Taxi Driver Online

Evening News (Edinburgh)

May 26, 2007, Saturday

Cabby who helped sick kids facing licence ban

BYLINE: Gareth Rose

KIND-HEARTED cabby Bob McCulloch made two 800-mile trips to take terminally-ill children to EuroDisney and back.

But now he could lose his taxi licence after "petty" council officials told him to remove badges he was awarded for granting the youngsters their dying wish. The 63-year-old said he was proud to display the crest of the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers, awarded to everybody who takes part in the annual Children's Magical Mystery Tour.

He said former cab inspector Andy Watt gave him permission to put small stickers on his driver and front passenger doors, and a larger, plate-size one on his bonnet. But at his annual council inspection on Wednesday, he was told he would have to pay a fee for advertising, even though the crest only shows two horses and a motto in Latin, with no name or phone number for the organisation.

Now Mr McCulloch, who lives in Fairmilehead, must pay the charge or lose his licence. He said: "It's all very petty. I was given permission to put the stickers on the taxi by the cab inspector, who recently retired.

"On Wednesday I went for the annual inspection to receive a certificate of compliance, and was sent to the City Chambers to ask for permission to have the stickers. "I was then told I'd have to pay a fee as they are classed as advertisements. I'm not advertising anything except the taxi trade.

"But I can't get my certificate unless I take them off or get approval from the council. I've got until June 19 - when my licence runs out - and if I don't get approval by then I won't be able to run the taxi. It's bureaucracy gone mad." The fee he would have to pay is up to GBP 70.

The grandfather-of-two has been a cabby in Edinburgh since 1979, and has also written My Fare City: A Taxi Driver's Guide to Edinburgh, and Thompson's Street Wyse: The Concise Street Directory. His son Neil, 35, is the only other Scottish cabby to have taken part in the tour, which is organised by London black cab drivers.

In 2005, Mr McCulloch visited London to discuss best practice with the authors of 'the knowledge', the encyclopedic memory of streets in the English capital that all taxi drivers must learn before getting a licence there.

He was invited to take part in that year's trip and picked up two children in Middlesbrough before joining about 100 other drivers and 200 youngsters in London. He made another trip last October and hopes to do so again this year.

Keith Bell, a taxi driver who helps organise the Edinburgh Taxi Trade's Kiddie's Outing, which Bob also takes part in, said: "This is a slap in the face by a civil servant for an ambassador of the taxi trade. Hopefully the city council will act swiftly to ensure Bob can carry on working."

A council spokeswoman said: "The council's licensing conditions for taxis clearly prohibit the display of any signs on taxis for the purpose of advertising or by way of identifying or personalising marks, but the council is able to vary this upon application by the licence holder."
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That does sound a tad daft.

But this is Edinburgh.

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IDFIMH

This is about the new Cab Inspector making his mark by pis**** up the wall higher than anyone else.

I met the man at the RC meeting with Taylor, and let me tell you he looks like a fat ex–traffic cop with Neo-Nazi connections, and if he’s not a **** he should be.

You know when you look at someone and you just know he’s a complete [edited by admin] - well this is your man.

This is about him stamping his authority on the trade and using Bob McCulloch as an example of his power.


BTW, as far as cops go, his predecessor Andy Watt was a gentleman cop.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Coming to think about it; It was that **** pig that did his best to stick me in when I slapped the scum bag cabby, he was standing in for Andy Watt at the time. I even made a police complaint about what the slug had written on my record.

I am sure this New Cab Inspector is one of these types who were denied parental love while being brought up in a strict authoritarian family. He then went to school and no one liked the bas*** because of his lack of social skills, this of course meant pay-back for all concerned. The pr*ck then left the school and joined the Police Force. People now had to take him seriously - he needed the uniform – this was instant recognition for such a shallow piece of sh**. Now he’s been pushed to one side again by the police hierarchy, forced to live out his days as the almighty Cab Inspector, whoooooooooo.

I think this scumbag is now looking to beat on everyone and anyone because no one up the Police food chain takes him seriously. It’s a sort of, perverted revenge against all those who hated him at school. Guys like me

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

You would think in this case a bit of common sense could be used.
"rules are for the guidance of wise men: and the obediance of fools."

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

Not with this guy, trust me....




To good for the ba*****

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Up here, he could appeal to the licencing committee. They're not big on common sense, but I think they would make an exception for this. Must be worth a try surely?

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

The payment aspect of this condition which relates to advertising could be unlawful? Edinburgh drivers want to get together and explore the legality of a condition that is solely designed to make money out of taxi drivers by virtue of an officer saying yes or no to an advertisement.

The rest of the UK has individually recognised standards for vehicle advertising and there is no need for every driver who wants to display an advert on or inside his vehicle to submit a graphic design every time they install or change an advert.

There's enough of you guys in Edinburgh to take this council to court on every ambiguous licensing condition that they have in place.

In fact you could do them all in one go.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Once again another over zealous cop who wants to make a name for himself in taxi licensing.

He's making a mistake.

We no longer live in a situation where we in the taxi trade are prepared to touch forelocks and kowtow. (Colquhoun et al excepted of course. Perhaps it's because they got their brown nosing act in first that this indivudual has been lulled into a false sense of security?)

When this new cab inspector makes his plays, they had better be good. To the letter of the Law. Because we understand the Law and will hold him resolutely to it. We will be making sure that full rights are observed at every stage and that there is also full adherence to the terms and conditions of all European Human Rights Laws.

There are two choices here. Work responsibly with the trade, or be prepared for a long and arduous tenure.

I suspect there could a few police complaints before this individual recognises the game in play.

Just in case there is any dubiety, signed

Jim Taylor

Another Skull classic



If he didn't know what you thought about him before, I'm sure there's been a rush to make sure he knows now

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Keyboards and Cretins : Facts - not opinions - are the only truths

Damascus Moments - easy excuses for a sociopath

TDO the website of double standards and changing identities

Great. This'll save us doing it ourselves. You can always depend on the school sneak mentality to come through from Edinburgh's taxi trade.

You can be sure that whatever we think of his actions here, and him, it pales into insignificance compared with our thoughts of pipsqueaks like you TC.

Once more your heavy reliance on smileys shows that you don't have an original thought in your head.

For sure, your's is the only taxi in the fleet with two dipsticks.

Do you realise how tiresome you are?

Whats happened to Fastblacks this time since you are on the subject of Edinburgh?

The holding page says new server - but as ever I'm sure T!tty and Tw4tty will start a lie about it's demise.

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Keyboards and Cretins : Facts - not opinions - are the only truths

Damascus Moments - easy excuses for a sociopath

TDO the website of double standards and changing identities

And if I thought your opinion about anything counted Jimmy I would start to be seriously worried.

Tiresome - is that the best you can come up with - you must be trying to maintain the last vestages of what little decorum you ever possessed so as to dissipate the accusation of "not fit and proper"

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Keyboards and Cretins : Facts - not opinions - are the only truths

Damascus Moments - easy excuses for a sociopath

TDO the website of double standards and changing identities

Yeah, just like when the court victories came in, Gladstone took a sickie. He's just not man enough to admit he's wrong. But who cares. The site's not worth a sook anyway.

It's only value was in free debate. But he allowed the children like torn casualty free reign. He reaps his reward. The trade now recognises him for the pratt he is.

As for TC? He's not even good enough to be a pratt.