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Complaints
and 1984…?
What does the name Blair have in connection
to Dial-a-Cab? Well, no, it isn’t Call
Sign’s Chas Kissin having another pop at the
man he refers to as El Prez! Eric Blair was
the real name of the novelist who later
became better known under his pen name of
George Orwell. His books have almost become
legendary, with oblique references to his
symbolistic novel on the Russian Revolution,
Animal Farm, occasionally being quoted on
Internet lists with answers to simple
questions drawing in the response: "Read
Animal Farm and you will understand my
point!"
But Orwell’s most famous novel – probably thanks to the excellent
black and white movie – is the haunting
1984. This gave Orwell’s "view" on an
authoritarian State of a future time. That
year has been mentioned to me by several
drivers over the past few weeks when talking
about the futuristic way DaC now has of
catching anyone playing the high game.
What has upset these drivers is the way that the Complaints
Department can not only see where you are at
this moment should they be checking
positions for whatever reason, but where you
were at any given time in the past. So, in
theory, if you book into EC2 but are really
in Essex and spotted by DaC’s GPS system,
you may well go on complaint. The reference
to 1984 comes afterwards when the system can
also check where you were the day, week or
month previous and into what zone you were
then booked! So, if you are caught for any
offence and use the excuse that it has never
happened before, Uncle Tom now has the
ability to confirm whether that statement is
true or not.
So what do I think of the facility? Well, I can’t say that the
potential of being watched so closely gives
me a particularly cosy feeling and I’d hate
to be in a situation where everything we did
was being watched. However, there are some
drivers who think nothing of pulling a fast
one on their fellow subscribers. I doubt
whether any of us on DaC can hold our hands
up and say that we have never done anything
that could breach our own rules and of
course one man’s 15 minutes may be someone
else’s 12 or 18!
So I went up and had a look with IT Support Manager Roy Masterson,
then with Complaints Officer Tom Whitbread
and even later in the Call Centre. My
conclusion was that generally speaking, the
GPS facility is only used occasionally to
make sure that all drivers are getting a
fair crack of the whip. Heathrow is probably
monitored most followed by EC2, they being
the two most popular zones. Others |
zones are also watched on
an occasional basis.
As a driver who admittedly doesn’t work at the airport, I find it
difficult to understand why someone who is 10
miles away from the feeder park should be able
to book into WW00, taking the place of someone
who correctly waits until he/she is within the
airport Perimeter Road before gaining a
position. Also being watched were the outer
physical zones that contained a job. If you
are not in the actual outer zone, then you
cannot book in and must wait until the job
goes into the ‘bids’. The probability is that
the position of the person getting the job
will be monitored. Is that snooping or is it
to protect all those others who’d also like a
crack at a job for example of Stansted to
Gatwick with a lead-time of around 90 minutes?
Someone booking into E99 when they are really
in E14 because they’ve spotted the job, isn’t
doing Dial-a-Cab a favour "by helping our
coverage" any more than he is doing the rest
of us one. The difference between Orwell’s
1984 and twenty years on to Dial-a-Cab’s 2004
is that it’s my belief that only those who
smash through the rules with a Hackney
Carriage and horse need worry. If you never
hear of me again, you’ll know that I was
wrong…
Call Sign and Elections
I’ve had several drivers asking me about Call
Sign’s policy re those drivers standing for
election (not at this AGM where there are no
elections) and what they can write in Call
Sign. This follows last year’s election when I
had to stop some candidates from adding to
their CV’s. The problem – well documented by
now – was that the requests came too late for
one candidate to also have the opportunity to
change his CV as he had already left to go on
holiday. The decision was mine (as it always
is in regard to Call Sign), and I decided that
I had to be fair to all candidates. I tried to
contact the missing candidate in Europe, as
did another candidate, but neither of us could
trace him. Otherwise it would not have been a
problem.
So for future DaC election candidates, this is the situation so far
as Call Sign is concerned. Candidates will be
allowed 500 - 550 words (aprox) each to give a
CV and/or what they would like to achieve if
elected. However, going against my Mailshot
policy, |
these entries will have
to be vetted to make sure that any plans given
are feasible. I dare say that any candidate
promising free holidays
in the Algarve if you cover 10 trips a month
could increase his/her vote substantially, but
if that were promised purely to gain extra
votes, would it be fair to the other
candidates - who perhaps only offered a
weekend in Bournemouth! I’m not trying to be
facetious, just trying to make a point.
And for those who would like to know what type of space is
represented by around 500 / 550 words, add
"Call Sign Elections" and Trade Acronyms"
(below) together.
Trade Acronyms?
This trade is filled with acronyms of sorts. A
true acronym would be a pronounceable word
made up of the initials of an organisation -
it being easier to describe the Royal Society
for the Prevention of Accidents as ROSPA.
Pronouncing the LTDA as a word without dislodging some teeth is
rather difficult, you could even be arrested
trying to pronounce LCDC in public! You’d have
a chance with T and G, I suppose, although DaC
comes out far and away on top as a genuine
acronym. Many cheat with SPLT, inserting an
‘I’ midway and calling it SPLIT – most
decidedly unfair on we true acronyms! I won’t
even attempt to write on why the
Underprivileged Children’s Fund changed from
LTDFUC to LTFUC…!
So where exactly am I heading? Well, to be honest, I don’t really
know! It’s just that I was sitting in my taxi
recently, suffering the usual northbound
hold-up along Northumberland Avenue and
wondering what type of traffic management
organisation could possibly allow such a busy
route to have a bus stand almost at the
lights, turning two lanes into one? And, just
to rub it in, to keep the traffic lights on
green for just 7 seconds before they turn back
to red for another minute or so? Then, when
they turn back to green, the lights around the
corner turn red so that you are lucky if two
vehicles get out anyway! And Acronyms? How
about TfLPlonkers? What’s it stand for?
Nothing, absolutely nothing!!!
Happy New Year
I would like to thank everyone at Dial-a-Cab
from Drivers to Staff to Board Members for
your valued support throughout 2003 and wish
everyone the happiest of New Years…
Alan Fisher
callsignmag@aol.com |
