Call Sign December 2009 - Page 21

November 5 2009 certainly lived up to its name this year – at least it did in Mayfair’s Berkeley Street and in particular, outside one of London’s most popular restaurants, Nobu. Guy Fawkes night at 7pm was when the new taxi rank outside Nobu came into force. This magazine began the fight for a rank as long ago as November 2005, when in response to a letter from then-DaC driver John Fisher (C45), we contacted the tout squad giving them a list of the touts minicab registration numbers. They were hanging up outside with the apparent backing of the bouncers on the front! Within weeks, Sgt Dave Hillson of the Cab Enforcement Section, led a raid on the restaurant and several minicab drivers were arrested. We also approached Alan Matthews, who at the time was Head of Projects and Developments at the PCO. He wrote to the owners of the vehicles concerned, asking them to respond to John Fisher’s allegations. We heard no more after that. Then in April 2008, we wrote about a 21-year female driver who had become the youngest person to ever join Dial-a-Cab. Natalia Shalom (A34) had joined at the end of 2007 after her boyfriend, Daniel Woodhouse (K84), recommended it. At the time, one of Natalia’s biggest concerns was her personal safety as she preferred working into the early hours. And, until she began her personal battle with Nobu, she was very happy with the direction her working life had taken. But that battle became a real thorn in her side when in 2008, Natalia dropped a passenger outside Nobu and decided to dwell in case someone came out looking for a taxi. She later phoned Call Sign to tell us that there were so many minicabs outside, the only way she could dwell was by double-parking. Daniel had also joined her. Within minutes, the pair were told by Nobu staff to move on as she was causing an obstruction. Natalia and Daniel both refused.	What does Natalia Shalom think about the taxi rank at Nobu? JUST BRILLIANT!
	*Natalia and Daniel look thrilled at the Nobu rank opening*
	Gradually the staff became more and more threatening until one came over and told Natalia that "taxis weren’t needed as we have our own car service!" They may have thought that Natalia would slink away, but their actions were akin to the proverbial red rag to a bull. Natalia "put on" the non-rank every time she was close, telling Call Sign that having spoken to many of the passengers coming out of the restaurant, most would prefer a taxi but were not given the chance. She told us: "These minicabs will keep coming back. The best way to fight them is by putting a taxi rank outside the door, then passengers would have a choice - and I know who most would choose!" On April 20, the battle hotted up when Daniel was outside Nobu and told a DaC dispatcher the restaurant was claiming once again that "real" taxis weren’t needed as they were using minicabs! The message went out and that began the famous Dial-a-Cab drivers fight back against many of the establishments that we had lost over the years. Our drivers flooded into Berkeley Street – looking every bit like the Cavalry! For hire signs lit up the street as the taxis all parked outside Nobu, stopping the amazed minicab drivers from pulling up outside! The battle then moved onto to other clubs and restaurants with	DaC drivers once again leading the fightback. Then came 5 November 2009 and at 7pm, a proud Natalia Shalom took her place at the point of the 5-cab rank. "It’s just brilliant," she said, "and I just can’t thank Call Sign enough for its help. There was a time when I never thought we’d get this rank, but it just shows that with perseverance, anything is possible. My only fear is that when it gets busy again, we’ll overlook the ranks we have now won back and return to square one. Hopefully we’ll remember how hard the fight to reclaim them was and we won’t allow that to happen. But again, my thanks to Call Sign, they did the donkey work, I just sat here!" Perhaps, Natalia, but if we had sat there, no one would have noticed! Sexist or not, it took a great looking girl, as stubborn as they come, to bring the case to the attention of those who had the power to make the rank happen. So well done Natalia and all those drivers who started providing a service for clubs. The Nobu rank is for 5 taxis and runs from 7pm to 4am. When painted out, ranks will also be positioned at Movida in Argyle St, Babble (Berkeley Sq), Jalouse (Tenterden St), Mahiki in Dover St and of course, Funky Buddha close to Nobu itself.

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