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Were Hundreds of HCs & PHVs Mousing?
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Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Were Hundreds of HCs & PHVs Mousing?
Were Hundreds of Hackney Carriages & Private Hire Vehicles Mousing?


THIS IS A TRUE SITUATION

Firstly, some information, then I will set the scene & lastly I will ask the questions, because I’m too tired to think now, haven’t been to bed yet, can’t be bothered & don’t really know what the answers are & want other forum members to sort it out ready for me to read after I have had some sleep. At the end I will make an observation or two.


The Information;

Long Marston Airfield was a Royal Air Force Bomber Command OTU (training unit) airfield & base between 1941 and 1954. It is situated approximately 3 miles south west of Stratford-upon-Avon near the village of Long Marston in Warwickshire. Although Long Marston village is nearest to the airfield’s perimeter, the nearest village to the entrance to the airfield is Lower Quinton. Both these villages are in the Stratford-upon-Avon District Council’s area, as is the airfield.

The airfield is still used for very light aircraft, and the airfield’s website says, ‘PPR (Prior Permission Required) by telephone essential. Landing fee £25 without PPR, free with.’ That shows how small the airfield is.

The postal address of the airfield is Long Marston Airfield, Campden Road (B4632), Warwickshire, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 8LL

Global Gathering is an annual dance music festival promoted by Angel Music Group, the company behind Godskitchen, and takes place on the last weekend of July each year at Long Marston Airfield, near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The cost of a two day pass (from 9.00am Friday to 3.00pm Sunday) for this year’s event was £175 per person. 50,000 people attend each year, including this year’s event which finishes today.

The festival has been running since 2001. Global Gathering is the largest global gurn off ever seen, there are some of the best gurners in the land, they ALL come out of the wood work. (source: the Internet)

And if you didn’t know what the verb to gurn means (& I didn’t until now), from the online urban dictionary we have;

Gurn

The act of clenching your jaw muscles together and grinding your teeth together whilst under the influence of either ecstasy or speed. Often alleviated by chewing gum; or more commonly these days, baby dummies. Magnesium can often help to looses the jaw bones and prevent teeth-grinding. In exceptional cases; like an ecstasy overdose, it is possible to have complete jaw-lock; where you physically cannot open your mouth (though this is rare).

Usage; “Man, I'm gurning tonnes tonight” OR “Man, I’m gonna gurn off at Global”

Also,

The act of manipulating one's facial muscles in an unusual manner usually associated with late nights and loud music. Sometimes used in attempt to attract a mate, but rarely successful.

Usage; “I was gurning like a trout last night! “

So now you all know. Anyway, fun over; back to the issue.


Picture the Scene;

For the last few years, yours truly has, after working the night in Birmingham until it starts to go quiet, travelled the 30 miles or so from Birmingham to Long Marston Airfield, to provide a service to the Global Gathering gurners. It’s worth the journey, believe me. There is a makeshift unofficial ‘rank’ inside the airfield grounds on a dirt track. There is neither signage nor markings at the makeshift ‘rank’. There is no charge for using the ‘rank’, nor is there a permit system; it’s a genuine ‘free for all’. The rank is out of sight of the 50,000 Global Gathering revellers. It is assumed that a reveller could ask venue personnel where the taxis are.

There is neither a barrier nor a gate in place to close off this dirt track. It is not known if the airfield has bye-laws.

This year, as in other years, there were licensed Hackneys & Private Hires all standing in line (300 or so). These ‘Hire & Reward’ vehicles were from LAs including Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, Cherwell, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Solihull, Birmingham & probably a whole load of other LAs.


Questions for ‘my learned friend’ (and there are many on this forum);

What offence, if any, is committed by all or any Hackney Carriage Vehicle drivers at this venue?

What offence, if any, is committed by all or any Private Hire Vehicle drivers at this venue?

What offence, if any, is committed by the organisers of Global Gathering?

What offence, if any, is committed by the owners of Long Marston Airfield?

What action, if any, could the organisers of Global Gathering take to include or exclude those ‘Hire & Reward’ vehicles as they see fit from picking up passengers from this venue?

What action, if any, could the owners of Long Marston Airfield take to include or exclude those ‘Hire & Reward’ vehicles as they see fit from picking up passengers from this venue?

What action, if any, could Stratford-upon-Avon District Council take to include or exclude those ‘Hire & Reward’ vehicles as they see fit from picking up passengers from this venue?

If there were direction signs within the Global Gathering venue site showing the way to the makeshift ‘rank’, would your answers to the above questions be different, and if so, please elaborate?

If there were signs & markings at the makeshift ‘rank’, for instance a pole with a sign saying, ‘Taxi Rank’ and barriers with hoardings saying, ‘Taxi Rank’, would your answers to the above questions be different, and if so, please elaborate?

Under these circumstances, if a Hackney driver were to go into the grounds of the venue and openly tout for business, would he/she be committing an offence?

Under these circumstances, if a Private Hire driver were to go into the grounds of the venue and openly tout for business, would he/she be committing an offence?

Under these circumstances what fares could be charged by all or any Hackneys to destination that terminate outside their licensed areas & conversely within their licensed areas?

Under these circumstances what fares could be charged by all or any Private Hire to destination that terminate outside their licensed areas & conversely within their licensed areas?

What other observations would ‘my learned friend’ like to make?


My Observations;

This forum could well become an Ariston & go on, & on, & on …..
And you still say we don’t need new legislation!!!
Author:  JD [ Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm surprised you got no response to these rather simple a questions, Mr Brummie. Perhaps Mr T might oblige you after he's finished getting his head around the proposed amendments offered up by the meeting of mindless.

Regards

JD
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
JD wrote:
I'm surprised you got no response to these rather simple a questions, Mr Brummie. Perhaps Mr T might oblige you after he's finished getting his head around the proposed amendments offered up by the meeting of mindless.


My main point was my last sentence.

How can a situation which I described in my post exist (albeit right out in the sticks in the middle of nowhere) without any controls whatsoever & for there NOT to be a need for wholesale repealing of all the old legislation & enactment of new carefully thought out legislation to replace the out-dated statutes.

That was the main point of my post & all the details are accurate & true.

There were even motorbike police in attendance, who couldn't give a flying copulation about the whole situation.

And if nobody cares, then HCs & PH from a radius of 30-50 miles away will enjoy the pickings including yours truly.

New legislation is neaded which must include all 'Hire & Reward' work from wherever that work originates; street, road, cul-de-sac, private grounds, fields, pub car parks etc, etc.

This nonsense about ..... "Ah well it's private ground, but it's owned by the council, who have sublet it to the government department in charge of Political Correctness & I know the taxi that picked up the passengers was not licensed in the district, but the case law is so complicated that I don't know if a prosecution will be successful, blah, blah, blah ..... "; well all that has to stop if we are to get a grip on the problem nationally.

New purposeful legislation for the 21st century is what is needed.

At the moment we have a house that was built in 1847 that has had that many extensions added to it that the pipework, wiring, floor levels, ceiling heights, roof levels & materials throughout are all different & not compatible.

It's time to knock down this ramshackle 'hovel of a mansion' that may well have been wonderful when first constructed, but is no longer fit for purpose today.
Author:  JD [ Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
New purposeful legislation for the 21st century is what is needed.

At the moment we have a house that was built in 1847 that has had that many extensions added to it that the pipework, wiring, floor levels, ceiling heights, roof levels & materials throughout are all different & not compatible.

It's time to knock down this ramshackle 'hovel of a mansion' that may well have been wonderful when first constructed, but is no longer fit for purpose today.


I couldn't agree more and I suspect most people feel the same way, except for those who have an ulterior motive for still wishing to live in the past.

Regards

JD
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Wed Jul 30, 2008 3:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
is the use of vehicle aircon and mp3 players covered in the 1847 act?... :lol:
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