Photo exhabition

The Coballt cafe North Great Georges St.tango here every Saturday night.


A young persons suicide machiene

Something free is opening tomorrow in the D'Lite studio which is situated over a garage beside the 5 lamps.
Coming from town turn left at the junction then first right at the next padestrian lights and right again and there it is on the left. Reception and opening at 6 pm.

Vico Rd

Dalkey castle from Bullock harbour.



Well things are progressing towards a HalO launch next week more than 400 drivers signed up.
I went to the HQ on uppr.Mount St, but before I walked to the door I was aproached by a man who wanted to go to Dalkey.

Dalkey is one of the most beautiful places in the world, when the sun is shining.
He was a good talker and told me about his father who ran a brakers yard, an awful bad business man, but he brought them up well and they always had interesting cars at the house.
When he got out I went up Vico Rd to take in the view. Bono of U2 fame has a house around here. Indeed when Queen Victoria was brought there she declared that "It is as beautiful as Serento in Italy" Hence you have Victoria rd and Sorento Rd.

It is indeed where the rich and powerful live.

At the train station there is a good photographer, if I had dropped off in Dalkey I would go and look at their latest creations. At the present time a good money spinner is getting your pet to sit for a portrait.
A few months ago I spoke to Margret about a photo they had once taken. "You have a great memory, that was over 20 years ago, it won a lot of prizes that photo. I am very happy that you still remember it"


I was in need of a quick pee one day up there and I saw a driveway gate open and a gardner at work. I asked his permission to go behind the wall.
When my work was finished I thanked him and I spoke to him about the grandness of the whole place.
He told me that the people who owned the house he was working on were in the south of France at present, at one of their other houses and their 14 year old daughter had skipped out of her boarding school and was hard at it in the upstairs bedroom as we spoke.
On he went with the scandal about one household after another, he hardly stopped for breath until he had told me all the bad things about the 6 houses around me.

If I was working for the Sun I would have had the scoop of the year.

20 or so years ago I was driving a "Delivery boy" around as he went from one house to the other. Back in the days of the old Motorolla brick sized phones.

He explained it away by saying that he was just fulfilling a demand, he didn't force them to buy the drugs, it was just business, he fulfilled a demand.
There was a drugs haul in the paper a few days ago of €250 million worth of Cocaine.
They say that the drugs were in transit.
I reckon that most of it was for local consumption.

The drugs problem is way out of control here.

I have a new job for life.

Very well paid!

All I have to do is to work out why young healthy people go on drugs and dstroy their lives.
My sponsor has promised me a worldwide lecture tour plus full network coverage.

The problem is that even the very best brains cannot unpick that puzzle.
So don't beat yourself up worrying about it, observe it all and tell others was his advice.

I would to fill you in about where I find work and more about the people I meet.
But it would be like telling other fishermen your favourate fishing places.




School ended today for the primary schools,
All the little dears heading into school with a present fot the teacher.

Tango Fiesta

14/15 July

Places Going Fast!!!!

Our Special Summer Fiesta Deal is being snapped up at lightning speed:)
From home and abroad

www.tangofiestapresents.com 086 3262416

8 Fantastic Dance Workshops Plus

Summer Fiesta Ball

and

Sunday Milonga

Just €120

Contact us now asap to claim your place and learn with
two of the Top Salon Teachers in the world

Oscar Mandagaran
and
Georgina Vargas



Happy Dancing,

Lots of Love,

Kristina and Julian

www.tangofiestadublin.ie


Here is Kristina and Julian showing how its done.

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif


Just in case you thought that driving a taxi was everything.
This is a magic conferance to be telavised soon.

Have a look at this.
You can go to this internet conferance too.

Art on the Green

The back gate to the Royal hospital Kilmanham,Its a really nice walk to and from the prison.



My friend Lucie selling her paintings from the railings on Strphens Green. Both Merrion Square and St. Stephens Green do this for a period in the Summer.


Wait until you hear what I did last Sunday.

I was upin Northern Ireland visiting my grandson and came home late, so I went to bed and had an early start. I came out to the taxi and there was luggage on the back seat. I brought the stuff into the house and a heavy shower started as I ran back to the car.
There was a few people around, but no one hailed me down.
So I continued cruising around getting nothing.
I even did a U turn as there was a guy obvously looking for a taxi. No luck.
So I went to the Westbury hotel to get a coffee and the Sunday papers at the Loft in Grafton St.
When I got out of the taxi the deiver in front of me said,"Are you not working today?" I said I was, then he said "Where's your taxi sign?"

There it was,in the boot of the car all that time.

The sign is magnetic and you can just lift it off for the car wash or if you are going away.

Oh well no used crying over it now.





Just look at this bag, found beside the Westbury hotel.
I had a look to see if there was any ID inside, no such luck.
She probably met her friends for coffee,hung the bag on the back of the chair, leaned forward to speak and in a whisper it was gone.
Credit cards,bank link cards, work pass, money, phone, keys and perhaps even her Westlife ticket. All that was in the bag was 2 bottles of water, 2 packs of sandwitches and a small bottle of wine. All you might need for a great night out.
Be careful out there.

Goodbye Westlife

Wow last night was like Christmas eve long ago, queues a mile long at every bus and Luas stop.
We had the final concerts of Westlife.
Total chaos, I got 2 long runs which took me out of the loop for more than an hour each time.
I often say "Its the short runs that pay the rent"

Hailo is thinking of expanding into New York, I put them in touch with taxi drivers there.
Every city is different.

Here are 2 New York taxi drivers.



John does a radio show on radio free Eire I used to listen to it a lot on the internet, I was on it when I went there.



He is never stuck for something to say



Here is video clip of Yazmine and Leonardo from Mexico City who were here last summer teaching Tango.
She never danced like this with me.
You might guess I have still a lot to learn.

Enjoy it.

Pouring down.

Houses in Summerhill painted up for the "Boys in green"
Its a pity the team didn't make a better effort., T



An Irish flag flies at 1/2 mast on Stamer St, as if the Nation was in mourning.



Sign in a Chinese €5 buffethere is another €6 one further up on Moore St which is much better.


The new HailO app is working really well.
One slight problem I have is that it is a bit of a distraction while you are trying to drive. You have to go "POB" (passinger on board) set your destination, then pay by cash or credit card at the end.
More than once I forgot to turn on the meter. A Londoner told me that this was a problem for the London drivers as well, trying to change a routine that you have been doing for years will not be easy.
I got 3 credit card jobs last week and the money is in my account today.
They have over 400 drivers signed up now, we are getting used to the system and the company has people going around calling taxis up and going for a journey.
They plan to launch soon but they have to get a a blance of taxis available with the drivers knowing how to operate the system before the off.
If you have the London or Chicago HailO app on your phone it should work here as well.
Today I went into the office at 12 Upper Mount St. and met one of the guys that developed the system. He is a London taxi driver himself for 10 years,so he knew what he needed when he worked it out.
Every Mother and girl I spoke to thinks it is a great idea.
Even if you ring a radio company you don't know who is picking you up.
Now with this system you do.


The weather is bloody awful, rain rain and more rain.
Still it drives people into the taxis, no walking in some of the downpours we have had.

A huge convention took place here in the conference center.
It was concerning diseases of the central nervous system. MS, etc. 5,000 delegates. Short hops over and back with a big bus back-up.
One Doctor I spoke to was from Greece, his wages were cut and he is owed €40,000 in back pay from his hospital, he feels that he has little hope of ever getting it.
Over here we do not understand what is going on, imagine a hospital worker not being paid for 8 months? If I got no money for 2 weeks I would be bunched.

Most people in the western world are only 2 wage packets away form dissaster.

Today they will all be heading off to the airport bick to sunny climes.

The problem I have with the conference center is that no provision for taxi drop off and pick up was made. The buses pull up in front of the center and the taxis cannot pick up people without blocking the road. The buses should wait at the side of the building and a member of staff should direct the delegates to the taxis.
A bit of organisation boys and girls please.

Remember Colombo ? Now look to see who directed this.

Happy Birthday Paul

Not just another day. You are 70 today so

Happy birthday Paul





Just to reflect on the Tango show. It should be full of passion!
Like this...

Week long of prayers

Imagine a parking meter that will not take €50 notes!.
Its at Dublin port


Sail training ship from Denmark. They have girl sailors as well as boys !


Some vintage cars on a tour from France no less.


A new Dublin street. Excise walk.



As I am driving around I have the App for HailO cabs turned on all the time so that I will be used to using it when it is launched next week.
Road closures and accidents pop up to warn you as you approach danger areas.
I have processed 4 credit card payments, these jobs I would have had to pass over, now its easy peasy.
In order for this to work they will need to have enough cars on the road.
Girls love the concept,
"You mean to say I will know who is coming to collect me?"

Taxi drivers remember "NO weekly base fees"

Part of the deal was that I had to update my phone.
What do you think of the Photos ? They were taken with the Ifone.

12 Upper Mount St. Beside the Pepper Canister Church.

That was a wonderful week of Prayer we had.The tall ships will be the next big thing.
Well I looked it up 23/26th August.

Anything of interest?

Well we have had a new addition to our extended family a little baby grandson, so the knitting needles have been working for months, now we know what color the wool should be.

Good night and may your own GODS go with you.

A bit of Nostalgia

It was greatb to see Luke Kelly there so young, as all of the Dubliners were young at that time.





1976, you could drive down Grafton St.,(just like my sat navwants me to)
they were building the central bank.
I think it was filmed from a Mini Moke



If you liked that you will love this.

Greece today

Nothing to do with taxi driving.

This is Greece today.

Will it be Ireland tomorrow ?

Soldier for a Summer

I picked up a guy in Portabello who was heading for the airport.
Irish Sam he had helped to overthrow Gadaffi.

He had written a book called Soldier for a summer, they had made a documentary about his adventure. Now he was on his way to meet a fim maker in London,they want to make a full length movie based on his exploits.

They took the footage off the blog.
Here it is again....




 This one is the Lord Mayor of Tripoli.







He had overslept and if he had not let me take him through the tunnel he would have missed his flight.
It was good to meet him and if he contacts me later we will talk some more.

800 th posting

A bookcase full of Video tapes, my son says he will pit it all on a cloud for me.



A very famous Dublin pub.



Grand Canal dock



Aviva Stadium from Bath Ave.

It is hard to believe that this posting is my 800th

Who would have thought when I first started back in September 2006 that the blog would keep on going.
I was going to stop once as I felt that no one was reading it, but some people said that they read it and asked me to carry on.
I didn't start it to put right the wrongs of the world, or to complain.
(Though most of us do a fair bit of that)
It is just the world as I see it.
For a well educated population who are well able to articulate their views. I despair when I see how our elected representatives behave.
It is best not to dwell on them, I never voted for them so its not my fault.

If the people of Holland were running this country we would be feeding the world.
If our lot were in power in Hollandthe the population would shurly drown.
Listen to classical music and let your troubles drift away, thats my remedy.

Back then in 2006 the taxi drivers were full of fight though the taxi numbers still kept on growing, until we are in the situation where we outnumber the taxis in New York city a city with a population of around 8.2 million People, though it would have a larger population who commute to work.
We are 2 million people in Dublin, so we have a large taxi problem.

All in all the New York taxi drivers life is not a bed of roses either, click on the link here and listen to the radio show.

So driving a taxi becomes for me an education, both for driver and passenger, we each learn from each other and believe me when I say we are becoming very well educated as we drive through life.
Interesting, clever,stupid and rude people all come through the door.

There are many people who impressed me in my time driving a taxi.

One was Chuck Feeney.
Who?
Well I didn't know who he was either, but he is the man behind Atlantic Philanthropies.

I only learned who he was and what he achieved because a law was passed in the USA which declared that you must state who you are exactly if you gave away a large sum of money.
I read it all in the Irish Times newspaper the next day.

Work life balance, nutrition,and financial awareness were all covered on the trip in from the airport. He invited me in for a cup of tea, which I declined, to my eternal sorrow I said.
"All this talk doesn't pay for the wedding breakfast."

I still send him the odd e mail and follow his fantastic work.

The other great man I didn't recognise either.
I had the airport pass at the time and was number 4 in the queue, this man came out and spoke to the first driver, the second, the third. Then he came to me.
"Will you accept Dollars, I don't have any €uro?"

Yes!.
Just like that.
Who did I meet?
So I loaded up a teenage boy and girl, a lady and himself and off we went to the K club.
He was a great talker and we shared some great ideas along the way.
He took out a notebook at one stage and took down notes, he told me that it was a habit,so that he didn't forget things. These notes are kept in 2 diaries one in his office and the other in his home, he can go back more than 20 years to recall an idea.
I felt I knew him and he said he was no one famous, but I felt that perhaps we had worked together years ago and had not seen each other since.(in Prison perhaps?)Ha ha.

When we reached the K club he wanted me to come back to collect them and bring them to Dublin and back again.
Well you see ! That is 4 trips for me and I would be only paid for 2 (down empty and back home empty) And they have a lovely limo there which is free.
I honestly didn't know him and I was very tired , but even though he offered to pay for the 4 trips I told him to take the Limo.

So the next night on the Late Late show Pat Kenny has a special guest.
A big round of applause for Mr. XXXXXXX
So he cane on and said "Hi John, thanks a lot for bringing us to our hotel last night, we really enjoyed it and I look forward to meeting you again."
So if you see him tell him he is very good company and I could see how clever he is.
They don't come any bigger than those 2 people.

Both clever like a Fox for sure.

But the otherpeople affect in other ways, too.
Some people share their thoughts and dreams, others say nothing.

That girl going to buy drugs, knowing that she is on the road to hell.
People buying drugs are plentiful here in Dublin.
Heroin is more an epidemic rather than a problem in Dublin.
Perhaps that is why they put up a giant needle in O'Connell St.

That street prostitute who worked around Baggott st.a few years ago. She just loved her son to bits and she would buy him wonderful presents for that coming Christmas, how I hoped she would get her act together, in reality she was a really lovely girl.
The last time I saw her she was skin and bone, very frightening a total waisted life.

So this has been an education for me,there is very little business to go around for such a large number of taxis. Every new taxi that comes on the road takes work from those already on the road.
Then there are the illegals !

Something new is coming to Dublin very soon it is called Hail O Cab App





www.hailocab.com
12 upper Mount St
Tell them John sent you, from the Blog.

This might help business and NO BASE COST

So thank you for reading this, sorry it is not more professional.

But then again I am just the taxi driver.

Pop over to visit us some day.

As stupid as the day is long.

This is the Polish embassy,It has been renovated to a wonderful high standard finish. The pointing on the brickwork is magnificent.
But one of our Historical buildings group are up in arms as they were not allowed to put their spoke in and they say that the embassy didn't have full planning permission for the works.

Boys and girls, get over it.

This is an Embassy, they don't need your permission.

Its wonderful work, just admire it.



After a show closes Paul Mathew dismsntles the stage and has it on the boat on its way to its next venue.
So it was with Midnight Tango and the show in the Olympia as well



That iconic building at the end of D'Oler St.



Ann Chapman puts the finishing touches to her displays before the grand opening of her Jewellry shop Stonechat. Its in the Westbury Mall.

Good luck with the big venture.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


It didn't happen to me, but it might happen to you some time in the future.

A taxi driver picked up a fare from the airport to an insurance company on the other side of town,
On the way there the passenger asked the driver about getting back to the airport again.
So the driver agreed to collect him again at a set time and they exchanged numbers.
The taxi driver told the guy that he could pay for the whole trip on arrival at the airport.
At the fixed time the taxi was at the door where he had dropped his passenger. 10 minutes later with a no show he rang the number, no answer.
So he waited 10 more minutes and rang 2 more times before going into the office.
The girl at reception remembered the visitor, but he had gone away an hour before and he had asked her where he could get the aircoach from.

She called the section manager who came to reception, after listening to the taxi driver he rang him from the office phone. He answered after 2 rings.

"Hello Mr Schmit? This is Mr Jones from the insurance company.
We are having a problem with your taxi which you booked to collect you."

Mr Smith explained that he had broken a verbal agreement with his driver and he had further tried to cheat him out of his money by running off to the airport and hen not awnsering his telephone. Mr Schmit had been caught badly.

So he hung up the telephone and rang Mr.Schmits boss in Germany.
He explained what had happened and how Mr Schmit had refused to answer his phone when his taxi driver tried to call him, yet when he was called from the office the phone only rang twice.

"To settle this matter I am paying the driver €100 for his time, I will expect your cheque in due course and I would request that you send Mr Schmit to see a psychiatrist as I believe he must be mad!.

He has placed our business relationship on a very bad footing going forward, as one tennant of business is that it is done on trust"

The taxi driver was paid, I would suppose the other Mr Schmit will be looking for a new job soon.

Midnight Tango

So tonight I went to the Tango show.
Wow what a spectacle.
I can only say I never felt such wonder since the first time I looked into my Grandfathers pocket watch.

Enjoy.




For tango lessons in Ireland look here.

I just had to throw this in.
The most famous tango tune in the world was SOLD for the price of a packet of cigarettes.
This tune has made millions.

Worst storm in a decade

The paper said it was the worst storm in a decade, for once I believe it.

Sometimes when it rains you do better.
Not only taxis.
Like the brickie on the building site rained off,but getting paid.



There can be some awful accidents on building sites.

Health and safety man take note.



Dear sir I write this note to you to tell me of me plight.
And at the time of writing, I am not a pretty sight.
Me body is all black and blue, me face a deathly gray.
And I write this note to say, why Paddy's not at work today.

While working on the fourteenth floor some bricks I had to clear. Now to throw them down from such a height, was not a good idea.
The foreman wasn't very pleased, he being an awkward sod.
He said I'd have to carry them down the ladders in me hod.
Now, clearing all these bricks by hand, it was so very slow. So I hoisted up a barrel, and secured the rope below. But in me haste to do the job, I was too blind to see; That a barrel full of building bricks was heavier than me.

So when I untied the rope, the barrel fell like lead. And clinging tightly to the rope I started up instead. While I shot up like a rocket, to my dismay I found, That halfway up, I met the bloody barrel coming down.

Well, the barrel broke my shoulders as to the ground it sped and when I reached the top, I banged the pulley with me head.
Well I clung on tight though numb and shock from this almighty blow, And the barrel spilled out half the bricks fourteen floors below.
Now, when these bricks had fallen from the barrel to the floor, I then outweighed the barrel, and so started down once more.

Still clinging tightly to the rope, I sped towards the ground.
And I landed on the broken bricks that were all scattered all around.
While I lay their groaning on the ground I thought I passed the worst,when the barrel hit the pulley wheel, and then the bottom burst.

Well a shower of bricks rained down on me - I hadn't got a hope. As I lay there moaning on the ground: I let go of the bloody rope.
The barrel then being heavier it started down once more, And landed right across me as I lay across the floor. Well it broke three ribs, and my left arm, and I can only say; That I hope you'll understand why Paddy's not at work today.

Copied from MetroLyrics.com

Hailo cabs are coming

It rained today like a tropical storm, which chased people into taxis like the taxis were going to heaven by express.
It was 6pm before I got home for my BREAKFAST.
But I got snacks in the Bretzel bakery.
After the morning rush I swung past Mount St to speak to Hailo cabs, this system allows members to call up the nearest Hailo taxi to them, once the person gets acceptance they get the ETA, drivers name and picture plus the roof sign number.
Then the arrival time is given in real time, 2 Min's, 1 min etc.
There is an instant one touch 5 min call back to alert the passing er.

If you are going to visit them say that John who writes the blog sent you.
They are paying a bounty on referrals.

Everyone I told about thought it was a fantastic idea.
One guy told me that the main reason people don't take taxis is that they don't carry cash any more.
With Hailo credit cards are no problem.

Imagine no base fees and the customer knows what the person picking them up looks like.

An Asian guy with fantastic English got into the taxi.
When I remarked on his good command of the language he told me that English is the spoken tongue in Singapore, he is a doctor in Dublin and is finishing his time here.

He told me about a very bad crash between a Ferrari and a Taxi at traffic lights back home.




"You know not the hour or the day"

Be safe out there.

Perhaps we can blame William Shakespeare for the weather as his plays are being performed in the open in Trinity College from the 6 th to the 16 of June

Must go to bed now. Good night.
The photos will be coming from my Ifone when I get that sorted out

Time to die

People get in and out of taxis all over the world, some people talk with the driver others ignore their presence.

She got in on the North Strand, good looking with a great figure, she was in good health.
"Could you take me to Noctors in Sheriff St and back here for €8?,its all I have"
So we set off to buy drugs, not hash but heroin. I checked out on the slang later.

She was on the phone. "I'm in the taxi now, I'll be there in a minute, no I can't wait. Just come down now."

So we arrived and her dealer was not there. She spoke to 4 men drinking beer on the street. Yes they knew her and her dealer but they had no "Brown".
(Dealers have their own customers and they won't sell to anyone else in case it is a sting operation, however your dealer might bring you to another dealer.)
I moved up out of earshot then the guys became paranoid in case I was an undercover detective.
So she asked me to drive away.

She could buy drugs a bit closer to home, but if someone saw what she was doing they would tell her mother.

So I had a young healthy girl 20 ish, buying Heroin in the middle of the day.

She knows what it will do to her and her entire family.

There is a monument of a giant torch on Buckingham St.
It is there to remember the hundreds and hundreds of people who died of drugs in this area.


It is sad, it is like a body blow with a shovel to me.
You just stand there numbed by their actions.

Racing cars on the Dublin streets.

Just in case you were out of town like I was.
This is a taste of what we missed.



Loads more on you tube

But for something even better, drive a Ferrarii.I did my go at Donnington Park.
You fly into East Midlands airport, a short taxi ride, after the drive you can see the best motor museum ever, then the bus into Nottingham to see the oldest pub in Britain. The trip to Jerusalem. Then fly home.

By the way, 180 mph for me! Then again, as you know I am often in a hurry