110 PRIVATE HIRE AND TAXI MONTHLY
JANUARY 2009 ‘N’ APART FROM THAT...
Oh come on... how can we possibly choose a winner in this category? We quite liked November’s Foodie Section, comprising the 180-mile fare in Scarborough to carry a birthday cake; the Manchester taxi drivers being ambassadors for Warburton’s; and the Belfast company City Centres hav- ing designed chocolates for their local taxi team. We’ve had a couple of large fares and long trips, the longest of course being the 10,000 mile char- ity trip being undertaken (they’re still on their travels!) by 118 Taxi and his friends from the UK to Mongolia, taking in Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan on their way. Can’t beat it - and all in the name of the Children’s Development and Protection Fund.
This whole section is the most marvellous hotch-potch, from cabs full of sheep, to false limbs, to floating steel balls, to PhDs... but the one that had us constantly chuckling each time we read it, has to be May’s entry, when a teenage girl’s Ali G-style of slang got her into a spot of bother. What a hoot. Do have a chuckle with us.
JANUARY TFL HONOURS OLDEST TAXI DRIVER
Frank Sinatra was just one of the famous peo- ple who stepped into the back of Alfred Blue- stone's black cab during his 60-year career. The 94-year-old drove his first passenger in 1947 and his last In Sep- tember this year. Following Alfred's retire- ment, Transport for London's Public Car- riage Office presented him with a plaque and a certificate for his dedi- cated service to the capital's residents and visitors.
Presenting the plaque, taxi and private hire director Ed Thompson thanked Alfred for his sterling work and said that he had helped Lon- don's taxi trade to maintain its reputation for excellence.
Speaking about his career, Alfred told Metro London: “I enjoyed serv- ing the people of
FEBRUARY
TAXI DRIVER MARIE IS AWARDED HER PhD
A former Carlisle factory worker who now earns her living as a cabbie has joined the nation's academic elite - by gain- ing her PhD.
Marie Dickens, 44, who is a full-time driver for Durran Hill-based Carlisle Drivers, has an enduring passion for history,
which has
earned her the country's highest possible aca- demic qualifica tion. The former Newman School pupil was award- ed the degree after finishing her latest research, which is now
published as her fourth book, Portrait of Priscil- la.
Published last year, it
tells the fascinating story of Priscilla Hannah Johnston, a Carlisle based philanthropist who founded the town's branch of the RSPCA. She explained how the award is the culmination of eleven years of dedi- cated historical research, much of it rooted in local history. Marie, from Scotby, told the West Cumbria News and Star: "Because I'm a full-time employee, I’ve
MARCH
AT £690, that night was probably
the
TAXI DRIVER PAYS £690 FOR A DATE WITH TRISH for charity.
most
expensive Valentine date taxi driver David Lord has ever had.
Photograph courtesy of Metro London
London. It was a great privilege.
'When I started working as a taxi driver we had very basic vehicles that did not even have heat- ing, but we still enjoyed our work. “Modern taxis have fantastic features and facilities, making them safer for both the driver and passenger. “I met some interesting
MAY WELL... IT’S A CAB... INNIT?
It had four wheels and cost a lot of money but, sadly for one impatient teenager, the similarity ended there. A 19-year-old was greeted by a display cabinet instead of a taxi because her Ali G- style slang confused a series of phone opera- tors.
The girl hurriedly dialled directory inquiries to book a taxi from her home in Lon- don to Bristol airport, using the cockney rhyming slang Joe Baxi.
But the operator told her they were unable to find anyone by that name.
Seething, the young- ster snapped back: “It ain't a person, it's a cab, innit.”
The operator duly gave her what she asked for and put her through to the nearest supplier of cabinets, Displaysense.
The teenager must have felt the world was against her when a cabinet saleswoman seemed equally con- fused.
“Look love, how hard is it?" she fumed. “All I want is your cheapest cab, innit. I need it for 10am. How much is it?"
The sales adviser told her £180. The tantrum- throwing teenager quickly left her address details before ringing off.
The next morning, rather than being picked up by a cab, the young woman had
the cabinet dropped off.
The huffy teenager's use of Ali G-style slang caused the mix-up, said marketing manag- er Steve Whittle. "Our sales team deal with thousands of cus- tomers and a range of different accents but, on this occasion, they were really stumped,” he added.
The company has since apologised, offered her a refund and suggested she should perhaps speak a bit clearer on the phone in future.
Mr Whittle told Metro Midlands: “We don't know if she made it to the airport but she did ask our driver if he could give her a lift.”
people over the years, and I learnt a lot from them. I found taxi driving to be a really rewarding career.”
Alfred's celebrity passen- gers included film actress Judy Garland and Rat Pack members Sammy Davies Junior, Frank Sinatra, Peter Law- ford, Joey Bishop and Dean Martin.
But it was all in the name of charity after the 24- year-old bachelor was the highest bidder at an eBay auction to win an evening with Mercia FM's "Travel Trish" McKiernan.
Her colleagues John Dalziel and Roisin Gib- bons set up the auction without telling her and announced it live on air last week.
The money will go towards the Telegraph and Mercia Snowball appeal, which helps chil- dren in Coventry and Warwickshire. Trish, 24, of Radford, and David met for the first time for their romantic date at the Saxon Mill restaurant, alongside the River Avon, near Warwick.
David, from Hinckley, who split from his last girlfriend about eight months ago, told the Coventry Tele- graph: "I hear Trish every day on the radio and I had a look at the internet and thought she was a nice- looking girl. It's nice to meet her in person. "Mercia is the only radio station I listen to in the taxi. I just thought I'd have a go, especially as it's all
"I started with a bid of £2.50 and put in a maxi- mum of £750. I was the winning bidder all week- end but someone kept trying to outbid me. "I knew I'd won when the bidding closed. I couldn't believe it, I was expecting someone to bid above me."
He said he was happy to pay such a large amount because the money was going to such a good cause.
Bashful Trish, who has been single for about seven months, admitted to being a bit nervous about the date but said she was looking forward to the evening.
"He seems like a nice guy. I'm looking forward to having a laugh with him at the meal and, hopefully,
had to fit all my research in around my work. I’ve done all my studies part time and online with Rachville Universi- ty."
Marie’s academic inter- est got under way in 1999 when she became a self-employed cabbie and took up writing. Marie, who has spent long hours researching her books at the archive in Carlisle Castle, said she enjoys her work as a cabbie, but would love a full-time academic career specialising in history.
we'll get on well," she said.
"When John and Roisin made the announcement it was a big shock. It's a very strange situation to be in."
John Dalziel, one of the breakfast show presen- ters who organised the auction, said he was delighted the stunt had raised so much money. "It's a completely over- whelming amount. We were getting excited when the bids hit £150 but as it got towards the end there were three or four people battling it out to get the most. We never expected this much. I've said I'm willing to put in £10 to make it up to £700," he said. "Fair play to Trish for going through with this. She's been a great sport."
Photograph courtesy of The Coventry Telegraph MARCH FALSE LIMB HOARD
A hoard of false legs found stashed under the floorboards of a retired taxi driver's home are on their way to help earthquake vic- tims in Pakistan. Mike
Sutton, 65, and his wife Teresa, 66, were stunned to find more than 100 artificial limbs and around 100 crutches and walking frames stashed in the
cellar of their new home in Bridport, Dorset. A plumber made the discovery while he was repairing the bungalow's central heating last August.
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