Well for the present I am a bit like a big ship with no rudder, trying to get work done in the house and still bring in a few € to keep the wolf from the door.
I must thank the "Web Summit" for bringing 10,000 people together to discuss big WEB THINGS..
It all went on for 3 days and it created loads of business.
There was not one free hotel room to be found.
It is quite exciting to think that Dublin has become the "DIGITAL HUB FOR THE WORLD"
Most of the guys seemed quite normal.................But when they talked about internet things a glazed look came into their eyes.
One customer put it very well,
"Like Jehovah witnesses arriving at your door, with the message"
They all had a glazed look and spoke of strange things.
Halloween was a hoot,people let off loads of steam,dressing up and lighting bonfires.
It is an Irish festival.
According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianized feast initially influenced by Celtic harvest festivals,[8][9] with possible pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic Samhain.[6][10][11] Other academics maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots.[12] (Wikipedia)
Anyhow it went to America where it became really big and scary.
Most people outside Ireland would not know that there was only 2500 taxis in Dublin around 12 years ago.
The plates or medallions changed hands for around €100,000 though it was in Punts back then.
If you wanted a taxi plate you had to buy one from a dead man, or rent a car for the day or night shift!
In fairness there were a few attempts to issue more plates.
Then a few would be taxi drivers took a case to Europe and said that the government had created a Monopoly which was against EU rules. They won the case and the government started issuing licenses without any limits for €5,000 each.
There was a lot of protests from other taxi drivers but no dialogue from government.
Everyone who had no job bought a taxi plate,as the numbers expanded everyone's income dropped and now you can't get on to a taxi rank and illegal ranks are popping up all over town.
At one time it is believed that there was over 12,000 taxis in Dublin.
.... There are 13,237 taxis operating in New York City.
Now that system is operated by the Mafia and the drivers rent their cab by the day.
A really tough system.
But no one will tell the Mafia that they are going to treble the fleet overnight.
Well the older drivers lost their investment but they have not gone away.
There were some whispers of compensation but nothing came of it.
This week in the courts they have taken on the government to task and I am told they have the right barrister to represent them, so watch this space.
Wicklow St has the Christmas lights up....though not turned on.
It won't go away you know.
Have a look at "Cash cab" a USA TV show.
It would cheer up a trip to Tallagh
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