mr Priddle suggests, GPS would be a far better way to despatch - even Mr Riesel thinks so. Your argument that drivers are guaranteed a job is correct, but only at the expense of hanging around in maybe EC2 waiting for a queue of 50 or so cabs to either get off, or bugger off. No, probably most drivers, rather than sit in the area for ages, will book into EC1, or maybe WC1, or even N1W and drive through the area hoping to get off the street and then work down a much shorter queue in the alternative area.
   Mr Priddle's observation that sooner or later a serious accident will happen is unarguable. The present MDU is far too labour intensive, it is very pretty, but I cannot believe that the PCO with their fastidious attention to passenger safety ever allowed it into cabs. The only reason nobody has been wiped out up to now is that either all the accidents have been blamed on other causes or we are all fantastic drivers.
   As an afterthought, I cannot help but think that many of the above complaints I raise about ComCab will manifest themselves with our circuit within months of any outside capital finding its way into DaC coffers.
Ray Watkins (T40)
Brian Rice replies: Nice to read your letter Ray and thank you for your observations.  I was especially pleased to read that you have found your time here to have been
both productive and pleasant.

Leaving the PCO…
Many thanks for your kind words and good wishes. Can I wish all at Call Sign and Dial-a -Cab continued success and every good wish for the future.
Sandy Kennedy
While Sandy was at the PCO, he offered Call Sign any assistance we required. We thank him for that and wish him a long and happy retirement …Ed

AGM Pack
Regarding the package received from the Electoral Reform Services (ERS) that contained rule changes and propositions together with the BoM’s views of the proposals. When it came to the reasons for the proposals made by the members involved, we were referred to the January issue of Call Sign. Some may not have read that part or it may not have been at hand when they were filling in the ballot forms. Surely it would be much fairer if everything was contained in the package, that way guaranteeing that all views are taken into account when filling in the ballot paper?
Michael Lyons (Y52)
Brian Rice replies: The pack you received, Michael, was the 'official' company pack, which quite rightly only contained information distributed by the Society. Individual
members that put rule changes and propositions were given the opportunity to put their views in the magazine, which they did in fact take advantage of. To suggest members never read the rule changes in the mag, but would then read them in the 'pack' is a little contradictory. I believe the way we did it was extremely fair, after all many organisations would not have given the members putting forward rule changes the opportunity to present their views in the way they did.

Homophobic Chas
I see Chas Kissin is back on the soapbox with his "I’m not homophobic but…!" It’s a bit strong when you consider that he has been with the same partner for the past 30 years and that his name is Neville!
Geoff Levene (K43)
The May 2004 gave details of Chas and Neville’s partnership which is probably the trades longest dating back to 1972. For those who aren’t sure as to what Geoff was alluding to, it’s being partners in buying a cab! …Ed

California TXII
At the evening change of shift  today, the night driver of my

Ian Cameron
I was so saddened to hear of the death of my old friend, Ian Cameron. The pioneering work that he helped us to do at St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney has borne fruit. Those humble outpatient clinics have developed into a system of cancer-help clinics now being researched by the University of Glamorgan to see whether they lengthen patient’s lives. The home visiting service begun by Sister Antonia, eventually grew into MacMillan Nurses.
   The four cabbies - Ian, Ken Freeborn, Tony Jack and Alan Fisher – whose voluntary help made this possible, should have OBEs and their statues in The Mall!
   Ian’s bubbling cheerfulness and generous kind-heartedness, gave us all encouragement. But my richest memory will always be Ian dressed in a gymslip, singing the Ovaltinies song!
Dr Richard Lamerton
Hospice of the Valleys, Tredegar, Wales
Thanks Richard, it’s been a long time and it’s nice to know you remember Ian so well. Not sure what he – or any of us – would have thought about an OBE though! …Ed

Concierge at the AGM
At this year’s AGM, Grant Davis (L39) played a recording of a conversation with a Concierge telephonist who told him that any jobs pre-booked at DB were to go in cars!
   Brian went on to explain the new procedure at DB where all jobs pre-booked up to 50 minutes before booked time were to go in taxis, anything after goes in a Concierge car.
   I was wondering, seeing as this bank is - or should I say was - our largest account, how this helps the early morning drivers who now cannot get a job to the airport, as most of these jobs are normally pre-booked the night before? Can the Chairman reiterate what he told Mr Davis at the AGM please for the benefit of drivers who were unable to attend?
Tony Lawyer (C51)
Tony, I would like to point out that – just as you heard me say at the AGM - this is the policy of the Bank and not DaC. If we had never operated the system that we do in the Bank, then we would never have known that they intended to instigate a new system. However, we did find out and that gave us the opportunity to talk to the relevant people at the Bank. As a result of that talk, the system now is: Anything that comes out with a lead-time of 30 minutes or less goes into a taxi wherever it is going. After 9pm, with any trip that has a lead-time of 50 minutes or more, the passenger has to be advised that they can use a car. Prior to 9pm, the lead-time before they are advised they can use a car is 2 hours or more. If you notice, I have used the word advised because it is not mandatory and I do not believe the above scenario will make any difference to us. But whichever way we look at it, it is the client’s wishes. 
   I am a little surprised that you seem to think the ultimate for a dayman is an airport, many of them say it is not. However, I believe we will still get some airports from the Bank, the same as we have in the past.
   Finally, I was a little disappointed with your friend Grant Davis at the AGM. If he wanted information, why didn't he just ring me? Instead, he rang our Call Centre and wasted their time when we were very busy by impersonating an American employee of the Bank and attempting to find out the details about going from Wapping to Brentford. If it were not so childish and laughable, it could be seen as serious in attempting to pass himself off as an employee of the Bank – but I don't suppose he thought of that, do you?  

Steve’s view of the AGM
Once again we had a pathetically low turnout at the AGM. It appeared there was probably less than ten percent of our member’s who attended. Some of the non-attendees have genuine reasons for it, but of all the drivers I have spoken to since last Sunday, most simply can’t be bothered to make the effort. To all the drivers that can’t be bothered, you have the same handful of drivers who speak passionately on your behalf, trying to alter the way some aspects of our Society are managed by proposing rule changes, only to be overwhelmingly defeated on every proposal. This could be because absent drivers all agree with the Board of management, but again, all the drivers I have spoken to simply filled in the postal vote quickly without knowing what they were really voting for simply to avoid the fine - yet you all voted to keep the fine!
   There were approximately 400 in favour and 1000 against all the proposals by drivers and 1000 for and 400 against the proposals by the BoM. I wouldn’t mind betting that is roughly the same ratio of night to day drivers. Without attending, you wouldn’t know that all rides booked at DB with a lead time of more than two hours and over six miles, now go in a car. Anything under 50 minutes goes in a taxi. Doesn’t affect us nightmen, because we are only a few minutes away from London Wall on the Fins. All those airport’s in the morning, rides into London in the mornings from the suburbs, if they are pre-booked the night before are all going in a car supplied by Lewis Day.
   You wouldn’t have heard the arguments for and against the proposals, you also wouldn’t have heard a Board member tell one of the speakers to "button it." I accept all the results of the vote, but find it really baffling that drivers voted in full knowledge to make it more difficult for themselves and anyone else to propose rule changes in the future. The BoM proposals received backing that any rule changes proposed by a driver would, in future, need a proposer, seconder, and another twenty-five drivers! However, if you are a Board member, you still only need a proposer and seconder. Someone shouted Animal Farm! Well, some are certainly more equal than others now.
   Another bone of contention was establishing the salary paid to the Chairman and Board members. We now know that it is £34 and £26 per hour respectively (incidentally Mr Fisher, I work hard and don’t earn anything like £34 each and every hour I work). I don’t have a problem with that and really do not have a problem with anyone being paid a salary commensurate with running a £47million organisation, however, this must be the only organisation where we, the shareholders who are after all ultimately the employers, have no idea and no way of finding out what our staff earn per annum. How can we vote to give our Chairman and Board an annual contracted salary when we don’t know what their present salary is?
   Our Board seem to have forgotten that you were elected by us, to work on behalf of all of us, not the other way around. You are a Board of management, not a Board of directors with us, the drivers, as your paid employees. If an individual driver such as Mr Gillam (N14) or any other shareholder requests costs to be analysed, he should be told by our Chairman to "come into the office and I will arrange for you to see the breakdown." But not as he was told, "they are confidential, you want to see them, join the Board!" What is the big secret? Mr Gillam, as a shareholder, has as much right to know everything concerning his, our Society, as anyone else including our Chairman. As a shareholder, Mr Gillam has the right to ask our accountants or solicitors whatever he wishes, as I said before they work for him and us, not the other way around.
   Our chairman quoted the data protection act and how he would be liable to a fine of £5000 if he released certain information. What about the freedom of information act? Whereby organisations are supposed to have an open book policy. I don’t know what exactly the FSA investigated, but it seems to me that if the Board were more open and less secretive and answered straightforward questions with straightforward answers, there would have been no need for an investigation by the FSA or anybody else.
   Final point, the AGM was a long day, would it not be possible to arrange that tea and coffee to be made available to us next year?
Steve Painter (K03)
Brian Rice replies: Hmmmmm.... think I can smell a rat here Steve, especially as part of your letter is identical to another letter that has been received by Call Sign. I notice that you became a member of this Society just over three years ago, when DaC was operated in exactly the way it is today. If we were / are so bad, why did you join in the first place?  I was told after the AGM that a Board member had told a speaker to 'button it', which is not probably the best expression to use, however, that remark does not then justify the original speaker to tell that Board member that "I'll knock you out." In your letter, you keep referring to the 'salary' Board Members are paid. We are not paid a salary but an hourly rate. But I’m not complaining, I never have, other people seem to complain about the issue - not me! You then state that all information should be given to members - I disagree. Rule 17 is quite clear regarding the information that should be divulged to members, anything else could be very confidential. And why should the Board report to an individual member to see if he is satisfied with the way the Society has been run?  Regarding the Freedom of information Act 2000, again you have not got your facts right. That Act gives people a general right of access to information held by or on behalf of Public Authorities! Finally you state that you "accept all the results of the vote," but it appears from your letter that you do not really accept the democratic vote, but are just paying 'lip service' to the membership.    

Ubiee PowerPill
I have just read the Call Sign article that was reprinted in Taxi Globe on the UBiee PowerPill which I use on my 51 plate TX1 and I endorse the article whole-heartedly. I am very impressed with it. The point I would like to make is that after reading the glowing reports of the pill’s undoubted emissions success, I happened to read an article in the Evening Standard that same evening, which I have scanned and sent to you with this email. The point I almost choked on was that a chap in this article has bought into a company that intends extracting thousands of pounds from hard working taxi drivers who have to comply after June with the new emissions regulation, when it appears that we already have a product that seems to suffice at a fraction of the cost.
   Is there or has there been any approach by UBiee to TfL / PCO who oversee the compliance of these regulation to see if the pills will suffice? 
David  Baker (D22)
The view of the PCO is that there is no way of checking as to whether drivers would continue to use the pills after the initial emissions reading. In addition, the warrantee of the TXII currently forbids the use of any additives and says on page 57 of the handbook: "Do not use oil additives or other engine treatments. They are unnecessary and could, under certain circumstances, lead to engine damage which is not covered by the LTI Warranty." The pill producers claim that the PowerPill is a fuel conditioner treating the fuel itself and not the engine and one of our testers who used it on his TXII after the expiration of the warrantee said that he saved around 10% on fuel and his emissions went from well over the limit to well under it in the space of a few weeks. Your point is one that we have constantly made – why should we spend thousands when we have a much better and cheaper alternative? David, if you can come up with a way to prove that we are all using it, I’d love to hear it. I am passing your letter over to Ubiee to see if they can come up with a suggestion …Ed

West Ham still united!
The Claret & Blue Cinema Club recently held their first event at the Genesis cinema – which was partly organised by me and advertised in the last issue of Call Sign. After a free buffet, there was a well-received talk given by Brian Belton, prolific author on all things West Ham. Then came the main part of the evening, a rare showing of the 1965 Cup Winners Cup Final - a second win on the same day! Even Chelsea can’t manage that. An impromptu collection was made with no can rattling or arm-twisting because no one twists a West Ham boy’s arm! A magnificent £75 was raised for the Dial-a-Dream Charity. This charity was chosen because it was started up in part by my old manager / trainer Harry Griver and we know it to be well run and honest and a fantastic cause. We could not be seen to be slapdash with our customers / mates goodwill! Hope to see some of you at our next event…
Jon Trevor (W94)
Well done Jon …Ed

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