Taxi Driver Online

Felt my blood pressure rising just reading the headline here, and the real kicker is right at the end.

But, as I expected, a lot of hypocritical nonsense in here.

Better not go into the details , but there's nothing at all new about the badging and plating regime, which I doubt has changed much for twenty years or so.

There are in fact probably fewer drivers around than maybe five or more years ago (ie before the office proprietor quoted below was even in the trade) but there's been a definite change in the er, demographic. I think a lot of them live in Dundee, and I've always assumed that they might get a lot of racism and aggression across there, which won't be nearly so bad in St Andrews.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot more sharp practices and the like compared to a few years ago but, again, in essence it's nothing new, and there's a lot of hypocrisy about it all

But, unlike what the article makes it sound like, apart from the topo test there's no difference between Fife and elsewhere, and I'm not even sure how difficult it is to pass the topo test in the areas stated.


Are rogue taxi drivers ‘flocking’ to Fife to avoid rigorous tests?

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fi ... i-drivers/

Fife Council insists its licensing regime is robust and thorough but one established St Andrews operator says 'it is manifestly not working'.

A St Andrews taxi firm claims unscrupulous operators are “flocking to Fife” to avoid rigorous scrutiny from other councils.

James Glen, of St Andrews Taxis, says people from outwith the area are bypassing their local test regimes and setting up in the kingdom, which has no written test.

They are then taking advantage of Fife’s booming tourism economy by “ripping off customers”, he alleges.

New taxi drivers in Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus must pass a knowledge test to prove they know their way around.

Dundee City Council also requires a police test and other qualifications.

And Mr Glen says it beggars belief Fife Council does not operate a similar system.

Council insists Fife taxi driver checks are robust despite no test

The scrutiny claims are vigorously denied by Fife’s licensing chiefs, who insist their checks on all applicants are robust and include a thorough police check.

Lead officer Gillian Love says everyone who applies must attend a training course before a license is granted.

It lasts several hours and covers topics including customer and road safety.

However, Mr Glen says training is no good unless there is a test at the end of it.

“There is nothing to ensure attendees have understood it or even paid any attention,” he said.

The concerns come amid rising tensions on St Andrews taxi ranks.

Claim current set-up is not working

Fife Council has upped the number of spot check inspections following claims some drivers are scamming unsuspecting tourists with inflated fares.

Officers are also setting up a taxi operators’ forum in the town in a bid to quell the growing anxiety among established operators.

Mr Glen welcomes both moves and has also called for marshals on the ranks.

However, he maintains a knowledge test and other safeguards would also help curb the problem.

“Fife’s current set-up is manifestly not working as it should or else there would not be so much unacceptable behaviour on the rank,” he says.

‘Less qualified drivers flock to Fife’

“The tourist economy is a major earner in Fife, and in St Andrews in particular.

“By not ensuring drivers sit a knowledge test, Fife Council is encouraging less qualified taxi drivers to flock to Fife and failing to uphold the high standards the tourism industry and customers expect.

“If the surrounding authorities can find the resources to organise a knowledge test because they deem it necessary, it beggars belief that Fife Council thinks we don’t need one.”

Gillian Love, Fife’s lead officer for miscellaneous licensing, responded: “Fife Council has robust measures in place when considering applicants for licenses.”

These include a thorough police check of each applicant.

Fife training course covers matters in tests set by other councils

And Ms Love added: “All new applicants for taxi drivers’ licences must attend a taxi drivers training course delivered in person prior to any licence being granted.

“We know some authorities run a knowledge test requiring drivers to answer questions.

“This may cover local landmarks and street names, but will also cover matters we address in our taxi driver training course.”

The course is not charged for separately.

And Ms Love says this breaks down barriers for applicants and ensures there are enough taxi drivers in Fife.

But no new plates for 20 years in our zone, and for a lot longer in the other zones, as far as I know

And, as I've said a few times before, the 'training course' always seemed more like a box-ticking exercise, but that's the first time I've actually heard it officially articulated that it's about keeping the number of drivers high

(That's not to say the training course isn't worthwhile, but it's probably one of those where you just have to turn up, and can then spend the time day-dreaming and you've got your badge anyway )

Missed that bit earlier but, yes, James is bang on, and that's what I was trying to say above, and indeed what I've probably said on here years ago. But, of course, we all know about that kind of stuff

Betteridge's Law of Headlines came to mind -

Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word "no." The reason why journalists use that style of headline is that they know the story is probably bullshit, and don't actually have the sources and facts to back it up, but still want to run it.

I'd guess the EV spec in Dundee is probably a bigger deterrent than the knowledge test. So to get a new PH plate you need an EV.

And if you want to buy an HC plate you need an EV. And there are three classes of non-EV HCs in Dundee - namely saloons, 'full volume' WAVs, and 'low volume' WAVs

So basically there are six different types of HC plate in Dundee. Therefore you pay £10k for a saloon plate, then the car has to be an EV, then unless you've got your own personal charger, you're risking your neck at the public ones

Or you could put an electric WAV on

Although whether there's actually a market for electric WAV plates, I don't know (and if there is, presumably there's a difference in price between the full volume electric WAV plates, and the low volume electric WAV plates

Here's a better idea - why not buy a five-year-old Zafira (which can be run until ten-years-old) and buy a plate for less money than the vehicle, and go and work in St Andrews, where the streets are paved with gold. And where you're a lot less likely to be battered or subject to racism.

Unless, of course, it's another taxi driver battering you. And the streets are paved with gold if you can run T3 or T4 a lot of the time, and get away with it. Assuming you even use the meter

By the way, that's not why I missed out the question mark in my (slightly different to the Courier's) thread title - it's that character limit again

.

Loads of love being shared there.

It's definitely going to end in tears.

Suggest SW keeps his head down and lets the numpties get on with their rucks.

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IDFIMH

A lot of people in the local trade not too happy (to put it mildly) about some of the stuff being posted on that Facebook page, including a list of (supposedly) honest firms, which surprise, surprise, doesn't include those from a certain demographic. Quite a few have asked to be taken off the list, to no avail, and some have expressed, er, some aggressive intent towards whoever set up the page, but it seems no one is clear about the author's identity

And here's another example - don't think this should be posted online, at least unless it's anonymised

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558910893884

(Video is latest post.)

Bit strange about how the video came about as well - why did they happen to be filming, and why pull across?

As for the driver, at first I thought he might have stopped for prayers - pretty sure I've seen him do that in similar circumstances. (And not sure if he really needs to be crouching down - maybe it's a cultural thing, or maybe he's trying his best to be discreet, and assuming passing drivers wouldn't be stopping to film him )

Will also delete this post later on - although few readers on here compared to the amount of views the Facebook video has had, no point adding to it all on here, at least once regulars on here have had a chance to view the video

That video again - anyone care to say what precisely their perception is of what's going on in the video at the top of the page here?

I know what the vast majority *think* is going on, but what *precisely* is there evidence of on the video? (And I mean just in the clip, not what may or may not have happened prior to the actual clip.)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558910893884

Looks like he is having a poo.

I'm told even ethnic drivers need to poo.

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IDFIMH

Can't see anything conclusive in that regard, Sussex. That could well be what he was doing, but can't see anything in the video that proves that beyond all reasonable doubt (to use the standard of proof required for a criminal conviction).

What I think I can see is someone washing their hands with a bottle of water (probably some kind of prayer ritual) - you can see the water between his legs, and it doesn't look like a urine stream, and at the same time the water bottle is evident in the driver's hand.

I also see jogging bottoms (or similar) hanging down, and a bare arse exposed

But it's maybe what's commonly known as a 'brickie's arse', or similar

(The joggers don't look far enough down for having a dump, which suggests to me that it's not what it looks...)

There's stuff in the comments about sweetcorn etc but, and correct me if I'm wrong, where's the evidence for that, precisely? I can't see any evidence of defecation on the video at all...

Anyway, this is the spot here, a few hundred yards outside Anstruther, and I'd guess the driver probably lives in Dundee, so he'll be the thick end of an hour's drive from home. And the lack of other traffic suggests it's very late at night...

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.2271783 ... &entry=ttu

So I've seen drivers on their hands and knees in similar circumstances, and I've seen them do the washing rituals and similar stuff, therefore...

The only funny thing is that there's actually a proper layby less than a mile up the road, so why he's stopped at the wee spot in the video is anyone's guess, but he probably doesn't know the road as well as some of us...

And guess who's stopped at this layby for a Jimmy dozens of times over the years?

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.2360736 ... &entry=ttu

Anyway, plenty to criticise about some of these drivers, and the trade more generally. But this type of stuff is just mudslinging. And their latest post is arguably even worse...check it out

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558910893884

(One of the Leuchars station regulars of 20+ years has chipped in inviting the people behind the Facebook page to come and see him at the rank there - somehow I doubt they'll be taking him up on his offer... )

Maybe he had to stop because some loud monthly numpties disturbed him.

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IDFIMH