Taxi Driver Online

Does anyone else out there wish to explain where I have it wrong? There are always exceptions to the rule, London for one. I dare to say, there are maybe a few other taxi utopias here in the UK, where drivers are treated like royalty by their council, police and public?

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

Skull is right, the best you can do is question his opinion based on your take that it shouldn't be relevant because he now doesn't drive a cab for his living, you by this question make him more credible and 'your trade that you represent' more out the game than ever.

Rightly or wrongly, love or hate him, Skull makes points that you should at least think about and if you do you might just see that the cab trade is slowly, but constantly heading to obscurity compared to where it has been and could have been. I accept that table thumping and threats won't make councils wake up but there is no sign of any so called trade reps making any inroads into furthering the rights of cabbies who if had to rely or work a 40 hour week would be bankrupt in today's market.

At least with Skull you get a direction other than the free fall you are in.

No I am never afraid of the truth and have no problem in accepting the opinion of others.

Having said that, and I do not mean this rudely - Your views after being in this trade for twenty years, and failing during that time to change very little, i.e taxi drivers being the lowest of the low (They are without dignity, someone to wipe your feet on after a night out) comes across rather pious, and may I say - bitter. Basically it would seem that you criticise what you were unable to change, as an individual I would never criticise others on something that I had personally failed to do.

Unfortunately within the trade many of the drivers do not realise the power that they have, but to realise that power you have to be something like 80% + united as a body, or it falls apart. Most other unions get away with less than 45% voting to get a strike, and that will be enough stop everyone else doing their job, that is why they succeed. On that basis the bottle is probably no less than anywhere else. Unfortunately the nature of the job means it can fall apart easier than most other occupations i.e it is fragmented with P.H and Hackneys, both side seeing the other sides problem as a chance to mop up the others fares. Any claim that P.H should back whatever action will always be doomed to failure.....because they have bosses who will in many cases out them. In our neck of the woods, any action by Hackneys i.e a strike, will result in the police and the L.A's turning a blind eye to them (P.H) picking up off of the streets. So basically we live in a corrupt country whereby the law is, and can be broken to suit by the law enforcers, as such it makes action less attractive if you know you are losing money for nothing.

The problem "The original topic headline" does not necessarily directly lay with the drivers! It is with the L.A's who never do a face to face to see if the person is suitable to do the job, to see whether they have the sense to look after themselves, to find out what their people skills are! Unlike other occupations........there is NO interview, and that does bring many problems with it.

Look beyond the overall big picture! What did that/whatever L.A do in terms of training/safety - because I feel that there is culpability somewhere along the line that has never been tested.

I asked the question as to what you do now, because it interests me as to what makes you feel so superior.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

John, did you read my previous posts? Cab *iggers, you included, are not prepared to fight to better your lot. That's a job for someone else. Ignorance, servility, obedience and conformity are all you know.

If you want change, you have to be prepared to fight for it, simples....

Oh and John, we had our victories and defeats but these were a few people battling against the power of the establishment when, for the most part, no one wanted us to win. And the Cab *iggers of the time, certainly did not want to know the truth about how they were being treated or what was happening to their trade.


If you want to see people fighting for change, you will need to look to other parts of the world.

The average working man in this country, has been emasculated. As I said before, you only get the representation you deserve. And in this case, you've got a bunch of Uncle Toms, begging for favours and lining their own pockets, and you know what that makes you... Oh and I'm not trying to be rude but until guys like you get off your ass, you are what you are...

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

You remind me so much of TT. You criticise, you solve nothing, you categorise everyone the same, you name call (not that it bothers me - it is just juvenile) - and then you point like a demented compass to "you will need to look to other parts of the world.". The truth is- you cannot look to the rest of the world because Unions/representation stood by and watched law upon law (that does not exist in other parts of the world) stopping the workforce downing tools.

Last but least; You know all the answers yet have never solved the problem, and of course.......when a question is posed - YOU NEVER ANSWER IT.

Skull it is easy to pontificate, it is easy to slag people off, it is easy to try and come across clever and superior, but the truth is you failed in over twenty years of apparently trying and still do not have the solution. We all know what should be done - the proof of the pudding is knowing how to do it.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

No John, I never failed because I never let them treat me, the way they do you. I fought back at every opportunity. If anyone failed or lost, it was the trade as a whole, and if you need proof, just look to the state of it now.

John, fighting back is something you know nothing about. Let me put it another way, had there been more people like me, willing to take on the Establishment. It would have been a whole different matter. Fewer than a handful of people, can only do so much, especially when your own colleagues want to drag you down.

John, you keep wittering on about the Unions. No John, it all comes down to people who are no longer prepared to accept the way they are being treated and having the will to force through change by standing together.


Oh and John, believe me, it doesn't take much to know that I am superior to you. You see. I don't expect anyone else to do my fighting for me, read the book seen the film, and bought...

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

Of course you know everything and nothing, and most certainly nothing about me.

I was fighting in the 70s as a Shop Steward for better pay and better conditions in the Car Industry, consistently putting my own neck on the line. Amongst the many times we went on "Strike" one lasted for over 6 weeks - not as long as the Miners, but nevertheless a statement of intent. The difference between you and I is that I succeeded where you failed - we were actually able to convince the workforce that the action we were prepared to take....was the right one! You might have fought as you put it - but I see for your 20 years absolutely nothing.



You are right on that one.

I go on about them because people need leaders/organisers - on that one the Unions have failed the workforce of the U.K massively. Unions began through organising - they accrue the membership.......when that happens you are strong because of the numbers. Unions WATCHED their numbers/business being decimated.......and did NOTHING, now they accept backhanders in the form of "Grants" from the government - I wonder what they have to do for that



If you were then others say it for you, as for someone who feels that they have to say it themselves, then it generally sums up the kind of person who has his head where the sun does not shine.

You still have not answered the question???????.................nothing new there.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

John, you are correct about the Unions but what do you plan to do about it now, apart from pointing to a bygone era.

"I remember the day, when Unions were strong and we all and we all stood together on the picket line" big fuc*ing deal!!

Oh and the taxi trade is a different ball of wax to the car industry or the miners, but it still comes down to people power and the will to force through change, to stand and be counted for what you believe.

So you have unions, which are run by a bunch of Uncle Toms, taking backhanders and lining their own pockets, a nice little career move at your expense.

What does the above make you John, and what are you going to about it, my little Cab *igger?

When and are you going to make your stand?

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

Oh and John, you are familiar with the origin of the term "Uncle Tom"? The reason I ask, is that we seem to agree on the Unions but not the term Cab *igger. How else would you better describe your position in the current circumstances?

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

As I said you know NOTHING about me!


Questions, questions ,questions from you................ you are so used to failure - you fail to answer questions put to you, you fail to answer questions put to you,you fail to answer questions put to you, you fail to answer questions put to you.......do you hear the echo...echo...echo...echo...




Just for the record - I am very happy with my situation in the trade! It is pretty obvious that you never attained that situation/level - so what does that say about you?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

I actually have no idea what you are talking about. What do you want to know which is relevant to your situation, working as a Cab *igger at the present time?

We can do it one question at a time if you like?

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

Try to stay up to speed - posted two days ago....................



I will not stress you too much........just one question at a time - maybe one might get an answer.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

I wrote:




John, I am confused. I thought this thread was about one of your Cab *iggers getting beaten up and not one of you lifting a finger to do improve your personal safety. Oh and that was after the attack on Old Ken down south.

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

John, I am currently a partner in a Dog Creche and Dog walking business, and we are now looking to add a dog washing and grooming service, if everything goes according to plan?

Now what that has to do with Cab *iggers I don't know???

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

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