Call Sign September 2008 - Page 12 - ALLEN TOGWELLS MARKETING PLACE

ALLEN TOGWELLS MARKETING PLACE

How many times have we read or seen something happen that we consider unusual, only to see it repeated on several occasions immediately afterwards?
   Recently during lunch I read an article about a motorist who was fined Ł240 for throwing a cigarette butt out of the window. At the time I thought that was a bit harsh, particularly as I honestly could not remember ever seeing anyone throw things out of a car before, other than ash from a cigarette. However, on the same day I read the article, something extraordinary happened. I was leaving the office and about to cross East Road when a passing motorist threw a plastic bottle out of the car window, almost knocking a female cyclist off her bike.
   Less than 15 minutes later, I was driving along Bethnal Green Road when the driver of a PH vehicle in front of me threw out of his window what looked like several empty cigarette packets. I shook my head in disgust and thought the driver was probably one of many who have just arrived from an East European country where litter laws don’t exist and throwing rubbish out of vehicles was accepted as the norm. However what happened just five minutes later both surprised and got me really incensed.
   I was still in Bethnal Green Road and following a licensed taxi, when suddenly the driver threw out of his window the remains of a fish and chip dinner - including the plastic container and wrapping paper. I could not believe my eyes as it scattered over the road. I wondered what on earth we had driving cabs. The driver obviously had the manners of a pig and such was my compelling desire to tell him so, I deviated from my normal route home before eventually catching up alongside his cab. Needless to say his response to my telling him what he had done was a disgrace to the cab trade, was as expected; a mouthful of verbal and ‘the finger’. But I felt better for having made my point.
   It’s a pity a similar attitude hasn’t applied throughout the taxi trade over the years. Standards would have improved immensely. For the record, I’m not a typical Victor Meldrew, a bigoted grumpy old git forever moaning and groaning about the ills of the world, in fact had the offending cab driver been an ordinary motorist I wouldn’t have endangered myself by getting involved. But I’ve had a Bill for over 40 years, a Bill that I’m proud to own and which for centuries has been held in such high esteem. It breaks my heart when I witness first hand examples of why that esteem and the good reputation of the licensed cab trade is being eroded. I am not for one minute suggesting any Dial-a-Cab members act in this manner, but as with so many other things in life, it takes the actions of just one individual to tarnish a trade’s image, resulting in everyone else in that trade being tarred with the same brush. Hence the reason I am always advocating the need for us to go that one little step further in the service we give, be it attitude, helpfulness or appearance, in an attempt to balance up the damage done by the senseless morons among us who shouldn’t be wearing a badge.

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Whilst on the subject of image, there was yet another article on the same day in the press on the number of motorists in London

using hand-held mobiles and as is typical, the picture accompanying the article was of a licensed taxi driver with a mobile stuck to his ear. However in this instance I have to say the article and the picture were not unjustified. I see it every day to and from work; dozens of licensed cab drivers using mobiles, including I might add cabs not just displaying our logo, but using a mobile with passengers on board. It just doesn’t make sense to me why so many cabmen are prepared to break a law that could jeopardize their Badge and their living, rather than having hands-free equipment fitted. I’m sure in most cases it has nothing to do with cost - just apathy. The intentions are probably there in getting the appropriate equipment fitted, but it just hasn’t been a priority. And I have to admit I’ve been guilty of that very same attitude myself and because of it, recently suffered the consequences.
   For almost a year I’ve been meaning to get a SatNav for my car, but with so many models to choose from and particularly the varying clarity of sound, I just haven’t got round to making a decision. Then in last months Call Sign, you would have seen a picture of me attending a DaC golf charity day. It was a great event, well organised, a lot of money was raised for charity and I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially as I had as my partner and sharing my buggy Joe Goodman, our comedian for the evening. I’ve played golf with Joe on several occasions in the past and the moment I was informed he was to be my partner, I knew my golf was going to suffer because he just doesn’t stop telling jokes! He has me in stitches even when I think he is being serious. For example, on the first tee and having just loaded the buggy, he asked me how I was health wise? I told him I was due to have another operation on my ear to replace a damaged eardrum and which involved a new technique; instead of using normal skin the surgeon is going to use cartilage, which has a greater resistance against infection.
   "Really," Joe said with a look of concern, "would you believe it, I’ve just had a similar operation myself and in my case they used pigs skin." Like a jerk I believed him. "How is it," I asked? "Well" he said, "after the operation the doctor asked how it was and I said one ear is OK but in the other one I get a lot of crackling!" Needless to say from then on I went to pieces - and so did my golf. But it was great fun. However, what wasn’t fun was when the day ended and I was leaving to go home.
   It was late, pitch black and raining when I left the course. I took a wrong turning, drove for miles down narrow, dark, unlit country lanes surrounded by forest without seeing one solitary traffic sign and eventually got completely lost. I was livid, made worse by the fact that I had someone with me who I had offered to give a lift on my way home! I was also angry knowing it was my own damn fault because I had put no urgency into buying something that I know

could have prevented the problem from happening, a SatNav. Fortunately I was doing nothing to break the law, but you most definitely are if you use a hand mobile whilst driving. Don’t chance suffering what could be very serious consequences if you get nicked. Those of you who don’t yet have hands-free equipment fitted, please do so immediately.

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Most of you by now would have seen in the national and trade press and Call Sign, reports on the new Mercedes Vito Taxi. My own personal view of the vehicle - and it is only my view and not necessarily that of the Board, influenced by the fact I am a traditionalist on certain issues due to age I guess - the Mercedes Vito as a licensed taxi does not impress me at all. The make of vehicle alone would, I imagine, deem it to being a very comfortable vehicle to drive and it has many compelling features. But in my opinion, for what it’s worth, no matter which way you hack it, it is a van - a smart comfortable van maybe but still nonetheless a van. It is also a van very popular amongst PH.

Each morning on my way to the office, I go via Boot Street off Pitfield Street, which is the back entrance to the Holiday Inn in Old street and I regularly see a number of these PH vans waiting for fares. God knows how many are already on the streets of London. Add to it the licensed taxi version and very soon the public will think the licensed cab trade doesn’t exist. This it is not what visitors to this country from around the world identify as the famous London Taxi, a feature of London alongside such sights as Tower Bridge, London Buses etc. London’s taxis traditional style is unique. Those that hail them, especially women, do so by sight with a sense of security, identifying the vehicle as safe and the driver beyond reproach and with a geographically knowledgeable brain unsurpassed anywhere in the world. There is nothing to confuse them. A cab is a cab is a cab. It’s not a rickshaw, it’s not a van, it’s not a stretch limo, it’s that peculiar shaped vehicle that even the sound when idling is recognisable to 50 million people in this country alone, as a London taxi. You don’t need me to tell you about the power of identity except to say it’s priceless, particularly when associated with a commodity that has been servicing the public for over 300 years. So why on earth change it? I did tell you I was a traditionalist!
Anyway, the only reason I mention the new Mercedes Vito Taxi at all is primarily for the benefit of those members who will be purchasing them. It is to make them aware that the style of the front two doors, which have a crease going at an angle across the middle, prevents our normal size logo from being attached without being distorted. Subsequently a new reduced sized logo has been designed to fit just below the crease. These have been produced and are available at Roman Way. Please be aware that this smaller size logo is only to be used on the new Mercedes Vito Taxi and not on taxis that can accommodate our normal size logo.

Allen Togwell
DaC Marketing

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