The waiting game

Each day is different when you drive a taxi.

Yesterday and today were no exception.

I was ar the Aport and picked up a lady going into the south side of the city. When she got into the car she started the calls, ringing all her frends to say she was back etc. etc.

Then she said “Driver I would like you to take me to the hairdressers, wait for me then home to my appartment it will only take 40 minutes”

I said absolutely no way would I wait for 40 minutes for her or anyone else to get a hairdo, with people falling over themselves to get taxis. Anyhow I had a wife coming home from work and 3 kids all waiting to be fed. So we settled for Appartment then Dry cleaners ,hairdressers, then I could go home.

Arrived at the appartment, through the security gates into the basement car park. Out with the luggage, up to the appartment. “I will be down in a minute”, When I went back into the basement the door locked stopping me going back up again.

I waited locked in the car park.

45 minutes waiting.

I was almost boiling when she came down..Not a word about being sorry to have kept me waiting..When we arrived at the hairdressers there's e47 on the clock.

She gives me e50 in 2 seconds I have her change and recept in her hand, no tip.

She talkes on on the phone 5 mins..I turn off the engine 10 mins.. 20 mins . I turn round and roar “ WILL YOU ****OFF”

I have never come closer to killing anyone or having a stroke.

She must have been mad!

I know that I was as mad as hell.

But today first lift to Swords with an Indian guy. “I hope you can change e100”

Good chat on the way out then when we arrived I had to get out of the car to get the change. 20.40.60.80. I lifted the note off the drivers seat as I did so I rubbed the note to open it up, and Voila e200. There was one note wrapped around the other. I waved it at him.. loook He looked at the note twice but did not see what I was showing him, then I held up one note in each hand. He was really shocked E100 is a lot of money to loose, so be careful out there.

I won't go into the story of how all the IT jobs are going to India..Thats a tale for another day

All the pickpockets are very busy now.
The prisoners are out on Christmas leave as well so take care out there

Photos OR text

Taxi strike

Here is a few photographs of the last one day strike. That beautiful office is not the UN hq but the office of the taxi regulator !.
Then there is 2 taxis given the same number. Did I say that all the taxis had to change their nimbers? Now taxis from outside the city are able to ply their trade as the uneque Dublin, Cork etc. numbering system is gone, replaced by a national system.

The strike hurt a lot of innocent people. I was on picket duty at Heuston station where I overherd one of my collegues tell the father of a sick boy. That theres a strike on and he should have thought of that before he came to Dublin.
The father had an appointment with a consultant in a hours time.
On that day I had no car,but I don't see the point of hurting your customers and creating bad feeling towords yourself.
Still I know there is a lot of bad feeling on both sides.

The last photo is of one of the portloos that the Dublin Airport Authority expect us to use.
Over one Thousand taxis pass through the Kesh. When there are delays nature calls and its not unusual to have urine and fecies overflowing out of them onto the tarmac.
You can see they are never cleaned down too well.
This is the kind of thing we should be striking about. I asked Mr.Tommy Gormans office about it, they told me that I should take it up with the DAA. Now the union did not get back on to me, so what do you think of our state of the art restroom.

This is a photo of Daniel O'Connell, known as the liberator. He was a member of parlament duting the years of the great potato fammine.A barrister by profession. He fought for rights of the peasant farmers and held huge rallies around the country. His speeches are often used by other people to lift the masses.
The base of the statue has 4 angels. Very stern ones at that. If you are passing it take a look at the one on the right on the other side. She has a bullet hole in her left breast. She was shot in 1916 by the British (no Irishman would shoot an angel)



The other one is on the Glenageary Rd Upr.
Makes me think of Easter Island.

Yesterday I saw a taxi on a low loader, with a plastic sack stuck to the pillar at the side of the windscreen.
There was only one likely cause for this damage.
A pedestrian.
I am not saying it was the same car, but a taxi hit an air hostess as he headed into the Kesh (Holding area) There is a hole in the hedge and the staff run through it all the time. It is an accident waiting to happen.
There was a 3 car pile up at the entrance caused by the boy racers rushing to get in first.

Professional drivers!

Remember a simple error could cost a life not to mention what your insurance will go up by.
Got my meter sealed today..In Italy it costs one euro to have your meter checked over here it costs something like e70. Still it would be a long way to go just to save 69 euro.


Slow down and take care

What is this?

Being the ham I am with the computer I could not write in the titlesof the photos.
So this is the spire which sticks up 120 meters in the centre of Dublin city. I tell tourists that it was erected because the city fathers thought that something should be done when they found out that there was more than 6,000 heroin addicts in the city.
So they put up a big needle!
The fine building with the helping hand sculpture is the dept. of education.
More to follow soon

Photos at last

Stormy night

Yesterday was so stormy that it was not funny. The wind was gusting at 150 kph it was cyclonic so it was tossing ships and planes every way. Planes could not land at the port, I saw one take off and it was rocking from side to side.
I was told that most people were sent home as there were no flights landing ergo no planes to fly out again. I did not spot that this would happen , but I did ok anyhow.

The dart was off, probably a tree down on the overhead lines.

So I worked the streets and later Heuston station where scores of extra people were turning up from Cork and Shannon where there flights had been diverted to.

When the work eased off I got out to streach my legs and I found a Prada purse with cash and credit cards. I rang a few of the card companies(some which never answered)and passed on my phone number, the owner rang me back. Today I returned the purse and got a thank you plus e20 for a Christmas drink!.
This has restored my faith in humanity.
But I will try to do the right thing even though there are so many selfish, ignorant people that you sometimes wonder if its worth being straight.
Still the storm has passed and all the weary travellers reached home today, but you had better book in at the airport in plenty of time for you flight, as there will be no spare capacity for the next three weeks.

Tips for getting home

There are more than 13,000 Taxis in Dublin for a population of 2 million. That's more taxis than in New York.
Then why can't you get a taxi to come home?.

One thing reason is that everyone closes around the same time at night throwing heaps of steaming drunk people into the cold wet night. They are unhappy that the night is over and in no mood to wait around.
Joys in Baggott St(beside AIB) closes last 5 am. and taxis wait outside.

Its a fact that it took hundreds of buses and taxis over 4 hours to bring evreyone into town in the first place..Now the Dart and Luas are gone and only the odd night link bus.
Most people are happy to get in to your taxi,tell you where there going, and "thank God Mr.Taximan!". Others take it upon themselves fo fuck you in and out of hell. There is nothing much you can say about that, but I have often pulled up at a hostile rank and have the waiting punters at the rank pull them out so that they could get into the car instead.

If you are in a group say your goodbyes before the car pulls up. I will not wait longer than the second hug, goodbye! I will be gone to someone who wants to go straight away.

In the restaurant, book the taxi before you start the meal.

Leave town early

Go some place local to finish off the night.

Never wait at a rank.. drivers like to see that the people they are picking up are reasonably sober. At rhe rank you have to pick up the first homasidal maniac who is there.

Don't smoke, I am inclined to think if you are on your break you might need a bit more time and I don't want the car reeking of tobacco.

Walk out from town facing the incoming traffic. I have often seen people in Summerhill and Amiens st wave and curse the full taxis as they leave town. while the empty ones stream into town on the other side of the road..

A taxi bringing someone home to Rathfarnham or Stepaside will be out of the city centre for 1 1/2 hours! Thats for one trip. Take a nightlink for half your journey home then once your out of the masses you will meet empty cars heading home.

Celebrate Christmas and New Year in the first week in Feburary Just like the Chinese !
The restauraunt will be delighted to see you and let you sit for a few hours.

I know it is even stupid to suggest this but a pair of runners and a tracksuit in a bag out with you. This will mean that you can walk without freezing to death.

Sometime it gets a bit much to deal with/ If I work late it will be from the airport, though you can pick up plenty of headbangers there too.

I have had runners Ladies who have pissed on the seat Twice, girl sleepers are a perticular fear of mine, you must never shake them or touch them. Go straight to the nearest Garda station,
( Its worthwhile finding out where Garda stations are in advance)where a big burly garda will gladly slap them around or even as happned, twice take them in for bed and breakfast.

Two times I had a girl scream rape. The first one worker for RTE our national broadcaster. I brought her straight to the garda station where a bean garda ( luckely) interviewed her. She denied it all, then she slipped up saying "can't you take a joke"

The second time was very sinister and since that day I don't pick up girls on their own.

Harcourt St. Saturday night a girl waves me down going to Glassneven. She got in and fell asleep on the back seat,within 5 seconds.
At that time I had a Fiat Scudo wihch was adapted to take a wheelchair. So there is a big empty space in front of the bench seat. I had worked in the security business so as I could buy goods wholesale so I fitted an infra red camera connected to a 12volt time lapse recorder which was under the back seat. This was to cover my back and thank god I had it turned on.

Next thing I knew as I was turning into Dorset st. she jumps and starts screaming Help! Help!
I v'e been kidnapped! I held down the door lock and stopped the car falling from the moving taxi ,,relax whats wrong I asked
You got into the taxi in Harcourt st don't you remember ?

What happned next I know looking basck was well rehearsed.
She put her hand to her crotch and screamed I'm all wet, you bastard you are after rapeing me , You drugged and raped me when I was out! Ok Ok I said off to Whitehall garda station..They have fitted a gate to the side entrance so you can't drive into the yard like you used to. As we were going there she ranted and raved as how a pervert like me should be put in prison and never be let out again etc. As we got close to the station I was informed that if I gave her 200 pounds she would forget it.
No one would take my word against hers and I would loose my licence and never work again.. A few later minutes I was up on the grass outside the station. This is going to cost you a lot!..I blew the horn about 20times long blasts.
No one came out.
Then I let it slip that she had been on camera.
In that case you can bring me home she said.
This is the end of the line for you as I blew the horn again. Still no one came out and she said if I put a hand on her she would do me for assalt!
Pay the EFFIN fair and F*** off. As soon as she jumped out I locked up and ran in to speak to the guardian of the peace.. Come out quick to arrest the girl on the road.

To cut a long story short he was too busy, he was on his own and he did not care because no crime had been comitted ! Fucking hell I shouted if it was her who ran in here shouting rape you would be down on me like a ton of s***
Behave yourself or I will have you locked up, thats the biggest reaction I got from the Garda.

I am sure she has done this to many other drivers..
If you don't have the cash to have a camera installed buy a dictafone.. they can be as small as a small cigarette pack..Then when it comes to he said he said, you can recall and replay.

Be good out there boys and girls and take care. Hair spray is an excellent thing to carry in case of attack..or Impulse.
But then men can't help acting on it.