Taxi Driver Online

Skull, you don't just want economic meltdown to achieve what you want - you need it. Clearly it's far more likely to happen in a UK context.

In that respect, your dislike for independence is quite understandable.
Economic oblivion is just around the corner for the UK. The last thing you want is a bunch of tartan people screwing it up for you.

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Make up your mind Skull.
One minute you're using the unionist argument that the country will be completely dominated by Salmond and the SNP , next you're agreeing that Scotland can (and most likely will) vote for a Socialist government.

Now I take your point that you think it doesn't matter.
You see all of them as corrupt lackeys of the wealthy classes and none of them are likely to deliver the kind of government you want.
You still need to make up your mind. You can't have it both ways.

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Not at all my dear gusmac, I don’t care who runs the show, as long as the checks and balances are put in place, to make sure the people are properly served. I want to see a government fearful of its people. I want to see the public interest come first and that of the wealthy elite and their political class second.

Give me transparency of government and politicians who are directly accountable, to their electorate, and I’m a happy chap.

This isn’t a Unionist versus Independence battle for me. I just know that unless you change the system, it will deliver up almost exactly the same result no matter who you vote into power.

FFS...That does not happen anywhere on this planet so why should it happen here, Politicians are Politicians regardless of their Political persuasion. If there's nothing in it for them then there's nothing in it full stop.

Take the Levenson inquiry, for instance. For decades, the Press in this country were believed to be untouchable even by the police. Now it’s a different ball game. That’s not to say that an independent arbiter with real teeth to hold the press to account will ever happen, but it’s come pretty close this time around.

Oh and who’s against it, Cameron, would you believe.

Levenson got it right. Only independent arbitration schemes should be commonplace and extended to anyone holding a public office.

Why should they be different? You or I would be out of a job, and the same rules should apply to those who claim to represent the public. No one should be rewarded for simply not doing their job, being incompetent, corrupt or abusing their powers.

The system isn't the way that it is by accident. It's by design. The mechanism to hold your politicians to account has simply never been put in place, and for the most part, the general public is brought-up to believe the system in its present form works.

Oh don’t you know we live in a democracy. We have free and fair elections, and our politicians represent our interests before anyone else, including themselves. Bollocks!!!

You are muddling up what you want with the best way to get it.


Happy sheep are compliant sheep, so clearly you favour the option which is most likely to panic the flock

What you want would take nothing short of a revolution to achieve. Without one, it's just fantasy.

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On the contrary, Gusmac, the system is simply a set of procedures, which together act as a mechanism to deliver a specific outcome, a bit like the workings of a clock or a piece of machinery. You could say the system is geared not to represent the public interest before that of the wealthy elite and their political class. Transparency and accountability are the gears that are missing. I simply want an educated public that doesn't accept artifice for truth or reality.

The fantasy is all yours. Your vote is what keeps the current system ticking over, you and people like you are the ones winding the spring. Your fantasy is “it might all change if we get independence” when I keep pointing out the gearing of the political machine is destined to deliver more of the same.

Oh and there’s more than one kind of revolution, you don’t have to take to the streets to educate yourself to think differently, but I'll take either as long as it brings change.

I just wish people as motivated as you, stopped dreaming and started dealing with the reality of what they are trying to achieve. I’m not against you or independence Gusmac, I just know how the system works or doesn’t depending on how you look at it.

Oh and gusmac, if it were up to me, I would double a politician's salary, but if they showed themselves to be incompetent or corrupt. I would strip them of their jobs, pensions and maybe even their liberty. It wouldn’t be the cosy little number they have at present. You would only have the most capable people in society putting themselves forward for election and none of the shi*e you have now.

Something like the Trams debacle, should have seen those responsible out on their ear, with no pension and no golden handshake either.

I think we are well aware of what you want. The point here is getting it.


I disagree. My aspirations are achievable by peaceful means.
Yours, simply are not.



You point out nothing, other than your opinion.



A revolution by any other name is still a revolution. They can be violent or peaceful but they are still revolutions.
Without one, you will achieve nothing. The powers that be will just ignore you and carry on regardless.



Perhaps you need a shot of reality yourself.

I don't have enough years left to wait for the public to educate themselves and then peacefully or otherwise demand a sea change in the way this country is governed. Neither do my grandchildren for that matter.

It simply isn't going happen. Nobody gives a shit

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Gusmac, your aspirations depend on an ill-conceived belief that, come independence. The wealthy elite and their political class will simply prostrate themselves in the public for the common good.

As for my aspirations, well let’s just say they are a little more realistic, than expecting those in power to castrate themselves for people like you.

Gusmac, the system is a machine which is geared to work the way that it does. It's no accident. Now if you believe this is my opinion, you are a fool. You and I are living the reality of what the machine delivers, and both of us recognise it needs to be changed.

What we are debating is how that change will come about. Oh and Gusmac, I have history on my side, and I don’t delude myself as to what it will take.

Real change comes when knowledge of a situation collides with circumstances, which are no longer acceptable, forcing people to make decisions and to take action. Asking them to vote for change is just a bit of a giggle. You are giving your approval to the system and what it already delivers.

Unfortunately, Gusmac, neither you nor I will see any real change through the ballet box. We need economic meltdown energy or food shortages or even a war right on our doorstep before that happens.

As you say "nobody gives a [edited by admin]"

Do you care to enlighten me Skull or is this just a comment without substance I've been fair with you, ive told you that de-restriction wont and hasnt worked in Edinburgh, ive even pointed out there are differences between LAs, hey ive even produced a viable alternative to de-restriction, one that has a chance based on the consultation published, so i feel you owe it to the debate Skull if you could clear up the quoted comment, thanks

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Alway's been about Tightening the Grip!

Well, Dougie, when you have Ph, growing exponentially you can hardly claim to be operating in a restricted market while doing the same job competing for the same work. So de-restriction apparently does work, especially if you happen to be the owner of a Ph, company like Edinburgh City Private Hire.

What we are really talking about here is your pretendy little plate value, which I might add, has taken a serious financial knock over the last few years. The only real restriction is denying qualified driver's unfettered access to the tools of their trade. And that’s where you artificial plate value comes from, not the customer transport side of things. Over the last twenty years, you’ve actually been losing your market to Ph. Your tariff has never been higher yet customer numbers are probably lower than at any time during the last two decades.

Now as for my comment, you don’t know how Ph, are going to react to any new legislation coming in. You just automatically assume it’s going to be good for you. Well, let me tell you Dougie, it doesn’t work that way. Unlike committee run cooperatives, they don’t have to call a meeting to buy some bogroll. They will already be planning their next move, and they won’t be looking for MacAskill or Salmond to do it on their behalf.

They are simply not in the business of giving work away because of a change in legislation. Improvise, adapt, overcome is how they think.

Dougie, forget your myopia about what you think is the case in Edinburgh.

I warn you that Edinburgh is going to de-restrict. I'm going to make it happen. We're going to make it happen.

I'm going to take your licence premium from you. And I'm going to do it because it is unfair. It breaches every tenet of moral and political decency. It is manifestly wrong.

And that's why it has to end.

Now watch this space.

The council has the opportunity now to do it while exercising some degree of control. And they're off on their own agenda.

They derestrict, then they keep that control. They fail to derestrict and the control will be taken from them.

Upshot is, your plate value is going. Your restriction is ending. Market forces is coming to Edinburgh.

Bet on it!

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Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"