May 2009 Sam’sSam’s donedone it!it! Driver’sDriver’s sonson qualifiesqualifies toto fightfight forfor England…England… OlOlympicsympics next???next??? A 23 year old DaC lady shows Nobu the wayway a real taxi service should operate!operate ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: DaC’s Barrie defeats Westminster in landmark PCN victory! Parliament Sq demo: DaC’s Roman Way manager (and Tamil) explains all… Call Sign May 2009 Page 2 NASH’S NUMBERS By Alan Nash (A95) Requested by numerous drivers, this is my best effort for the location of Heathrow hotels… Abbreviations - BRE - Bath Road exit via West Ramp, one-way to Newbury Road onto Bath Road A4… CLRB - Cherry Lane roundabout, leave by Spur Rd, straight on and under at M4 roundabout to... TR - Turn right / TL- Turn left / NS North side of road / SS South side of road / RB – Roundabout… * Star rating - Mid wk is approx cost per room per night mid week 04/2009 (weekends cheaper)… For ‘What’s On’ and a larger coloured version of the above, visit www.nashsnumbers.co.uk/extras Call Sign May 2009 Page 3 from the editor’s desk But in general, it is true that many cyclists do New marshalled shoot along the inside just as you are turning left. Some travel so quickly that you just don’t realise rank… why? they are there. In fact, some cyclists now travel I think that the more marshalled ranks we have, so fast that unless you have an open road, you the better. However, this issue of Call Sign tells can’t keep up with them. of the latest addition to those at Liverpool Street Yes, as cyclist’s organisations are often keen to and Cranbourn Street. This one is at Cornhill and tell us, they put no harmful chemicals into the if you work during the evening and early hours, atmosphere. However, the number of pedestrians you will know of the minicab touts that hang up hurt by them must be going up all the time as in Cornhill by the Abacus nightclub. their numbers increase. This club’s survival seems to have bucked the Let me make it clear; there are also many trend of those establishments that come and go good, responsible cyclists who I personally have and suggests it to be quite an upmarket place. In no problem with. But even they admit that there addition to a disco, it has a restaurant and bar are many bad ones and certainly too many who and judging by the way those entering are think London’s streets are a perfect place to pre- dressed compared to some of London’s clubs, it tend they are in Le Tour de France. sounds like a good place to pick up work. But Is there an answer? Well yes there is. I’ve said you’d be lucky to even get close enough to the it before and I’ll probably say it again: Licence door because of the endless queue of touts – the every cyclist just as cars are. Then every cyclist touts due to their hanging around outside the majority with private hire stickers on their cars would have a number plate where that rider door looking to nick our work! Hopefully the and, I’d bet, only a tiny minority of them with could be reported if riding dangerously. Perhaps PCO will soon make sure that the finish time of genuine booked trips to pick up. even ban racing bikes in town? After all, these Smiths rank goes beyond the ridiculous 9pm it Anyone who has seen the excellent LTDA bikes with wheel rims the thickness of this mag currently has four nights each week. DVD on touting in London will know of the when closed are not designed to ride slowly, Nobu of Berkeley Street also now has an uphill battle we are facing against touting from whereas London’s streets are no longer safe to amazing taxi service once again, but things are private hire. But we already know all about it. speed along – especially during the daytime different there. The doormen – in danger of los- The police know all about it. The PCO know all when most cyclists are out there. ing some finance perhaps – try to push our dri- about it! So why has nothing been done? An excellent way of travel has been ruined by vers away. Nope, there is no rank there and had The police can’t be everywhere and contrary the large number of selfish cyclists who do exactly to some reports, the tout squad have done their it been a matter of hailing a taxi as a punter came what they want, when they want and who care lit- best under Sgt Dave Hillson with the small num- out, then fair enough. But the reason they don’t tle for pedestrians, let alone other road users. Yep! bers they have. want us there is because we take up the room Licence them all, make them identifiable and start But marshalled ranks do seem to be one that the licensed touts need! However, again led fining those that ride dangerously by shooting answer and when the news from the PCO, the by our victorious troops (!!!), things suddenly along the inside at speed, ignoring traffic signals or CoL Corporation and the new marshals in town changed. (Taximarshalls.com) arrived on my desk about a who go straight across a pedestrian crossing while And that takes us back to Abacus and the mar- people are on it. If it’s wrong, then it’s wrong… marshalled rank at Cornhill, my immediate shal who will be doing duty there. On Thursday thought was that the Abacus touts would now be 23 April, a DaC driver was arrested outside along facing a battle. So although it doesn’t begin until with a tout. The driver had stopped there after Curse of the cash next week (8 May), I thought I’d take a look to seeing another taxi driver being set upon by sev- see how close it was situated to the club. So I eral of the above mentioned touts. The driver machines? went on a quiet Sunday… was later released after spending some time in I know what you’re thinking – another article The new rank will be operational from 7pm the cells. on PCNs and cash machines? But you’d be very through to 7am daily and marshalled Friday and wrong! If you drive regularly as I do, I’m sure you Saturday evenings from 11pm until 2am. There That same evening, traffic wardens cleared a stack of touts from the front of Abacus, giving the would have noticed a shortage of £5 notes; this are other parts of Cornhill that need taxis, so per- also has the effect of creating a shortage of £1 impression that someone was trying to help our haps outside the club might not be the best place coins. You only have to have two £5 fares giving cause. But equality is the PCO’s name and that – even though just to the east of Abacus is the you £10 notes to find £10 one-pound coins have same night they launched their own troops into widest part of the road. But whoever has organ- also then gone. ised it has given us a rank opposite St Michaels the west end giving any empty cab passing a free The reason? I believe there are two. Firstly, the Alley, which in addition to being at least 50 yards MOT! Whoops! popularity of cash machines means that passen- from the club, is also on the wrong side of the gers don’t get five pound notes any more, with road and facing east. So from the club in the Cyclists none of them giving out below a £10 note. dark, not only wouldn’t you be able to pick out I’ve lost count how many times over the years Secondly, if you go to the bank to get a supply a rank of cabs, but you couldn’t even see their for I’ve had a go in Call Sign at the atrocious riding of fivers, the chances are that you’ll get a stack of hire signs because they are faced in the opposite of many of London’s cyclists. There is no way of old notes, which suggests that something is going direction! checking this out, but I’d be surprised if a figure on. Surely they can’t be thinking of getting rid of If I didn’t know better, I’d think that those of at least 25% of them failing to bother stopping them… perhaps for a £5 coin? Well don’t you behind this rank didn’t want to interfere with at traffic lights wasn’t reasonably accurate. Now believe it…! what seems to have become legitimised touting. Boris Johnson wants to let those of them who But the marshals may not be too happy… don’t do so anyway, turn left at traffic lights even End of another year Trouble in store? if red. Call Sign’s year ends with the May issue and To be honest, that doesn’t bother me and if June is our month off. So to those of you going Why? Well the situation has suddenly changed. they can do so safely, then that wouldn’t cause away, I hope you have a great time and for those Dial-a-Cab drivers – probably fed up with seeing many problems other than to those pedestrians of you thinking of staying put and saving a few their work disappearing into the exhaust pipes of crossing the road.