Perhaps viewers to TDO would like to understand how
www.fastblacks.com actually operates. How it sets the tone of the debate in Edinburgh, how it leads to the poor quality yah boo debate which does nothing to advance the argument and shows our taxi trade in such a poor light.
My original post on fasties is in normal type.
Scottie's reply is in bold, so we can all be in awe at his intelligent ripostes and eruditeness.
My response to Scottie is in italics and posted here because of Fasties' censorship and denial.
Taylor: We've got News for you Scottie and it's all bad.
You seem to be missing the salient point here. Which is that you are entirely inconsequential to this whole debate.
Scottie: The salient point here is that you are debating nothing. You are only making derogatory remarks, pathetic attempts at humour and generally p^$$ing every decent person off!
(It would appear that fasties is not interested in promoting debate. They are clearly only interested in sycophantically massaging the egos of the status quo. Hardly the way to deal with certain and radical change, is it?)
Taylor: You don't set the agenda nor do you write the rules of engagement. Our debate is for the benefit of those who want to appraise themselves of the argument, and that's the viewing public, not the Prophet Scottie.
Scottie: I write the rules of engagement here whether you like it or not and you are treading very close to the edge. It's actually amusing that you really believe that you are involved in a debate.
(Seems Scottie mistook my premise about the entire debate for his grace and favour permission to post on his site. Clearly slighted through his own incompetence, he picked up his ball like a child, and declared I was not allowed to play with him. This from an alleged “leading light in the trade”, one with aspirations to be respected as a leader?)
Taylor: Of course, you're not going to like it, we don't really care whether you do or not. We're not in the business of massaging your ego, nor those who think like you and seem determined to plead "the daft laddie" and pretend not to understand the points being made. This is little more than infantile debating skill and, frankly, way below the standard we thought you capable of.
Scottie: You have yet to raise one valid point worthy of serious debate.
(Scottie’s premise here is fundamentally flawed. Visitors to the site can easily see where I have lead new threads for debate and comment. The problem here in Edinburgh is that the Scotties of the trade simply refuse to consider anything that is not the status quo. Anything which means change, though they must surely realise that change is coming, and they should be at its forefront in order to shape it for their own interests. This is akin to a boxer denying that a punch is coming until he’s laid out on the canvas, too late to avoid it.)
Taylor: Rather than refusing to answer questions, the Skull, dyslexic "twerp" he is, is leading the debate here. And a damn fine job he's making of it too. Shouldn't you be asking yourself why?
Scottie: What debate is he leading. Forget any stupid response and tell us all.
(Proof of the pudding is it not? Stoic defence of the status quo, manifestly unfair though it is, leads to selective blindness.)
Taylor: Mayhem? I hope so. Because out of chaos - only necessary because of the poor brain capacity of those in the trade and inability to understand reason and logic - will come the exciting new dawn that unfettered enterprise will visit on our trade.
Scottie: Utopia? You still believe in the tooth fairy as well?
(Once again, another cheap jibe. No contribution to the argument. All debating reason lost in order to try to score a cheap personality point. He failed once again.)
Taylor: Taylor's argument about quality rather than quantity controls? Given the endgame, why aren't you putting all your resources into ensuring that our trade can introduce the kind of quality controls which a de-restricted trade needs, and will encourage our customers to think hackney for their next trip? Dig through the site - I've already waxed lyrical about this, making all kinds of suggestions to protect our standards.
Scottie: Who else believes that de-restriction is on the cards, apart from you and your buddies?
(Clearly a sign Scottie is not paying attention, else he would know about the reaction of councillors, drivers and customers. And, no alternative offered. Because Scottie doesn’t have one except the status quo, the last bastion of security in an increasingly insecure trade. By now the Ostrich has buried his head in the sand right up to the coccyx.)
Taylor: Poor quality of posts? Is this personal opinion, based on illogic and unreason, designed to impress the sycophants? I've posted over 1435 times. A statistic which ensures that this site is raised above the level of banal. I've already written that, since Skull, then I, started posting, this site has lit up like a Christmas tree. While the views have increased considerably, don't you realise that folks are logging on the read the message.
Scottie: You should try reading your posts. Day by day, they become more like the infantile rants of a spoilt brat. Perhaps you suffer from ASD (Attention Seeking Syndrome). Yes you did write to me about your Christmas tree which only proves my point about ASD.
(I can’t make up my mind whether Scottie’s problem is a lack of understanding or plain jealousy. More later.)
Taylor: And, doesn't the poor quality of return debate Scottie, particularly from you my son, simply suggest the message is getting through? We're clearly telling the truth.
Scottie: It suggests to me that you are successfully p^$$ing everyone off with your lies.
(But Scottie doesn’t describe why they’re lies. He doesn’t show any understanding of the debate which he could use to refute the arguments or the position held by Taylor and the Skull. Yet, we so wanted him to when we started posting on the site. We believed we would be able to engage in meaningful dialogue. Never even got that far – too busy busting our backs picking up dummies projected from Scottie’s perambulator.)
Taylor: So, we can assume when you posted the above, it was all from the hip, dummy spat out, and no reference to the opinions of relevant others.
Scottie: Wrong yet again. One wonders if you ever think straight.
(Perhaps the most disturbing of all Scottie’s replies. Here is telling us that his rant – too poor to even call a diatribe – was a carefully thought our, reasoned response. Also worrying is that he is agreeing that he consorted with others to reach this response – we all know who, don’t we? And this “consortium” would have us believe it is the real soul of the trade, we should all follow it?)
Taylor: Perhaps the most revealing aspect though, is your reference that you have no intention of leading anyone anywhere. What was all that guff about representation and watching this space and, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, something was in the offing?
That was clearly a load of bull. We weren't impressed then. We're not impressed now. I wonder whether you, like Dewar before you, suddenly realised that the clout you hold in this trade doesn't amount to a can of beans.
Dewar managed six souls - allegedly - disillusioned couldn't even muster himself out of the starting blocks - too lazy, too incompetent or too sensible to realise he was out of his depth.
Now, you seem to have been spectacularly less successful than even disillusioned was - who's either dropped off the planet or reincarnated himself as another anonymous bag of vile, venom and gastric wind.
Scottie: Informing people about something and leading it are two entirely separate matters. If you think you are in with the big boys, carry on with your spectacularly unsuccessful drivel.
(Can’t say anymore than Scottie lied about representation. He imparted the belief, I believe intentionally, that there was a move afoot to strive for proper representation and he was somehow near the front of leading it. The posts are there for all to see – unless there has been another piece of judicious Scottie type editing in the interim.)
Taylor: The reality is that there is no prospect of this trade being properly represented, ever. A fact the council depends on to divide and rule, mercilessly.
Scottie: Taylor has spoke (sic)!!!! (Bollocks as usual.)
(Reality actually. How I would love to be wrong. But I suspect I’m not. Whatever groupings are formed, or being formed, none of them are democratic in nature. None of them care a fig about the plight of drivers. And they care even less about the customers. And, none of them care a jot about the various competitive elements eating away at our core business.)
Taylor: This is why we make no apologies for our actions, why we seek no permission, why we justify ourselves to no one and why this trade is in the certain process of change, with an endgame which will we will ensure suits our needs, and those who support us.
Scottie: Taylor has spoke!!!! (Bollocks as usual.) Are we to be honoured that we are graced with his presence?
(Once again Scottie has interpreted my rules of engagement for the debate as a slight on his control of Fasties. Poor boy.)
Taylor: Perhaps this is why you are so keen to disparage me. You wish you had the balls to confront the issues like I do. With no regard for detractors. And, in the full glare of my real identity?
Scottie: Dream on. You do not confront issues, you confront people. In fact anyone who dares to disagree with your views. You create confrontation where there is none. You are incapable of sensible and serious debate on anything. That is not disparaging, it is simple FACT.
(I’d like to know how issues can be confronted without confronting directly those who slavishly adhere to those issues? In any case what is wrong with confronting people. If they aren’t up to debate, why are they engaging it in the first place?)
Taylor: With me you get what you see. Truth, justice and the Taylor/Skull & Co. way.
Scottie: That should read the Taylor/Skull & Co idea of truth and justice. (which bears little resemblance to truth and justice)
(So, give us your version Scottie. That is what real debate is about. Only, because you spat out the dummy and censored me, it will have to take place here on TDO, where real debate is not only allowed to flourish, but is actively encouraged.)
Taylor: Incidentally, our real definition of common sense is that we have a common bond with reason, logic and free market philosophy - and we sense that it will prevail.
Scottie: Yes you have a common bond - pity it is not round your necks!
Sadly Mr Taylor, you are capable of so much better but choose instead to seek the limelight for all the wrong reasons. I am now forced to moderate your actions here to prevent your further abuse aimed at all and sundry.
(What I can’t understand is, if Scottish has so much admiration for, why did he try to treat me like an idiot and censor me from the site? We should not forget that it was Scottie who set the tone of the debate in his first post referring to Taylor and the Skull. Remember this was from a man who had never spoken to either of us, yet clearly came to the party with preconceived ideas. Even though he disparaged us at the outset, in the interests of debate, we agreed to engage him on Fasties. Perhaps we shouldn’t have bothered. However, before we end this, here is the original posting from Scottie reproduced in full, so everyone can make their own mind up. )
Scotties original post - his idea of an invitation to debate.
I keep hearing about this bunch, but apparently they either don't have the courage of their convictions (pun intended) to post on here. Instead they keep quoting this forum elsewhere.
Having heard about "the dark side" I had a look earlier and I can see why it's so called. I don't think anyone with a modicum of common sense would want to join their ranks.
Skull doesn't make a lot of sense - he seems to be stuck in a groove about £50k plate values. Jasbar aka Taylor is still the hasbeen-wannabee that he always was.
This local Edinburgh forum isn't good enough for them obviously; they want to go national with their lies, deceit and self-importance!!!
Scottie
Spoken like a true PRO££IT, Scottie.
Taylor & Skull