Taxi Driver Online

To 'Dusty Bin' Have you never heard of 'tongue in cheek'? OMG, is it compulsory for all hacks to be strapped down and have their sense of humour extracted the day they receive their badge? As I said in an earlier post, it is sometimes handy for me personally to know where the officers are, because I really do want to discuss something pressing with them regarding our association members.

But, for the majority of driver's, yes, it's really saying, for instance, "have you got your badge on........ have you put your mag mount stickers on your doors.......... are all your lights working..... and on, and on. I don't know how old you are, but I often have 'senior moments'. On more than a couple of occasions, when seeing the officers are out, I've had to reach for the glove box to retrieve my badge, because I've totally forgotten to put it on. Is that really so bad?

TO SUMMARISE FOR YOU, YOU ARE A PHD YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS TO PICK ANYONE UP WHO HASN'T FIRST MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH YOUR OFFICE, IT DOESN'T GET ANY SIMPLER THAN THAT, SO NEXT TIME AN UNBOOKED PUNTER APPROACHES YOU, DO THE RIGHT THING AND POINT THEM TO THE PROPER RANK, IF YOU WANT TO WORK THE ROAD BUY A PLATE LIKE WE ALL DID, UNTIL THEN STOP THINKING YOU ARE SOMETHING YOU LEGALLY AREN'T.

Personally I'd hand them a card, explain that I can't pick them up and why and suggest in future they ring the number on the card and they will send a phv to pick them up I wouldn't point them in the direction of a cherry pickers rank

And there are insurance companies you know, mine included, who say they don't give a monkey's if the fare in my car was booked properly or not, if I'm involved in an accident, they will not even ask how the fare was booked, they are absolutely not interested. That being the case then, my only sin is that I've broken the law. Sooooooo, can we have a hands up from all you halo wearers out there who haven't broken the law recently? What????? Not even touched 33 in a 30 zone? So you hypocrites are saying it's ok to break some laws, but not others. Hmmmmm? And be honest Jeff, if you came out of the paper shop at the parade, and there was someone standing by your cab asking you to take him to the Quay, would you take him? Is there a rank at the parade? The only reason you hacks are not done for 'no insurance' when you contravene the police act, is that no local authority has ever bothered to take you through the legal process required to make it so. I've already explained in my previous post, if we are caught cobbling, just a £10 fare, the penalty is approx. £1000, and, if you've already got a couple of SP30's, possible loss of licence and livelihood. Tell me of any other crime on the statute book, where there is NO victim, where all parties involved are happy at the conclusion of the crime, and where the penalties are so punitive?

Going to beg to differ that insurance co's don't care, they do! If you pick up illegally and are caught by an enforcement officer, chances are you will get an IN10 conviction. A typical insurance certificate wording is as follows "Including the carriage of passengers or goods for private hire by previous booking". That is from Liverpool Victoria. If you pick up illegally without a prior booking then your insurance is not valid for that job. However, under the various Road Traffic Acts there is a little gem called "insurer concerned". In this context the following applies. If you injure someone e.g. passenger or pedestrian, even though you have technically invalidated your insurance for that trip, your insurer will still have to pay. They can then seek reimbursement from you of any costs they incure. £5000 whiplash claim against you? Fancy coughing that up?

Next, see what an IN10 does to your next insurance premium, particularly when required to disclose why you got it. Allow for a 35%+ premium loading. These days insurance co's regard driving without insurance almost as seriously as drink driving.