Right or Wrong? Should Taxis Withdraw Services?

Spook_ie

Athlone women fear sex attacks as town cabbies pull services

A row between the taxi regulator and local cabs in Athlone may leave many young women without a ride home at night.
By Cormac Murphy

Friday September 26 2008

A ROW involving taxi drivers has increased fears for the safety of young women in Athlone, where a suspected serial sex attacker remains at large.

Cabbies in the Midlands town withdrew their services last night after officials from the industry's regulator issued fines for parking outside a taxi rank.

And the drivers say they could take similar action again if they do not get assurances from the Taxi Regulator that more fines will not be issued.

This means that hundreds of young women might have to walk home tonight, heightening the risk of a further assault.

"Last night, the regulator left us with no option but to take all our cars off the road," taxi driver Derek Chambers said today.

"We had to take them off the road -- the regulator would have fined people for picking up when they were not in the rank," Mr Chambers told the Herald.

"We don't want to take cars off the road, we want people to get home safely," he added.

Mr Chambers (33), a father of one from Athlone, said the last thing taxi drivers want in the current circumstances is that young women will have to walk home alone. He said up to six drivers were issued with fines of €250 each after regulator officers posing as passengers got into their cabs.

Action

At 1.30am today, the drivers approached the officers and said they would have to take all the taxis off the road.

They then went to the local garda station to tell gardai what they were doing.

"It has never happened before," Mr Chambers said.

Drivers have not planned any action for tonight, but they will remove their cars again if there is a risk of further fines.

The rank in question is on Church Street, the Co Westmeath town's main thoroughfare, near popular nightspots Karma and Q. It only has eight parking spaces but there are between 150 and 160 taxis, Mr Chambers said.

A spokesperson for the regulator could not be contacted this morning.

Meanwhile, gardai continue to hunt for a man suspected of carrying out five separate violent attacks on young women in Athlone.

Officers even hired a criminal profiler to help them nab the perpetrator.

An incident in the Hallsbridge area of the town last Saturday was the fifth such assault in little over a year.

A woman (28) was attacked early in the morning as she walked home from a 24-hour shop. She managed to escape her assailant but revealed the man tried to rape her.

In all five cases, the man has grabbed his victims from behind as they walked alone in the town and beaten them.

The latest assault was the second in a week and it followed three unsolved attacks in the Bonavalley Bridge area of Athlone between August and October 2007.

- Cormac Murphy

So what are the rights and wrongs of the scenario, should taximen have to pay a €250 fine after being entrapped by agent provocateurs, should taximen be threatening to leave the vulnerable girls of Athlone to their own devices? Do you care whats happening in Athlone anyway? Are there too many Taxis in Athlone ? Do you think if a taxi is legaly parked in a loading bay/parking space they should be OK to take a fare? ( note I'm Not refering to Taxis that are illegaly double parked or on yellow lines like Camden St/Harcourt St in Dublin )

Sits back and waits for the usual suspects to reply with all taximen are bastids and deserve everything they get!

PS Was going to be "Are You Safe In A Taxi Part IV, but considering the overall serious implications of these actions I didn't..

shenanigans1982

Quit posting here and do some work, or are the foreign drivers just to nice an excuse?

Loose Lips

It strikes me that taxi drivers do a lot of complaining and really overestimate their own importance.

I mean, anyone and everyone can drive a car. Why do they think there is anything special about them?

If I was making a decent salary for doing something which a monkey could do, I would try to stay under the radar and hope nobody noticed.

But that is just my opinion. No hard feelings I hope.

Safe home.

Honey-ec

Who are all these sad loners who find themselves on a night out with nary a friend to walk home with???

Wreck

Take it to Commuting & Transport please. And accept the fact that the vast majority of people living in this country (or Dublin at least) are far from satisfied at the service they get from taxi drivers.

Mylow

Can you not hail a cab/taxi on the street? (Excluding Hackney's).
If thats the case its a 500m walk/stagger from 2 fairly popular night spots in Drogheda to the rank on Peter St.

connundrum

It astounds me that there may be several hundred young women in Athlone.

Cookie_Monster

Won't somebody think of the children?

Cookie_Monster

connundrum wrote: »

It astounds me that there may be several hundred young women in Athlone.

Horse/sheep/woman

Its all relitive down there

stovelid

connundrum wrote: »

It astounds me that there may be several hundred young women in Athlone.

I didn't even know they had taxis in Athlone?

Mena

Taxi? Buy a car like a normal person ffs.

Spook_ie

So there you go girls of Athlone it's looking like no one gives a toss about your predicament. A truly sad reflection of society here on AH

javaboy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Horse/sheep/woman

ItsThey're all relitive relatives down there

FYP

Cookie_Monster

Does Snyper drive?

javaboy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Does Snyper drive?

Well he's been known to offer young girls a ride on a Friday night in Athlone.

AARRRGH

**** taxi drivers. They're a bunch of moaning *****.

Mr. Incognito

Jaysus I've never met a girl from Athlone that was able to say no, his mistake was approaching them from the back.

Taxi-drivers strike- who cares. A week with no money in their pockets will cure any more Industrial unrest.

Honey-ec

SetantaL wrote: »

Taxi-drivers strike- who cares. A week with no money in their pockets will cure any more Industrial unrest.

Have you not heard? They're all practically destitute already. Sure they might as well be running a charity for all the money they're making...

SV

lol...ah yeah, I hear they make feck all money like..dunno why more and more people are taking it up!

Ciaran500

So all the taxi drivers that are already complaining there isn't enough business around are going to agree not to work on some night? Anyone sensible is going to clean up on that night.

Big Knox

Spook_ie wrote: »

Athlone women fear sex attacks as town cabbies pull services

A row between the taxi regulator and local cabs in Athlone may leave many young women without a ride home at night.
By Cormac Murphy

Friday September 26 2008

/me runs off

thefinalstage

Honey-ec wrote: »

Have you not heard? They're all practically destitute already. Sure they might as well be running a charity for all the money they're making...

In Dublin making a living doing it is hard! Believe me I have seen a few lads pulling 12 hour shifts just to make ends meat.

ClioV6 wrote: »

lol...ah yeah, I hear they make feck all money like..dunno why more and more people are taking it up!

Because people assume like you are that there is money to be made...

Morlar

I think its typical behaviour from some taxi drivers.

If your a taxi driver and get caught breaking the rules and fined by the taxi regulator that fine is on you and not anyone else. Everyone knows the taxi regulator are not exactly the FBI and can not cover everywhere all the time so in the rare instances that they do catch taxi drivers they should just shut the **** up and pay their fine.

Penalising consumers at this point in time - especially considering attacks against women is pretty disgusting.

shenanigans1982

thelastangryman wrote: »

In Dublin making a living doing it is hard! Believe me I have seen a few lads pulling 12 hour shifts just to make ends meat.

Butchers?

And as has already been said there is money to be made everyone just needs to stop going after the easy weekend night money.

Best solution would be to stop issuing licences, when the majority of this batch of whinging B*stards die off sell the contract to a few companies who will then hire drivers and just pay them a wage.

the boss of me

Spook AFAIR yours was one of the loudest voices calling for enforcement officers to be appointed. Given the fact that most of these idiots are just wannabe Gardai, what did you expect ?

They caused mayhem up in the kesh a couple of weeks ago and now they seem to lashing out fines of €250 for what is basically a minor parking infringement . Be careful what you wish for next time Spook !

Mylow

They were in Monagahn last Saturday night, causing chaos. Not exactly integrated planning. Along with a new temporary one way system you have the regulator pulling cars at exit point from one way causing traffic behind to tail back...ok....a few pony and traps to tail back....but still. They had 2 Garda in attendance with them, just in case it all got nasty :rolleyes:

Ruen

the boss of me wrote: »

They caused mayhem up in the kesh a couple of weeks ago and now they seem to lashing out fines of €250 for what is basically a minor parking infringement . Be careful what you wish for next time Spook !

In fairness now it was the feckers driving taxis that caused all that mayhem up there, those people seem to be of the mentality that nobody is allowed question them and because the regulator carried out some inspections they threw a big hissy fit like a load children.....msg to taxi drivers in Dublin Airport: Grow the fcuk up WHINGEBAGS

And on topic I believe that when a taxi driver or anyone for that matter gets caught doing something they shouldnt they should just suck it up and pay the consequences, and the fact that they get offended when they get caught breaking the law shows how they think they're above the rules which they are certainly not

shenanigans1982

the boss of me wrote: »

They caused mayhem up in the kesh a couple of weeks ago and now they seem to lashing out fines of €250 for what is basically a minor parking infringement .

Can you elaborate on this?...cos a lot of minor parking infringements by taxi drivers cause chaos...like the ones that park around the corner from the rank on Parnell Street and prevent traffic getting out of the car park, but its ok as long as they put on the magic hazards and wave the traffic on. A few weeks ago I heard a guard asking a guy to park his van on the double yellow lines to prevent the taxis parking there.

Then there are the guys who park in a lane of traffic along the quays just after O'Connell bridge because the rank is full causing a lot of near misses but its ok you're a taxi driver....FTW.

Tigger

spook.ie

yer one tough cookie

im opinion the taxis should stop tonight
but they wont

parking outside a nightclub now you'd think the cops would have summit better todo

oh yeah......

they had

Spook_ie

the boss of me wrote: »

Spook AFAIR yours was one of the loudest voices calling for enforcement officers to be appointed. Given the fact that most of these idiots are just wannabe Gardai, what did you expect ?

They caused mayhem up in the kesh a couple of weeks ago and now they seem to lashing out fines of €250 for what is basically a minor parking infringement . Be careful what you wish for next time Spook !

And I still am all for enforcement, but better enforcement.
but back to the topic ATHLONE wouldn't it be better if the Garda suspended all normal parking and made a huge rank outside the clubs and as to the minor parking infringement wouldn't the drivers be better off just sending the punters off to the front of the rank rather than taking them from anywhere they're issuing tickets? I mean given the size of Athlone there has to be some kind of compromise solution that allows young women to go home in relative safety and for taximen to go home without having to fork out €250 to the TR

Ruen

Spook_ie wrote: »

And I still am all for enforcement, but better enforcement.
but back to the topic ATHLONE wouldn't it be better if the Garda suspended all normal parking and made a huge rank outside the clubs and as to the minor parking infringement wouldn't the drivers be better off just sending the punters off to the front of the rank rather than taking them from anywhere they're issuing tickets? I mean given the size of Athlone there has to be some kind of compromise solution that allows young women to go home in relative safety and for taximen to go home without having to fork out €250 to the TR

Yeah and while they're at it when I'm late for work they should suspend the speed limit on my route, and when I cant find parking in town they should suspend footpaths being only for pedestrians so I can be accomodated:cool:..................FYI THE WORLD DOESNT REVOLVE AROUND TAXI DRIVERS

Spook_ie

Ruen wrote: »

Yeah and while they're at it when I'm late for work they should suspend the speed limit on my route, and when I cant find parking in town they should suspend footpaths being only for pedestrians so I can be accomodated:cool:..................FYI THE WORLD DOESNT REVOLVE AROUND TAXI DRIVERS

Never said it did, maybe we should just leave the girls of Athlone to their own devices and leave it at that, as long as if someone gets attacked in Athlone because they couldn't get a taxi ( for whatever reason ) nobody starts saying it's the taximens fault ( AGAIN!! )

Ruen

Spook_ie wrote: »

I mean given the size of Athlone there has to be some kind of compromise solution that allows young women to go home in relative safety and for taximen to go home without having to fork out €250 to the TR

Btw when did 'taximen' become the solution to young womens security and safety in Athlone???
If I was to think of a way of making sure they could get home safely I'd probably say the Gardai should catch the crazy rapist first and they might be a little safer at night, it seems to me that you're just using womens safety as an excuse to get what you want

Spook_ie

Ruen wrote: »

Btw when did 'taximen' become the solution to young womens security and safety in Athlone???
If I was to think of a way of making sure they could get home safely I'd probably say the Gardai should catch the crazy rapist first and they might be a little safer at night, it seems to me that you're just using womens safety as an excuse to get what you want

Not me personaly I don't work Athlone, and to be honest I deplore action aimed at the weaker sections of society BUT having said that I don't see why if someone is parked in a parking/loading bay why it should justify a €250 fine to take a fare ( Albeit Illegal under current legislation ) note I'm still not condoning anyone being parked illegaly, thats a different matter for the Gards to deal with....

Clytus

...ouch Spook!

Ruen

Spook_ie wrote: »

Never said it did, maybe we should just leave the girls of Athlone to their own devices and leave it at that, as long as if someone gets attacked in Athlone because they couldn't get a taxi ( for whatever reason ) nobody starts saying it's the taximens fault ( AGAIN!! )

And I never said you said it did, but you're suggesting the authorities might change the whole traffic plan of a town to suit your little club, dont think so buddy.

And i doubt a bunch of 'taximen' are going to be the solution to a serial rapist any time soon, let the Guards worry about that it's not your problem, you cant bring every girl in Athlone home at night!

Ruen

Spook_ie wrote: »

Not me personaly I don't work Athlone, and to be honest I deplore action aimed at the weaker sections of society BUT having said that I don't see why if someone is parked in a parking/loading bay why it should justify a €250 fine to take a fare ( Albeit Illegal under current legislation ) note I'm still not condoning anyone being parked illegaly, thats a different matter for the Gards to deal with....

Well it's the law and it stands as it is, the Guards or Regulator arent there to question it just enforce it, if people have a problem with it they should start a petition or something, see their local representative maybe, they dont need to withdraw their service immediately upon being caught out thats an extreme escalation and is unwarranted.
And if the 'taximen' really cared for the safety of local women in Athlone, like you're saying is an issue in this, they wouldnt have done that just imagine how many women could've been attacked while the 'taximen' werent working

Spook_ie

Ruen wrote: »

And I never said you said it did, but you're suggesting the authorities might change the whole traffic plan of a town to suit your little club, dont think so buddy.

And i doubt a bunch of 'taximen' are going to be the solution to a serial rapist any time soon, let the Guards worry about that it's not your problem, you cant bring every girl in Athlone home at night!

Maybe you're right, afterall if the taximen don't take the girls home the Gards would have a much better chance of catching the rapist in action or of gathering much needed DNA evidence, I'm sure the next victim(s) will be sooo understanding.

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

faceman

Should be in the culchie forum tbh!

Ruen

Spook_ie wrote: »

Maybe you're right, afterall if the taximen don't take the girls home the Gards would have a much better chance of catching the rapist in action or of gathering much needed DNA evidence, I'm sure the next victim(s) will be sooo understanding.

Thats a load of crap pal you're twisting words now to suit your own agenda, do the 'taximen' in Athlone now make sure every woman in the area gets a lift home no matter what, because AFAIK people get attacked every night of the week all over the country even when there's taxis on:eek:

You're scaremongering so people will think it's a great idea to change the traffic restrictions in Athlone to suit 'taximen', you're using the current situation of a rapist in Athlone to get something for 'taximen' even though it has nothing to do with it

Spook_ie

Ruen wrote: »

Thats a load of crap pal you're twisting words now to suit your own agenda, do the 'taximen' in Athlone now make sure every woman in the area gets a lift home no matter what, because AFAIK people get attacked every night of the week all over the country even when there's taxis on:eek:

You're scaremongering so people will think it's a great idea to change the traffic restrictions in Athlone to suit 'taximen', you're using the current situation of a rapist in Athlone to get something for 'taximen' even though it has nothing to do with it

No I'm saying that if there is a problem then there should be a solution, you're the one thats saying leave the situation as it is rather than changing something for the benefit of all. Why not suspend the parking by the clubs and cone off a tempory rank until such time as the rapist is caught. I don't see that as trying to "change the rules for a little club" I see it as seeking a compromise solution. At the end of the day no one ( in their right minds, which probably alienates 50% of AH ) wants to see attacks in a particular area continue, also no one in their right minds should be objecting to looking for a compromise solution. The question is should that compromise solution be sought now or after the next attack?

the boss of me

ziggy wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

€250 for a parking ticket is alright with you then ? Well why should a taximan have to pay six times the going rate ?

The lads were dead right to go on strike, I think it was a rather mild reaction myself.

Ruen

Spook_ie wrote: »

No I'm saying that if there is a problem then there should be a solution, you're the one thats saying leave the situation as it is rather than changing something for the benefit of all. Why not suspend the parking by the clubs and cone off a tempory rank until such time as the rapist is caught. I don't see that as trying to "change the rules for a little club" I see it as seeking a compromise solution. At the end of the day no one ( in their right minds, which probably alienates 50% of AH ) wants to see attacks in a particular area continue, also no one in their right minds should be objecting to looking for a compromise solution. The question is should that compromise solution be sought now or after the next attack?

I think the 'taximen' were using the parking bays anyway at the time of the last attack in Athlone so it doesnt fly, this would only suit 'taximen'.

Ruen

the boss of me wrote: »

€250 for a parking ticket is alright with you then ? Well why should a taximan have to pay six times the going rate ?

The lads were dead right to go on strike, I think it was a rather mild reaction myself.

Hang on there, what exactly was the fine for? Was it for illegally taking a fare or something similar? Can the TR even issue parking tickets?

the boss of me

Ruen wrote: »

Hang on there, what exactly was the fine for? Was it for illegally taking a fare or something similar? Can the TR even issue parking tickets?

The offence would be plying for hire other than at a designated taxi stand. What it amounts to is taxis being "done" for waiting outside pubs and niteclubs , usually in the early hours when they are not causing any obstruction to other road users.

Spook_ie

the boss of me wrote: »

€250 for a parking ticket is alright with you then ? Well why should a taximan have to pay six times the going rate ?

The lads were dead right to go on strike, I think it was a rather mild reaction myself.

Ruen wrote: »

I think the 'taximen' were using the parking bays anyway at the time of the last attack in Athlone so it doesnt fly, this would only suit 'taximen'.

Firstly, the €250 fine isn't a parking fine, parking fines are the remit of the Garda, it's a fine for plying for hire in an unauthorised rank.

Secondly, why is someone not talking to the TR, Local Council, Garda to allow the use of the loading bays as tempory ranks

This is what I mean No ONE seems to want to find a solution, maybe there isn't a solution but it seems clear to me that NO ONES looking!!

Karoma

the boss of me wrote: »

The lads were dead right to go on strike, I think it was a rather mild reaction myself.

Only you and the other taxi drivers seem to think so.


Taxis...rape-prevention? What crass scaremongering rubbish. The last time I checked the rapes in that area occurred while taxis were in operation. Get off the soapbox lads and get the **** over yourselves.



Solution to what? to taximen breaking a law (one enforced by appointed authorities so that the Gardai aren't busy slapping naughty money-grubbing taxi drivers with fines so that they can track this big, scary rapist)? I see the solution: the matter that you raised as a problem. More fines I say! More fines!

Ruen

the boss of me wrote: »

The offence would be plying for hire other than at a designated taxi stand. What it amounts to is taxis being "done" for waiting outside pubs and niteclubs , usually in the early hours when they are not causing any obstruction to other road users.

I just checked it up there, taxis can ply for hire no problem but they cannot stand for hire other than in a designated area i.e. taxi rank, which has a set limit on the number of taxis that can stand there at any one time, so waiting in the parking bay is illegal.

Now this took me a couple minutes to find out and I'm no 'taximan' so all these people who got fined in Athlone should be well aware of the regulations and laws that govern their occupation and as far as I'm concerned they have no excuse to complain for getting caught doing something they know is wrong, they should be glad they got away with it for long enough and toddle off somewhere else now the jig is up

Spook_ie

Karoma wrote: »

Only you and the other taxi drivers seem to think so.


Taxis...rape-prevention? What crass scaremongering rubbish. The last time I checked the rapes in that area occurred while taxis were in operation. Get off the soapbox lads and get the **** over yourselves.



Solution to what? to taximen breaking a law (one enforced by appointed authorities so that the Gardai aren't busy slapping naughty money-grubbing taxi drivers with fines so that they can track this big, scary rapist)? I see the solution: the matter that you raised as a problem. More fines I say! More fines!

As I said NO ONE seems to want to look for a solution..

the boss of me

Karoma wrote: »

Only you and the other taxi drivers seem to think so.

It wouldn't make sense to stay out working with the risk of incurring a €250 fine. Call it a strike or call it common sense but there is no way I would stay out to earn €50 and lose €250....as a matter of interest what would you do ?

FYI ...I'm an ex taxi driver, not a taxi driver.