Cockney Rebel
‘without a causeʼ
W
hat a brilliant new title and I hope our cap and thanking our peers for the legacy Monty Schiman. He had the talent and vision
dear editor will now keep it at least for they have left the trade in today is no joke. and only if we had someone like him in the
the foreseeable future. I thought of it when The troubles in our trade today are not of trade today, oh how different it would be,
contemplating whether to leave the trade the making of those who didnʼt get involved. but alas the Montys of this world are gone
considering Iʼve put nothing into it, or just They have been happy to pay into the coffers and few and far between. Phil Warren was
carry on regardless admiring my peers who in the hope that someone might shine and another guy who wrote many interesting
have so succinctly brought the trade to where really get on with pulling the trade together. books about the trade and neither he or
it is today… almost on its knees. Monty let their obvious writing successes
Now as you all know, I am not one to “blow my and talent change them one iota. You never
I keep hearing that this person and that own trumpet”. Remember those rickshaws or heard them boasting what they had written,
person has put so much into the trade by pedicabs, as they are known infesting every or had done for the trade but that was to
joining this union or that association that I street corner. Certain radio circuits using their utter credit. You should seek out a book
and many of the cab drivers who are coming driversʼ money to set up chauffeur hire and of Philip Warrenʼs called, The History of the
into the trade must be so grateful to what our then private hire companies. How about the London Cab Trade. Itʼs a good read from
elders have done for us, mainly for nothing unjust way drivers are treated at the Carriage start to finish much better than some of the
of course and we all should sit and wait for Office especially the complaintsʼ section. They drivel you could take on holiday. I know my
the work to come rolling back to the trade think they are a law unto themselves. How limitations boys and girls and prefer being
now the recession appears to have vanished. is it private hire given Carte blanch to tout all the ʻtalentlessʼ one who put nothing into the
When I hear that heʼs never put anything over the Capital. I could go on for hours but trade, rather than the Johnny Big B****cks
back into the trade I do wonder if they are I wonʼt because I want to sound my trumpet. amongst us whoʼs done everything so long
doing the same job as myself? Obviously Can you hear it!!! Iʼm sounding it because as we paid them something from our hard
not, like thousands before me we have put all those who got involved are allowing all earned wedge.
the time and effort into the knowledge. Blood this to happen and if our peers who put in a
sweat and tears along the rocky road where quid to start an association all those years I recently heard of a couple of friends who
we looked ahead in the hope of bettering ago donʼt get off their high and mighty horses have started a taxi website. Much better
ourselves, and ultimately our families as and get together with other unions and agree than my little input on the Private hire site.
well. One year or fifty years as a London taxi on something then we will be overrun, if we But, it brings in nice work for the taxi trade
driver means nothing, we are all equal in arenʼt already. So those who want to make so I wonʼt complain. Keep your ears open
what we do. a difference, then get on with it and stop because Iʼve just managed to turn around a
waiting for plaudits or blame those who donʼt. job for fifty minicabs wanted on my site to fifty
Today, a new driver can look forward to Itʼs your fault not ours? taxis. Some time in the middle of September
around £225 pounds for the rent of a newish a large corporate company will need our
cab and £100 pounds minimum for the fuel In my own small talentless way I will keep services and I will be looking for the right
every week. Or, like me you might buy a nice chipping away at those who have taken a drivers for a job that will see taxis working for
shiny new cab and suffer what comes with good living from the backs of cab drivers over most of the week. Oh dear, there I go again
owning such a wonderful vehicle. Repairs, the years from our trade. I couldnʼt be so blowing that trumpet. Anyway, I digress.
depreciation, over-priced road fund licences, arrogant and condescending to the readers The new website. And before those of you
spiralling costs, rust and all that goes with and call it “My Trade” because itʼs not my at Heathrow blame The Cockney Scouser,
keeping a vehicle on the road doing the job trade, itʼs ours, and donʼt let anyone tell you itʼs not him. Iʼm sorry I cannot advertise it
that it was built for. I might have got this differently, because given half the chance, here, Iʼm not one of those who self promotes
wrong but were we supposed to pick up they will you know. either my website or these guys with the taxi
people and take them wherever they wanted forum, but itʼs not hard to find. Just ask Lou
to go? Of course we are, itʼs called being a I was reminiscing the other day on how the Lou on that self-destructing taxi chat site,
taxi driver. So there you have it, Taxi! Pick trade used to be. I have only scratched the or what ever it is. I keep side tracking here.
up passengers, finish the job and collect surface on my articles and write from the These drivers have set up an impressive
the money in one hand and straight out of heart and from what other drivers have said site for their Mercedes Vito taxis and I
the other. What else am I and countless of to me over the years. I know their frustrations decided to give it a call. They were doing
thousands of other taxi drivers supposed and empathise with them. Iʼll have to stop three jobs each from the flyers per day and
to put back into this trade, evidently we put using long words otherwise Iʼll be slated for happy to get anything back if circumstances
more than enough in already. that next. Anyway, back to the real world of allowed. Now, collar and tie with a smart
cabbies doing the job for a living and not pair of trousers and a clean taxi they are
Why should any taxi driver get involved in pin money for a beer at the weekend. The not looking back and managing the sort of
the taxi trade politics trying to be the Johnny best ever writers in this trade can be found work we could only dream of in the current
Big B****cks with an ego to match when they somewhere in the taxi archives but the one recession. I believe they are the future of this
can leave it to others? Continually doffing my that stands out for me has always been trade and obviously taking the work back
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