Taxi Driver Online

I have a differing view on the London Taxi Trade than Mr A does, but then again Mr A has always had a differing view to the other 25'999 drivers who make up the London Taxi trade.

Luckily over 10'500 (Mar 2009 f.y.i Mr A) of us think along similar lines and we form the LTDA, the LCDC and Unite.

Sadly about 34 people think the world of the London Cabbie can be put right by cutting and pasting E-Mails, and cutting the trade representative sides out of any issues or negotiations with the PCO.

But there's always a few.

BBBBBBPPPHCAAA.

34 people and about 6 of those were you!!!

Come on GBC, why be so against individuals trying to protect their industry. At least we collectively try and get something done, even if we have to send 1000 emails and it has the effect of changing one thing that is currently going against us then surely it has to be worth it ?

I take pride in my trade and most of the fellas on the forum you refer to also share in that pride. We care enough to take time out to do something about the problems we face as a trade, we are generally disillusioned with the trade organisations; for too long they have been inactive when they should have been fighting our corner. I too am a member of the LTDA but until recently they too haven't really done much to counter the changes being made by the PCO, to fight against camera enforcement carried out by the councils or tried to curb the proliferation of clipboard Johnnies that seems to be sweeping across London like a plague!

Catch you around.

Be Lucky.

Apart from Charlie Boy.

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IDFIMH

Yep

CC

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

ive got a dual/double duty badge HC/PH, what does that make me?





am i gonna regret asking?.....der...............

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Tribalism Inhibits where as a united front can succeed...People or Groups can Disagree as much a they want, that is just human nature...but in order to be noticed it is not outside our realms of possiblity to put those differances aside and unite as one to fight the bigger threat.

Oh its tempting to say somthing, get ye behnd me, on i will not.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

Unless you've got something sensible to say it's best you don't bother

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

were as freedone of speech gone, best may be, dont bother why.

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

This is why cos it doesn't make sense

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

ho is that all. who ever said that any thing in this trade made sense.

" like why the hell we cant get together for our own good were the sense in that"

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C. Oakes


The Hackney Association Ltd
bbha@btinternet.com

That proved a small point though didn’t it? Under one name I was king of the board with a score of 11 at one point, whereas posting under 'GBC' with exactly the same views got me an instant score of minus 35.
Not as much as Grant Davis, but it just goes to show the old 'attack the poster and not the content' still holds court.

But it's good to see half the threads over on there still concentrate on me, opposed to trade issues.



I've never said E-Mails don't have a place nor that I'm against them, but if we all went down this 'online union' road, the PCO would just laugh and like I do with some E-mails, hit the delete button.
Ask Mr A, most people just ignore his E-Mails now.

I'm sure you are aware there are huge amounts of work that go on behind the scenes at the PCO in regular meetings with ALL the trade bodies, which Mr A never seems to accept or believe. The LTDA is'nt just 'TAXI' every two weeks.
I accept Mr A is quite unique. In fact I don't think I've ever known a bloke like him or Mr Kennedy.
Mr K is another one who has been on every Radio Circuit and a member of every trade body, none of which were good enough for him, all of which have 'failed' him.

It’s easy to point out failures / problems, but I never see any permanent solutions coming forward from some of the individuals who seek to undermine the three trade bodies.

Even more humorous is the dozen or so non-members who try to dictate LTDA policy.
With that in mind, I think I'll go down the local Labour Club tonight and ask that they change their policy on the clubs dress code as I don't like it. But wait! I'm not a member, so I have absolutely no say with anything to do with the local Labour Club!
Don't let that small point stop me though!

The rickshaw debarcle is just the latest situation where they seem to have it all worked out . . . apart from the small issue of no licensing or enforcement regime will mean the pedal cabs will continue to grow regardless and continue to act like cowboys.

Despite what some seem to believe, they are not going to be banned, end off.
We (you) have already spent £500.000 in an attempt to tackle this, with no result despite a high court appeal.
It's easy to say 'Ban them', but I see little in the way of any suggestions as to how they're going to be banned.



The Clipboard Johnnies are 'legal' in the eyes of the PCO who license the premises as satellite offices.

The LTDA like every other Taxi driver in London would love to see the back of them, and despite what a few drivers think, are constantly pressurising the PCO to repeal the licenses of those that treat the satellite part as a license to rank up and approach passers by.

Despite what a few drivers seem to think, the LTDA or even the LCDC are not the Police, nor are they the PCO.

I've always taken pride in my chosen trade, just read back through my 5000 posts on here.

But I won't be changing my views on how to move forward because a lad from Sudbury who will reach retirement age in a few years and hates anything or anyone connected to Europe’s largest Taxi Trade body says so.

Anyway, How's the Mercedes?

We can get together for our own good, if, we try. You're last post still made no sense.

I mean are you asking 'where is the sense in us getting together' because that is what you appear to be asking although I have my doubts that that is what you mean

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

The merc is going well so far though very early days.






Not at all, it just made a mockery of anything constructive you had to say. I mentioned to the admin about the various names a while back and we thought it best to just let you have your fun. Wouldn't that time have been better spent just using the one alias to aid discussion rather than 4 or 5 to antagonise and disrupt ?



Nobody has said that the "online union" route is the only way or indeed the best way but surely it's "another" way in which we can hope to make headway and get the attention of those that purport to regulate us. Again, if more of us sent emails to various individuals then surely somewhere along the line we must hit a nerve with someone and hopefully encourage them to take action. Sitting at a pc doing nothing about the current situation is time wasted, whilst i am online checking my various forums etc i feel i can be pro-active in my own little way and if by sending emails to Thomspon, Dowdye etc i feel i'm doing my bit to help my industry then no harm is caused and maybe, it may only be a small maybe but just possibly my words in that email may inspire debate at the next meeting which may get the wheels turning for change..........naive ? quite possibly but it's better than registering on a forum where many like minded drivers feel the same way and proceeding to annoy!


I don't dispute that the LTDA do their bit but surely with the resources available to them why not do a bit more ? Take legal action against the likes of the PCO for incompetence or failure to do their job properly! I'm not a legal Eagle so i don't know what cases could be brought but surely with the funds they have and to which i contribute and have done for many years they could find something to charge them with! Force the PCO to play fair, you and i know that it's an uneven playing field; how often do you see the PCO issuing stop notices to the PH industry ? One which i hi-lighted in December and eventually made news was the rear wipers on the AL vehicles. The solution by the PCO was to give them a period of time to get the rear wiper reinstated, had it been you or i we would have been off the road.

I don't know and indeed never met Mr. Thomas or Mr. Kennedy and i probably don't agree with everything they say or set out to achieve but at least they are doing something to help their industry. What's better bury your head in the sand or try and be proactive in whatever way you can. I know which one i choose. The more drivers who take part in the small campaigns we have been trying to run with the various clubs around town by ranking up and reclaiming our work, the more we get noticed by the touts and the more they lose out. Thats being proactive albeit on a small scale.

Someone i know has no affinity with any trade organisation but yet complains about the touts in town in the evenings. I asked him to come on the protest that day and he said he shouldn't have to as it's down to the trade bodies to do something! What's better, his approach or that or Thomas/Kennedy ? At least with the latter approach drivers feel motivated enough to try and do something. The guy i know is still moaning, still not a member of any organisation and still thinks that someone should do the work for him! It ain't like that anymore, they too have enough to do so we need to try and do our bit and not depend on the trade bodies, as you rightly point out they tried and failed against the pedicabs so the next option is licensing.

But do we just say ok, license them then carry on as normal or do we make it a point to say ok, license but restrict the numbers etc. Sadly the legal system in this Country is a joke and allows these deathtraps to run around on the streets. The LTDA has to accept they may be licensed, fine! But why not fight tooth and nail against the PCO/WCC to prevent them giving them ranks. Do they need them ? No! They want to operate then issue guidlines in line with the legal interpretation of what they are deemd to be; i recall stagecoaches being a term in use at the time. In that case, give them set routes, timetables and fixed prices to abide by. Put them in direct competition with the bus services and not the taxi industry. Are the LTDA looking into the legalities ?? I hope so, i'd like to think they are!



Only because they decided to change the rules pertaining to the establishing of a PH premises! Why didn't the LTDA/LCDC go all out and fight against this ? In one swoop the PCO made a mockery of us and the whole private hire bill by giving carte blanche to any PH outfit to have some guy in a hi-viz jacket parading around outside any venue with a clipboard caling himself a satellite office! Can anything be any more ridiculous ? They say they want a level playing field then decide to wipe out a sizeable chunk of our work by doing this, and the trade reps allowed it to happen! They should have been ready but instead chose to let it be. The olympic VIP lane is another one, the consultation finished last week about this, the LTDA are aware of it but yet when i called up i was told we shall see what happens nearer the time! So if we are excluded and it seems we will then it will be too late to do anything about it other make some noise because we missed any opportunities!

You've been around the trade a lot longer than me and perhaps i still have a fire in my belly for any injustice i percieve where as you perhaps have seen it all before and know that things will never change regardless of what we as drivers try and do. I don't dispute you don't take pride in your trade and no one would expect you to change your views because of an individual but by the same grace give a person the respect he deserves for trying his best to do what he feels is right for the betterment of his and your industry.

Anyhows, i'm sure these guys want their forum back and don't like another forum being discussed.........

Be Lucky.

I think some of the posts in this thread answer Sussex's question without intending to!