Regulator swoops on Galway city

Scores of unlicensed taxi drivers who are operating illegally in the city allegedly ‘went underground’ last weekend following the visit of Taxi Regulator Enforcement Officers to Galway.

The Taxi Regulator failed to comment on the number of unscrupulous drivers who were caught in the swoop, however the Galway City Tribune understands that a number of unlicensed taxis were apprehended by the inspectors.

In addition, a number of licensed and legitimate taxi drivers were fined in the operation for picking up fares in places that are not designated taxi ranks.

Taxi representatives in the city are blaming Galway City Council for these fines and claim that the Council is not providing enough taxi rank space.

Galway News

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New Banner

I hope you like it, it's Dublin's "Ha'penny Bridge", so called because when it was originally built in 1816, there was a Halfpenny toll to cross it.
It's official name is "Wellington Bridge", named after the "Iron duke" who was born in the city but I've never known anyone call it that.
It was recently restored as it was getting a bit "shaky" and in fairness to the city fathers they did s good job on it.

Last Chance for the competition

win the dublin Fire brigade Calendar
Guess the milage on the odometer after tonights shift it was 144909 on the 12th november.

guesses so far;

Stonedog ,146800. SUZIEBLUE, 150700 ,Ma ,147000 Dane, 148995.tricia, 147982 elly parker ,147,542 .Paradise Driver ,147,551 ,spook .146890, Grandad, 152,200, Louise, 145610

Add your guess here

Irish Taxi Driver of the Year Award

Taxi times Magazine has inaugurated the first ever Taxi driver of the year award sponsored by Axa, The Dublin Airport Authority, 3G Ireland, and Motability Ireland, to highlight the good deeds done by Taxi drivers as opposed to the negative press the industry normally gets.
There are Taxi drivers that operate soup runs for the homeless, day trips for the disabled, even drivers that have delivered babies in the back seats of their cabs along with others running temporary ambulance services etc.

The Prize (so far) for the winner is;
A satellite navigation system
One years free insurance
A 3g phone with free credit and a car hands free kit
€500 holiday voucher

So if you know of a driver (it can be a colleague) worthy of a nomination all you have to do is write a commendation in 100 words or less and e-mail it to vote@taxitimes.ie..... Why not post a copy of it here in the comments as well?

Funny thing is though this is being organised by the NTDU who print the Taxi times and I heard a report about it on the radio tonight , but there isn't a word about it on their site?

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Taxi scam at Foster Place?

I heard tonight that a scam is being operated by taxi drivers during the very busy periods at the feeder rank at Fosters Place, the one beside The Bank of Ireland on college Green.
I've often wondered why drivers park there while the ranks and streets are teeming with people looking for cabs.
It seems what can happen is they wait there until someone asks "are they free?", they reply that they are booked for a job in 20 minutes time, very quickly they are offered short trips with generous tips, they then make a "pretend" call saying they may be delayed on the "booking".
I've heard they can make between €20 and €50 for €7 to €15 fares as people are desperate to get home. I can certainly see how it might work and feel it's down to the Gardai and the regulator to stamp it out if it's going on.

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New Irish Taxi Banner required!

I just got a new monitor and using the new resolution I noticed the yellow bit on the right hand side. Gotta make some changes!

Be Careful what you Blog

London Underground voice-over girl Emma Clarke got sacked for doing spoof voice-overs using gags and poking fun at tourists.



Here's a funny sample;
Would the passenger pretending to read the paper......

Want more?
Visit her site to hear more of Emmas spoof Underground announcments

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Mozilla got the Pox

or some other Virus?
When i got home tonight this site wouldn't load on Mozilla, the second site I loaded came up as a converstion between two individuals in text, one was called Irish Joker I can't remember the other guys name.
I then switched to Internet Explorer and everything was fine so I cleared the cache on Mozilla and the two previously problematic sites worked fine.

any ideas?

That was a crap Wednesday

I reckon all the day drivers switched to nights because of the extra traffic during the day due to the shoppers and also thinking that maybe the Christmas party season might start.
The net result was an over abundance of Taxis on the street, thankfully I made a little over my minimum requirement for an evenings work, (I got a few lucky breaks)and was able to come home otherwise I'd have stayed out there until daylight.
Nothing really interesting to report about the evening, I did pick up one girl on Guilford Road in Sandymount who asked to go to Guildford Road in Sandymount?? When I said that's where we where, she said she was confused and got back out of the car.
Sin a Bhuil

Taxi Driver wins case against Mercedes importer.

Dublin Taxi Driver Peter Gleeson was awarded €13,000 in damages in his case against Motor Distributors Ireland.
The Mercedes Vito he had purchased in 1999 for €33,500 had constant emission problems emitting so much black smoke it was sometimes difficult to see anything in his rearview mirror.
Judge Petria Mc Donell said the driver had been extremely patient with the company despite evidence he had been greatly inconvenienced while attempting to have the problem rectified.
Well done Peter for hanging in there so long!


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Operation Freeflow starts officially today.

In an effort to ease traffic congestion during the busy shopping season each year, the police take all the student Gardai from Templemore training academy and place them on every junction, bus lane, and clearway in an effort to ensure all regulations are being adhered to, works a treat!

The Ultimate Taxi

Jon Barnes;


This guy will bring you for a 30 minute ride around Aspen Colorado, put on a light show, do magic tricks, Play Keyboard and Sax, he'll give you some toys your photos of the experience on CD, and while your there he'll upload your pictures to his website

All for a measly €150!

Here's a video of the trip

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The Famous Shaggy Taxi prank

If you haven't heard it yet or haven't heard it in a while you should now, it's very funny;

Irish News Report on Taxi Standards

Here's a clip of RTE Television News reaction to the Regulators report;

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No Political Correctness here.....Yet

Nice to see the Crib given centre of attraction in Dublin's O Connell Street, I wonder how long it will be until the Politically correct brigade get it removed for fear of offending non Catholics.
I'm no fan of religion, but this is part of what Christmas is, some would argue THE main part(I still think it's all about the Food and the Drink) and I think it should be there.

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Dublin's Northside has less Hooligans than the South!

More than 80 ASBO's (Anti Social Behavior Order)have been issued on the southside of the city!, this compares with only 17 on the Northside.
More predictable however was the East West variation with just 8 ASBO's on the East side and 58 in the West.
The warnings are handed out to adults engaged in persistent low level crime.

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Krystle knocks Lillies of it's Pedestal

Jordan

It seems Dublin's A list has abandoned Lillies Bordello in favour of Krystle on Harcourt Street.
Last Saturday, U2's Bono and the Edge where celebrating the success of their surprise London gig in Krystle, which up to now has been the haunt of the second tier (Irish models and Rugby players) their blessing has catapulted it to a new level.
Also in Krystle on Saturday was Model/Celebrity Jordan, Shane Lynch of Boyzone and pop Idol winner Shane Ward.

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Boyzone back! We told you it was going to Happen

The Late late show appearance

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Taxi Regulator issues details of complaints

All I can say is "keep complaining", it's the only way to clear out rogue drivers.

There was 650 complaints made against taxi drivers in the first 10 months of this year. This compares with 145 between late September and December 31 last year, when the regulator started taking complaints.

Most complaints this year related to the conduct or behaviour of a driver, of which 293 were made. These include allegations of of aggressive behaviour and use of bad language, or driving in a dangerous manner.

Another 225 complaints were made about fares, including being overcharged or failure to turn on the meter.

On "matters relating to the hiring of a public service vehicle", 97 complaints were received. These relate to pre-booked taxis not showing up, or drivers taking longer routes to get to destinations.

Finally, 35 complaints were made about the condition and cleanliness of vehicles. The Regulator also revealed that 58 complaints were referred to the gardai and Office of Tobacco Control, which deals with smoking in the workplace. Taxi drivers are not allowed to smoke in their vehicles. Enforcement officers are entitled to issue on-the-spot fines for non-compliance .

There are over 23,500 public service vehicles -- which include taxis, hackneys and limousines -- operating in the Republic.

"Overall, the commission believes that the vast majority of the industry operates to very high standards, however the commission is committed to enforcing full compliance with the small public service vehicles legislation to promote consumer safety and confidence," a spokesman said.

"The commission also believes it is essential in the interests of consumer confidence, comfort and safety that all public service vehicles be required to meet the same high standards and operate in the same manner.

The level of complaints was welcomed by Tommy Gorman of the National Taxi Drivers Union, who said that enforcement was the only way to rid the industry of rogue operators.

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Taxi regulator sets New Standards for Vehicles

I better buy myself a torch then;

Standard Taxis and Hackneys:
(For new applicants from 01/01/09, existing licence holders from 01/01/12)
• Vehicle age of not more than nine years
• Luggage capacity of 420 litres
• Small cars, i.e. those not capable of seating four adult passengers in comfort are
no longer permitted


Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles:
(For new applicants from 2008, existing licence holders from 01/01/12)
• New Category of wheelchair accessible hackney
• Vehicles capable of seating one person in their wheelchair and at least three
adult passengers
• Wheelchair accessible vehicles will now meet the requirement to meet new EC
directive regarding safety standards for all vehicles
• Goods vehicles converted to wheelchair accessible vehicles will no longer be
permitted, conversions should be made to passenger vehicles instead


Limousines
(For new applicants from 01/01/09, existing licence holders from 01/01/12)
• Modified vehicles or stretch vehicles will now require an engineers report prior to
licensing
• Further consultation with the industry regarding categories of limousines and age
limit


All SPSVs will be required to have:
(For all licence holders from 01/01/09)
• Good standard of cleanliness
• Safety equipment including a fire extinguisher, First Aid kit, advance warning
triangle, high visibility reflective vest
• Torch
• Pen and paper

Rainbow posting .....nice

I'd have thought they'd have been a bit higher to be honest




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Competition coming to an end! get in There

Only 5 days left in the Competition for a chance to win either a Dublin Fireman Calendar or a Girls of Ryanair Calendar.
On the 12th of november the milage on my Cab was 144909, guess what it will be after my shift on the 30th ....easy.

Leave your guess here

Cuffe Street takes the prize

The earliest domestic Christmas decorations;


This is the balcony of a Flat/Apartment in Cuffe Street, the reason the rest of the picture is black is because it's 2 in the morning and it's dark out!
I understand the streets being decked out, it's to get shoppers in the mood, but surely the folk in this place must be festived out by mid December?

This Time of Year

It started this weekend, the age profile has gone up, it's all gone a bit seedy with illicit liaisons a plenty being formed in the back seat, but mostly less successful Lecherous colleagues trying it on with unresponsive fellow workers that can't tell them to piss off as they'd like because of office politics. All a bit depressing really but pretty much standard fare from now until January.

Blah Blah slap in the Jaw

I picked up this gentleman on Dame Street with his partner, he sat in beside me his partner in the back.
"Smithfield" he said in a strong Eastern European accent, Russian I thought, he then began chatting away to me in what I assume was Russian, which is fair enough so long as he didn't expect much in the way of replies, it was a bit of a problem that the unintelligible conversation was interspersed with jabs in my chest, my now quite pert moobs being felt(after the diet) and my hair being tossed, all this accompanied by what sounded like a demented Santa laughing, this might have made sense if I'd known the language and understood the significance of the gestures.
Thankfully it was a short trip, the fare came to €7.50 but the guy handed me €20. said "you Keep", "you best Taxi", "You Number one".
Strange job but hey! €12.50 tip.... Not too shabby either!

To leave a comment, just Click here

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Harolds Cross Guy Crashed and Burned

The guy in the following story will never see the girl again, can you see why?

They'd spent the previous three hours together enjoying each others company, in the car he was attentive and interested in her.they spoke about their interests; music,clubbing, sports etc. He was entertaining her they laughed loudly interspersed with the odd kiss. At the end of the trip he told her how he had really enjoyed the evening how he'd love to see her again and if he could have her number, she agreed strongly taking his phone and keying in her number, he kissed her and left.
As we took off to her house she said; "Hell will freeze over before that wanker will see me again"
"Huh" I said
He.................Can you guess? click HERE for the answer.

K8theGr8

Just added to the Irish blog list, K8theGr8 an entertaining and funny blog, K8s about to do the Taxi test here in Dublin (December) why not head over and wish her luck, I'm looking forward to reading what it's like for Lady drivers in Dublin.

Fire brigade Calendar competition ....update;

Ok slight change, the winner can choose between the firemen and the "Girls of Ryanair" calendar;

"Seaview Terrace Donnybrook?...sorry, I've never heard of it."

I hate having to ask where an address is, it seems very unprofessional but it happens from time to time, never.... before tonight, have I not known a street in the town I grew up in, Donnybrook,and the name had to give a clue, but this place is a bit of an oddity.
"That's fine" she said "do you know Nutley Rd?"
"Of course"
"well one side of that street is called Nutley Rd and the other is Seaview Terrace"
"so they're both the same street! how come it's called Seaview? you can't see the sea from there!"
"back in 1820 when Seaview Terrace was built there was no Nutley Rd, all the land to the east has been reclaimed from the beach."
"well I never knew that, interesting"

Sure enough, when we got to Seaview Terrace the road sign was there bolted to the wall and directly across the road was another, proclaiming the same stretch of road to be Nutly rd. I've walked that road thousands of times on my way to the beach, I never knew it had two names or that the bastards had added a mile to my walk!

Justice for Pigeons!

College Green Dublin;

I read today that some of the buildings on College Green have installed anti roosting spikes on ledges where Pigeons and other birds rest, these are prongs that protrude inwardly and outwardly and seriously injure and could possibly kill birds that land there.
I saw these everywhere when I visited Amsterdam recently and I thought then that they were cruel so I was relieved to hear they are illegal in Ireland.
So,whoever it is that's responsible... Do something about it!
Pigeons are OK, they're passive enough and although I wouldn't want a fancier living nearby, I'd hate to see them hurt like that just to save on cleaning bills!



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The St Stepens Green Shopping Centre

This abomination of a building is what I look at from my favourite rank, "The Green", which you can see on the left.
The building is a cross between a Mississippi paddle steamer and a greenhouse and might have looked well somewhere else, but really doesn't suit this locale.
To make matters worse they have re-installed their festive lighting; alternating red and white things that glare into the eyes of oncoming traffic, surely there's a law against that?
I believe they have one of the best Santa's though.

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The Barge @ Christmas

The Barge Pub. Ranelagh

This pub is in a nice setting overlooking the Canal and is very popular particularly on a nice day when you can sit outside by the water, nights are always busy.
For Patricks day and Christmas they alway put up a fine display, normally sponsored by onr of the drinks companies, looks like 7up did the biz this year;



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Contraflow Bus Lanes ...A RANT!

• Definition; Contraflow Bus Lane - A Bus lane that flows "contra" to the traffic (the wrong way down a one way Street)

Examples of Contraflow Bus Lanes; St Stephens Green and Leeson Street.

This is a Rant against some other Dublin Taxi drivers.

Taxis are NOT allowed use contraflow Bus Lanes, if you have a license you're supposed to know this, so why do some drivers decide to use them?
Tonight I was second car off the green going to Rathmines, the first car took off down the Bus Lane and my Passengers expected me to follow, now why would I do that?

• It's illegal, carries a €50 fine and 1 penalty point, (not obeying a road sign)
• I've seen dozens of Taxis stopped by the police there
• Best case scenario, even if I'm not stopped the fare is about €3 less

So why do it? and tonight I had to put up with a thick atmosphere and moaning from my passengers all because of this fool!

While I'm at it, there is NO right turn at the end of Harcourt Street, queue to turn left like the rest of us!
Walk around your Cab before you start work and make sure your bleedin' lights are working and your tyres are safe, peoples lives are in your hands.
The number on your roof sign is supposed to be Kerbside.
And last but by no means least, Just because your Sat Nav tells you to go down a one way street, it doesn't mean you can! I reckon the number of people doing this has increased in line with the number of Sat Navs sold.

RANT OVER!

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Dublin's Northside get's dumped again

I heard tonight that the Skating rink in Blackrock/Bootertown is to be erected at the expense of Smithfield on Ice, one of the few Jewels in the Northside Crown, if it wasn't for Chapter One Restaurant there'd be no need to ever cross the Liffey.

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Free Books and stickers. from Texaco

Texaco Ireland in association with the RSA, are giving away free books, glow in the dark stickers and other goodies in their Forecourt shops.
All the products are based around the Oscar character.. Oscars Room
Texaco must be commended for this as well as for their yearly children's Art Competition.

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Looks like I might get Published!

Upfront Magazine, which is distributed freely in Taxis and funded through advertising, asked me to submit an Article as they are coming to Ireland in January.
I got an e-mail tonight saying my scribbles were to be included.

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I'm going to Taxi training school

Here's the proof that I've applied to Taxi Driver Training School.




The response to the Irish Taxi Poll asking should Taxi drivers attend charm school scored overwhelmingly in favor of us attending, so I've applied.

The topics it will cover will include:

* Relevant legislation;
* Route selection and area knowledge;
* Customer care training;
* Fares and charges;
* Health and safety;
* Manual handling and lifting;
* Good driving practice;
* Equality and diversity training;
* Disability awareness;
* Knowledge of in-vehicle operational equipment;
* Opportunities to innovate.

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Did you need another reason not to Bus it?

Police taser a man in a coma because he was unresponsive.

he was on his way to meet friends when he suffered a hypoglycaemic fit on the bus which left him slumped on his seat.

Armed police were called to the bus depot in Headingley and when he failed to respond to their challenges he was shot with the Taser, as this was happening, another officer was pointing a real gun at his head.

He was restrained and eventually came round in the police van, it was only then that the officers realised it was a medical emergency, despite him wearing a medical tag round his neck to warn of his condition, and took him to hospital.

Take a Taxi

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Finally! The I Dare You! Homemade Taxi Sketch

They showed it earlier tonight.
I Dare You...... RTE2 @ 9:30pm, watch it! it's great!

More from I Dare you (clamp the clampers)

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Roadname signs in Ireland

Sorry about the picture (again) I take them at night and I don't go down Bigger Rd in the daytime.



This is a typical sign giving the road name, normally they are about 2 feet off the ground bolted to a garden wall, two American girls in the cab once thought this was very funny, as a car parked in front blocked them and often hedges grow over them, this had never occurred to me prior to them pointing it out.

It is the Law in this country that all road signs are bi-lingual; Gaeilge and English. I don't have a problem with this, it helps us keep in touch with our roots, but Bhiger is not Gaelic for Bigger, surely it should read Bothar Mor?

The number 12 is the postal district, all even numbers are Southside of the River Liffey, and odd numbers are Northside, with one exception; The President lives in the Phoenix Park which is north of the liffey but is designated Dublin 8, sure you couldn't have the President living on the Northside.

Who calls a road Bigger Road anyway? Inferiority complex maybe?

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Pukers end up in Court

Two students who refused to pay the full soiling charge after one of them vomited in the rear of a Taxi ended up in court today.
Luckily Judge Patrick Mc Mahon left them without convictions after they paid the driver compensation.
The girls paid €50 on the night, the fare was €15 so when the soiling charge of €125 was included left the driver short €90.
They were being highy abusive to the driver when the police arrived, saying it was too expensive and that they had offered to help clean it, when the police sided with the driver they got a mouthful as well.
They apologised in court and paid the driver €110, their names are printed in the paper but I'm not inclined to repeat that here.

Taxi fare increase on the way?

The Taxi Drivers representative associations are meeting with the Regulator next week to ask for a €1 fuel surcharge to be added to fares due to the high prices being paid for diesel and petrol. It will be suggested that this charge could be kept under review and removed if prices fall.
I think it's a great idea

The Leinster players must be on the Blue Magic

For those of you that don't "get" the title, the Bank of Ireland sponsor Leinster and have an ad using the slogan "Blue Magic" which is a brand of heroin in the movie American Gangster. see here

Anyway they were thrashed earlier this evening 36 to 6 by Toulouse.
This didn't effect trade, the rugger buggers drink on, in defeat as well as in victory.

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Billion dollar Babes

The Billion dollar Babes extravaganza is coming back to Dublin next Saturday! Previous experience is of women fighting each other to get at the bargain designer gear on offer.
It's on next Saturday 24th of November, in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, pity it's not still a hospital so it could care for the casualties!
Aisling from our friends at www.beaut.ie will be on hand to give beauty tips

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The Laser Debit Card Ad is Flawed

Spot the mistake;

99% of Taxis in Ireland cannot take Laser Cards and I'm certain if I rang them they would not facilitate me. I would love to be able to offer this service to customers.
In fact I'm going to ring them tomorrow and ask.....I'll report back!

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The Delirious Mindless Self Indulgence Fan

Mindless Self Indulgence;


This girl got into the cab on O Connell Street and from the moment she sat in beside me I knew she would be the subject of tonights blog.
"I'm deliriously happy " she screamed "this has been the best weekend of my life and tonight has been the best night!" I didn't ask why, in fact I never said a word for the entire journey, I just mumbled from time to time.
It turns out she went to Belfast yesterday to see "Mindless Self Indulgence", (A pussy punk band)and her "favorite band in the world!" who were supporting "My Chemical Romance" who are her second favorite.
The Bass playing lady from MSI is married to the lead singer from MCR and these two are her "favorite people in the world!"
Tonight she went to see MSI again, in the Voodoo Lounge in Dublin, after the gig the band came back out to meet the fans, by the sound of things, this little girl that was sitting next to me, all but threw herself at the Bass playing lady, who ultimately ended up kissing her, signing her ticket and signing her?
The kiss meant she has kissed the lead singer of My Chemical Romance (by association) and the signature on her arm will be tattooed on permanently tomorrow!

The potential tattoo;


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Go Skate ! Ice rink going ahead

I was passing the park in Booterstown and saw this;

Temporary housing for Christmas Ice rink;


It looks like the birds and the residents lost out and the Ice rink is being erected.

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Dublin Christmas lights

Pictures don't do them justice but here goes; click the images to enlarge

Grafton Street from Trinity;



Grafton Street from St stephens Green;



Georges Dock;



Georges Dock again, the red lights surround an outdoor arena where concerts etc. are performed;



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It's Payback Time Rebecca

Last night (Friday) I spotted an obviously very drunk girl trying unsuccessfully to flag down a Taxi on Earlsfort Terrace. I decided I would risk it and stop for her.
She just about managed to tell me where she was going, so off we went.
Soon after, whilst going through Rathmines in heavy traffic and whilst still moving, she flung open the door! I quickly stopped the car and at this point she got out of the cab and meandered off down the Road, leaving me stranded and her designer handbag sitting on the back seat.
Tonight (Saturday) I brought the bag to her house, (there was a letter from Revenue in the bag).
I intended explaining to whoever answered the door in no uncertain terms exactly what had happened last night and at a minimum demanding my Fare for the expedition.
When the door was answered,I presume by her younger sister, I asked did A Rebecca live there? and when the girl said yes, I handed over the bag, saying only that Rebecca had left it behind in the car.
Her sister was trilled and thanked me profusely, she obviously knew about the lost bag.
I had decided just as the door was opened that this post would be payment enough....
Rebecca... I hope you read this and wilt!

Residence.ie ...A new private Members Club

Residence.ie;



Purchased for use as a private members club!
Before long they'll have their secret handshakes and will be doing deals exclusively amongst each other.
To register your interest Click here, (you better have the right school tie)

Ah, I shouldn't be so cynical, it's wonderful really .....................


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He needed a slap.....the muppet!

Brought a couple home to Portmarnock tonight..... a long trip!
He spent the whole journey moaning about how she'd neglected him all night and that she wasn't paying him enough attention, what a plonker!
He got out of the car at one point to buy himself a snack, he was starving the poor fellow, while he was gone she let out a scream , and said "if you read about a bloke being murdered by a petite brunette you'll know it was me!"
"I'll testify," I said, "justifiable homicide!"

This made me go all fuzzy inside

I came across this when looking through "recent came from" in Statcounter;

one more Irish blog...

Okay, I found one more blog that I want to share. It's called Irish Taxi. Roy, the Dublin taxi driver, blogs about what's going on in the city, but the best part is his stories. Whenever he gets an interesting fare, he'll get online and post about it. Not only are they funny, but you get little snippets of Irish slang, which I think is totally cool. One post has an audio file of how to speak Dublinese. It's pretty funny. So, if you want to check out something a little different, check out Irish Taxi.

How nice is that! it was on Tricias Site called The Endless Pursuit of Life (take a look)It's all about her encounters and there's a lovely piece about her dream of one day visiting Ireland

Bill Clinton's on Raglan Road

Bill is in town attending a fund raiser for Hillary's campaign, it's at a private individuals residence on Raglan Road, tickets are €1500 a pop and are sold out, it's expected to generate €250,000.
I'm sure Bill will stick around and thrill us with his dancing skills over the weekend.
In honour of this momentous occasion, I was going to post my infamous rendition of the song "On Raglan Road" but the blog is performing well at the moment and I don't want to jeopardise that.

I Don't need no Excuses!

I picked up a girl on Dame Street going up to Thomas Street, (a short trip), as usual I asked was she coming from work, or had she been out and about, (don't say that out loud if you're Canadian).She said she'd been out with colleagues, but got a message saying a flatmate had forgotten his keys and when would she be home to let him in. That was why she was so early going home.
We arrived at her destination and I looked around for a stranded individual but to no avail. I thought little of it, drove up the road a little and did a U-Turn and as I passed the chipper I saw her in there on her own ordering a take-away.
I assume the stranded flatmate tale was one she used to escape her colleagues, but why continue it in the cab??

Studio 54 Revisited

A house on Leeson Street was transformed into Studio 54, the famous disco of the Seventies, with Guests arriving decked out in 70,s/ 80s gear.
I'm not sure if it was a one off or an on-going thing. Onlinesales.ie?? had a logo there, maybe it was an office do.

Nice Gaff Mister!

The Mansion house on dawson street, home of the lord Mayor;

Dublins Top Ten Restaurants

With opinions from Irish Taxi users.
The Dubliner Magazine has just awarded the top 100 restaurants based on a survey of 2000 readers, here's the top ten;

I ask each and every customer that enters my cab where they've been and how they enjoyed their evening, so based on that information, I'll report on each winner;

1 Chapter One, Parnell Street
Excellent, everyone says it's a pleasant place to eat not overly stuffy, only complaint is about the difficulty in getting a table, it can be booked out 3 months in advance and won't accept bookings beyond that point, you will be told when the book will re-open and you better ring on that day or forget it.
2 L'Guileton, Fade Street
Never heard of it, sounds French?, Fade Street is the one that runs from Sth. William Street to Georges Street, it has the Market bar on it.
3 Patrick Guilbaud, Merrion Street.
Extremely pretentious, prepare to have the waiter look down his nose at you if you aren't in Vercace, perfect for a special occasion, very special prices!
4 Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street
No reports from customers but I've been into the premises, they have a wonderful Deli, and I have been threatening to go in for a bite for a while now. very nice atmosphere, not at all stuffy.
5 Peploes, St Stephens Green
Wonderful location. beautifully appointed building and premises, a little less pretentious than Guilbauds , but not a lot. Very popular with the Rugby types.
6 Vermillion, Terenure
I was surprised to see this here, wonderful Indian restaurant which I have frequented and enjoyed.
7, Jo Burger, Rathmines Rd
Ranelagh/Rathmines is fast becoming the Kitchen of Dublin, with a wide range of restaurants of various ethnic types. Jo Burger I'm told, is a gourmet burger place, so next time I fancy a Big Mac I'll be down to Jo's.
8 Roly's Bistro, Ballsbridge
A real favourite with Dubliners hence I'm surprised it's not higher up, lovely food and good value for the quality, also pop in for the Artisan breads to take away....hmmmmm
9 Town Bar and Grill
I know exactly where this place is, but I've never seen it, it's opposite the Shelbourne on Kildare Street, it has been recommended to me on many occasions, one thing I can say....It needs a new Sign!
10 Saba, Clarendon Street
Thai restaurant, so I pay little attention to what folk say, I don't like coconuts!, although I hear it's good, I remember a girl complain about being moved off her table too quickly, but in fairness she had been told prior to starting that there was a second sitting.

ERRRRRRRR

I just wondered, do I post too much?
Comment goddammit! All you have to do is click the green comment word under this post,(it's the one inside the red circle in the picture, no! do not click the picture!) then type, "you're an asshole" and that's it......... you're done, it's soo simple, try it and see!

Revenue Deadline Day

Well here it is, the 15th November, its the deadline for returning my Tax Return, that is for those of us who file online, those that pay and file manually had to have theirs in 15 days ago.
I complete mine almost as soon I get the e-mail telling me its ready to be done, but I never sign and send it until the very last day, instead I fret over it, look over the details piece by piece, checking and re-checking, making sure I can account for everything.
Still i dread the day I get an audit! I'll need plenty of spare boxer shorts that day!
Have any of you guys ever been audited? it'd be my worse nightmare!

Quick note; please pet the Cat, it's half way down in the left hand column, it gets pissed when it's neglected!

Wet and Windy

Wet and windy Wednesday night (say that with a few pints on board)as well as a bus strike taking over 60 routes out of service, you'd think taxis would clean up. but no it was just a typical Wednesday, nowt wrong with that by the way ........I like Wednesdays.
Maybe I should start earlier to avail of the stranded Bus users?.....and miss my favourite soaps? are you mad?
Maybe I should get up early and work days, Days are bound to be busy during the strike? I hate traffic almost as much as I hate alarm clocks so forget it!

Sorry, that was just me talking to myself, I've decided to keep going as I am right now

Boyzone to reform

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there are strong rumours that the Dublin "boy" band Boyzone, will re-form this Friday.
They will appear on the Childline TV show this Friday, then on the following Friday officially announce the "great news" on the Late Late Show, the same show they played their first gig.
This follows on the success of the Take That and Spice Girls reunions.
Maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camels back?

Playing in Dublin tonight, 14th November

Places to go if your out in Dublin tonight, places to be if you're me!
I'm not listing everything just the places I'll be looking out for.

Jack L is playing the National concert hall
Wilco is in Vicar Street
Roberto Fonesca Group are in the Sugar Club
Last Days of the Celtic tiger continues in the Olympia

All these normally bail out around 10:30 so if you're nearby are worth checking out

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Bus Strike update

500 bus drivers will take to the streets today to march in protest against new rosters, which will see some of them spend 2 more hours at work with no extra pay.
My Keenness for this strike is less now that I realise how it will affect my daughter getting to college, I may possibly have to alter my working day to accomodate her!
Labour court talks go ahead this afternoon in an attempt to facilitate a deal.
More about the Bus strike
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Comment Form

Thanks to Grandad from the Headrambles site, I discovered the pop-up box for comments can cause problems for visitors using Firefox, I've now changed the comments to full screen in the hope this solves the problem.

I'll be back working tomorrow night, hopefully the bus-strike will make it a busy one and there'll be a few tales to tell.

The Vodaphone Grafton Street Christmas Ad

Here it is, uses some CDG but it gives a good idea how the new lights will look

The blog has had a lot of visitors landing on the Grafton Street Christmas lights post, Hopefully this is what they are looking for?

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More Dublin Christmas lights

The Killing of John Daly

Jason O' Toole of Hotpress surmises how events may have played out;

On the night of the murder, the killer had a ticket booked in his name to the UK. He arranged for a look-alike to fly out on his passport. Thus he had constructed a simple but brilliant alibi. How could he have killed Daly if he was already out of the country when the hit took place?

Daly had been, it is believed, partying the night away with two friends in the Spirit nightclub on Abbey Street. There, they met three women and invited them back to Finglas for a “house party”. But they had been followed for the whole night. The killer was lurking in the shadows and, as a taxi pulled up to take Daly party-wards, he quickly pounced.

It happened in a blink of an eye. The taxi driver looked on in horror as his new front seat passenger was blown away. Daly’s body fell across him, pinning him in position and the killer continued to pump bullets into the criminal. It was a horrendous scene, made all the more harrowing by the screams from the back seat.

The getaway car was found later in the nearby area of Scribblestown, which is also on the way to Dublin Airport. The killer left Dublin on a flight to the UK, later that same morning, using his look-a-like’s name and passport. He left with a e10,000 “deposit” of the e50,000 promised for the job.

All he has to do now is come back to collect the rest of his fee. Or will it be so simple? He’ll be hoping that none of Daly’s associates are out there, hell bent on retribution. When you think about it, that’s a proposition on which Paddy Power would almost certainly offer very good odds indeed.

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Irish Taxi Fares

These are the Fares charged in Irish Taxis, we have a national fare structure so it's the same in Cork as it is in Dublin etc.
How do they compare with where you live?(currency converter)
Click to enlarge the fare card if you can't read it.



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Headrambles

Another Irish site added to my list Headrambles The ramblings of an Irish senior citizen......Genius
Also shortlisted for a Golden Spider ....good luck to all

Clamp the Clamper , I dare you stunt

New show on RTE2, Mondays at 9:30pm watch it, it's great!, I was hoping they'd show the sketch I feaured in another post Homemade Dublin Taxi, maybe next week? but this is better, something we'd all like to do;
Clamping the Clampers;

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Am I Insensitive?

Wasn't at work tonight so this is a Pedestrian tale;
I was out walking the dog, She was on her lead and we were on the footpath, coming towards me was a guy on a bicycle, I could see he was nervous and unsure how to cope with the situation, now normally I'd pull in the lead and have the dog in tight, but as I was carrying groceries I couldn't, I don't have one of those crazy long leads, it's about a meter long. I felt the guy should have moved onto the road where he belonged, but he attempted to pass, he panicked then fell over in a heap onto the road, I laid down the groceries, intending to assist him, but he howled a pile of abuse at me, I looked at him, told him to F**k himself, picked up my shopping and continued on my walk.
Was I a tad insensitive?

Maybe I should be out working

An official picket involving over 100 drivers was placed on the Harristown Bus depot this morning after a driver was suspended when she refused to operate one of two new routes.

The action is now affecting dozens of routes and forcing thousands of commuters to make alternative travel arrangements.

It's only on the Northside at the moment and I don't venture over there unless i really have to.

Win a Dublin fire Brigade Calendar

A must have for you, or for the lady in your life; The Dublin fire Brigade 2008 Calendar.
I wonder would there be much call for a Dublin Taxi driver calendar

Similar to the idea used recently on my good pals; The Paradise Driver website simply guess what the mileage will be on my Cab at the end of my shift on the 30th of November, (the closing date for the competition), nearest to the actual mileage will win, current mileage, 144909). My decision is final!
Simply click comment below and add your guess.
I will post the calendar to the winner
edit: In response to Wil's queries, Odometre is in miles and I normally work 5 x 8 hour shifts a week ( sometimes I get lazy...... sometimes I get hungry)

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Temperature drop

The thermometer on the dash registered 2 degrees centigrade tonight, flashing a threat of ground frost, Winter is upon us

Part time Dad

It was a toss up between a few mildly interesting jobs tonight, this one got the nod;
I picked up this lad in Ringsend, he said he'd just finished decorating his ex-partners flat.
Surprised by this, I said it was unusual for EX couples to be that friendly
He agreed, saying it had turned out well, that his 6 year old son didn't even know he'd left, this after 18 months!
He explained how he had his son every weekend and that before he left he worked late, so rarely saw the boy on weekdays and so his son assumes things are the same, only they stay with nanny at weekends because she's lonely.
I said I hoped it all kept fine for him, but felt he'd have to tell his son fairly quickly and said how amazed I was his EX had never bad mouthed him and said he'd gone.
She said she'd only bad mouth him and turn the son against him if he ever had a child with another woman
Hmmm...... there's a time bomb waiting to explode!

I thought this was funny

Somebody ended up here when they Googled; bus strike dublin ireland, Maybe I should take life more seriously?

Stewart, an angel of the night

This guy has saved my life a few times now so i thought it was time to mention him;
"Stu" opens his garage overnight from Tuesday to Saturday and carries parts for the popular Taxi cars, belts, tyres, batteries etc if he doesn't have it he'll do his best to sort something out for you and even better...He's CHEAP!
Last night I got a puncture and I hate driving without a spare, so I dropped into Stu and although he didn't have a new tyre fixed me up with a second hand one for only €12 a real bargain!

Bank Of Ireland Blue Magic Ad campaign,ill timed?

the Bank of Ireland have an Ad campaign promoting their sponsorship of Leinster Rugby, it involves billboard and bus posters as well as a TV advertisement using the logo "BLUE MAGIC". Thing is, it coincides exactly with the opening of the new Denzil Washington movie "American Gangster" and that features .......as a quality brand of Heroin! "Blue Magic"
Unfortunate?

You can Thank Sir Roger for this addition to the post
Blue Magic sing Sideshow;


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Roy meets an EX!

I picked up some girls outside the RTE television studios tonight, they'd been at The Ryan Tubridy Show and were laden down with gifts each member of the audience received.
They wanted to go to Rathfarnham, drop off the gifts in one of their houses, then go on to a night club in Churchtown.
As we passed a particular housing estate, one of the girls said to her friends it was where both her parents had come from, this struck me as I'd grown up in the same estate and wondered did I know them. "Did you say your parents were from that estate?, What is there names? I asked.
It turned out that her mum was an ex girlfriend of mine and that her Father was the guy she had left me for, a mate of mine! (some mate eh!)
I told the girl her mother had been an EX girlfriend and she was astonished! she asked my name and when I told her, she actually recognised it, seemingly I'd been a topic of conversation!
It transpired that it was at her house we were dropping off the gifts, so it was arranged that the girl in the passenger seat would drop in the gifts and when the door opened I shouted to my ex, "How are you pet!" she came over and seemed happy to see me and we exchanged the usual greetings, I asked how my old mate was doing...it turns out he's a Taxi driver too!

Confession time, the above story isn't exactly true, it was relayed to me by my wife , the daughter in the tale was MY daughter, the drivers Ex was MY wife, and the guy who stole the girl was ME! The driver was an old mate that I haven't seen in years!
RL if you ever read this...."howya me auld mucker!?"

Dublin Bus Strike looming...WOOO HOOOOO

It looks as though Christmas might come early for Taxi Drivers in Dublin this year as the buses threaten to go on strike from Monday.
They say they will refuse to work new routes; the 4a and the 128, or the new Rosters.
So if the bus company insists on the new routes/rosters (they will) the drivers will refuse to work.
If the drivers refuse to work (they will) the company will suspend them.
If the company suspend drivers (they will) the rest of the drivers will strike.
If they strike it's bonanza time for Taxi Drivers
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

More about the Bus strike
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Bicycle Lanes ....A quick word

Got talking to a City Councilor tonight, while driving up the Ballyboden rd, I asked him W.T.F! cycle lanes were doing, painted either side of a road barely wide enough for two cars to pass by each other.
"Ah" he said "sure doesn't the EU pay a grant of 1000s of yoyos per KM of cycle lane, and all 'tis is a bit of paint"
"Well holy gad! makes perfect sense now " says I

Two young girls that sat through the Menopause

I picked up two young girls, Sisters I guessed, early twenties(ish) who told me that they had both been through the Menopause, shocked, I asked them was it genetic and how did they feel about it? not looking forward to the trip or the discussion to follow!
Turns out it was a show in the Tivoli theatre, (a small theatre otherwise I'd have realised earlier thet were foooling me!)
They said it was very funny and that there were only 2 men in the entire sell out audience.

Shoes flung over a Telephone line

I see this phenomenon quite a bit around Dublin and have been told it advertises the sale of Drugs nearby, certainly it seems to occur in the more deprived areas of the city.
If it is the case and these sellers advertise their whereabouts you'd wonder why the police don't have more success apprehending them?
Is this an old wives tale or truth? I mentioned it to a customer tonight in the Cab and she laughed me out of it, saying it couldn't be true!

The sad demise of Ballsbridge Hotels

The once great 5 star Hotels of Ballsbridge, The Berkley Court, and Jurys were sold to a developer and closed pending planning approval for Office /residential towers.
In the meantime, while approval is being sought, they have been re-opened as budget "room only" hotels going under the name D4hotels.com, if you are coming to Dublin you could do a lot worse than stay here, you'll have most of the luxury without all the expense.
Ballsbridge is a lovely area, tree lined avenues with perfectly maintained Georgian houses, Rolys bistro in the village is still one of the best eateries around and the American Embassy, fondly know locally as the Christmas cake resides there, I'd prefer it was somewhere else, it's a fine piece of architecture but is really out of place in Ballsbridge!

American Embassy Dublin;

Suas is Rejected

(Suas is Gaelic for up)
The cable car system (already nicknamed favorably by locals as Suas)which was to be erected above the river Liffey, from O'Connell Street to Heuston Railway station was rejected by our short sighted planners, who said it would be of no benefit to our infrastructural needs.
Muppets! It was never meant to be of benefit to "infrastructural needs" it was supposed to be a tourist attraction to rival the "London Eye" carrying them 80metres above the iconic river with spectacular views over the city.
The fact it doubled up as a transport system for locals was just an added bonus.
The city planners are fast becoming my least favorite statutory body

The Humble housewife

added to the Irish Blogs list today is Deborahs site, it's a foody site with lots of recipes and friendly advice/chat.
It's been nominated for a Golden Spider award, these are the Oscars of the Irish Blog society.
Go take a look;
The Humble Housewife

Grafton Street gets new Christmas lights

Sorry about the Picture but it's the best I can get so far,
Grafton Street, Dublin's premier shopping street has got new Christmas lights, I remember thinking last year that although they were nice the old ones were looking a bit "tired"
Never mind the picture, these new one's look really classy with Chandeliers hanging the length of the street.
Tney were designed by French company Blachere, who also designed the lights on the Eiffel Tower in Paris and will be switched on with a party on November 18th
I think the shoppers will like them, thumbs up to the business premises that donated to the scheme!


View the Vodaphone ad featuring the lights here

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Booze 2 Go ..... The enemy!

Booze 2 Go are buying up perfectly good Public Houses all over Dublin, I've seen 7 so far! Then they turn them into Off licences, (an Off Licence is a licence to sell Alcohol for consumption "Off" the premises)Dublinn cannot afford to lose it's Pubs like this and more importantly, there is no business for Taxis outside Off licence premises, Why can't they just buy a retail outlet and apply for an Off licence, instead of going the "lazy" way of buying up Pubs and changing them .....it should be a crime!

A lovely Aussie

She flagged me down in Rathmines at about 12:20am, she had been waiting at a bus-stop after visiting a friend, the last bus was long gone! She came to the window and said she only had €9 and could I take her to Parnell Street for that, I replied "of course get in"
She's been in Dublin for three months, studying in D.C.U, she loves her college and Dublin A LOT! She spoke excitedly about seeing the book of Kells and how amazing the library is, thinks the Guinness factory tour is fantastic, and said her favorite was the Jail in Kilmainham, which happens to be my top recommendation as well.
She spoke of bringing other Aussies, that are staying around Europe who visit her to these places and to the usual night spots and how they all rave about the place.
This girl was a breath of fresh air opposed to the usual moaning and groaning about the place, she made me feel very proud of my city. The meter read €11 Euro at the end of the trip she appologised profusely saying she hadn't noticed the meter, I accepted the €9 thinking I should be paying her.
I really hope she stays around

A tale of two Leopardstowns

I picked up two women from Leopardstown on two separate jobs,(middle class area of Dublin)one was from an estate called the Gallops the other from Leopardstown Valley, now these estates are now joined, you can drive through from one to the other whereas before a pile of boulders hindered your progress.
The woman from the Gallops was pissed at this deveopment and told me of family pets being killed by lunatic drivers and how she can no longer allow her kids out front, thank god they are putting in ramps , but longterm the road will have to be re-blocked.
The woman from the Gallops was delighted, it's so much easier getting into town now, there are no cars using it as a rat run and residents are driving carefully, it's ridiculous the way the council insist on putting ramps in, they destroy cars. Everyone is delighted with the new roadway.
different folks different strokes

Irish blogs

New feature! Irish blogs I like, see side panel, if you have a "good" Irish site and would like a link let me know.
Added today;
Damien Mulley Mulley seems to be the "Guru" of Irish bloggers, his eclectic site has articles on politics , business, products and it also highlights new Irish sites, even this humble place even got a mention ...Thanks Damien.

The Chancer A chancer is a term used for people that "seem" to know everything about anything but get caught out on inspection, it's a common Irish male affliction, The sit is like a female fart, (you never know what you're going to get.)

You'll also find the link to my pals at beaut.ie pronounced Beauty drop the dot...

The Taxi Regulator is getting Shirty!

I got a newsletter from the Taxi Regulators office today, the main item says they are going to start enforcing the 22 fixed charge offences, €250 a pop for Taxi drivers breaking any of these rules, for example;
Failure to provide a printed receipt
Refusal to take a fare of less than 30km
Forgetting to turn on the meter
Standing for hire other than at an appointed stand (no more queuing outside Coppers?)

I'll be back to work tomorrow night so hopefully there'll be a few tales to tell....Maybe about YOU!

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Collective noun for Dublin Taxi Drivers

I'm still off work at the moment , I'm having a bit of a holiday and so I'm struggling to come up with content for the blog, so I remembered this little Gem from Begorrah.com, when they asked their readers to come up with a collective noun for Dublin Taxi drivers, there are some howlers in there;

The Return Of The Picture Of The Day Competition: Off The Meter? Here's Where YOU Fill In The Blank...

A sleuth of bears...
A charm of hummingbirds...
A flange (no joke) of baboons...

A ________ of Dublin taxi drivers?

Click here to go to Begorrah for the replies

"Mc Donalds" Cabs (New POLL!)

The regulator is proposing to send all Irish Taxi drivers to charm school.
To teach us how to behave towards customers. This will include the usual "meet and greet gestures" such as, "how are you today", "Do you have a radio preference Sir/Madam", "Have a nice day". In theory this all sounds very good, but i believe part of the "charm" of getting a Taxi..... particularly in Dublin, is the individualism of the characters you'll meet driving them;

Ive decided to finish the current poll and start a new one on this topic.
Results of last poll.
Yes 44
Yes (so long as it's pink) 17
No14
Yes (so long as it's not pink)6

So that was a resounding YES then

Guest Writers/ Contributers

Are you a Driver or user of Irish Taxis, have you got a tale to tale? Why not have it told here? e-mail your story to me and I'll put it online, obviously I'll give you full credit for your work.
e-mail me @ Irish Taxi

Aussie Road Safety ad

I found this on the Damien Mulley site; Take a look
I hope you guys get the message!

Roy gets a makeover

It was like "what not to wear in the "Irish Taxi" household;
The suitcases from the Chicago trip were finally emptied and sorted and as a surprise... to celebrate the new slimmer Roy, what seemed like an entire new wardrobe was purchased!
The readers from Beaut.ie would be proud, American Eagle, Echo, Rhino, as well as the infamous Abercrombie and Fitch, Tees, Jumpers, Trousers, even cologne! were in abundance. all sorts of combinations were tried on and opinions given, as I was told what to wear together, and more importantly it seems..... "Not what to wear"
I'll never win any Blogger awards, but I might be looking at "best dressed Taxi"..... if such an award existed.
Thanks To my wife and daughter for all the work they put in. My son was similarly awarded with new outfits, as well as..... Guitar hero 3, for his X-box (not available here until Nov 23rd) and an i-Touch (some piece of kit this! and no word on availability in Ireland as yet)
Didn't we do well?

Fatpuss update

I thought I'd better update on the situation regarding Alan "Fatpuss" Bradley, as a large number of people visiting the site have done so via that post.
A large security presence surrounded the court in Kilmainham today for the hearing of the Bradley Brothers and their associates remand hearing, no depositions were made on there behalf , and all said nothing in response to charges made.
Incidentally one of the individuals held works for the security firm....maybe an inside job eh?

Finally it's here...... lovely Rain

After months of dancing around naked in my back garden, chanting Red Indian tunes, my spells have worked and it's set to lash, suddenly people out walking and standing at the bus stops become Taxi fodder...MUHAHAHA

He "Headbutted" a Taxi?

Judge William Hamill ordered Dean Costello of Shankill to pay compensation to the driver of a Taxi whose Cab he headbutted, causing €400 worth of damage. HOW?

Surrounded by "Jobsworths"

I went down to the Aldi supermarket in Rathmines earlier, they were selling windscreen wipers, Hydraulic Jacks and Headlight bulbs cheap (all useful stuff to have in the boot..errr Trunk?(by the way, I really don't expect anyone to buy anything... it's just for a laugh.) Anyway I was behind this man who was in his forties with a trolley load of shopping and as an impulse purchase picked up a tray of cheap beer near the checkout. The girl asked for ID! the man looked incredulous and said "I'm 47 F.F.S! the girl put the beer behind the till and said "it's more than my jobs worth" Same guy was leaving the store with the trolley and was stopped by security and asked for a €50 deposit if he wanted to take the trolley from the store, "but that's my car just there you can see me load it!" sorry sir it's more than my jobs worth" He didn't have €50 on him and had to transfer the shopping from the trolley to his car bit by bit, he didn't purchase any bags either, bags aren't given free with shopping here it's against the law, sure it'd be more than their jobs worth to throw in a few!

It's started!

I saw workmen putting up Christmas lights on Wicklow Street tonight! you'd better get to the shop (Irish Taxi recommends) and buy buy buy. HO HO HO

Naas (35km) and Back! good......not!

I wasn't planning on working tonight, my wife just got back from her trip to Chicago and I'd planned to stay in and have a chat, maybe watch a movie, Jet lag intervened and by 9:30 she was hanging on by a thread, at 10:15 she was in bed asleep, by 10:45 I had resolved to head out to work, another night looking at the tv/pc would have done me in.
First job after a week off, was from the rank in St Stepens Green, She was being held up by him, an inane grin on her face, as we say in Dublin "she was locked", "out of her bin" , "twisted". I must have been soft after the week off, because normally I'd have said she needed a walk to sober up first, but I allowed them in..."Naas" he said, Oh shit, I thought, she'll never last....."Grand" I said, "Naas it is".
She fell asleep instantly and he talked about nothing in particular, there were a few funny smells emanating, once I thought she'd shat herself, but it didn't last long enough, thank god!
We arrived in Naas.... €51 paid, checked over her ass and the back seat, no dampness, so all clear there as well!
While taking the photo above, a lad appeared out of no-where, gave me a shock! said he'd had a row with his girlfriend, had gotten out of the car for a pee and she'd driven off, his wallet and phone were in the car and would I please bring him into Dublin town. Now I really must be going soft, because I knew this was a chancer but thought; ah I'm going back anyway, I'll give the eeegit a lift.
He asked did I believe him? and I said "no not a word, but I'm feeling generous", he admitted to lying and said he'd just left a party, said he'd leave a glowing report on his Bebo page, I said "you won't, you'll leave a glowing report on my Blog, that's the fare!"
I gave him the address on the back of a receipt, I bet he doesn't do it!

Priests set to join the Taxi queues,

"Trendy" priest Fr. Brian Darcy commenting on the proposed reduction in the blood/alcohol level was quoted yesterday as saying;
"Perhaps celebrating mass could be enough for you to fail a drink driving test, and while I don't like to use the word wine, as it is the precious blood in the Eucharist, it still has all the characteristics of wine in the bloodstream"
Best be sure Father and get a Taxi to and from the Church eh?

Japanese Taxi prank

As only the Japanese can! There mustn't be a litigation culture over there. this poor "passenger" is put through hell and back, it's in Japanese, but it doesn't really matter.

Video not displayed? click here

Listen to the Radio Interview

OK here it is, the quality is poor, it started as a tape, then became an MPG movie, (the only way I could get it onto my PC), now it's been transferred to MP3, net result of all that?..... poor quality!
I've listened to it about 4 times now and I cringe more with every play, if I listened to it again ...I wouldn't post it!

Get your own playlist at snapdrive.net!