Taxi driver protest

Calina

roy123456789 wrote: »

Name one other industry/business that is actively signing up new recruits on either a full or part time basis (your choice) into a dwindling marketplace where the existing participants are experiencing drastic cuts in income: over 50% over the past few years?

Wait one moment. Are you telling me the Taxi regulator is actively going out on the town saying "why not be a taxi driver" or is it that would be taxi drivers are going to the relevant authorities and requesting a plate?

roy123456789 wrote: »

There was a protest which blocked Dawson street recently, by Communities Against Cuts, did that not effect trade and inconvenience people?

Clearly not to the same extent

roy123456789 wrote: »

There's a protest planned by the civil service for the 28th of Oct, because of a proposed cut (probably a measly couple of points) ...will that not cause inconvenience?
Yet another major protest planned on Nov 5th, same question
we better get used to them!

Not to the same extent. And they may well learn from the PR disaster that the taxi drivers have brought upon themselves.

roy123456789 wrote: »

Taxi drivers have a right to protest, i'm sure there is no will to inconvenience anybody but experience shows this government don't listen to reason ....they just react to pressure/crisis
there is a general dislike of Taxi drivers until such time as they bring you home pissed and incoherent on Saturday morning, then for 15 minutes they're your best friend

Sorry. You're going to have to deal with reality here. Taxi drivers may have a right to protest but they also have the obligation to understand that if they want that protest to have any impact at all benefiting them, they need public support. Public support for the taxi drivers position is the only thing that would force change from the other side. Unfortunately, there is practically none.

And that is because by and large, for years, pre and post deregulation, a significant number of taxi drivers have mucked it up for most of them. It is not my fault, for example, I don't trust taxi drivers to bring me home the shortest way and thus tell them what route I want to follow should I hire one. The fact is, there are some very good taxi drivers but the public perception is that taxis in Dublin provide very poor value for money.

Majorly disruptive protests like this do not work unless the public agree with you. They don't. Face up to it. The rational about inconveniencing people is that you will then force them to pressure the government on your behalf. As is abundantly clear, the vast majority of the public don't want the government to bow down before the taxi drivers in this respect. Whatever goodwill might have been there (not much) has been completely blown.

The mere fact of buying a taxi plate does not entitle you to a profit and it is time that the taxi industry got its around this. It entitles the driver only to try and make a profit.

DonJose

TAXI PROTEST OVER!!!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1002/taxi.html

KoolKid

Arathorn wrote: »

I see PSNI locked the thread about this in the Emergency Services Forum, getting too many difficult questions I think

Seriously the drivers should have at least been issued fines, very disappointed in the way the guards handled this.

Yes , no need for that thread to be locked IMO.
I asked a simple question " How many protesters make it too many for AGS to act", appearantly thats trolling.

Very good post Calina

roy123456789

Calina wrote: »

Wait one moment. Are you telling me the Taxi regulator is actively going out on the town saying "why not be a taxi driver" or is it that would be taxi drivers are going to the relevant authorities and requesting a plate?



Clearly not to the same extent



Not to the same extent. And they may well learn from the PR disaster that the taxi drivers have brought upon themselves.



Sorry. You're going to have to deal with reality here. Taxi drivers may have a right to protest but they also have the obligation to understand that if they want that protest to have any impact at all benefiting them, they need public support. Public support for the taxi drivers position is the only thing that would force change from the other side. Unfortunately, there is practically none.

And that is because by and large, for years, pre and post deregulation, a significant number of taxi drivers have mucked it up for most of them. It is not my fault, for example, I don't trust taxi drivers to bring me home the shortest way and thus tell them what route I want to follow should I hire one. The fact is, there are some very good taxi drivers but the public perception is that taxis in Dublin provide very poor value for money.

Majorly disruptive protests like this do not work unless the public agree with you. They don't. Face up to it. The rational about inconveniencing people is that you will then force them to pressure the government on your behalf. As is abundantly clear, the vast majority of the public don't want the government to bow down before the taxi drivers in this respect. Whatever goodwill might have been there (not much) has been completely blown.

The mere fact of buying a taxi plate does not entitle you to a profit and it is time that the taxi industry got its around this. It entitles the driver only to try and make a profit.

Taxi drivers gave up on Public support years ago, we're in the same boat as publicans and politicians (only in so far as folk don't like us and never will)

however looks like you are wrong, the representatives have returned happy with the outcome (in writing) from the department of transport and the protest has concluded successfully
How many times do you here those words spoken in relation to protests?
See you Saturday morning at 4am when you'll probably turn into yet another drunk pretending to be my best friend

"The mere fact of buying a taxi plate does not entitle you to a profit and it is time that the taxi industry got its around this. It entitles the driver only to try and make a profit"

I agree but you would expect a regulator knowing that there is an over-supply which long term will doubtless effect standards and quality of service would do something to correct the problem, rather than allow it to spiral out of control

the_syco

DonJose wrote: »

TAXI PROTEST OVER!!!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1002/taxi.html

100 drivers had been demonstrating on Dublin's O'Connell Street since yesterday morning over deteriorating working conditions in the industry.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said the Taxi Regulator is compiling a report with recommendations on the next steps for the industry.

Would be a lol moment if the test got all 100 of the eejits sacked.

paulm17781

I have e-mail the department of transport saying how I am disgusted they caved and gave into these bully tactics instead of fining / arresting the drivers. If anything, it shows that by being disruptive enough, you get what you want and it is a terrible example to set.

I would ask others here to let the department know what they think.

Calina

roy123456789 wrote: »

Taxi drivers gave up on Public support years ago, we're in the same boat as publicans and politicians (only in so far as folk don't like us and never will)

however looks like you are wrong, the representatives have returned happy with the outcome (in writing) from the department of transport and the protest has concluded successfully
How many times do you here those words spoken in relation to protests?
See you Saturday morning at 4am when you'll probably turn into yet another drunk pretending to be my best friend

"The mere fact of buying a taxi plate does not entitle you to a profit and it is time that the taxi industry got its around this. It entitles the driver only to try and make a profit"

I agree but you would expect a regulator knowing that there is an over-supply which long term will doubtless effect standards and quality of service would do something to correct the problem, rather than allow it to spiral out of control

Firstly, the comments I've seen with respect to what came out of the meeting do not lead me to assume that the taxi drivers got everything they want.

Secondly, strictly speaking the response of the regulator should not be to stop handing out plates per se but to enforce minimum standards of service such as laid out above by a poster with respect to how things are done in other countries eg Germany. Age and appearance of car. Knowledge of the location.

KoolKid

roy123456789 wrote: »

Taxi drivers gave up on Public support years ago, we're in the same boat as publicans and politicians (only in so far as folk don't like us and never will)

And I suppose thats someone elses fault as well.

roy123456789 wrote: »

See you Saturday morning at 4am when you'll probably turn into yet another drunk pretending to be my best friend

With all the complaining your doing I would have thought you would welcome these drunk with open arms.

roy123456789 wrote: »

you would expect a regulator knowing that there is an over-supply which long term will doubtless effect standards and quality of service would do something to correct the problem, rather than allow it to spiral out of control

Its not out of control . Your business sense is out of control. Its your business if you cant make a profit take some corrective measures or close your business. Its not the regulators job to spoon feed you.
At the end of the day its a free market. Anyone can get a taxi plate & compete for your business. If you cant hack it then pack it in & sign on.
Although I think some are doing that already.:rolleyes:

KoolKid

paulm17781 wrote: »

I have e-mail the department of transport saying how I am disgusted they caved and gave into these bully tactics instead of fining / arresting the drivers. If anything, it shows that by being disruptive enough, you get what you want and it is a terrible example to set.

I would ask others here to let the department know what they think.

Care to share that email address with us.

Jeff Albertson

spiderpig101 wrote: »

BTW I wasn't trying to be funny, I will be making a poster saying such, taxi divers have absolutely no support, and frankly the blatant racist ****e some were coming out with was a joke and definitely won't be raising their popularity.

Where can i get a poster which say that taxi drivers are c***s? I might be risking a ban here myself but i dont think it was fair to ban SpiderPig.

the_syco

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Having more taxis than New York doesn't prove oversupply though, it could indciate lots of things (perhaps thats NYC is a smaller area by size, perhaps that sharing of taxis between drivers is higher, maybe that private limo usage is high etc etc).

But taxi drivers trot out the line 'more taxis than New York' then sit back smugly as if its the debating point that ends all debates.

Population in Ireland: about 6 milion in 2006 (505k in Dublin)
Population in NYC: 8.3 million in 2008

thebman wrote: »

all taxis should have to carry a sat nav system because nobody knows where every place is regardless of their claims otherwise.

An uptoday sat nav that knows all the new estates, new roads, etc.

roy123456789 wrote: »

over-supply

I agree that there is an over-supply, but that is because there was never anything blocking anyone, bar a bit of cash, from becoming a taxi person. There was no decent test, and people joined willy-nilly into the profession. Actually, it's not a profession, it's a farce. It can be a profession, but has been dragged down to far.

paulm17781

koolkid wrote: »

Care to share that email address with us.

I sent to info@transport.ie and commission@taxiregulator.ie

I am thinking I should forward it to Noel's address, too.

HydeRoad

Calina wrote: »

The fact is, there are some very good taxi drivers but the public perception is that taxis in Dublin provide very poor value for money.

Exactly. Unfortunately, the track record of this regulator has been the handing over of the industry to the bullies and thugs and overchargers and illegals and generally unsuitable types. The genuine, good taxi drivers are the ones who lose out the most. In order to survive in the industry today, you have to be a bully, break the law, cut corners, and work abnormally long hours.

It is as plain as day that a list of qualitative standards would have been the way to sort out the industry, rather than a simple cap. But the regulator DOES NOT introduce any such standards whatsoever. She has been talking for years about sometime in the future having these wonderful standards. Either she won't, or somebody else is preventing her, from actually bringing in the standards she sings about.

In the meantime, genuine taxi drivers who already met such standards, and who could afford to meet such standards, have been either driven out of the industry, or reduced to destitution. The rank and file of the industry now would never aspire to any such standards. The irony is, that many of those protesting today would find themselves out of the industry if proper standards were introduced.

Those here who suggest that market forces alone will right the problem of too many taxi licences, do not realise that the industry is full of drivers struggling to get out, but who cannot, because they cannot get another job, and cannot get dole. To simply leave the industry, without anything to replace it with, would leave them homeless and destitute. Bad enough if they are single, but what if they have a family to support?

The issue that goes unmentioned here, is that if ten thousand surplus drivers left tomorrow, and went on the dole, if that were possible, that would be an additional €100 million bill on an already cash strapped government. Is that the reason why Dempsey stops short of actually implementing the kind of standards the taxi industry cries out for, because he simply doesn't know what to do with all the drivers who would fail to make the grade?

Just another little symptom of an Ireland let run onto the rocks by years of incompetent Fianna Fáil government. The taxi industry, like the country as a whole, seems to have come to a cataclysmic point for which there simply is no solution at all, a situation that should have been faced and dealt with years ago when there was still a possibility of creating some kind of sustainable balance.

Taxipete29

paulm17781 wrote: »

I have e-mail the department of transport saying how I am disgusted they caved and gave into these bully tactics instead of fining / arresting the drivers. If anything, it shows that by being disruptive enough, you get what you want and it is a terrible example to set.

I would ask others here to let the department know what they think.

After my incident yesterday I e-mailed several Tds and a few other politicians who have spoke at previous protests. I urged them to condem the intimidation tactics used against innocent people just trying to earn a living.

Live Drive

Cab Drivers apologise for Dublin blockade

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cab-drivers-apologise-for-dublin-blockade-428693.html

Terrontress

We were told in March that people were at the end of their tether, there truly was no money left in the game, people could not afford to make their mortgage payments, it was last chance saloon.

Seven months later the same people are saying the same thing. It seems a bit like the boy crying wolf to me. Or is it a different crowd of people protesting now, the ones that were weeks away from the debtors' court now living on the street and this new crowd have only got their plate in the past seven months?

The truth as I would see it is that taxiing is paying. Just not what these protesters want it to pay. They're all still at it seven months later. They have fed and watered themselves and their families in the intervening period. None of the guys protesting look particularly hungry.

We all want our jobs to pay €€€€. If you have reached the ceiling of the earnings of your industry you do something else. I wonder of those protesting seven months ago, how many have attempted to reskill between then and now.

KoolKid

Breakingnews.ie
Officials also vowed to stem “double-jobbing” – where people with full-time jobs also taxi on a part-time basis – through new vetting procedures on taxi-licence renewals, he said.

What???? is it going to be illegal now to have 2 jobs???

HydeRoad

Terrontress wrote: »

We were told in March that people were at the end of their tether, there truly was no money left in the game, people could not afford to make their mortgage payments, it was last chance saloon.

Seven months later the same people are saying the same thing. It seems a bit like the boy crying wolf to me. Or is it a different crowd of people protesting now, the ones that were weeks away from the debtors' court now living on the street and this new crowd have only got their plate in the past seven months?

The truth as I would see it is that taxiing is paying. Just not what these protesters want it to pay. They're all still at it seven months later. They have fed and watered themselves and their families in the intervening period. None of the guys protesting look particularly hungry.

We all want our jobs to pay €€€€. If you have reached the ceiling of the earnings of your industry you do something else. I wonder of those protesting seven months ago, how many have attempted to reskill between then and now.

I was one of those taxi drivers. I worked and worked, with my earnings dropping and dropping, until I was earning less than €4 an hour, before I paid anything towards running costs and maintenance of my car. Bear in mind, I was carrying a €20,000 debt for the cost of setting myself up with that car and my own plate. Before I paid a cent of my own personal living costs.

I left the industry. I lived for six months with no income at all. Nothing whatsoever. The interest on my loans continued to accumulate, I missed dozens of bills, the bank closed the door in my face, social welfare refused to know me, and I only ate because my mother bought food for me out of her meagre widow's pension. That is a pretty humiliating admission. I could not simply continue taxiing, as the wear and tear on my car was costing me a fortune, and the car would not have lasted another year with the heavy mileage I was doing. If my car failed, I simply had no money to replace it. I sold my taxi plate, and the €5,000 I got (I bought it a year previously for €6,300) was immediately soaked up by outstanding debts. Finally, after six months, I managed to get another job, on a part time basis, which is enabling me simply to chip away at debts, no more.

There are guys and gals from all walks of life driving taxis, with all kinds of different financial requirements. Older guys in the game years, have paid all their life's bills, and are simply working to earn a bit of drinking money. Younger drivers at the other end of the spectrum may have young families and rent or mortgages to pay, and be unable to manage. Regardless of individual personal circumstances, the fact remains that the current state of the taxi industry provides no fit wage for most of the drivers working in it.

There is a huge case to answer for this. However, it has to be remembered that the actual behaviour of some taxi drivers, and their methods of protesting, is another thing. If the regulator or the minister will not acknowledge any problems at all, then it is left to a particularly vociferous and sometimes thuggish element to take the reins of protest a step too far. I cannot back the taxi drivers any more, because too much of the behaviour I see goes against everything I hoped the taxi industry would be. The regulator has facilitated this degeneration of the industry into a reckless free for all by her complete disregard for any kind of standards or enforcement. Which brings me back to my earlier point, that I believe Dempsey will not make any move towards solving this problem, because he has no solution to the problem of thousands of drivers who would fail to make the grade if proper standards were to be introduced. Better to do nothing, and let everyone rot, the good and bad alike.

Mac daddy

DonJose wrote: »

Why doesn't Ireland copy the German taxi system, I lived there 10 years and the taxi drivers were professional taxi drivers. Spotless cars and spotless drivers. The German taxiswere painted one colour and were of a certain size. Heres what I would suggest.

1 - Taxis must not be older than 7 years.
2 - Taxis must be off a certain size and class, nothing smaller than a Ford Mondeo type car.
3 - Taxis must be painted one colour, bright yellow, so the vehicle cannot be used for personal use.
4 - Code of dress and hygiene.

Totally agree with you on this, I grew up in Holland and all around the big cities it was the exact same for all taxi's.

You would see the drivers in a suite, cars all had to be black mercedes cars or else mercedes mpv's

Over in Ireland I have see Opel Astra, hiace vans to all sorts of crap.
And most of these Taxi drivers the cars stink and they aren't any better, and the cars are filthy.

HydeRoad

Mac daddy wrote: »

Totally agree with you on this, I grew up in Holland and all around the big cities it was the exact same for all taxi's.

You would see the drivers in a suite, cars all had to be black mercedes cars or else mercedes mpv's

Over in Ireland I have see Opel Astra, hiace vans to all sorts of crap.
And most of these Taxi drivers the cars stink and they aren't any better, and the cars are filthy.

If the regulator would only bring in these kind of quality standards, it would solve two problems, it would cut the oversupply of taxis, and at the same time, drive many of these thugs and chancers and illegals out of the business, and we could have a taxi industry that the public could safely use again.

But don't you see? She WON'T DO IT!

Since she came to power, her sole contributions to the industry have been to jack up fares, against all advice and commonsense, jack up fees and charges, and bring in silly nonsense like giant yellow stickers that had to be abandoned because they damaged window mechanisms, and bloody fire extinguishers that Dublin Fire Brigade have WARNED taxi drivers not to use under any circumstances.

WHERE ARE THE BLOODY STANDARDS THAT WOULD HAVE SORTED OUT ALL THE ISSUES FROM DAY ONE???

Blame the taxi men by all means for disrupting your day, but please remember, we have a taxi regulator who has allowed an unscrupulous and ruthless element to come to the top of the industry, while genuine operators simply cannot compete. Your 'taxi regulator' is promoting these shocking standards. Why?

positron

Live Drive wrote: »

Cab Drivers apologise for Dublin blockade

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cab-drivers-apologise-for-dublin-blockade-428693.html

Tom Coffey, of Dublin City Business Association, said the taxi driver blockade was unacceptable and irresponsible at a time of recession.

The capital’s city centre is the engine of the Irish economy and drivers were standing in the way of people’s constitutional right to free movement, he claimed.

“We can not have a situation where a small number of people deny constitutional rights to all other citizens,” he said.

Accusing the authorities of using double-standards, Mr Coffey said innocent law-abiding drivers visiting Dublin were getting penalty points in a “heavy handed fashion” at College Green, because of new traffic restrictions they were unaware of, while taxi drivers were allowed to block off the capital’s main thoroughfare just metres away.

“The Gardaí are obliged to enforce the law universally, and not selectively,” he said.

“I think this a really fundamental problem.”

A Garda spokesman said: “Persons are entitled to engage in a peaceful protest without any type of prior authorisation or permission from An Garda Siochana.

“Quite often policing such events involves balancing the rights of those who wish to make a peaceful protest and with the rights of parties who are not involved.

“This is done on an individual basis having regard to all the circumstances of the case.”
Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/cab-drivers-apologise-for-dublin-blockade-428693.html#ixzz0Sog2wjR1

I couldn't agree more. But I bet this will soon be forgotten and the Gardai will carry own doing (or not doing) - what a disgrace..! If a handful of men could get away with something like in broad day light, no wonder how bankers, politicians and every other person in power and their dog is shafting us all up the backside. :mad:

population

Taxi drivers have nothing to complain about. It doesnt pay well because it is an unskilled job. Most people can drive.

They had no right to do what they did and any driver who partook should be arrested, fined and have their licences revoked

AlekSmart

Arathorn posted....

I see PSNI locked the thread about this in the Emergency Services Forum, getting too many difficult questions I think

The abrupt locking of that thread certainly appears at odds with a discussion concerning policing of such events as the taxi protest.

Oddly enough I felt that the Taxi Protest was generally a well structured affair which in the main left the BUS Lane along O Connell St open at all times.

Given that access to O Connell St has been made far more difficult for general traffic in recent years the resultant disruption was relatively minor.

The main losers were those many motorists who daily flout the No Entry regulation at Parnell Square East/Parnell St or those who illegally turn left from Parnell St onto O Connell St.

These bould garsoons were HIGHLY inconvienenced and deservedly so,given that the Gardai appear somewhat relaxed about the issue generally on a day to day basis....

The locking of the ES thread serves little purpose except to further fuel those fires of suspicion.

One other MAJOR issue subsequent to the protest is the blatently obvious oversuse of O Connell St by Bus Atha Cliath.
The knock on effects of Thursdays action were a textbook example of complete and total confusion with Inspectors,Controllers,Middle Managers and Gardai all having totally different plans and each having the determination to enforce those plans come what may.

The result was a total shambles with the only real loser being the Bus Passengers left standing or wandering about the place in search of their Bus Route.

Fridays response brought a somewhat better response,with at least a realization that O Connell St needed to have as many routes stripped out of it as possible in order to preserve a semblance of services to the remainder of the city.

This really should be used as a template to ensure that any further occurrences can be catered for in a planned and fully agreed manner.

For example as soon as the protest kicked off on Thursday those Non Cross-City routes should ALL have been truncated to terminate short.

Therefore 46A,s & 145`s should simply have been operated to and from Nassau St.
7`s to and from College Green instead of blindly attempting to stuff these Hi Frequency Hi Capacity routes along a street reduced to a single lane already blocked further by Cross-City Routes loading.

Hopefully it will also provide some impetus to the Company actually looking again at areas such as Capel St/Bolton St/Parnell St and the Custom House Quay which remain largely Public Transport Free zones in Bus terms.

Mind you as the Taxi Regulator recently described the industry as now being self-regulating in terms of numbers can we now expect her to tender her resignation as she`s no longer required..????...My work here is done...!!! :eek:

kajo

I think the garda and the taxi reps did a good job to only agree to 100/200 taxis on the protest.
I know many many more wanted to join in but were refused by the garda and the reps.
I think there were 300 on the outskirts just waiting for a phone call if anything got out of hand.
The garda were a bit sly as the protest was to take place in kildare street but the garda blocked it off before most of the cars could get there.
This action caused a reaction and backfired on the cops and the protest moved to O'Connell Street.
In the end its well done to the cops and the taxi drivers and life goes on for now.
Lets hope the Government now open their ears and work with those in the industry for the good of all.

ArmaniJeanss

kajo wrote: »

I think the garda and the taxi reps did a good job to only agree to 100/200 taxis on the protest.
I know many many more wanted to join in but were refused by the garda and the reps.
I think there were 300 on the outskirts just waiting for a phone call if anything got out of hand.

What does 'out of hand' mean? What were these 300 taxi drivers going to do if the protest got 'out of hand'?

kajo wrote: »

Lets hope the Government now open their ears and work with those in the industry for the good of all.

Does 'those in the industry' include the paying customer who seems quite happy with the amount of taxi's on the road.

AlekSmart

What does 'out of hand' mean? What were these 300 taxi drivers going to do if the protest got 'out of hand'?

At a guess I`d speculate Kajo implies a "sacking of the British Embasy after the hunger strike deaths" scenario,something which may yet come to pass if the current administration continues with it`s policy of facilitating it`s old cronies continuing prosperity....:mad:

Does 'those in the industry' include the paying customer who seems quite happy with the amount of taxi's on the road.

Given the extent and nature of the complaints one now repeatedly hears from many quarters I`d suggest this "happiness" may be a somewhat transitory feeling and not at all reflective of "Customer" attitude in general..???

gdael

I say ban taxis from the city center at all times.
They cause more problems than they solve.

Terrontress

Looking at the threads on Emergency Service and on here, it would appear that there was a real threat of menace from the taxi drivers.

These are the people that lone females are supposed to get in to a car with alone and the Gardai on boards saying it is best not to enforce the law with them as they might riot!

There are so many drivers that at the first sign of any messing, their license should be suspended pending an investigation. Their absence on the streets will not be noticed by the public or by the decent drivers.

positron

I can't believe someone has the guts to say gardai and taxi drivers 'managed' it really well! Sounds like they were on one side and the other side, the public, suffered and no one seems to care..!

I am afraid this is going to set a precedence now for a whole lot of protests that's going to happen. Anyone wants to protest now can now do it in the comfort of their own car - just drive into OConnell street, and gardai will make sure the crappy "normal traffic" and dirty "ordinary people" doesn't interfere with your "right to protest".

kajo

Terrontress wrote: »

Looking at the threads on Emergency Service and on here, it would appear that there was a real threat of menace from the taxi drivers.

These are the people that lone females are supposed to get in to a car with alone and the Gardai on boards saying it is best not to enforce the law with them as they might riot!

There are so many drivers that at the first sign of any messing, their license should be suspended pending an investigation. Their absence on the streets will not be noticed by the public or by the decent drivers.

You for one should should look at your own business it is the likes of you and the people you work for that caused this country to go into recession.
You are the one that should be in prison and if i had my way the key would be lost for ever.

I did not see any problems with the Emergency Services but i did see some very helpful taxi drivers go out of their way to help the Emergency Services... just as we always do.