[Fionn MacCool]

Originally Posted by Fuctifino

Is it not a taxi companies choice who they hire?

Are you posting from the 1950s?

[Fuctifino]

Speaking from this perspective: If i own and operate a business.... i dont want to be dictated to who i should hire. Im in no way racist, one of my best friends is from Ghana, however this smacks of "positive racism" and political correctness gone mental.

Im speaking now as an employer, not as someone who chooses not to get a taxi because of the nationality or colour of the driver.

To the person who compared it to having a bad experience at a restaurant... You're competely wrong... Its similar to having a bad experience at a chinese, and refusing to eat at any chinese ever again

[mikemac]

When I arrive at a rank I discriminate against the battered 1996 Carinas and in favour of the better cars

Not pushed about the driver

Among the 12 recommendations in the report, taxi drivers are urged to attend training sessions on racism as soon as possible.

They might include a customer service module as well. A customer doesn't need a heavy sigh and or even hassle if getting a taxi from Eyre Sq to the Hunstman. Not my fault you were at the rank for a long time

[Fionn MacCool]

Originally Posted by Fuctifino

Speaking from this perspective: If i own and operate a business.... i dont want to be dictated to who i should hire.

You're not. You're just told that someone's race, gender, sexual orientation etc cannot be a factor in your decision, which seems fair.

Im in no way racist, one of my best friends is from Ghana, however this smacks of "positive racism" and political correctness gone mental.

Not really. Although I do agree positive discrimination does occur. Never understood why some places only ever seem to have Indian or Chinese staff for example (and I'm not on about Chinese/Indian restaurants, where I believe they're within their rights). Nobody is telling you have to hire a black person.

It's why I find the way some drivers moan about The Blacks so silly. You're driving a car like, you're no more or less qualified than any other driver. I got an Irish taxi the other day and he didn't know where I lived (an area in Westside), so it's not like all the white guys are locals either. In some jobs, ones where you need to communicate with customers, it does infuriate me when I'm served by someone who can't speak/understand English and messes up because of it, but taxi driving isn't one of them.

Also, The Blacks listen to better music.

[WetDaddy]

Originally Posted by Fuctifino

Speaking from this perspective: If i own and operate a business.... i dont want to be dictated to who i should hire. Im in no way racist, one of my best friends is from Ghana, however this smacks of "positive racism" and political correctness gone mental.

Im speaking now as an employer, not as someone who chooses not to get a taxi because of the nationality or colour of the driver.

To the person who compared it to having a bad experience at a restaurant... You're competely wrong... Its similar to having a bad experience at a chinese, and refusing to eat at any chinese ever again

I agree with you that political correctness has gone mad (the world over!) in the past decade or so. However, I think the issue here is that an employer is flatout refusing to hire someone based on their nationality / race. It's not like the US where companies *have* to have a certain percentage of minorities hired to conform to equal opportunity standards. It's more a case of giving each and every individual a chance and not dismissing them prematurely - it would only make it more difficult on the legitimate folk of the same ethnicity.

You're bang on about the restaurant analogy, btw.

[Fuctifino]

If they explicitly said that because he's black he's not getting hired then that is wrong, but i doubt he was that blatant

[Fionn MacCool]

Originally Posted by Fuctifino

If they explicitly said that because he's black he's not getting hired then that is wrong, but i doubt he was that blatant

Veiled racism is no more acceptable than blatant discrimination.

[Wompa1]

I have had alot of Irish taxi drivers telling me of some illegal practices (registering two cars, same make, model and reg plate somehow in different towns..apparently the gardai never check against the cars chasis number) by African taxi drivers but I have seen plenty of Irish taxi drivers breaking the law too (e.g. filling up with green diesel!)

Both should be stopped in fairness. Tax dodgers certainly didn't help the country in the last few years.

[Fionn MacCool]

Originally Posted by Wompa1

I have had alot of Irish taxi drivers telling me of some illegal practices (registering two cars, same make, model and reg plate somehow in different towns..apparently the gardai never check against the cars chasis number) by African taxi drivers

I would have asked them how the knew so much about the practise

[Wompa1]

Originally Posted by Fionn MacCool

I would have asked them how the knew so much about the practise

Ha Ha...he was a very old man. I think if I seemed anyway defiant he would have taken his belt to me. In fairness to him though he said Irish taxi drivers are just as bad and his gripe wasn't that they were African but that there was too many taxi driver in general, I was going from Knocknacarra into town. He said he hadn't had a fair that far out in a long time. Felt kind of sorry for him.

[Andrew42]

Would yiz all get it out of your heads that taxi companies hire drivers! The only people that a cab company employ are the person(s) who answer the phones and the despatcher who gives out the work to the drivers and maybe an accountant, cab drivers are self employed and if they choose to hook up with a company they pay rent to the company for a radio (anywhere between €80 and €115 pw). Maybe black drivers have more sense than to hand that type of money over for no guarantee of work!

[Fionn MacCool]

Aye usually when you pay for a taxi you think it's a bit of a rip off, but the guys in Galway probably only get a few fares a night if they're lucky due to the number of taxis.

I can see why people might prefer an Irish taxi driver, you can have a proper conversation with them, talk about local issues, "de Gah" and all that but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid any particular driver. Some of the soundest ones I've had were the eastern Europeans actually. They should be a favourite for the racists anywho - they're not black, but you can still be racist to em!!

[Wompa1]

Originally Posted by Fionn MacCool

Aye usually when you pay for a taxi you think it's a bit of a rip off, but the guys in Galway probably only get a few fares a night if they're lucky due to the number of taxis.

I can see why people might prefer an Irish taxi driver, you can have a proper conversation with them, talk about local issues, "de Gah" and all that but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid any particular driver. Some of the soundest ones I've had were the eastern Europeans actually. They should be a favourite for the racists anywho - they're not black, but you can still be racist to em!!

That's true. Got a really sound Ukrainian lad before. Said he was qualified in forensics and that was his job back there. He played Slayer and even played the song I wanted. Legend.

[Fionn MacCool]

I remember ringing a taxi at like 11am after we were still up from the night before, ProCabs I think. It arrived at it was this big Hummer type car with a cream leather interior and tinted windows, which were perfect for keeping the unwelcome daytime sun out. Mother****ing comedown pimps.

[Zeouterlimits]

I just hop in the nearest taxi, doesn't matter who the driver is.
It has always been a positive experience for me (in Galway at least). Everyone, black or white, is nice, polite and has plenty of interesting stuff to say.