Not too different here.

I had to go to the police station on Monday, high up in the mountains here in Crete.
When I was there a Scottish guy came in and tried to report a dangerous situation as he saw it.
Roadworks had been going on and traffic had been diverted to the right hand side of the road.(They drive on the left here)
That section was now completed the left hand lane was now back in use. But the line still showed the traffic coming to Pafos that they should head into the right lane with a continuous white line. He had seen a girl knocked off her motorbike and he didn't want to see anyone badly hurt.
It was a bit like some kind of comedy as he drew diagrams, the policeman adding a few waves onto the place where the sea was.
A second policeman stopped by.
"No that is not a police matter, it is the responsibility of the Municipal road authority"

He almost lost it. "Look if someone gets killed will it be a police matter then?

Give me an awns er?

You are just a heap of useless shit"

Off he went.

The second policeman came back in and told the first officer to bring him back in.

There it ended, by the time the first policeman got out the Scottish guy was gone.

I passed the spot today, nothing has been done to change anything.

There are hundreds of cones lying around, all it would take is to move 10 of them across to define the correct line of the road.

Is there not a crime called "Reckless endangerment?"
Knowingly placing persons in danger and doing nothing to protect them.

Perhaps the Scotsman and myself are "Pissing against the wind"

We are kidding ourselves.

The people in charge don't seem to care and when I published that piece about the junction on Alfie Byrne Rd no one commented.

The road safety council did not comment and the Dublin Corporation tells me that a green light means proceed with caution, even though the road on your left also thinks they have right of way.

Still if someone dies, will they sing a different song?

You leave the shop and then

Well here I am in 30 degrees of heat, you go away for a few days and everything starts to happen.Charlies Angel and Michel Jackson die. What next?.

It reminds me of the night Barrry White died.
I had this Australian girl in the car and I had the news on low, when I picked up the news of his death I turned up the radio.
"Whats that ? Barry White dead? I can't believe it, Oh My God. This is terrable news"
This went on for 10 minutes or more and I just had to cut in.
"Have you got your passport? or do you have to go home for it first?

It took a few "What do you mean? and I don't understand".

So I had to explain that she must surley be flying out for the funeral seeing as they were close.
Drink and drugs cloud the way we feel and act, nether she or I had ever met or known Barry White, to tell the truth I never even bought his greatest hits.

Funny to think about that night, she was telling me(before the news) they were buying an apartment where I was dropping her off. I said no way at all as there was a very rough element living in the area. That morning about an hour after she went in a man was stabbed to death in the lobby of the apartment complex.

Business here is not so good either I went into an Irish bar last night seating for 250/300 there was 8 people inside and a few women and kids outside.

There are very few guests staying in the hotel as well..I guess they are hoping that things will pick up in the future.
A frend of mine who is in the travel business told me in January that they had reduced capacity by %40. They felt that with the recession that no one would be going away and they didn't want to be stuck with holidays that no one wanted.
I had never thought that the Budget Travels and Sunways of this world don't own the hotels, they just buy rooms as the feel they might need them.

So until we meet again I must keep up the jet skiing canoeing and paragliding.
Your job will be to keep an eye on the lads in the Dail till they go on holidays.
Keep the other eye on Kathleen Doyle the Taxi deregulator.

No photos this issue. I hope no one gets killed on that East Wall junction before it is made right.

A little question for the Corpo.

Just something to keep you thinking.
You are driving down East Wall rd. Heading for Alfie Byrne Rd.
You have a green arrow saying its OK to go right.
Now this road is marked as being a main road which goes around the corner.
Now look at the second photo. A green light.
And Green means go?





Now this is the view coming the other way,remember the other side has a full green light and you are coming either head on or on to his left flank.


Well this is what Nial Bolger of Dublin Corpo,thinks I should know.

John,

I bring your attention to page 82 of the rules of the road March 2007 addition re. traffic lights and signals.

It states that a green light is not a right of way, it is a licence to proceed with caution

Regards

Niall

Well I should also give you his first reply.

John,

When turning from East Wall Road onto Alfie Byrne Road we provide a full green light and a dedicated right turn arrow in seperate phases.

When the full green light operates you should proceed with caution as stated in the rules of the road as traffic approaching from Annsley Bridge has right of way. No flashing amber light is required.

Reagrds


Niall Bolger

Assistant Intelligent Transport Systems Officer

Roads & Traffic Department

Well I did also report it to the road safety council who sent it to the Corpo again, that is a week ago now.

So If someone is killed there we can quote the rules of the road,,rather than put a flashing amber arrow instead of a full green light.

Its awful to think that someone will quote you the rules of the road to you rather than prevent a possible death by making a simple change.
My fear is a colision between a motorcycle or cyclist and a van or car.

Bit late for change then? eh.

All dancing

Perhaps when you started off you rented a cab and became part of a big Taxi family, then one day you went to the depot to check out your car.....

Perhaps there is more to life than driving a taxi,lets try music.


Then put a few steps together.

Now you are getting into the swing of it.


Well if you have an extra skill you might have fun too.

Here is a couple who are all over U tube, but I am told that Andre is too stiff in his movements, I don't know.


Well you know when the orchestra is blindfolded that things take a rye twist.
What was the name of that movie??
But if you kept up the taxi driving you could become a taxi dancer.

Here is another clip of the taxi dancer. I had a link to his website up for ages.
I see he has not updated for a long time.
Tell him I sent ya for lessons!!


Did you read about the female Garda who made a melicous claim that a taxi driver attacked her?
Thanks to a persistent Garda she was found out and now could face 5 years in jail.
Oh its a wicked world all right.

Will you miss me when I am gone away?

See you in a few weeks.

Did you see the new Bicycle stands being put all over the city?
So there will be free bicycles, people whizzing around, not much work for taxis then.



Whats wrong with the bike ?

Photos

Just had to give you the photos of Boomsday celebrations.
I went to the James Joyce centre in North Great Georges St.
People all dressed up in period costumes.
They have a website www.jamesjoyce.ie

Perhaps next year?

What do you think of the Argentine sailing ship?
Did you know that an Irishman founded their navy?
Not a lot of people know that.

Bloomsday

James Joyce tower in Sandycove



Georgian Dublin



It was on this day that Leopold Bloom began his Odyssey that became Ulysses.
So this is a reminder for you.

You will have to ask David Norris about James Joyce.

Some people from Korea were going to Sligo to visit the grave of W B Yates and asked me what I knew about him.
"He was the son of a Clergyman who had tried to make a living as a portrait painter.
He had a brother Jack who was a very successful painter.
He was involved in Irish theater with Maud Gonne and with the Irish freedom movement.
A terrible beauty is born.
One thing for sure,with all that painting and poetry they must not have had a television."

Take That

One of the heads from the Customs House

Juan Tamariz, the great Spanish Magician

Speed detector van



6 AM and now I get to stop and wind down,going like the clappers all night.
What is seldom is wonderful..
We were busy there was a concert in Croke Park "Take That".
It must have been a great show as everyone was happy, the weather was brilliant too.
When there is a big concert on the people head into town, when they find that there are few taxis around they head for the pubs and make a night of it which spreads the work through the night, great.
At the height of the rush I picked up 3 girls going to Clondalkin, Tallagh and Saggart e63, this trip took an hour out of my night but there was still work in town when I got back, often all you see is empty chip bags rolling in the wind like tumbleweed when you get back..
I was feeling peckish around 2.30 so I went into Burgrer King on Baggott St.
The meat patty was cold when I bit into it, so I went back to complain.
The Indian guy was having none of it.
"Its hot,not cold I just cooked it now"

Listen carefully...Never send food back to the kitchen as SOME cooks SPIT on your dinner and then send it back, with a big smile "Enjoy your meal sir,I am so sorry"

So I trumped his card.."Refund please"
And while he scraped around in the till for my money I let fly with, "You must think I have little enough to do without having to deal with bad service as well"
So I didn't get to eat until just now...Veggie ready meal from Aldi for around e2.!

My final fare was up into the Dublin mountains above The Three Rock Pub.
Just as the sun came up I went on up the mountain a couple of hundred feet for the view.
Dublin looked majestic with all the lights shimmering and from there it covers the whole horizon.
There were deer grazing in the field beside me but some waster had dumped a load of rubbish into the field, the scumbag.

You know from Lamb Doyles pub, The summit in Howth, Stepaside, Bohar na buiane grave yard and a few other vantage points around Dublin you should stop.Turn off your engine and take 10 minutes to take in the view, It is a tonic for the soul.

It kinda refreshes your spirit in a good way.

I was coming around Mountjoy Sq as the concert was starting, the lights changed so I stopped. I got a green light and as I drove on a taxi broke the lights. I blew the horn and he made a rude gesture.
What happened next was worth money.
An unmarked police car from behind me turned on the siren and he was nabbed.
I could see by the attitude of the Garda that this one would stick, there would be no warning.

That other car from last week, overtaking on the inside and swinging right and left through the lights, I saw him again twice ,,he sure is a bad driver.

I don't know if I told you about this website for photographs.Just when I checked in on the website I found photos of people in Eritrea Look here
One of my sons friends is there helping with humanitarian aid just now..It is a hard world for some people for sure.Not all young people are wasters for sure, you have only to give them the chance to be good.

Standing down.

The convention center is open for bookings at last.


Look the new bridge is up on its base.


Ah the summer of 64 Beach Buggies and all that.

Taxi Drivers For Change

Kathleen Doyle has organised another one of her Workshops. This is to be held in Portlaise on Thursday 11th June and T.D.F.C
will be protesting again at this and are inviting our supporters to come along and protest with us.

Hope to see you there

Regards

Venue----Maldron Hotel Portlaoise
Time ----- 12pm
--
TDFC


Well since I hit the big 60 I have started to re evaluate my life.
I am painting and getting my house back together.
I was chasing small change and losing control of my life in many ways.

I am like the actor "Resting" I will take 4 weeks off, my doctor has put put me on steroids, now I have a 38DD bust. No I kid you.
I know it is stress trying to make ends that can't meet come together.

But I like most of the Dublin taxi drivers need to divert my energy.

The government have received our wake up call, this is the way to go.

You might have been treated like a donkey, but we are Lions...Not donkeys.

It is time to waken up and roar.

Anyhow boys and girls I am booking my flight to drive a Ferrari 360, next month. Something I always wanted to do.

This is the sequel to the other song when he was a taxi driver.



So onward and upwards, we have to keep the pressure up.