Las Vegas

I was numbed when I heard of the carnage in LasVegas.
Such a sad sad day.
So many lives cut short for no reason.

Perhaps it is time for the people in America to waken up to the stupidity of the present gun laws.

You would think that after all the other times things would change.

I hope that time will heal the pain.
God bless you all.

As Colombo once said

Just one more thing, As Colombo might say.
I bought 2 cars in Japan and imported them into Ireland, one car had only one key.

I asked around and was told that they were very hard to get.
I contacted my agent in Japan and they gave me a breakdown of €540 or near enough.
This price included a handling fee of €50.
Then there would be cost of shipping and local Irish taxes and no it would not be programmed.

So I soldiered on.

Autokey ! 
This must be the answer to my problem.
I went into their Swords branch where a Polish? guy started to serve me.
Then Darren took over. 
We have those keys on order they should be in next week.

I must have phoned back 10 times, now he called me John when he herd my voice.
Then it was "I will just check, I know they are in and I will ring you right back" 
at least 4 times this happened and he never rang back.

Then one day I rang the other branch.
"No we have no orders in for those keys at all, anyhow, they are not available". 

I was shocked and when I could I went out to Newlands cross to the head office to talk with the boss. 
The key as it turned out was never ordered.
We never got an inquiry for it.
The was no explanation as to why Darren lied to me.

Darren did ring me back later with the most stupid explanation and I wish I had it recorded.

Talking to another driver I found a locksmith in Mullhudart  who said "No problem"
I was away for 4 weeks and when I rang him back he said that my phone was not ringing out for some reason.
"I got that key the next day"

There is no problem getting those Keys Toyota Ireland have them in stock.
So there you have it 
Be sure you have a spare key for these modern cars.
If you loose one it could cost you €3000 to have it re keyed and the locks changed. 

Photo of his shop above. 

Complaints I've had a few

Grapes growing in my brother in-laws hedge in Holland

This is an example of Vllseo fabric

Phillips invented the light bulb and they have a festival of light in Eindhoven

 Here is a ladu putting in the filament.

 If things go wrong where do you turn?

I lost my glasses, I wasn't blind but they didn't turn up.

So I went to Specsavers in the Omni center.
It cost a few bob, 2 pair of specs plus reading glasses.
The big day came to collect them.
"These don't seem right I said when I put them on."
Its a new perspription you will soon get used to them.
I didn't get used to them and went back.
No way would he entertain me.
There is a big guarantee I said
I foned them to no avail
I wrote to Specsavers in Guernsey and got no reply.
I sent them a registered letter, no joy either.
I was in Blackpool and Specksavers there told me that they would surely help me.

I bought another set of specs in McNallys for around €300

I told my tale to a customer in the taxi and he told me to go straight to the small claims court.
I told Specsavers that we will next meet in court to sort out my problem.
I got a call from the manager in Specsavers in the Omni center.
"What is going on? This matter was taken care of 4 months ago."
How?
He brought me in and checked the glasses.

I kid you not the astigmatism of my eve had changed from right to left to left to right.
The glasses were correct, my eyes had changed.
He just gave me a "Free" pair of glasses.
The fight had gone out of me. I should have gone to court for a full refund..

Then once upon a time I bought myself a new mobile fone in The Car Fone Warehouse in Clearys.
He showed me a Samsung Galixy, really very nice.
"Everything will transfer to the other fone"
So they started to transfer all my photos and information.
After around 20 minutes I went off to get a cup of tea. 
It was still working away when I came back.
"Its done now we had to delete 200 photos to fit everything on to the new fone, but everything is on your old fone ( Except the 200 photos which were still on my Ifone)
Then they gave me the fone and I turned it on.
Where are my Apps?
The apps don't transfer from Apple to Samsung.
But you said 
"Everything will transfer to the other fone"
Apps don't transfer from one to the other. 
The deal is off so.
The manager said "Once the seal on the box is broken there is no going back". 
I wrote to the company 4 times including once to their solicitors on Mount St.
A lovely lady rang me to say I could download all my apps from the net.
When I said that my Hailo logs would be lost she just ignored me.

My son got a new fone.

A customer told me that I had a good case for contacting Comreg.

They sold you that fone just because the commission was better.




So big companies will tell you to fuck off when you need help.

But I will not be using Ryanair for the forcible future.

Or the Carefone warehouse

Or Specsavers for sure.

Too big to care just right to fail !!!!

When we were in Holland there was a design student staying in the house,

Did you ever see an African lady dressed up to go to church?
Chances were that her bright dress was printed in Holland by an old Dutch family called Vllisco (click on the name)

Video interlude

 A few weeks ago I had to go to the airport to try and recover a Chinese mans lost luggage.
The inertia and "Not my job" attitude shocked me.

Then I saw this well made video that framed the situation perfectly




Incredible episode of Judge Judy



Taxi drivers have life changing things happen to them. Here is one



 This is a taxi driver from Chicago
Listen to his story.





Perhaps I should put in a few cameras and become the Irish Cash Cab

Magic moment....... Almost

I liked Barcelona a lot, I would like to spend a month there.
There was a magic shop in the middle of Barcelona, the oldest one in Europe they said.
I went there twice, the first time a guy was trying to make up his mind as to which deck of cards he would buy? He couldn't decide and the lady behind the counter didn't suggest that she would attend to the two other people waiting.
I had a fantastic magic trick which is so different that I thought she might be amused and put it into production. No patience, I went.
On Sunday we went back as we wanted to visit the Picasso museum (It was really good) 

He was setting up shop and I showed it to him.
Do you know how it works?
Svengalli !!
No I said,
Rough and smooth?
No 
Then he said long and short, (Its not) So I just said you're right and went.

I will try to record it and show you,
You will be amazed..

So popping around the place and 3 Syrian guys jumped in.
Where are you going?
They hold up a mobile fone with tiny letters,
I can't read it its too small.

I did hear a place followed by Tallagh.
So I headed off.
I sensed that there was something up and I asked the guy on the front seat to put in on my google maps.
Shit it was weird !
Took me up towards Harrolds cross then turn around to go on the canal...
Sat navs never err????
Then out the Naas duel carriageway then on to the M50.

Then it hit me they were going to Charlestown in Finglas,,,

Look lads, this is a mistake. 
Not mine and not yours. 
To make it right I will turn off the meter and just charge you €25.. 

We all make mistakes that is why God puts a rubber on the end of a pencil.

Lads practice saying Cherlestown Finglas for the next time

My son gave me a poem it could be every taxi drivers prayer.

Click here   


OK here is one of the nicest guys in Magic. I have met him 4 times and he is fantastic

And a really great magician.
What do you think ? 



 

Been there done that.

 Y
The photo thing is still a mess 
 
I'm back, I did 2 jobs today and tomorrow I will work for a full day.

Its really great how we can hop around Europe thanks to Ryanair.

Except Ryanair really let down their customers in a super spectacular fashion this week.

Thousands left stranded!

So if it it happens to you, go to a railway station and buy a Eurail pass It will take you right across Europe by train in a few hours. It was the way to go in the 80s and its still good.

There is also a European bus network!!!

Big news from London Uber is being kicked out.
Security is the issue, things happened and were not reported to the Police.
Then there was the vetting process.
I had a few people in my taxi who told me about Uber very scary stories.

An app for calling a licensed taxi is one thing

Calling Joe Bloggs just out of prison in an unlicenced car which is also not insured as a taxi is another completely different thing.

Back again soon

Netherlands

"Where are we honey?"
"Why its Thursday, we must be in Rome." 

Tomorrow is Thursday and I am in Holland.

Business, "What kind of business?"
"Mind your own business kind of business" 

So there is a photo behind the bar in Clearys pub in Aimiens St. (Best pint of Guinness)
I looked at it and the barman laughed at me.
"Don't tell me that you don't recognize Luke Kelly?"
Probably 18 years old no beard, a true folk hero, a fantastic photo.
Worth a look if you are a fin in Aimiens St.


A good few years ago I got a job to Phil Coulters house in Bray.
As I was handing over the parcel I saw Phils piano in the sitting room.
I asked and I was told that this was his one and only and original piano.  
"Could I please put my hand on it?"
She obliged and I really felt the energy from what this tool had produced such great songs,
With a little help from Mr.Coulter.

Coulter had a downs syndrome child and he wrote this song and he insisted that Luke sang it.

 

The big day out

I don't know how many cars turned up but I would say that it was well over 300 taxis.
We went out to gather up our charges with their minders and we went into Parnell Sq. to meet the Garda band. Then with Garda escort we whizzed through the city center out to the Leapordstown racecourse to dance to a disco with chicken nuggets and lots of lemonade..
Then we gather them up and bring them back to their care homes.

These "Kids "live in long term care homes.
With my hand on my heart I bless them all and I hope that God will forgive me for bitching about my grumbles.

When I dropped off my charges off I turned on my "MyTaxi" app and it was like I had hit the jackpot.
Just one job after another.
So good night sweet people sweet dreams.