Call Sign December 2011
Page 3
from the editor's desk
Well, so that's another year gone that everyone
shores and this increase, if it goes ahead, will
seems to think has flown by but it went far
become an albatross around our necks...
quicker than that! Now as we count down to the
Blue plaque?
Olympics, 2012 will make 2011 feel as though it
Filling a magazine like Call Sign isn't always
has dragged by! But business carries on...
easy because it relies on outside influences ie
PCNs? Not me guv!
if nothing happens during the month or if you
don't tell me about something interesting that
I don't often include personal events on this
happened to you, then this mag would sudden-
page, but I'm feeling quite chuffed at this
ly become very thin. I have never stopped being
moment and who else can I impart that info to if
grateful to DaC's drivers who always keep me
it isn't you! It was just three days after my birth-
informed about anything they believe would be
day (yes, you forgot it again) and I was doing my
worth reading about. But occasionally I have to
real job of driving a taxi.
see whether I can make my own news and one
I had just left Waterloo Station and was head-
failed attempt happened last month.
ing north along Waterloo Road towards the
I wrote to English Heritage suggesting a blue
bridge when a hand suddenly shot out. I looked
plaque be erected outside the Albany Tavern at
quickly, but all you can see are zigzags or bus
the top end of Great Portland Street. I pointed out
stops. Once you pass the Fire Station bar, there
that on Sunday 7 June 1953, a meeting was set up
is literally nowhere you can legally stop. So I
but don't do it again! But we still have nowhere
by Bonnie Martyn at the Albany and that a number
stopped on the zigzag, the lady got in and just 8
to pick up outside Waterloo.
of licensed London taxi drivers raised the sum of
seconds later we were heading towards Holborn.
TfL sent me a two page letter telling me what
£200 between them to begin a two way radio sys-
That same day, I was in Euston Road just
a naughty boy I had been, explaining that (unlike
tem so that passengers could phone for a taxi - the
approaching Dukes Road and heading towards
Lambeth), they do not make movie clips available
first of its kind in London. I added that Dial-a-Cab
Padders. Just ahead of me, the lights at Upper
unless you go to their Croydon office! They told
now had some 2000 drivers, a four-storey building
Woburn Place were green and the traffic for a
me how I could appeal the matter further and
in the City of London, will be 60 years old in 2013
change was flowing smoothly. Or it had been
why yellow boxes were important. Then at the
and wondered whether it was worthy of a plaque?
until a car at the lights suddenly slowed right down,
end of the second page they told me that as a
Jane Biro, the English Heritage Blue Plaques
apparently unsure of whether he/she needed to
gesture of goodwill, they'd cancel this PCN!
Coordinator wrote back to say that events such as
turn left or go straight ahead. The car following had
Could the mention of us being part of the
the ODRTS launch were rarely commemorated as
to stop quickly, as did I. My problem was that stop-
Mayor's transport system have made a differ-
they were currently only able to erect 12 plaques
ping that suddenly meant that my front wheels were
ence? I don't know, but what I do know is that
a year and had a shortlist of over 100! They added
left resting inside the yellow box junction, placed
in all the PCNs I have received and appealed
that Westminster Council runs their own Green
for no apparent reason on the Dukes Road junction.
over the years, I have never mentioned TfL
Plaque scheme and that we could even erect a
Perhaps they had some paint over at the time?
before and neither have I had any cancelled - bar
DIY plaque! What she was saying was no! I have
Anyway, back to that journey; by the time the
one for going to the toilet at the top of
now written to Westminster Council.
first car driver decided he/she needed to turn
Queensway last year. On that occasion I men-
Anyone out there think I'm wasting my time
left, the lights changed to red and we were all
tioned that I had the alternative of legally urinat-
on this or would it be of interest to point out to
stuck where we were, my front wheels just
ing on the rear offside wheel. I forgot to mention
our passengers as we drive past the Albany?
inside the box. But hey, I won't get a PCN for
that I would first have to find a policeman to
that. Like hell I won't!
Stuart Pessok
protect my modesty with his cape!
Around one week or so later, two brown
We don't get that many benefits for being in
I'm sad to hear that Stuart Pessok has decided
envelopes appeared in my letter box, both con-
TfL, but appealing a PCN and mentioning it
to end his editorship of TAXI Newspaper after
taining Penalty Charge Notices. One was from
could just possibly be one...?
many years. We may well be competitors, but
Lambeth for stopping on zigzags with access to
that has never stopped us having friendly chats
a movie clip showing that I had stopped for 8
Olympic fares increase?
and occasionally helping each other out with
seconds, while the second was from the Mayor
I have been a licensed taxi driver for almost 41
photos etc. So enjoy your retirement, Stuart...
at Transport for London, informing me my front
years and been in the LTDA for many of those. I
wheels had been photographed as stopping
THE last word???
believe it to be the best trade organisation with
within that box junction. Both offered me bar-
undoubtedly the most experience. But I also
The swords have been drawn and the game is
gain reduced prices of £65 if I swelled their cof-
about to begin. Our two biggest competitors are
believe the LTDA was wrong to suggest in a con-
fers within 28 days. Well, after years of telling
John Griffin's Addison Lee and Hylton Lewis's
sultation document that taxi fares should operate
drivers to always appeal against the PCNs that
Lewis Day. Now the first has bought the latter.
on rate 3 during the Olympics. I'm not sure how
are becoming more prevalent by the day, I had
The only question is who will be next? Does DaC
no choice but to appeal.
the Evening Standard (who broke the story) got
have a price? Would you sell your share to John
I emailed my appeal to Lambeth asking
hold of a copy of the consultation document, but
Griffin for £20,000???
whether they would have issued a PCN to a bus
I hope it wasn't LTPH because whoever released
that stopped on the zigzags because the bus stop
it obviously did so to cause trouble.
And of course...
was filled with buses already there? I then
But now it's out there, I believe we should
I couldn't possibly end this issue without wish-
answered my own question by saying that of
withdraw the suggestion because we are going to
ing you all either a happy Christmas, happy
course they wouldn't because the bus driver
be perceived as money-grabbers and after the
Chanukah or as the Americans call them, a
would just be doing his job. I added that as a
Games are over, it will come back to bite us on
happy holiday. Call Sign hopes to be back at the
part of TfL, I too was just doing my job in the
the bum. I have had requests for comments from
end of December with the first of its 2012
almost impossible position that Lambeth had put
press agencies around the world and really didn't
issues... and we all know what happens in 2012,
me in leaving nowhere for taxis to stop outside
know what to say because the suggestion of what
don't we? Yep, it's the 200th birthday of Charles
one of the world's busiest stations!
they refer to as a 22 percent increase at a time
Dickens (1812-1870) with the Museum of
I then emailed TfL explaining my Euston Road
when the whole of Europe is sliding towards
London holding an exhibition on the life of the
situation re the car that had stopped at a green
recession is in my view wrong and makes us
man who wrote classics as David Copperfield,
light, forcing everyone behind to do the same. I
look greedy. Rate 3 is a good clock, but with very
Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol starting next
again mentioned that taxis were part of the
heavy Olympic traffic added in, it will kill us. We
December! And apparently there are a few races
Mayor's TfL transport brigade and mentioned
should be fighting even harder for use of ORN
planned in Stratford as well...
that buses constantly block up the junctions.
lanes however impossible that looks to be
Were they issued with tickets, I queried?
and not be seen to be cashing in on something
Alan Fisher
To cut two long stories short, I received two
that is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime hon-
callsignmag@aol.com
letters back around three weeks later. Lambeth
our. Honours do not pay the bills and we need to
didn't beat about the bush. Cancelled, they said,
pay those bills long after the Games leave our
