Page 19
Call Sign December 2011
Rumpus at the £500-a-head Poppy Ball
Dial-a-Cab Marshal Steve Tyson (V99)
was recently involved in what could have
DAC MARSHALLS
turned into an ugly incident when mar-
shalling outside Drapers Hall in the City
where the charity Poppy Ball was taking
place. With diners having shelled out
SORT IT OUT!
£500 a ticket, disturbances were the one
thing organisers didn't want. Inside the
hall was Mike Harris (F79), but he had
no clue what was about to happen out-
"Soon all the drivers bar one had pulled
side.
off with their jobs, but suddenly the
Steve has been on DaC for over 15
group returned and began hassling me
years and in addition to driving and mar-
again. This time I just called the police
shalling, he has been a dispatcher in the
and they came in record time! They asked
call centre. So as the old saying goes, he
what was happening and what I wanted
knows what's what and he needed to
them to do! I explained it was a charity
on that night when a group of drunken
event and these people were threatening
louts "insisted" on getting into one of the
to cause disruption and even though I
6 booked taxis waiting outside the venue.
knew it was because they had been
Steve takes up the story...
drinking, nevertheless they did push me
"A group of people including a girl
and without the other drivers stepping in
came up to us and asked for a taxi. One
who knows what might have happened!
of them had fallen over and looked total-
It was already a technical assault. I asked
ly dishevelled, but the entire group
the police whether they could perhaps
looked to be drunk. I tried to explain that
DaC Marshal Steve Tyson
"encourage" the group not to do it again
all the cabs were booked but it's a waste
without actually having to charge them.
assumed the group would just go away.
of time when people have obviously
The next thing I saw was the police hold-
But they didn't and seeing me with a two-
drunk too much. Their attitude then
way radio in my hand seemed to make
ing these trouble-makers against the wall
turned nasty. One of our drivers, Dave
me their target. I walked away from them
and judging by the drunks faces, putting
Willett (T27) saw what was happening
but they followed me and kept shouting
the fear of God into them! I certainly
MBH
and got out of his cab to make sure I was
about wanting a cab because their friend
wouldn't want to do anything wrong in
ok and the others soon followed. I told
had fallen over probably in a drunken
front of the City police! But I have to say
them to get back in their cabs because I
stupor. I tried explaining again that the
they were really good and the group
taxis were booked and that they should
recruits
walked off into the night with the prover-
call for an ambulance if he had been hurt,
bial flea in the ear and never returned.
but it was pointless. Then one of them
"But I really would like to thank all the
pushed me. The other drivers saw what
drivers who helped me out on that
Geely car
was happening and came quickly back
evening. It really was nice of them
out of their cabs and literally pushed the
because no one knew whether these kids
drunks out of the way! With that, the
had weapons or were looking for a fight.
dealers!
group seemed to give up and walked off.
So my sincere thanks..."
THE SALIERI RESTAURANT
376 Strand, WC2
London Taxi Company holding
We Invite Dial-a-Cab drivers and their guests to our
company, Manganese Bronze
restaurant where you can partake of the finest food and wine
Holdings, are looking to recruit UK
dealers to sell cars made by their
And as a thank-you for helping our clients come
Chinese partner Geely. The number
and go over the years, we are happy to be able to
required is said to be around fifty.
offer you a genuine 25% discount on your bill
Chief executive John Russell will be
speaking to interested dealers in the
We are certain that you will be delighted
next week or so with a view to hold-
ing a formal presentation of the
Geely brand.
The first two cars to be sold are
said to be derivatives of the Toyota
Corolla sized Emgrand EC718 and
will be sold entirely separately from
the London Taxi Company's TX4.
Please bring along your badge or Bill as ID
Geely formed a joint venture with
Manganese Bronze Holdings in 2007,
Salieri Restaurant
taking a 52 per cent stake in
376 Strand, WC2
Shanghai LTI Automobile, which
Reservations: 020 7836 1318
produces the cab in China.
