Death and taxes

Been there done that, heres the tee shirt


Last years photos.

The old saying is "Death and taxes are the 2 things you can't avoid".
So I have filed my tax returns, last year was a bad year with fuel costs rising and no fare increase on the horizon things are bad for taxi drivers.
But as Monty Python says "Always look on the bright side of life".
The farmers have lost out on the harvest and they have higher fuel costs too.

I try to see the better side of things,but sometimes I wonder about the press though!

Yesterday 700 taxis ferried 1,400 special needs kids through the city to Leopardstown race course for our annual party, no TV news had a feature of it.
The Herald AM did cover it.
If a taxi driver gets assaulted it is never in the papers, but if one taxi driver beats the lard out of a passenger its front page news.
Even though it was 5 guys against one, the poor old taxi guy is the villain.
Anyhow I took video on my cheapo camera and I can't download it.
I should have used the still camera in video mode.

The day started with me going to Vincents special school on the Navan Rd where I picked up 3 kids and a minder and drove directly to the venue. My kids could not sit still so going to Parnell Sq was out of the question for us.
In Parnell Sq. they make speeches and then drive down O'Connell St behind a band much to the amazement of the tourists and locals alike.
When they look into the taxis and see the kids it is quite common to see people shed a tear, we hoot our horns as we go.Last year I burned out the horn on my car,this year I had a foghorn.
Then after we cross O'Connell bridge we speed up with a Garda escort horns still blaring we make the trip to the race course.
The cars are decorated with balloons and we are sponsored by different businesses.
Ambrosia are the main sponsors but a lot of others join in too.

The taxi drivers give their time free.

One thing I find very hard is that a lot of the kids are so badly handicapped and in pain and even hooked up to oxygen. But the joy in their faces when the disco starts and the dancing....Kinda makes you feel that you never had the right to complain about your lot...Or about anything at all.

Look if you have never done it do it next year for sure.

Liverpool taxi (capital of Ireland) drivers do it too.

Then today I did my tax return.
I had a tax official in the car the other day, they pick a trade every year. Publicans, builders, grocers and this year they are on single mothers.
Next year ????
Taxis? who knows.
So straighten yourself out.

So with that all out of the way I feel I need to take a break.

Well I have the magic convention in Eastbourne at the end of the month, I hope I will be able to figure out how to get from Heathrow to Eastbourne.
Only when I HAD IT BOOKED DID ANYONE SAY YOU SHOULD HAVE FLOWN INTO GATWICK.
Still I have the language so I will make my way.
But if anyone knows what I should do I would appreciate it.