Call Sign August 2011
Page 3
from the editor's desk
should stand up and offer their resignation.
I know we say it every year, but
As I said at the beginning, that was extremely
can you really believe that it is
difficult to write and I sincerely wish that I hadn't
already August? It seems only
had to. But what may have begun as an act of for-
yesterday when I was trying to
givable stupidity has gone way beyond that now...
decide what to put on the cover
Sing an `appy song?
of the January 2000 issue to cel-
I see that the latest taxi app GetTaxi - has
ebrate the new millennium! But
arrived in a blaze of publicity. According to the
blurb, based on a £20 journey with a 15 minute
on with the show...
waiting time, GetTaxi is up to 24% cheaper than
This month...
using current circuit's account facilities. Well, that
We seem to have kicked up something of a storm
definitely sounds a good way to get more clients.
with our last issue in revealing the loss of driver's
The only problem is that I can't help but wonder
CRB papers as they made their way from LTPH
just where this 24% saving is going to come
at their Palestra offices in Blackfriars Road to
from? After all, no circuit charges 24% or any-
CRB's home turf in Liverpool. This month we fol-
thing close to that in admin charges, so that
low that up with a DaC driver telling Call Sign
leaves just the actual fare. Hmmm? Perhaps no
how he received another driver's papers, made
and David Lessman (D19). Even the Hon
run in by putting on the meter when you arrive?
even worse by someone at the TfL end of the
President is DaC's Bill Tyzack (C06). All of them
Some even talk of not putting your meter on for
phone trying to pretend that they belonged to a
donate their services free of charge and I per-
the first 5 minutes and of course there is hardly
minicab when the papers plainly belonged to a
sonally trust each and every one of them implic-
likely to be a minimum... and you are all going
licensed London taxi driver.
itly.
to pass people in the street to cover that? I don't
Also inside this issue, the surprise news that
But recently a donation of £500 was received
think I'll be joining you, but if you decide to take
DaC Chairman Brian Rice has resigned his posi-
from Addison Lee Chairman John Griffin that
a chance then good luck. In my view it would be
tion as Lower Warden within the WCHCD and
may have been given out of the goodness of his
the first step to us all becoming minicabs.
just remaining as a normal member. Call Sign
heart and in fact I hope it was, rather than a pub-
Thank you Matthew!
will explain the real reason for his resignation as
licity stunt. But either way, that isn't the problem.
against the ridiculous rumours of his having had
That problem involves how Mr Griffin received
Again nothing to do with DaC but everything to
rows with members none of which is true.
the information that the LTFUC were "on the
do with me! Readers of the FT will know
Then we have a piece on the new Bribery Act
scrounge" something they have to continually
Matthew Engel. Whether it's a story about Tony
2010 which seems to suggest that accepting a tip
do in order to raise the funds they so desperate-
Blair, the horrors of 9/11 or the England cricket
is a form of bribery, even though it is given at the
ly need and they all do an amazing job with no
team's battle for the Ashes, Matthew Engel's
end of the journey. Call Sign has confirmation of
payment in return.
name will often appear as the writer. But it's a
that fact from a legal secretary who happens to
But sadly, an organisation that has always kept
recent piece he wrote for the international arm of
be married to a DaC driver.
well away from the political side of our trade has
the BBC that earned my thanks.
Then we have DaC driver Malcolm Levan
now become embroiled into something of a
I sometimes feel that I am totally on my own
telling us about what he believes to be a minicab
hotchpotch of who did what to whom. There are
when I refuse to spell the American way. Even
scam that even LTPH seem to agree is happen-
two main problems: Firstly, why was John
worse, some would say, I edit out Americanisms
ing. The problem is of course that there are so
Griffin's cheque not returned immediately instead
in BoM reports and even press releases from
many "licensed" minicabs they must total
of being paid into the LTFUC account and if they
LTPH (sorry Mr Mason)! Most readers probably
around 70,000 by now - that it has become
always intended returning it, why did they not just
couldn't care less, but I feel so much better
almost impossible to regulate them all and it is
return the original cheque with a polite letter
knowing that I'm not alone, so thanks to
left to individual drivers like Malcolm to watch
explaining why they couldn't accept it?
Matthew Engel I shall keep referring to licence
for wrongdoings and then report them to
The second question is how John Griffin
and not license, night not nite, hospitalise not
LTPH/TfL.
found out the charity was looking for funds?
hospitalize, capitalise not capitalize and so many
Of course, as you'd expect, there is much more
There are two alternatives.
other words where the s has been replaced by a
within this issue, so enjoy it - but if you don't
i. All the committee members keep leaflets in
z. Thank you Matthew Engel, you have well and
please do not be afraid to write in and say why.
their cabs and as we know that Mr Griffin uses
truly made my day!
Problems at the LTFUC?
taxis, it would normally seem quite feasible that
Call Sign online
he could have seen one of these leaflets and
I find a recent development within the London
taken it home.
Those of you that read the online version of Call
Taxidrivers' Fund for Underprivileged
ii. That someone from the charity actually
Sign and there are several thousand regulars
Children to be very difficult to write about. In
wrote to various organisations asking for dona-
will know that although the whole mag is there in
fact had I not read a report about it in Stuart
tions and one of those organisations was
all its glory, only half of the mag has a `search'
Pessok's Editorial page in TAXI, I'm not even
Addison Lee?
facility tied to it. That search button allows the
sure as to whether I wouldn't just have sat on the
If it was i then why did the charity still bank
reader who is looking for something specific, type
details. After all, I have the utmost respect for the
the cheque when they received it? If it was ii
in a word that they believe will be in the article
charity and the committee who achieve minor
then why would a trade charity called the
and the magic from within should find the article
miracles with the money they tirelessly raise in
London Taxidrivers' Fund for underprivileged
if it was in the 20 pages that were linked.
addition to the events they organise which bring
Children start asking minicab companies for
However, that no longer applies and since last
so much happiness to underprivileged and spe-
donations?
month, every single page can be tracked via Call
cial needs children. In fact a report of their latest
Could it be that the perpetrator was a single
Sign's `search' facility. This mag's IT department
venture the annual pilgrimage to Southend
member of the committee and that for the best of
consisting of Vince Chin has undoubtedly made
and a story about their donation to AHOY where
intentions, the rest of the committee are trying to
Call Sign Online the foremost taxi online maga-
children learn to sail boats, appear in this issue.
protect that person? After all, they were trying to
zine anywhere. Vince has been with me from the
The LTFUC have appeared in issues of Call Sign
raise funds, not nick them! If that is the case, why
beginning and has been putting that mag online
and its predecessors of News and Views and
didn't that person just hold their hands up and say
since February 1998 years before any other taxi
ODRTS Monthly ever since DaC's Sam Harris
they made an error of judgement? None of us are
mag ventured out of their drives! My thanks to
was their Hon Chairman in the 1960s and right
infallible and I for one would have said that how-
Vince and I hope the new facility is of use to
throughout the years the committee has always
ever silly, it wasn't the world's biggest crime. If,
you...
consisted of several DaC drivers, quite a number
however, there is an attempt to cover up what
of whom have been the charity's chairmen the
Alan Fisher
really happened, then sadly that would leave the
last two having been Board member Mike Son
callsignmag@aol.com
charity with no choice. The person involved
