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meet Brian at Brunswick House to go home with him. I hailed a Taxi, which by chance was a Dial a Cab and asked for Brunswick Place. The driver, who was very nice, asked if I was a member of staff. I told him I wasn't, but was Brian’s wife. Upon reaching my destination, the driver refused payment, wished me a Merry Christmas and drove away. I have no idea who he was. When I told Brian, he wanted to know the plate number or registration number, what the driver looked like! But I couldn't answer any of his questions - typical! If the driver reads this and I am sure he will - thank you very much. Brian always tells me that Dial a Cab have the best drivers in the London taxi trade and I think he might be right.
Thank You
Brenda Rice

THANK YOU
On the 15th December, I used my Westminster Taxicard to go to The Aquarium at County Hall. I left a glove in the cab but didn’t realise until I had left the cab. I was quite distressed as it was a special glove that I had had for some time.
   Much to my joy, the following morning the taxi cab driver called at my flat and dropped the glove through my letter box.
   This letter is to convey my appreciation of his kind gesture. It certainly made my Christmas..
Margaret Kirkham
London W9

PEEING IN THE WIND?
In twenty years on this radio circuit, I have always found that talking to Chairmen and Board members - past and present - is a bit like peeing in the wind. I shall, however, respond to Mr A.Siteman’s article in the January Call Sign.
   Regarding drivers not doing 40 jobs per month: While the Society persists with despatching local, City and central London trips 15 minutes before the pre-booked times, I am surprised that any radio work is covered at all. This is a Mutual Trading Society not a plc and the driver’s income should be enhanced at source. Asking him to waste 7 or 8 minutes or forfeit his run-in, does not inspire him to hit the ACCEPT button. Try despatching only five minutes before time. Oh God! Look at me! I am covered in p*** again…
Glen Roberton (E54)

Aubrey Siteman replies:
I will not discuss Mr Roberton’s personal habits, but for the benefit of all our members I will endeavour to answer the points to which he refers. Firstly, with a five day week, if you were to analyse what 40 jobs per calendar month really means, you arrive at under two jobs per day.
   Now, I presume you are on the circuit to work the radio or why pay a monthly subscription ? I do not think that it is too much to ask anyone to do that amount of work, providing he works full time. I would have thought that Mr Roberton with all the years of

 being on the Radio would have by now understood why work is dispatched 12 minutes before pre- booked times and incidentally only 50 % of jobs are pre-booked, the others are for straight away so the thrust of his argument weakens anyway.
   But let us examine the 12 minute lead time ( it is 12 and not 15 minutes). The reason is because we cannot know how far away in the primary zone is the nearest cab who will accept that particular job at the time of offer. The computer allows one minute for a cab to accept or reject that job. If that journey is rejected by the first cab it is offered to the next cab and so on until it is covered irrespective as to where he is in the zone. Any one can see that if the lead time is shortened to any great degree many more cabs would be turning up late. What about allowing for congestion, even in the inner zones ? If the job has to go to the back up zone as well, how long do you think our customers would put up with that? I do understand that sometimes you have to wait because you are nearby the pick-up and lose out meter-wise because you are too early, but even on calling from ranks it is very difficult to avoid this problem.
   I must also say in answer to Mr Roberton’s letter that in December we broke all records in the amount of work that was taken and covered by our members, so it is evident that the majority do not think like he does.
   There is one answer for you Mr Roberton! Would you like to propose at the next AGM that all jobs are called ‘As Directed’ and ‘Non-rejectable’ and then we could reduce the pre-booked time to virtually nothing! I must remind you that you would have to put the proposition in person! I am not convinced that many members would go for that. From experience of your working habits I do not think you would be happy with that proposition either!

LOCKED IN
Just to say how much I enjoyed reading about my experience when locked in Kingsway college at Kings Cross while on a radio job (Call Sign, Jan 98). It wasn’t funny at the time but I still enjoyed reading about it again.
Michael Green (F25)

WHEELCHAIR PASSENGERS
I cannot allow your Editorial (Jan 98) in the now excellent Call Sign go without comment. Like many others, I do the occasional wheelchair job, but quite often reject a ‘W’ job for no other reason than I can’t be bothered with the manoeuvring of the chair. Very rarely do I even think that there is a real passenger in the chair, I

 just think of the wheelchair. Your Editorial on the disabled changed that forever. No longer will I reject a wheelchair job. No longer will I think; "I can’t be bothered." I realise exactly what you meant when you said - and I quote because it is worth the time:
"Quite often, it is only when you actually pick up the passenger that you truly realise that you are dealing with someone who is trying to lead as normal a life as possible. I’ve yet to meet anyone who wanted to be in their wheelchair!"
   It is very rarely that I can say my life has been changed purely on the strength of reading something. But I can honestly say that your Editorial has changed the way I think. All I can say is thank you.
P.McCarthy (C1)

A LETTER TO AUBREY SITEMAN

Dear Aubrey
You state in your report (Jan Call Sign) that the majority of members present at the EGM voted in favour of a conversion to a PLC. Since the EGM, I have spoken and discussed the voting issue with many members. Many of them were in favour of a PLC but could not agree with you as regards as to how the voting went in percentage terms, but we did all agree that the majority (however small) of the members voted against the proposal.
   For centuries, historians have re-written history to suit their own politically biased beliefs. I object to you, or anyone inside or outside re-writing our Society’s history.
  So, to put the record straight:
NO! The Holocaust was not Zionist propaganda…
NO! Stalin was not a nice chap who was just misunderstood…
NO! The majority of members present at the 1997 EGM did NOT vote in favour of a PLC..
  Is the PLC issue dead as some claim? I think not! It is merely sleeping…
Steve Shaller
R75

A TRIP INTO THE UNKNOWN?

In my sixth year as a DAC member, on Sunday 11th Jan, I thought I saw an apparition, an unnerving feeling when you are an archetypal sceptical cabby.
   A Metrocab pulled up beside me at the lights in Prince Albert Road, NW8. I rubbed bleary eyes aggressively until my eyes cleared focusing on the rarity! A Board member, not just any Board member but God, met my eyes - Brian Rice grinning from cheek to cheek no less. Good to see our Chairman, given his demanding job, still finding time to work the streets, ‘scratching’. Any more si