Chill out

I am under a bit of pressure today but I wish to send greetings to the workers on this May day the workers holiday.

Boys and girls chill out don't snap

Something from Sam in Sydney

Cabbie charged with assaulting cyclist who had leg amputated
Last Updated: Friday, November 21, 2008
CBC News

A taxi driver is facing a number of charges, including aggravated assault, in connection with an incident in which a cyclist was badly injured.

The 36-year-old cyclist, who has not been named, was crushed between the taxicab and a hydro pole.

His injuries were so severe that he had to have a leg amputated.

The incident happened at around 2:30 a.m. at the corner of Dovercourt Road and Argyle Street on Nov. 14.

Witnesses told police they heard shouting, followed by the sound of a crash. Then they saw a Beck's taxi leaving the scene and a cyclist lying at the side of the road in obvious pain.

A few hours later a taxi driver contacted police and said he had been assaulted just before the crash.

After investigating for a week, police have now charged taxi driver Sultan Ahmed of Maple, Ont., with criminal negligence causing bodily harm, dangerous operation of a vehicle, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, obstructing a police officer, aggravated assault and assault with weapon.

Ahmed was scheduled to make a court appearance on Friday afternoon.

All work....Lets play

If you never go to veryfunnyads.com you might not have seen this.
Its very good.

But how could anyone have thought of this?



But what was this person on to think up this advert.?



And to finish...

OK just one more..



Have a nice day

Protesting again

Today the protest took the form of a drive around Merrion Square through St Stephens green down to O'Connell St and back again. and there were a lot of scabs.
Taking things from an Irish angle this is what James Connelly said.
While your comrades are protesting any decent person would not work, after all it is not like we the strikers are looking for anything more than the people who choose to work.
The bus protest ended today and the buses rolled again,people hate to be delayed or to have their travel plans upset, but there was a holiday feeling around all morning with the buses gone. Some drivers decided to cross the line and take buses out, some of these buses had their windows broken, so they went back into the bus depot again.

Unlike the bus drivers we are not on an hourly rate, nor do we get sick pay or holiday pay. Though I do respect any workers right to withdraw his labor. If you do not make a stand standards will slip to a level where workers are being paid very badly.
Not even minimum wage, less than that.

Taxi drivers are protesting because there far too many taxis in Dublin, we have more taxis per head of population than anywhere in the world.
New York has around 12,500 cabs Dublin has around 16,000 our city's population is only 2 million.
It is like a pyramid scheme collapsing, everyone who lost his job has a taxi and for each new taxi that comes on stream the incomes of the rest falls, it has to happen that way there is a limited amount of work to go around.
To make ends meet drivers have to work in excess of 60 hours per week, some resort to cheating, Parking in front of Heuston station and walking up to the entrance,"Need a taxi?"(Touting)Or even cheating the passengers in other ways.

As the race to the bottom continues the vetting of new drivers has become non existent. When I applied for my PSV licence 20 years ago I had to wait for over 3 months to be vetted by the Garda,yet there are people driving taxis who were never vetted by the police, some are driving their cousins car which was rented from someone else and its the cousins licence which is on the dash, if you remark that the photo is a poor likeness they say "Its that Oil Of Ulay Ive been using". Brazen is not the word, they know that they won't ever get caught.

Cloning of cars is going on as well.

The taxi regulator sits in her multi million Euro office, with her staff writing great fictional diktats about the size of smoke rings on mars,or other subjects which bear no relevance on reality.These are printed in 7 colors on A1 sheets of paper and sent out around three times per year, at great cost to the taxi driver.

What taxi drivers are marching about in a nutshell is a listening ear, not a lot to ask. A responsive person who is capable of taking action.

A simple thing to ask for.

Its not a lot to ask that someone be accountable for shortcomings in their office.

Well we have local elections and European elections not to mention the other referendum which we voted against the last time.

A few months ago at night the Garda started stopping taxis in block and went through their details, within an hour 1/3 of all the taxis were gone off the streets.

If the number of illegal taxis is so high why is there nothing done about it?

The Garda don't care, its too much bother, they write tickets for taxis which are overhanging the rank while heroin is being sold 50 yards from where they are standing.

There is an interesting case going on at present where a convicted drug dealer was given a haulage licence which had been taken from him. He applied for the new licence in the Irish form of his name.(This is the same guy who was operating quite openly in the area with the local Garda givink him their blessing,the case is currently under investigation)
Well now the Garda in Ardee have to explain how they did not know that this was the same person as the one they were forced to arrest a few months ago.

I need to tidy the house so I will publish and be damned and I will edit it later.

Bus strike.

Citroen 2CV "Dolly" a great car in its day.


A "Frog Eyed" Triumph


Morris Minor "Countryman"



If you know your New York you will know who lived here.


Today we had a bus strike and in the nature of these things the news that Clontarf bus station was on strike leaked out slowly.
Many people were standing at the bus stops as empty taxis passed them by.
I stopped at one bus stop to tell the lady there were no buses, all she wanted to do was to have a big discussion about it. (Shut up and jump in already!) I got 3 at the next stop.
Because of the protest tomorrow Tuesday 28th of April there were a lot of taxis around today, but then there are a lot of taxis around every day.

I heard a story the other day which fits well into the "taxi legends" section.

I picked up this lad a few years ago and he just got out of the taxi and straight into a house. I waited for a while, then I rang the doorbell.
A lady came out,very cross she was. "Why are you ringing on my door at this hour of night?"
A man came in here a while ago and he didn't pay the taxi fare.
"There's only myself and me father here" says she slamming the door.

Well I went down to the Garda station and came back with a senior Garda.
She opened the door again.
"Look Garda there is only me and me father here",producing an old man.

"Garda the man I brought here was 20 years younger,he was very well dressed and polite. I waited for him to kiss his girlfriend good bye before he got into the taxi, he said he was sorry he had delayed me so long."
"With that her angry face changed to rage as she went back into the house, this time kicking the poor husband out before her.
He was a sorry lad he hadn't paid me and he offered me 20 Quid extra to tell his wife it was a lie, but the Garda had other ideas for him.
It is an offense not to pay a taxi fare".



Taxi Drivers For Change





Press release for immediate release





Taxi Drivers For Change intend to surround the houses of the Oireachteas from 15.00 to 16.30 on Tuesday 28th of April to further highlight the ongoing and worsening chaos in the Taxi industry. It is anticipated that this will cause some traffic problems. There will also be separate protests conducted by our supporters around the rest of the country.


TDFC have put together a constructed and mandated list of solutions to solve the problems within the industry but Minister Dempsey persists in denying TDFC the opportunity of putting those suggestions forward by not meeting with us. Drivers are experiencing the worst working conditions ever seen in the industry and are angry at the Minister's lack of interest in addressing them. Minister Dempsey continues to ignore the plight of hardworking Taxi drivers and their families and should take note that this will not be forgotten come election time.


Spokesman for TDFC Frank Byrne comments." We've had enough, our drivers and their families need solutions not rhetoric about reports and studies, our patience has run out".
Oh yes the house Irving Berlin no less.

Houdinis car

I am off to bed after working through a mostly wet night,I just thought I would post this photo of Houdinis car, safely clamped in chains and padlock, when the clampers went away the car just threw off the clamp.

Lucky guy,

Whats the chances of that ever happening again?

Because of the weather I did OK, nothing mad but I got 4 trips out to Firhouse direction at around e20 a pop they paid the rent.
The rain meant that few people were walking, long may it continue.

I saw a red Avensis going round last night with his yellow sticker on the bottom left of his back window and below the mirror in front.
I think this is an illegal taxi,

Where are the enforcers now?




Its that time of the year when you fire up the Massey Fergasun tractor to pull out your boat and get it launched for the summer. The crane is on its way to lift the boats over the sea wall.
When the swallows start to leave the boats get lifted again in the fall.

Here is a very positive piece, quite uplifting really because Evelyn Glennie is totally deaf.
She feels the vibrations through her feet!

I love her voice. Have a look at ted.com

Last term

The rubbish piled up outside a garage door may not mean much, but this is what you see when a tenant moves out.

Polish gone home?

Asylum seeker deported?

Home owner evicted by the banks?

Social change is everywhere. That TV probably works, but its not a flat screen plasma job, so no one wants it. The bike could be fixed up too.

The banks and building societies are bullying people who are behind with their payments. Just a few months behind in payments and the bullying begins. When they turf you out on the roadside and they sell your house at a substantial loss, you will still have to pay all the money outstanding to them plus their costs.
The bankers have paid themselves well, huge pensions and bonuses at a time when they were ruining the financial sector.

Yet their action are going unchecked.

The banks have received huge bundles of cash, but they are not lending to anyone which makes the decline worse.



Perhaps the people will be turning to religion?
Well the relics of St.Threse of Liseaux have come to our local church and people are flocking there. There is a caravan stocked up with holy pictures, rosary beads, and Red Roses.
Business is booming.
Its good to see that people believe in something other than the mighty Euro.
The last time I saw such interest in religious artifacts was when the statues started to move in Ballinspittle many moons ago.
Times were hard then.
It was a kind of mass hysteria, but it did no harm to anyone.

Some gurrier from Ballyfermott went down with a hammer and smashed the statues to pieces,he said it was against Catholic religion to worship statues.

That put an end to that.

In the time of the troubles the IRA were finding it hard to move around Templemore and it is alleged that a statue of Jesus started to bleed real blood....Suddenly sick people were healed and pilgrims started to converge on the town form all over. The police could no longer look for the IRA suspects, instead they had to police the hordes of people.I read an account by someone who was around at the time and he said.
"It was a great thing to see the look of hope on desperate faces, children who had been given no hope were brought by desperate parents, I felt so bad knowing it was a cynical plot to distract us from out duty, that in reality there was no hope there, TB,Polio and other diseases were rampant in Ireland then. It was an awful cheat on peoples trust"

Its hard to understand but if you are dying you will reach for a relic for that special blessing.
I went to south west France once and used Lourdes as a base, cheap hotels good air links to Dublin. The procession of the sick and dying to the Grotto in the morning would soften a heart of stone. The dying children were the hardest on the mind.
But the look of devotion on the faces of the nuns and nurses was something to see, they did believe.I know all religions have places of pilgrimage, Mecca etc

and McDonalds for the heathens.


Just 4 weeks in the school year.


As they say "I used to be an agnostic, Now I just don't know"



Taxi Drivers For Change Protest Calendar





The following are protests planned for the coming weeks:



Tuesday 28th of April



Drive protest from 15.00 until 16.30 start point at Merrion Sq west (Government buildings) to follow a route up Merrion St, Ely place, St Stephens green, Dawson St, Nassau St, Leinster St, Clare St and Merrion Sq. All cars to be available for hire on this route for the period of protest.



Saturday 9th of May



Wives , Partners and Families protest walk. Start from Parnell sq at 12.00 ends at 14.00 at Molesworth St. Speakers will include wives, partners and families. Time to let our families vent their frustrations at this Government and its Minister's arrogance.



Next Protests



The next protest will include a Saturday night protest to let the Government employees working in the industry know that we're not forgetting about them. This will be in mid May (date to be confirmed).



Towards the end of May we will be organising a trip to Trim to emphasise our unhappiness with Mr Dempsey and to let his constituents know how unhappy we are. (Time and date to be confirmed).



CAP ON NEW LICENCES



REVIEW AND RESTRUCTURE THE INDUSTRY







A fund has been set up to pay for anyone's car being clamped or towed away. It costs 20 euro if you wish to join up just contact a committee member.

Spring advances

Dawn over Fairview park, mist on the football pitches, a beautiful day dawns.


The Spanish girl has dark hair, wouldn't you like to drive them to Tara?

If you haven't seen this take a look.

Talent exists in the most unlikely people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z0h1NNk1Ik&feature=related

Or who would remember the phone salesman Paul Potts?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

Its a pity I couldn't embed them but they work fine with a cut and paste.

Well Friday was bad instead of working all night I threw in the towel at 2.00 am and went home. I did not even go out until midnight on Saturday as there was a good old movie on TV about 2 man eating lions killing workers building a bridge in Africa.

There was a big fire on Auinger St, The Capitol pub I believe. This closed off the street from both directions and in true Irish style the traffic was going up to the closed section, turning and coming back down. If anyone had brains they would have stopped the traffic going up at the junctions at either end.

Lucky for me I got a run to Tara Co Meath the ancient seat of the high Kings of Ireland for an agreed fare, anything to get me out of the traffic.
I had 3 girls 2 form Paris and one from Spain.
Well I had a very pleasant 45 Min's trip, one girl had learned English here and still misses the place. Good company shortens any journey, as they say and I would say it was a good trip down.
I told them of my time in Paris learning French, but sadly in my case I forgot it all.
Paris is a beautiful city, the food is great I bet you you won't walk past many of the patisseries in the morning either.The fashion and the beautiful buildings. If you ever wanted to drive F1 have a go on the perifireque, a ring road around Paris.
The people can be a bit of a problem, but when they get to know you they treat you OK.
Just don't take any bullshit when you are there.

What made the bonus is that I got a e35 fare on the way back into town.

Saturday night someone in Dublin won around 14 million euro on the lotto.

Good luck to you whoever you are, look after the poor!

I went down to the ferry and went to take a photo of showbiz coaches going on to the ferry. All blacked out windows around 8 of them. Then it came to me it was Disney on ice moving on. They were traveling in style.
While I was taking the photo another taxi drove past me to the other ferry spot.
When I arrived there he was first I was second.
When the boat emptied he was the only one who got a passenger.

So tonight we had all the people who were off for the duration of the Easter holidays coming back to town.
I didn't have much luck at the train stations as I could not get on the ranks, but there was a concert on at the o2. They were getting into line at 6 am, the concert started around 8.30 pm.
P!nk, never heard of her.
Everyone said it was a great show and they were going to see it again when it came back.

To anyone who has never been to Dublin it has just become incredible how many taxis there are in this city.

Perhaps I should post less, but I thought the French girls would like to see their photo.

Thank your stars.

A fine house on Park Ave

Ferry across to North Shields

I jumped the gun a bit the other day, I meant write about the protest and then finish it tonight,but I pressed the publish button instead of the save one.

I am preparing for a big birthday I will be 60 in May!

I booked a meal with my family, had to organize for the other day..We might not meet all together for a long time.

You know restaurants claim that times are hard,but you try to book a meal for 10 or so and they start to add surcharges etc.

Guys don't bother we went elsewhere!

At a dinner with Paul Daniels the magician once,someone asked how old he was? his answer was that inside he was 12 but his body was considerably older.

That's the way I feel to, but inside I am 14.

I updated the links at the side of the blog and I will be looking at them again, so if you have stopped posting you will be gone off the sidebar for sure.
Glad to see the DC cabby is back at the wheel again.
I put the save the yellow cabs link up..Its a radio show, some of those old gravely voices are great, its a really good show,gives you a great view on taxi life.

I had a magazine clipping from a friend about British cabby's, a really interesting bit of work. One guy was Iranian and he said "Whenever things get really bad and I need a break I just load up the cab and drive home....To Iran, that would be a drive and a half, I wonder what would be on the meter?

Tonight my Mojo is not working, I am driving like a ship that is cursed as I cruise through the streets of our fine capital, I know it is not me but the 16,000 other cabs that keep driving in front of me.
So I dropped anchor and went for a pint of Guinness and I wall try again tomorrow.
I know I have said it before but its very like fishing. Turn left pick up a fare, turn right nothing. Like the fisherman I am casting left or right.

I had a few interesting people and if you yourself do not feature it doesn't mean I think any less of you.
I picked up a lady at the Westbury hotel going to the Gresham hotel in O'Connell st. She needed to talk, about traffic, weather, about anything.
Suddenly she said that she had 5(I think) kids but 2 of them had died. She spoke about a precious 5 year old child who spent time talking to customers in their chemists shop."He was a lovely child,I'm not just saying that because I was his mother. He was killed in an accident and we told the family to come home that he had a broken leg, we didn't want to alarm them, My eldest daughter arrived home to find the black ribbon on the front door. She developed anorexia nervoza from the shock and died shortly after. I lost my youngest and oldest in a very short time."

You know if you think you might have had problems balancing the budget etc. ? Try carrying her load for a few days, add to it a sick husband and cut backs in the health service.

Another lady I picked up on East Wall Road today, she had just finished acupuncture and was heading back to Galway. She had been in a car crash and he road to recovery was a long one. She told me how a car had crashed into her and turned her car into a Cortina (She meant a concertina), One way or another the alternative treatment was helping, but it is a long process.

Your health is all you have.

On Easter Sunday a guy of 23, who was just become engaged was eating Pizza and playing cards with his mates. Then he took a taxi from the bottom of Mount Prospect Ave. Some say the taxi missed the turn for Victoria Rd. But the young guy paid off the taxi and ran over the road towards the Yacht pub only to be killed by a car heading into town,he probably only looked one way before crossing.

You need to be so much on your game all the time, it only takes a second to be killed.

Take care of yourselves and your passengers,

So remember the Lotto will be 12 or 13 million on Saturday, if you win say nothing
to anyone and as they say. "Don't forget the homeless"

Aw Cheer up

Latest Protest

Empty taxis outside the meeting, they were everywhere

Its 11.30 and its bedtime, but I thought I would start the next posting now, just to have a bit done.
The taxi drivers for change had a meeting today.

They spoke very well.

One lady got up and said it all.
"My husband works 18 hours a day, he is defeated when he comes home, totally wrecked. We have no life. If the car breaks down I have to find the money to fix it, if a bill comes in there is no surplus,I keep the house working, we live hand to mouth.
We are both working and the ends do not meet.

Its wrong that you come here and argue about small things.
Stop this fighting against each other.
Stand together and fight together, we all want the same thing"

Fair play to all of them after the meeting they went into the office, sorry palace of the regulator and created a presence, a presence that has not been felt by taxi workers in that building before.

You know we often feel that everything is beyond us.

That we are helpless.

That this is something that is out of our reach, but we all have family,kids and relations and in my own household there is as many as 18 votes,replicate this through the country and our elected representatives who ignore us do so at their peril.

Together we can do great things.

Many of the bad things in the world are beyond our help.
The bankers who gave gazillion of Euro to property developers.
The Government now feel that we the tax payer should bail out the banks, even though we can't pay the back over inflated mortgages that the crazy spiral created in the first place.

Pay up or be homeless.

Bail out the banks.

It would take very little to give the public drivers who know how to get around the city.
Drivers who have had their past checked out by the Garda.
I hope you have no young kids.

Drivers who do not have to work 60+ hours a week.

You know its time to stand up and be counted, shoulder to shoulder we will make a change.

Licence renewed.

Early morning sunrise Dollymount


Northpoint NCT depot

Today I renewed my taxi licence.
This involves booking the car in for testing and If it passed its fitness test you get to renew your licence.
Among the papers you have to bring is your tax clearance certificate.
Now, I had a problem getting that.
The delay was that I had written a cheque,but the tax people said they didn't get it.
After a bit of coming and going I found I had sent one of my wife's cheques..I didn't even know she had one.

So another one was dispatched and the tax clearance cert arrived in time.

Now there is a deadline on these things, if your PSV licence expires you have to pay a charge of e400 extra to renew it.
Even though the delay may not be your fault.

I did not know that you could get the car tested up to 6 weeks in advance and you don't need a tax clearance cert to do that.

Now my problem was that if the car failed the NCT I might not have the fault remedied by Thursday the day my licence expired.

One strange thing happened, the new cert was printed valid until 04/09 instead of 04/ 10. The supervisor was called and he accepted that the computer was at fault and he would post me a proper cert one in a few days, bit they would pass me out.

So I am all set for another year.

One of the lads from my local pub went in for his NCT and to renew his PSV licence.
The guy at the desk said, "This insurance only becomes active tomorrow, its no good."

The guy on the desk only had to make a phone call to see if he had valid insurance, so my mate is disputing the fact that he had to come back the next day and pay e400 extra.

That's bureaucracy for you. But I know a better word for it which is beginning with 'B' as well.

The madness of Dublin taxi life is getting more hectic.
I had a lucky escape on Monday night,while the long weekenders were returning to Dublin. I couldn't get on to the taxi rank at the station as there were too many taxis there. There might have been 30 cars waiting to get ON to the rank.

I was listening to Seamus Heaney on the radio and there was a special reception for him in the Royal Hospital Kilmanham to honor his 70th birthday, so I went in and got 2 runs there,then back down to Heuston and by now the number of taxis had diminished.

I heard today that the Garda drove to the beginning of the overhang at the rank and a van hemmed them in at the back and everyone got a ticket, parking in a bus lane and obstructing traffic.. I hope the Garda can sleep well in their beds knowing that they do such a good job.

Tina Turner concerts brought a bit of work into town for us. I was tucked in at the O2 and a girl asked the car in front something, then she got out and came back to me.
"Connelly station please". So, he is one of the drivers who thinks he has the right to refuse short fares.(Legally you can't refuse) When she got out I only had to wait a few minutes to get a fare to Bewleys hotel at Newlands cross a good e20 with a tip.

One lady said something quite funny the other night, "Do you ever read any Blogs?" says I.

"Well I think anyone who writes a blog has a desperately over inflated ego...To think that anyone would be remotely interested in their daily activities" Says she!

I take it she is not a diplomat !.

Another thing I found out about the Toyota Prius is that it has no temperature gauge!

One of the other guys told me that the thermostat jammed in his and it overheating the engine and blowing the cylinder head gasket, ouch!
The means of preventing this arrived today, scan gauge2 It plugs into the diagnostic plug of the car and when you change cars it just unplugs, handy at $170.00.
I was hit for VAT e38.48, though.

Oh the price of wisdom! Cheaper than a cylinder head gasket though.

My main hobby is magic as you might know.
its good fun and I used to keep a few tricks up my sleeve to do while I am stuck in traffic. Once I did a card trick called B'wave for a guy and got a 20 quid tip on top of the fare.
Have a look at this guy a Mathmagician it is something you could master while you are waiting at the airport.

Magic conventions take place all over the world..Loads of Magicians are heading for FISM in Bejing in the summer...In the search for that new illusion which will make them better than Keith Barry or Paul Daniels. Have a look at one trade magazine here
One problem with comedy and magic is that sometimes you just might steal someone Else's jokes or act even.

Here is a very clever piece I found for you on you tube.


My favourite movie is Funny Bones with Oliver Platt Lee Evans and Jerry Lewis, all about a guy trying to recover his preforming magic..look it up.

While you are at it take a look at the girls of BelgradeYes that pbase website has some great photos.

Happy Easter

Remember 1969?
Fiat 500


Easter is a movable feast.
It falls on Sunday of the first full moon after the Spring equanox.



Before I start to rattle on here is a note.

Taxi Drivers For Change

The next Steps

Taxi Drivers for change invite all of it's campaign supporters to attend an open meeting on Thursday 16th of April at the Transport workers club on Clogher Rd in Crumlin Beginning at 10.30 a.m. and finishing at an undetermined time.

The purpose of the meeting is threefold:

1. To discuss, validate and mandate the framework submission that the committee are presently assembling as mandated by a conference of 37 delegates from around the country and by our own supporters held at the same venue on Thursday March 19th last at the same venue.

2. To Inform the supporters of the campaign of Political avenues that need to be explored and gain consensus opinion of same.

3. To discuss the next protest/protests either immediate or for future dates.

If a majority decision is reached on the day immediate action will be taken and funds may be required i.e. a fighting fund, so come prepared!

For your information the situation as we understand it is as follows:

oThe Minister has not agreed to meet with us.

o The Taxi Regulator continues to hold out the Goodbody document as the way forward which we do not agree with.
o
Time is running out and the situation in our industry worsens day by day.
o
Radical action is required and will be taken if deemed necessary.
o
Other routes now need to be explored and your input is extremely valuable to us so we need as many of the supporters of this campaign to attend.


Remember why we all began this journey :



Suspension of easy entry into the Taxi industry, until we participate in a complete root and branch Review and Restructure of the Taxi industry so we can all do a fair days work for a fair days pay and do it with with Pride, Respect and DIGNITY.


Well Boys and girls if we do nothing, nothing will change, as it stands the number of taxis needs to be cut by 2/3, that is a fact.

We are overwhelmed,

BUT WE DO HAVE A VOTE.
TELL THEM THAT BEFORE YOU LET THE DOGS OUT .
LOCAL ELECTIONS COMING SOON

Well we had Good Friday when all the pubs were shut, then came Saturday night, Tina Turner was on a gain at the O2 arena and as usual the fans were awestruck,
I hope I can leap about like that when I am 69.

The usual crap as the Garda tried to stop us picking up fares, but I got 2 fares in the end.

Got 2 druggies later off to buy heroin in Crumlin, they wanted to go to a school that I didn't know the location of but they were glad to give directions while talking on the phone. "No No No not dat stuff, the wet stuff, Left here driver, yes we will be dere in a minit"

When we got there after I got further directions to were we would be going next and then where we would be going after that.

The "contact"was not there so they thought that e8.50 was a bit expensive so they decided to pay me off with a crisp e50 note and get another taxi.

Glad to be going I saw another taxi pull up as I drove away.
Another customer I thought as a young girl got out of that taxi.

When you get a taxi at night it costs e4.40, then for the extra passenger add another euro, so the fare itself was not so dear. To hail the other taxi would cost them another e5.40 and they were now off the beaten track, so they would have to walk a bit to find another taxi.

Following here is an example of what I mean when I say that taxi drivers should be of the highest moral callaber possible.

I stopped for this couple and before he got in she asked him where he lived, "Well you'll need another taxi"says she, so off we went to Heartstown.
A good looking Blond in her early 20s,she was chatting away her speech was slurred but she was not blotto. Arriving in Blanchardstown she said she had to make a call.
She spoke for 2 minutes when she passed out. I could hear the boyfriend talking on the phone which by now was on the floor.
So I think to myself she can't be too bad,she will wake nup when I get near to her house.
I let the windows down ands call her to waken up. No response.
I loked around for couples passing but there was only groups of lads passing by.

It is very important that you Never ever shake a girl awake who is asleep in the back of your taxi, you can be done for sexual assault so easily.!

So back to Blanchardstown Garda station where I knocked and called until a nice young female Garda came out.

She threw her eyes to heaven when I explained my problem.

But even she had never seen anyone in such a deep sleep.
Slapping and shaking had little effect.
When she did come round she gave a false address and then she eventually gave her correct address.

A few years ago at Blackrock Garda station when I had the Fiat Scudo a male Garda came out to a sleeping female passenger an grabbed her by the breasts, rubbing them violently he then squeezed her nipples..She woke up with a shreek...That was in anyone's book a serious sexual assault, but then he was a Garda.

Back to the story, she then said how sorry she was and she didn't know what happened to her,suddenly the retching started. Window down,stopped,door open and out came a gallon of sweet smelling booze..
After a while I gave her the remains of my water bottle to rinse out her mouth and settle her stomach.

She was very sorry for all the bother and was quite distressed over the matter.

She was a very nice girl I really mean that and when I got her to her door she insisted on paying me extra even though I had stopped the meter when I had to go back to the Garda station.

You would not need to use your imagination too much to see how she could be badly done by with the wrong driver behind the wheel of a taxi.

My last fare of the day around 2 hours later told me he was in a bar off Grafton St. with his sisters and their boyfriends when he had his drink spiked by this short creepy guy who then tried to drag him into one of the toilet stalls in the pub.

He was rescued by his brother in law as it happened, The week after he was thrown out of the pub for punching the guy who drugged him.
He told security what had happened, all they said was that they had suspected that guy of doing something like that before.

But they could prove nothing.

So you see she could have been the victim of the date rape drug Ro*****l.

TX4s going on fire.

Is the Vito the answer?




Here is a taxi story for you.
I didn't even know what a T girl was



Must go Tina Turner calls again.

Herring Days

Stephens Green


Coopers Cafe

Boys and girls working in the city why don't you stop off at the Coopers Cafe on Bond St. behind Guinness hop store. Good food plenty of parking etc.. The girls need the work as well at the cafe is off the beaten track.

Tell them you saw it on the blog,,for a special discount.
Holy Moley this is my 301th posting!

Seems like yesterday I told my son that though that New York Hack had a lot to say.
"But I could say more" He set up the computer and here I am.

Now I have updated some of the "LINKS" on the side, some have passed on, some are in hibernation..But I must direct you
right hand side...Have a look see, loads of good stuff.

Well the Garda are issueing loads of tickets at Heuston station,like the taxi drivers are dealers.

BOYS IN BLUE.

STOP CRIME!

TRYING TO FIND WORK IS NOT A CRIME.

HEROIN IS ON SALE ON MARLBORO ST., NEAR SACKVILLE PLACE AND NEAR ALL THE METHADONE CLINICS.

ALSO THERE IS A FAIR BIT SOLD ON CITY QUAY AND AROUND LIBERTY HALL.

There is no excuse picking on the guys you can prosecute.

Easy targets.

Legal people.

Guys that are just trying to feed their folks.

I spoke to the Garda who was giving the fines.

"Do you know that around 20% at least of the taxis operating in this city at weekend nights are being manned by drivers who have no PSV licence, they are also have no insurance,? Why don't you go after them?"
"I can't stop every taxi driven by a black man".he said.."I said nothing about Black. I was thinking Moldovan and Russian even Slovakian as well".

"My job is to write tickets here" he said "That's all".

So boys and girls leave a space to drive off as he approaches.

An afterthought.

I reported information recently about a crime committed a while back...
I gave all the details, no one asked my phone number and I feel that no details were ever written down.
As a matter of fact as he was recapping my statement he got street, day, and time, wrong.
So next time I will record the conversation and pass it to a press reporter..
When the public sees how the information is handled don't be surprised if you, (Garda)are transferred to the sticks.

We have just had an emergency budget..Taxing the poor and throwing billions at the banks who paid themselves so well and led us all into this mess.

Start the cuts at the top lads halve politicians pay, ditto with expenses, make them clock out at the end of the week, shorten their holidays.
Its a sight to see the Brussels boys checking in at 9 am to make the 9.30 flight home..claiming a full days pay as they go.

Ah don't start me.

Well the Lotto is e10 million, would that be enough to tempt you away from driving a taxi?

You betcha it would.

I am glad to see that the NTDU taxi drivers "union" are paying a professional to read the Goodbody report. This is a really good thing as with a legal document for example you need to know what to look for.

Work is really thin on the ground so I will be taking a few days off to paint and clean and mow..yes folks the grass is growing again.

I had a job this morning to bring the magician Bill Goldman www.billgoldmanmagic.com to the airport. If you go to his website and click on the 2 of spades it brings you to his blog which will be updated in a few days and you can read what he really thought of us.
He said Ireland was great, he only regretted not going to Limerick,,the home of poetry.Ha Ha

You know Bill you must have put an invasible spell on the car, no one stopped me again for ages.
But it is OK I need a bit of a rest.

There will be a big vintage car show this Easter.
One of the guys in the pub pulled out some photos from his pocket at the mention of vintage cars..
What car is that?
It had been smashed in the front but the vents on the front wings lead me to believe it was a Jensen..Correct a "mark 1" Other photos followed showing the repairs and then as she is now, gleaming.

First bought by a Viscount only driven for 3 years only 20 left.

You know this kind of thing can take over your life.

I will stick with my model Burago model e type Jaguar thank you very much.

The names Austin,Humber, Morris etc bring me back to other times. Not better or worse but other times,I appreciate all the hard work that goes into looking after these old girls as they rust in piece.
I had a client going to collect his Triumph car a few months ago from Mounttown Motors Dun Laoighaire, where I met Doug Skakie the boss, he came from S.Africa but has lived here for years.
An E type man and very big into Triumphs.

Its funny but I had to tear myself away as we were getting into the development of different cars..
Ah those were the days, Coventry climax engines Hillman Imp, My very first car.

Things are at the stage now that if you can't boot up your computer you are going nowhere.

One thing for you.

This is free but its worth e200.(Pay me when we meet)

Certain cars Saab,Citroen, Mercedies etc can just stop for no reason.

Roll down the drivers window and pop the bonnet (Hood)
Disconnect one of the battery leads, they often have a lever type release.

Say 3 Hail Marys.

5 mins if you don't pray.

Re connect the battery lead.

Now the doors will LOCK

I did say leave the window open

When you get back in the on board computer will have reset itself.

That will Teach you for buying crap cars.

A Runner

Scotts famous art deco house in Sandycove


James Joyce tower ditto


The 40 foot gentlemen's bathing place


Looking across the bay from Sandycove

Just after finishing the all nighter.

Sunday morning and it looks like its going to be a great day.

The nights work was good too except for something.....There is always something....a damn runner,, well he walked.I suppose looking on the bright side ..He didn't pull a knife or anything worse.
Going from St.Stephens Green to The Lamb Doyle's pub high in the Dublin hills,turn right down the hill, right on to the end.
(Did you see the dead deer on the road, I hope it wasn't John Deer or Bambi)

5.30AM "How much is that?" I told him. "Wait a second until I run upstairs for your money."

Now what you might do in that moment is

1. Sure mate just give me your phone to hold.

2. Wait a second I will go upstairs with you to save you, save you the trip back down.

3.say"If you are thinking of doing a runner there is a video camera in the car"

Or none of the above.

When they do do something like this you back up to get a view of the block, when you see the light coming on you will know which apartment he went into.

Then you get a AK47 and riddle the gaff!!!!

No you have to keep your cool.

Well I know which block he went into.
I know the property maintenance Co,I saw it on the door,
I could see the video camera so should I continue?

You bet ya I will.

Perhaps there should be a black book where runners could be placed on the net,

So that we could compare notes.(Come on Roy)

This guy is a respectable "type", a teacher or such.
They decide in their minds that even though they live in Leixlip or Manooth that they have a plan and they are not going to pay.

One taxi driver I heard once had a Garda do a runner in around Manooth or Newbridge,he caught the guy out when he turned on the lights, the Garda then rang Naas where he was stationed and claimed he was being assaulted,well in the shake down the taxi drivers uncle was a detective chief superintendent and he organized officers from outside the area to investigate.
Wrongful arrest, assault, perjury.

His comrades soon changed their stories when they realized that their own jobs were now on the line.
In every profession you get bad apples.
A free meal here,some cash recovered is "Skimmed",someone with who they have a grudge gets framed, well
The taxi driver got an apology, his return fare to Naas and his fare back to Dublin again.Ie 4 times the fare, but he could have got a lot more.

Still I know that unless you have clout within the force, you, the taxi drive are dirt in the eyes of the Garda.

It was a great shift up to then, people had forgotten about this recession and had come out to celebrate.

Did you see the Grand National?.
I said it would be great Winner at 100/1 or a tenner makes a grand.

Anyhow everyone else was great, so why I let this one upset me I do not know.

Remember if you have not lived here for a long time.
The Pubs, clubs and off licences will be closed for everyone on Good Friday.
Its a holy Catholic holiday and you cant buy alcohol.

I don't care if you ARE A Muslim, No exceptions.

Off to bed now.

Keep the faith.

Grand National Weekend

Once Oscar Wyldes home, now the American College


The man himself


Finns hotel where James Joyces wife Nora Barnicle worked as a chambermaid.
She is said to have once remarked. " Why don't you write books that people can read"


Friday evening, after a beautiful day there is a light mist falling.
Our year is often remembered by sporting events and this week it is the turn of the Grand National at Aintree Liverpool, what a day out it is sure to be. Sporting moments.
Everyone goes mad and in its long history it has even been won by Elisabeth Taylor, can't remember the film though.(National Velvet)
Its one great day out that you should try to go once in your life.

Good luck to you all.

The big winner is usually the bookie.

A schoolteacher asked her religion class "Who was born in a stable and had millions of followers?"
Tommy from the front row throws up his hand. "Red Rum" Miss


There was one thing getting back to singers, did you ever hear Pavarotti dad singing?


You tube has everything.


Oh you if you are the lady who was bringing your kid to speech therapy, don't even worry yourself, loads of kids have problems with th's and t's until their teeth grow and the roof of their mouth develops.
I didn't get a chance to tell you when you were getting out.

Look I am off to bed and I hope the work will be out there when I go out.

April showers , bring on the flowers.

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.


Newly refurbished apartments Pembrooke Rd.


The Gondola from the attic.

An unlikely couple got married, he very academic she a stunning blond.
All went well and when they were visiting Venice the bride saw a Gondola on the canal. "look at that funny boat" said the blond.
"No dear that's a Gondolier in his Gondola"

Then the blond said.
"Gondolier, that's what the doctor said I have."


Well if only some of you April wishes came true.
The Lotto was e8 million on Wed, it's a roll over too.

Well my excuse for not working is that I am doing household repairs, my wife had the yellow pages in her hand and gave me an ultimatum.

Still I had been working 7 days a week for months.

Now the strike has taken place the heat will be turned up on on the taxi drivers.
I was told that they will only have to observe cars stopped on double yellow lines to issue tickets.

Problem is that the number of taxi ranks has increased by around 10% while the fleet has increased by 800% I am not great at maths.

I wish I could understand the Goodbody report. How his conclusions were reached are not explained, did they go to a dark room and take LSD before they wrote it?

"The average gross earnings of cab drivers is independently estimated at e58,000 per Annam or e40,000 after costs but before tax."

That is a guy working for 48 weeks (holidays sicks etc.) would have to earn e840 per week every week to get that.

I hope none of the wives are reading those figures....What has the tax man to say?

"While definitive data is not available, market intelligence (whatever that is) suggests that only a small minority of drivers are renting as opposed to owning a licenced PSV".

I know of one guy who had 600 taxis rented out.
Now he has over 1,000 rented out and to God knows who.
Well I am sure he has a record of the guy he rented it to, perhaps not the same guy who has it now, who knows.

The regulator is in the main silent through all the protests.
Why are people driving taxis with other peoples licences displayed?

Easy to answer that, the ENFORCERS ARE AT HOME IN BED at night.

How can a taxi driver be driving a taxi and not know where basic locations are?

Why do hundreds of taxis from Wicklow,Drougheda,Cavan and Navan etc flood into Dublin at weekends when they do not have a PSV licence to work the city.

There was nothing wrong with the old individual areas numbering system.
Perhaps it is time to put an ares symbol back on the roof sign.

Why are complaints from Wexford for example channeled through the regulators office in Dublin?
Would it not be better to be dealt with the local Garda and a report then sent to the regulators office?

The report also talks about times of peak demand, ie when the pubs are all closing at the same time. He seems to believe that all the drinking public should be brought home at the same time even though the combined bus, taxi, Luas and Dart networks took around 4 hours to bring everyone into town.
Add to that that many are now drunk and abusive.

Anyone who has ever seen "street wars" knows what I mean.

Extend the closing times of certain places for another 2 hours.

Anyhow this taxi regulator service is all spin and PR.
It is a total waste of money too.

The public are in real danger here, I hope you don't have kids coming home late at night.

Perhaps I would be better working instead of reading Goodbody fiction go on download it..