Life in the young days of Master Allen Togwell
Every day during the week I penned this piece, stories in the
press have got grimmer and grimmer with the news of banks and
businesses collapsing worldwide, including the UK with 40,000
job losses from Investment Banking alone. How soon, I wondered,
before those in our trade - many already suffering from the
recall of their TX4s - feel the brunt of it all? And especially
those who have come into the cab trade since the last recession
16 years ago and who only know what it’s like to work through a
period of economic buoyancy. How will they cope should, as is
predicted when winter kicks in, a severe recession really
strike? How will they adapt to following empty cab after empty
cab searching for a fare or sitting on ranks that appear to
stretch for miles only to eventually get a local, whilst PH get
fat on work that was once ours?
Those that have experience of working through kipper seasons of
old and took the adjustment in their stride, such as for example
during the infamous winter of discontent in 1974 and the
three day working week, are of my generation and of an
era when a fare of any description was appreciated, when those
in the trade knew the meaning of camaraderie, when we helped
each other without question or seeking recompense, when we
didn’t nick a fare that was meant for the cab behind and when
somebody hailed us we stopped and took the fare gladly -
irrespective of the destination and at the end of the journey we
said ‘thank you’ and meant it.
Most of the cabmen that had a badge during that era did the
Knowledge as I did when the PCO was in Lambeth Road and were of
an age when keeping your hair combed, trousers pressed and shoes
polished was the norm. It was also a generation that had clear
memories of seeing London scarred by bomb damage, food rationing
and being de-loused from head to toe at school. Going to public
baths for your weekly scrub and for the wireless to work, it
needed a regular visit to the local accumulator shop. An age
when money was tight, food scarce, particularly in my family
where I was one of eleven and what food was put in front of us
we ate without comment. A time when the leftover of Sunday’s
roast was Monday and sometimes Tuesday’s stew and pie; mash and
eels was considered a staple diet. Obesity through over eating
was unheard of, particularly amongst children and I couldn’t
imagine anybody, irrespective of class, throwing away food as is
common today.
Deprivation was rife, in fact I was 15years of age before I got my
very first birthday present and that was from a close friend. My
first pair of long trousers was bought second hand from Chapel
Market. And holidays for many consisted of the odd day out in a
charabanc to Southend. Yet for all this deprivation and
hardship, did it make people - particularly the young - bitter,
jealous or resentful? Or give them an excuse to carry knives and
mug old ladies? No. What we never had we didn’t miss. But what
many off us did have was a secure home, a loving family, genuine
caring neighbours and close friends. And a philosophy as we grew
older that you only get out of life what you put into it.
Everybody, of course, is much better off today and rightly so, but
I am not convinced they are any happier. Money is obtainable if
one is prepared to work; food is |
plentiful, too plentiful by the looks of the backsides and
girths of many who sit behind the wheel of a cab. And above all,
so is choice. And it is choice,
in my opinion that is the cause of
so many problems. How often do we hear the phrase spoilt for
choice?
When I was young there was rarely any choice. If it was enjoyment
you were seeking, then apart from the pleasure of being with
your mates, simple things such as going to the park, a picnic, a
visit to the cinema or concert hall were appreciated, visiting
relatives or collecting things, plus with a little ingenuity you
made things that kept you constantly amused. One thing for sure,
I cannot remember ever being bored.
Today everybody expects everything to be obtainable with absolutely
no effort whatsoever, even food shopping can be delivered to
your door after a few clicks on a PC. As for the young; £100
trainers, designer jeans, mobile phones, laptops, iPods,
computer games and Disney holidays etc. Anything new is not just
wished for, but expected. And why not when it can be bought -
whether you can afford it or not - with that little piece of
plastic in your backpocket. Credit card spending in the UK for
last month alone was £8billion. The mind boggles, especially
when those being chased to pay it back are suddenly scratching
to earn a living.
In many respects I don’t regret not growing up closer to this
century, amongst a society that is possessed with a selfish
pursuit of wealth and that believes the winning of millions on
the lottery as being the only means of happiness. Most people
seem to have so little time for others, even when, to quote
Harold Macmillan: "You have never had it so good."
The future…?
So what will happen when things are not so good, if the credit
crunch really does start to bite and bite hard? Will those in
the cab trade for example who have taken so much for granted for
so long and because of it, ignored the need to promote their
business, will they finally come to their senses and consider
it’s time for a change of attitude? To maybe smarten up their
appearance and let the public know they appreciate their custom,
even if it’s only getting off their backsides to open and
closing doors?
It’s said that people’s lives are often altered by adversity.
Meaning a serious downturn in the economy, albeit hopefully a
temporary one, could well be the saviour of our trade if it
forced everyone to sit up and take notice.
There is an old quote: "A bend in the road is not the end of the
road…unless you fail to make the turn." I considered that an apt
saying during a long-ago period of adversity. I know from
experience how easy it is to give up, lose self esteem and get
into a rut instead of making that turn and adapting.
Unfortunately, driving a cab is not the easiest of occupations
to self motivate and I can understand why so many cab drivers
look so miserable and their appearance reflects the way they
feel – disinterested. In my case, for all the negatives, a major
positive was the fact that I had a badge and a metal clothes
rail on which hung a dozen suits, shirts and ties. A church
mouse maybe, but a smart one all the same.
Joining Dial-a-Cab was a saviour. The two-way voice system, for
many an irritant, was |
like having much-needed
company alongside me in the cab. Customers regularly commented
on how smart I looked driving a cab in a three piece suit. My
self-esteem grew and my policy of taking the first trip offered
made me appreciated by our circuit and our customers - as well
as my bank manager! When we changed to Data Despatch, I again
took the first trip offered, I couldn’t see the point of wasting
valuable time by rejecting trips. When you are on the point of a
station rank you don’t reject the trip, so why do it any other
time? I was called Wells Fargo by some controllers
because of the amount of deliveries I was always willing to do
in the City - deliveries that everybody else rejected. I often
accepted as many as a dozen separate deliveries in one go and at
£1.75 fixed price per trip, it was collectively twice as much as
going to the flyers, but in less time, no dead mileage and I was
still in the city. We all know that any job can take us into a
better one. So why cherry pick? A practice that to this day I
still do not understand why so many of our members need to do
it, wasting valuable time and jeopardising future business in
the process. Which leads me on to the real subject of this
article.
House of Commonss
As you all are aware, after a very short absence we have
regained the HoC and HoL account. Having previously given 27
years of unbroken service to these two very prestigious
institutions, they decided it was time for a change and chose to
use the services of a competitor. We left on very good terms,
insisting that should they ever need our assistance, we would be
only too pleased to oblige. We were also confident that whoever
took this account from us were going to find it extremely
difficult - in fact almost impossible - to match the service we
had given, let alone improve on it. We now have the account back
and it is for everybody at DaC to prove they made the right
choice. That especially applies to you on the sharp end by
taking the very first trip that is offered to you. And
incidentally, not just with this account but every account. For
months there has been constant warnings of a recession and as
always with this trade, it’s been met with the usual shrugging
of the shoulders, cloth ears or head burying. Accept it or not,
now is the time to act. You are in the service industry, so do
exactly that, give a service and by that I mean when the client
wants it, NOT when you feel like giving it. Every minute you
spend cherry picking is another minute the client is waiting on
the phone asking when their cab is going to arrive. And when
that cab is urgent, each minute seems like an hour. And every
minute that client is waiting on the phone, you are giving them
the time to think about whether they would get a better service
with a competitor or worse still, with a PH company. Cherry
picking does not do you, the clients or the future of your
society any good If DaC was my company, I would make every trip
As Directed and Non Rejectable and within a month
you would all be thanking me for increasing your earnings. Plus
we would be able to put a sales generating statement into our
sales portfolio that we’ve not been able do in 55 years of
trading - and because of it kept a major competitor in business.
Finally, since the start of the recent economic downturn, there has
been an increase
in Credit Card and
Cash work. In an endeavour to promote this
business further, we have produced a stock of the Dial-a-Cab
cash telephone number - 0207 253 5000 - that can be affixed onto
your cab below the DaC logo. Those members wishing to advertise
this number on their taxi can do so by visiting our fitting bay
at Roman Way.
DaC Marketing |
