Taxi Driver Online

It was noticeable, when I was listening to the Radio 2 item yesterday, that no one could say who had complained that the stickers were racist!

The only reason the council could come up with was to avoid having football stickers on the car. In that case, approve this sticker only, ffs!

No racism intended or encouraged?
Yeah right
Of course you would never hear of a bad white driver? It is all too simplistic and woolly to cover a much more serious underlying division within the trade.

That may be true, but not speaking in English only exacerbates the situation.

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IDFIMH

It may indeed but I doubt that is the reason though. It is exacerbation of a situation to facilitate racism under the guise of helping the punters choose the drivers of preference. A dark face then is going to be rejected on the basis he doesn't display a sticker and not his ability to speak English. It's the old 'They take our jobs and women' line being played out but wrapped in other excuses.

I'm certain the problem isn't as bad as it's being made out to be by those willing to jump on the proverbial band wagon.

It's all too easy to go for the sound-bites blaming others (in this case generally foreigners) instead of facing up to our own demons. The result being that a Polish or East European driver isn't going to be bypassed on his inability to speak English but an Asian looking one is, regardless of his language skills......... IMO. That's where racism comes in, not displaying a sticker in itself but what it encourages.

It may indeed but I doubt that is the reason though. It is exacerbation of a situation to facilitate racism under the guise of helping the punters choose the drivers of preference. A dark face then isn't going to be rejected on basis he doesn't display a sticker and not his ability to speak English. It's the old 'They take our jobs and women' line being played out but wrapped in other excuses.

I'm certain the problem isn't as bad as it's being made out to be by those willing to jump on the proverbial band wagon.

It's all too easy to go for the sound-bites blaming others (in this case generally foreigners) instead of facing up to our own demons. The result being that a Polish or East European driver isn't going to be bypassed on his inability to speak English but an Asian looking one is, regardless of his language skills......... IMO. That's where racism comes in, not displaying a sticker in itself but what it encourages.[/quote]

There's nothing to stop an asian driver displaying the sticker

CC

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

Maybe instead of the sound-bite response, you could respond to the point I raised Captain cab? Is the racism and division within the trade being encouraged by these sticker mad drivers or not?

According to the gent from the Southampton trade on Radio 2, some of the Asian lads were displaying the signs.

I think one of the problems with the signs is that some folks are using it to bash one set of drivers, when the problem is the council being to lenient to some drivers when initially licensing them.

In other words is it right to have a pop at drivers who have done nothing wrong, other than be licensed by a council too PC to fail some drivers that should have been failed?

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IDFIMH

I have to wonder why they included a flag on the signs?
Perhaps a plain sign which states that the driver speaks English would have caused less upset?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

Absolutely agree with you Sussex, it seems pitiful when people decide to fight each other within the trade. Lay the blame of particular cases at the council's doorstep.

I would've thought it a given that a driver licensed by the council should be able to communicate with his customers. Work together and not to let any individual spoil the trade for the rest of the drivers. If any individual isn't able to do that then sort his case out rather than stir the racism pot. There seems more to it than meets the eye on this one I feel.

I was refering to the fact that within our trade there are More Asian drivers than non Asian in most towns and cities

I raised the point that the signs would be probably contrary to the vehicles licensing conditions.......this was backed up by the Rt Hon member for Aberdeen.

CC

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

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/Images/HC%20policy%20and%20conditions_tcm46-251894.pdf

ffs.....I was 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

You may well have done and that's not in dispute though is it CC, what my response that you quote was to this statement of yours 'There's nothing to stop an asian driver displaying the sticker'
Which is not quite the same is it?

You were clearly correct in predicting what the Law would say but also you seemed to suggest it was somehow OK if the Asians also displayed the stickers

I perhaps suggested what I would do if I was asian

Perhaps if I bilingual I could add many other languages to the sticker.....thus potentially increasing my client base in tourist areas

CC

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

That's sweet, but if you were bilingual then you would only add one other language to English on your sticker. To add many languages you'd have to be multilingual CC ........Sorry, couldn't resist that.