Call Sign November 2010 - Page 3

Thanks to all of you that phoned and emailed to wish me a happy birthday after I jokingly moaned last month that 2009 saw just three! For much of the day my phone hardly stopped ringing - including one caller from Alaska who said they read the mag every month on line! So thanks again...

Well done LTFUC
   If you look back through Call Sign’s library, you’d spot one thing - outside of Society news - that has remained static. My office has every issue since 1964 when it was called ODRTS Monthly, followed by News and Views until the current name came in the early 1980s. That one thing is the London Taxidrivers Fund for Underprivileged Children – known for short as the LTFUC after its’ previous abbreviation of LTDFUC was felt to be open to abuse!
   Now we hear the incredible news that Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has agreed to become the charity’s Patron.
   The LTFUC Committee are no strangers to the Royal family, having been invited to their Garden Parties in addition to meeting some at various outings, the first instance going back many years when former LTFUC (and ODRTS) Chairman Jack Taylor met the young 5 year old Prince Charles at a Leicester Square premier in aid of the Fund. But having a Royal as Patron is something very special and Call Sign sends everyone involved its congratulations.
   Speaking of the Fund, DaC’s David Lessman (D19) is standing down as its Chairman after a hugely successful few years and Camilla’s Patronship is as good a send-off as it gets. David will now revert to being on the Committee...

Good news from Crossrail?
   It seems that Crossrail is now running about one year behind schedule. Whether this is anything to do with the current financial squeeze or just slower than promised working, Call Sign isn’t sure.
   The Crossrail Parliamentary Bill received Royal Assent in July 2008 and later became just the Crossrail Act 2008. It will provide an ultra-modern modern railway system running from Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, with Tottenham Court Road providing the west end link. It is currently planned that four trains every hour will pass through TCR in each direction.
   There is no denying that the southeast needs Crossrail. So why is a one year delay good news? Well it’s ‘cos I’m scared it’s going to take too much work from we undernourished licensed taxi drivers! Let’s just hope it will bring in as many as it takes out...

Supporting bikes?
   I recently received a press release from a taxi driving website suggesting that we join forces with the cyclists and motor cyclists who are campaigning against parking charges. I’m not criticising their right in having the view, but I happen to strongly disagree with it. Most of the cyclists I see regularly blocking up Trafalgar Square twice every Wednesday seem to consider themselves as mini-Gods who can do exactly as they wish. Why the police allow it is another matter. The cyclists motto is "Treat us like cars - we'll congest like cars." And they do.
   What’s obviously worse is that most of them are obviously there because they enjoy it and not for any political reason. You only have to listen to them playing their loud music and of late even some of the Friday night skaters have joined them! It’s one huge laugh to them.
Not all, but the majority of cyclists – especially the helmet-less Boris Bikers – take no notice of traffic regulations - be that traffic lights, pedestrian crossings or anywhere that involves them having to slow down or (God forbid) stop!
   So if anyone expects me to join them in this demo or to recommend it to Call Sign readers, then you have another think coming. Gathered together that way these cyclists are a real pest to society in general and if I had my way I’d make them pay double to park!

Russell Poluck
Best wishes for a speedy recovery to DaC driver and Chairman of the Taxi Driver of the Year Charity, Russell Poluck (T55). Russell, who was awarded the MBE in 2001 for his services to charity, recently underwent a quadruple heart by-pass. I know from my Linda’s identicle operation in early August that the road to recovery isn’t easy, but that it does happen with patience.
I’m sure I speak for everyone at DaC when I say that we are looking forward to seeing him back to full fitness soon.

John Mason
I recently had cause to ask the Director of London Taxis and Private Hire, John Mason, a question sent in to me about a private hire website (see Mailshot). Whilst in contact, I asked how he felt about a different type of interview – answering questions posed not by me or another trade editor, but by Dial-a-Cab drivers?
He immediately said yes so I put a message out over the air for two broadcasts a day over three days for anyone who wanted to ask Mr Mason a question? The response blew me away because I could

quite easily have filled half the magazine with questions. Fortunately for me many were doubles of ones I had already in the bag, but even by the following week they still kept coming!
So if your question isn’t there, it’s because it was too late or a double. Otherwise they went in the order they arrived until the closing time. My sincere thanks to all the drivers that took the time to write in and of course to John Mason for answering them...

DaC PH licensing?
   I know some of you don’t like inter-trade bickering, but there are times when it becomes unavoidable. Last month LCDC’s magazine, The Badge, published an item that claimed Dial-a-Cab would have to apply for a private hire Operator’s Licence.
   Call Sign’s problem wasn’t just because the story was incorrect - we haven’t applied for any such licence - my problem was that I had heard from a very reliable source that the only reason we were actually approached by London Taxi Private Hire (LTPH) was because LCDC Chairman Grant Davis had spoken to them about us and mentioned Concierge! Our two competitors have both had or have links to private hire. DaC has no PH drivers or cars and therefore needs no licence.
   According to The Badge, DaC has a whole floor dedicated to the system. Even though that is total garbage, no one would have bothered complaining because Mr Davis’ bitterness at the Society for expelling him – even though it was a committee of drivers and nothing to do with the Board – is something that will never stop and like much in their newspaper nowadays, is better just ignored.
   However, to actually report the Society with incorrect info to LTPH shows morals that are as low as they can get because just like the Inland Revenue, a sniff causes an investigation. So far as I know, DaC do not need any such licence and have no intention of applying for one regardless of who the LCDC Chairman chooses to send his snitching info to.
   Interestingly, in The Badge’s unsigned article about DaC (they rarely sign anything controversial – then again no one else in the LCDC would have stooped so low), they have their usual go at us but not once did "the writer" deny going to LTPH. I don’t know whether LTPH will get us to sign any such document, but what I do know is that this trade has enough to combat without going to the teacher to tell on someone else. Mr Davis should feel ashamed of himself and has shown himself to be totally unworthy to be a trade leader...
   Next month is already December and the Christmas issue! Whatever happened to the rest of the year!!!

Alan Fisher
callsignmag@aol.com