Call Sign July 2008 - Page 20 - THE TRAGEDY OF DAC’S JIM WILSON

There can be no distinction following the death of any Dial-a-Cab driver, all are equally sad. However, the tragic and sudden death of Jim Wilson (V44) has left many drivers and staff in shock. Jim had been on DaC for over three years and according to his cousin, Steve Sharpe (N25), absolutely loved it. "He’d tell every driver not on here, how great it was," Steve told Call Sign. "he used to go out at 5am – sometimes even earlier - but always said that so long as his terminal worked, the time would fly." Steve went on to tell Call Sign about the events leading to Jim’s premature death on June 9, following a massive heart attack in his garden several days earlier at the young age of 46. "He undoubtedly lived a stressful life," said Steve, "but was very fit. He went to the gym most days after work, but was devoted to Maxine and other than work and the gym, spent all his time caring for her and doing the housework etc. But he never complained because he loved Maxine and always said that no one else could look after her like he could. His one big problem was in finding it difficult to sleep and I don’t suppose that would have helped his stress level." Steve’s voice filling with	THE TRAGEDY OF DAC’S JIM WILSON
	Jim and daughter Lucy
	emotion, he explained why Jim had to look after Maxine and of the tragedies that had followed the family, which we all hope have left them in peace to grieve. Jim’s wife, Maxine, was given 6 months to live 8 years ago following the discovery of a brain tumour, but has confounded doctors by still being alive. However, she couldn’t have coped without having Jim as a carer. Jim’s brother Danny, also a DaC driver, died exactly 7 years ago to the day that Jim died. He was already looking after the young child that he and his wife had three months before she too died, several years earlier, following a brain tumour. The young child went to Jim and Danny’s parents	to be raised and is still with his grandparents today. Maxine and Jim’s two grown up children, son James and daughter Lucy, together with all the family are rallying round to help Maxine cope with life. To send condolences almost sounds trite, but we have no doubt that everyone who reads this story will share a small piece of this family’s grief and hope that with Jim’s death, the tide of sadness will have moved away. On behalf of Jim’s family, Steve asked us to thank DaC for their concern and flowers and also Nuala in Driver Services for providing a sympathetic ear. Jim Wilson was cremated at the North East Surrey crematorium, but his memory will remain. RIP…

GARY’S DAC TAXI CATCHES FIRE ON M25!

At some time or another whilst sitting at traffic signals waiting for the green light to appear, many taxi drivers have suddenly thought there was smoke coming from under the bonnet, only to find that it actually emanated from the exhaust of the old banger in front!
   It was a quiet Saturday morning when Dial-a-Cab driver Gary Johnston (A97) pulled off at junction 9 of the M25 in his TX2 on his way to visit a friend who had a few horses based at Epsom and he stopped at some traffic lights. He saw smoke billowing from the front of the cab and his first thought was that it had to be from the exhaust of the car in front of him. But he got out to look and saw flames under the TX2. Within minutes, the whole cab was on fire!
   The fire brigade arrived within 8 minutes, but it was too late for Gary’s trusty cab. It had totally burned out. Within an hour, rumours were received back at DaC concerning the cab and Chinese whispers suggested that the cab had hit a lorry, rolled over and the driver had been decapitated! Happily no such accident occurred, but had Gary not left the cab when he did, in Gary’s words to Call Sign: "I’d have ended up with an over-the-top sun tan!"
   Gary added that the journey on the

Garry's burnout cab

M25 had been trouble-free and that the cab had been running beautifully.
   "But," he said, "when I spoke to the fire brigade after they’d put out the smouldering fire of the taxi’s remains, they thought that it was the wind rush of travelling on the motorway that kept the flames down until I pulled off and had to stop. Then the whole thing just went up!"
The drivers compartment    When Tom Whitbread recovered the terminal, he told Call Sign that not only was Gary’s terminal burnt out, but Gary’s seat had also gone up and had Gary not got out to look, he would have had no chance.
   Gary’s last word to Call Sign was that in the end, no one was hurt and he is now driving another TX2 on DaC and it was just one of life’s experiences.

Some experience…!

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