Taxi Driver Online

Flabby cabbies told to live a life less shabby...

Published on Fri Dec 10 10:05:53 GMT 2010

They’ve already been told to smarten up their act and banned from wearing their Preston North End shirts while working.

And taxi drivers have also been asked to stay in their cabs while waiting at ranks in case they make the streets look scruffy.

Now, cabbies are being offered advice on how to keep their waistlines in check.

The Don’t Sit, Get Fit campaign will see up to 20 Hackney carriage drivers recruited on to a free six-week health course, starting in January.

They will be given a full health MOT, including blood pressure and cholesterol tests, before attending three 90-minute group sessions at the Minerva Health Centre at Deepdale.

Experts will give advice on healthy eating, portion sizes, healthy snacks and food labels, plus exercise, managing weight and stop smoking advice.

Today, drivers gave a mixed reaction to the course being run by Preston Council and the NHS Fit Squad and Quit Squad.

John Peters, 62, from Ribbleton, said it was a “good idea” but he wouldn’t be able to commit to it.

He said: “Time for one thing – I start work at 4am so I’m in bed for 7pm and I want the afternoons to myself. My dad’s 89 and I want to spend time with him."

“It is an unhealthy lifestyle. I do a bit of walking, but that’s all. Today I’ve had two cheese sandwiches and two mince pies.”

Zafar Iqbal, 32, from Fulwood, said drivers should be given financial incentives to join up.

Smoker Bobby Brown, 41, said he exercised by walking his dog and said it was another example of interference.

He said: “It’s typical council really. I believe in small government. I don’t believe in being told what to do."

“They should get out of people’s lives and get on with doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Adam Umar, 51, who has been driving since 1979, said he exercised on a treadmill at home. He said: “I try not to eat many takeaways. I go home for food.”

Bashil Patel, 46, said he went home at lunchtime to eat and also exercised at home. Mr Patel, who has been driving for 24 years, said: “I never eat from takeaways."

“We’re all self-employed so we go home for dinner and I have breakfast before I start."

“I have rice and curry and chapati and sometimes vegetable curry.”

Father-of-four Iqbal Dasu, who lives in Fulwood, said drivers should be offered discounted membership at council-run leisure centres.

The 40-year-old said: “We’re paying so much money, about £40 per hour for a hall. How can people get fit? I can’t afford it now.”

The sessions will be planned to fit around drivers’ shifts and they will be offered follow-up appointments.

Around 300 drivers will be sent details from the council over the next few days.

Anyone interested should contact licensing manager Mike Thorpe on 01772 906114.

Source; http://www.lep.co.uk/news/flabby_cabbie ... _1_2846854

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

So not having a heart attack is not an incententive then. What is about taxi drivers, they always want paying ffs



They are the NHS it is their job to look after our health



I'd hate to know what dinner is, I just couldn't eat curry for breakfast



How many is that divided by. Is it £40 each?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Preston taxi drivers urged to slim down and smarten up


Taxi drivers in Preston are being told to smarten up, slim down and stop smoking by the local authorities.

Central Lancashire PCT and the city council are trying to instil a level of fitness and a sense of style into the 300 taxi drivers across the region.

The "Fit and Quit Squad" will be running special training sessions in Preston North End's stadium.

The National Taxi Drivers Association said: "You can lead to a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

Letters have been sent to taxi drivers asking if they are willing to take part in the free fitness scheme, which has been designed to fit round their shifts and lifestyles.

'Bit ridiculous'

Tracy Sutton, from the PCT, said: "It's really important because the job they do is already very sedentary.

"They work shifts, have funny eating patterns and they also work through the night when takeaways are often the only food available.

“Many of them actually enjoy having a dress code because they feel like ambassadors of the city”

Mark Selley Preston Hackney Carriage Association

"We have had a positive response so far, many drivers do want to get fit and shed those pounds."

Stop smoking sessions will also be available for those taking part in the fitness regimes at the Minerva Health Centre at Deepdale.

Taxi drivers were sent a dress code about a year ago, which detailed what they could and couldn't wear.

Bare chests, football shirts, flip-flops and shell-suits are not permitted.

Mark Selley from the Preston Hackney Carriage Association, said he agreed with some of the authorities' ideas.

"In Edinburgh the taxi drivers have to wear smart trousers and collared shirts, many of them actually enjoy having a dress code because they feel like ambassadors of the city.

"We do need to smarten up, and I do agree with the initiative to get taxi drivers fit, but I'm not sure what the take-up will be.

"You can lead to a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

However, Wayne Clark, of the National Taxi Drivers Association, said: "The ban on football shirts is a bit ridiculous.

"I'm more likely to think a driver wearing a Preston North End T-shirt will know their way around more than one wearing a suit."

If these people are going to misquote me, I wish they'd spell my name right!

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Pass me a fag while I cook myself a big fry up then, I'll nip to the local off licence to get me a tray of 24 tinnies for this afternoon.

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

Is it spelled "Wain"?

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Who the f*** are they?

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IDFIMH

An appropriate combination of names given discussions under way on another thread!