Taxi Driver Online

Once again a metamorphosis is claimed for fasties by the erstwhile Gladrags.

Once again he claims to have nothing to do with it.

(Haven't we heard all of this before?)

Once again the alter ego has allegedly been killed off.

Doesn't this Edinburgh based taxi forum have more lives than Dr Who?

Haven't more fasties gurus been killed off than villains in Eastenders?

But, and isn't this the nub of it, does anyone really care?

That forum has never been one for real debate. It has long been just the vehicle for Gladrags to vent his skewed and biased view of all things taxis, his slavish protection of a system that has failed the trade and the market it would serve because of its corruption and greed - at the expense of those who actually do the work driving the taxis.

But, if he is to truly take a back seat, then good riddance.

Because, in his time Gladrags has never been right about anything.

He was wrong with his views of taxi ettiquette where he expected deference to any taxi ranking unofficially in any street.

He was wrong in his failure to address dress code enforcement, stop and search with passengers on board, the forced, expensive and unnecessary replacement of Fairway taxis etc.

He was wrong in his opposition to new vehicle types, which have proved so popular they now form a significant part of the fleet.

He was wrong in his support of taxi tariff hikes - 7% hike at a time when the country is in recession and everyone is pulling in their belt - we've all seen the effect on earnings during the Christmas period and since.

He was wrong in his belief that the HCLCG should meet in secret, we've all seen how it has failed to address the interests of real workers in the trade where decisions are taken, policies enforced, long before the trade gets a chance to consider them. The reign of vested interest, the rule of the "done deal" - accept it whether you like it or not because it's done and dusted.

He was wrong in his support of the status quo which saw plate "values" and rentals rise while business levels fell.

He was wrong in his acceptance of the exponential increase in private hire because it allowed restriction of taxis and plate "values" and rentals to rise through the demand caused by the shortage. A dangerous concept which has allowed a powerful less regulated competitor to take our work and, now that it has been joined by the Rat, to try to take company contracts which will affect every taxi driver - streetcar or taxi company.

There's more, but I guess we've all got the point.

If the defection of the Rat has shown anything, those who have their vice-like grip on control of the taxi trade are destroying it. Gladrags aided and abetted them in their greed and exerting of that control, massaging the egos of those who exercise control of the trade, as well the council.

Gladrags' biggest failure was his inability to moderate his forum fairly. Because it served only as his vehicle to promote the status quo, opposing views were allowed to be clouded and subsumed by the intellectual dwarves whose actions drove it into the gutter in a hail of personal abuse. Gladrags only "moderated" the side of the argument he disagreed with.

We all remember Torn Casualty, Wellkentface, Cablag and a host of other intellectual nonentities who kept reinventing new banale pseudonyms, most of whom were so proud of their views and opinions, so assured that they were right that they hid behind the veil of anonymity. And, wasn't their inane, childish spoutings little more than a monument to their crass stupidity and cowardice.

After its inception, and it could have been a good idea, Fasties very soon became not fit for purpose.

It's passing, if it truly has passed, is to be celebrated.

As for the new forum? Well, any forum that is intent on banning people from the outset shows that it's coat is already on the intellectual shaky nail.

As a means of disseminating information relevant to the taxi trade, should it be operated along the same lines as Fasties, with the same lack of objectivity, with the same adherence only to the status quo and manic promotion of it, it will have little practical value.

That being so, the question is, why bother?

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"

Gladrags doesn't have a monopoly on running forums.

Someone else should start one. Someone with a more even handed editorial style and no axe to grind.

If such a person exists in the Edinburgh trade that is..........

_________________

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

After reading the failure's post, one comment.

He must be the original KEYBOARD HARDMAN.

Would he dare spout his lies to the guy's face? More likely, he just hasn't got the balls to say anything to anybody's face.

I've never seen such a load of balls written about anybody. Must be jealousy.

As for Gusmac, he doesn't even know the Edinburgh trade let alone anyone in it. He just blindly comments to agree with the failure.

Absolutely pathetic!

We all remember Torn Casualty, Wellkentface, Cablag and a host of other intellectual nonentities who kept reinventing new banale pseudonyms, most of whom were so proud of their views and opinions, so assured that they were right that they hid behind the veil of anonymity. And, wasn't their inane, childish spoutings little more than a monument to their crass stupidity and cowardice

So how is Mrs Jasbar these days ?

Less than an hour on a Saturday and you are surprised there is only one post.


Does anyone need to know the Edinburgh trade to recognise censorship and bias when they see it?

I suggested that someone else could start a forum if they felt fasties was biased. If you believe nobody would be interested in such a forum, then it would attract no members and be doomed to failure. Does it worry you that may not be the case? Are your beliefs really so fragile that you fear any opposing views and feel the need to attack anyone who doesn't agree with you?


Yes, your predictable response was.

_________________

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

And your point is?

_________________

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

aye email alan@fastblacks.com nothing to do wit you alan

i cant be bothered with this div

but im now concerned about his mental state.

i mean seriously who is he trying to convince and who cares.

youre forum has no impact alan its pash,youre pash the people on it are pash and the topics discussed are pash.

seek help you should not in my opinion be anywere near the public.

youre delusional to the highest degree.

well he certainly appears to have more balls than you mr anon.

at least he puts his name to it in public and has a point to make.

you do niether

there is absolutely no need for another forum.

tdo may be national but it serves the purpose far better than a local rag,run by a vested interest idiot.

hear at least! all opinions are heard.

its my belief that gladrags reinvents the forum every time he bars certain people and then his forum dies through lack of debate,and they all go back to discussing there last fare,leaving him looking very foolish.

this is just another loosly hung viel.
another wannabee takes the riegns only until alan decides that they are not following his party line.

how many is it now.
gladrags
scotty
jim
rick
im sure theres more

and everytime we heard the cry....

alan has nothing to do with it.

ffs why dont you just crawl away and die somewere with a little dignity.

youre making me wrench gladrags,and thats a hard thing to do.

nothing but a desperate attempt to control information.

censorship by anyones standard
boring monotomous and cyclic.

die!die!die!

And you are who, exactly?

I'll say anything to anyone's face. Especially yours.

Let's see you stand to the line now that the turf war is breaking out.

Now go back to the "guy" you claim to have concern for Bob and he'll tell you what I mean.

_________________
Skull, "You are a police inspector, aren't you?"
Cab Inspector Smith, "Yes."
Skull, "So, are you going to tell Mr Taylor what his rights are?"
Smith, "And ... What rights?"