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35 taxi drivers commit suicide in the last year.

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    #32
    dave1982
    Registered Users Posts: 4,604 ✭✭✭dave1982


    Another taxi driver sob story.Suicide is very sad but why did they do it.Couldn't pay loans mortgage etc.So they kill themselves and let wife and kids alone to pay what they couldn't pay as a family unit.

    I feel sorry for who they left behind not the taxi drivers and to use these stats as a way for them to get what they want off the government is not on.

    Ordinary people kill themselves aswell

    There are approximately 400 deaths from suicide per year in Ireland at present. Medical research confirms that the vast majority of such deaths occur in people who have depression, or who suffer from other illnesses such as schizophrenia, panic attacks, or alcohol or drug problems. If these illnesses had been treated, such deaths might well have been prevented in a significant number of cases

    Thats less than 10% taxi drivers forget the rest its the taxi drivers that matter.Its a joke


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    #33
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Suffice to say that the shift from overregulation to a free for all in terms of plates was too extreme a move....


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    #34
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Snakeblood wrote: »
    I remember walking home to Ballinteer with no cabs stopping to pick me up, and I remember seeing a long train of people walking up through rathmines all attempting to hail taxis on the walk back from town every saturday night.



    I remember similar things myself, 'well go to the rank buddy, I'm only workin the rank'
    Yeah.
    Good man.


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    #35
    Snakeblood
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    Nodin wrote: »
    Suffice to say that the shift from overregulation to a free for all in terms of plates was too extreme a move....

    But the people to blame for that are the taxidrivers of the time of deregulation who fought it tooth and nail and would not come to an agreement and who are likely now the ones who are unwilling\unable to work the long hours necessary to make the money.

    Anyone who came in since then got cheap plates and presumably less of a financial burden on entry to the market. Anyone before then has been living in the market for over 10 years and hopefully would have profited in the good times pre-meltdown.


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    #36
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    dave1982 wrote: »
    Another taxi driver sob story.Suicide is very sad but why did they do it.Couldn't pay loans mortgage etc.So they kill themselves and let wife and kids alone to pay what they couldn't pay as a family unit.

    If a man can't support his family he feels pretty worthless.

    Plus there is isolation, rural farmers would be right up there for suicide rates too. Irregular income and lots of debt


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    #37
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Nodin wrote: »
    Suffice to say that the shift from overregulation to a free for all in terms of plates was too extreme a move....

    Perhaps there should have been some sort of renumeration scheme to make up the cost that the older drivers had to pay for their plates, but a free market was exactly what that industry needed.


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    #38
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    senordingdong wrote: »
    Perhaps there should have been some sort of renumeration scheme to make up the cost that the older drivers had to pay for their plates,

    There was a scheme, some but not all got compensation


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    #39
    Snakeblood
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    senordingdong wrote: »
    I remember similar things myself, 'well go to the rank buddy, I'm only workin the rank'
    Yeah.
    Good man.

    AND CHRISTMAS. JESUS CHRIST. Traumatising. Queuing for hours in town in the afternoon trying to get presents home.


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    #40
    TwoShedsJackson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,438 ✭✭✭TwoShedsJackson


    And how do they know that all these suicides are related to the recession and/or deregulation of the industry. Any of these guys could have topped themselves for any reason, mental/physical illness, alcoholism anything.


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    #41
    smellslikeshoes
    Registered Users Posts: 3,354 ✭✭✭smellslikeshoes


    Every industry is struggling at the moment but you don't see electricians, plumbers, builders etc. calling for a cap on people in their respective trades. Taxi drivers are just like anyone else providing a service and the sooner they realise that the better.


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    #42
    Snakeblood
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    TwoShedsJackson wrote: »
    And how do they know that all these suicides are related to the recession and/or deregulation of the industry. Any of these guys could have topped themselves for any reason, mental/physical illness, alcoholism anything.

    It was an incorrect number initially.

    I think the point would be that If this were a real number, then it's worthy of investigation to see if the demographic was really in trouble, if it's something to do with taxiing specifically.


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    #43
    Toes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 89 ✭✭Toes


    Very sad for all involved.

    Maybe put a cap on the number of plates that could be given out and make it more expensive to get into the industry. How about government set rates per mile in line with yearly increases in fuel costs etc..

    Probably a bit idealistic but maybe it would make things a bit more equitable?

    Or we could try and get a public transportation system thats not completely f**cked and try and provide safe and more secure jobs?


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    #44
    gent9662
    Closed Accounts Posts: 697 ✭✭✭gent9662


    It's a shocking statistic but I wonder how this number compares to the number of other professions say for example the construction industry.

    I would speculate that the majority of these people were ones that held expensive plates. It's not as easy for them to emigrate unlike other professions.


    Still have to say it is shocking!


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    #45
    bigneacy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,222 ✭✭✭bigneacy


    Toes wrote: »
    Maybe put a cap on the number of plates that could be given out and make it more expensive to get into the industry. How about government set rates per mile in line with yearly increases in fuel costs etc..

    Yeah... The bar trade is in trouble too. I'd say start with restricting it to one bar man per bar. To make sure he earns enough in tips.
    Or you could make pint glasses really expensive, to make sure only the really determined can enter into the industry.

    Get a grip.

    De-regulation is a good thing. Going backwards is not.

    RIP to all those who took their own lives, but I feel sorry for their families. Completely selfish thing to do.


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    #46
    Morlar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,273 ✭✭✭Morlar


    smellslikeshoes wrote: »
    Every industry is struggling at the moment but you don't see electricians, plumbers, builders etc. calling for a cap on people in their respective trades. Taxi drivers are just like anyone else providing a service and the sooner they realise that the better.

    Or all the IT workers whose jobs are filled by e.europeans willing to work for less or whose jobs are going to india, china etc etc.


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    #47
    PCPhoto
    Registered Users Posts: 6,584 ✭✭✭PCPhoto


    Snakeblood wrote: »
    It was an incorrect number initially.

    I think the point would be that If this were a real number, then it's worthy of investigation to see if the demographic was really in trouble, if it's something to do with taxiing specifically.

    maybe they cant get a "real" number because some of those that took their own lives might well have been "part-time" taxi drivers ...or may have been known for driving a taxi (but may not have been actually permitted to)

    there are/were plenty of people who jumped on the bandwagon setting themselves up as a taxi-driver once deregulation came in.

    I do have sympathy for those families who have lost a loved one - but its disgraceful for the taxi industry to use these deaths and "skew" statistics and then claim that its the governments fault these people took their own lives.

    I remember the days before deregulation and taxi's were almost impossible to get at that stage - nights out were a disaster......as others have mentioned the taxi industry is not the only one to have suffered a loss of "members" ...I dare say there is probably a higher rate of suicide amongst former construction workers - but they have not highlighted their loss.

    Personally I think a coloured system should be adopted - where a taxi plate/car is only permitted to be a particular colour and is restricted to a certain number of hours in the day (if caught by gardai or other taxi drivers to be operating outside of the alotted hours - plate/driver are fined or 5penalty points added - the more experienced/longer a driver is working as a taxi driver the more colours he has on his plate ...and the more he is permitted on the road.

    Since this is after hours
    Taxi drivers should look at the fact there is less competition left on the roads (bad taste I know - but its meant in jest ...this is after hours !!)


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    #48
    Yakult
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 7,941 Mod ✭✭✭✭Yakult


    So taxi drivers are the new emos now?


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    #49
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,726 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Toes wrote: »
    Very sad for all involved.

    Maybe put a cap on the number of plates that could be given out and make it more expensive to get into the industry. How about government set rates per mile in line with yearly increases in fuel costs etc..

    Probably a bit idealistic but maybe it would make things a bit more equitable?
    You're thinking of a Planned Economy. That would put you inline with Cold War Russia, China, and Cuba; and Modern day Iran, North Korea, etc.


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    #50
    Jumpy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,606 ✭✭✭Jumpy


    Overheal wrote: »
    So basically you're saying theres no place for society to investigate the causes of a sharp increase in suicides? I guess schools in the US don't have to rethink their policies at all then, they should just continue letting gay teenagers kill themselves.

    It's not irrelevant that they were taxi drivers. Stop making it out like they killed themselves to make a political point.

    I dont think thats what he meant.

    If you read the OP it talks about how sad it is that the regulator wont listen. That is the political point that I believe he refers to. People dont kill themselves generally to make a political point in developed nations.


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    #51
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    R_H_C_P wrote: »
    So taxi drivers are the new emos now?

    I know I really shouldn't, but...
    snigger


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    #52
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 81,726 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Jumpy wrote: »
    I dont think thats what he meant.

    If you read the OP it talks about how sad it is that the regulator wont listen. That is the political point that I believe he refers to. People dont kill themselves generally to make a political point in developed nations.
    Thats fine but I think my point is the same. It would be the same story if Education Boards refused to review their policy even in light of a string of suicides/shootings, etc.


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    #53
    PCPhoto
    Registered Users Posts: 6,584 ✭✭✭PCPhoto


    it is a disgrace that the regulator wont listen to taxi drivers ...but then again if the taxi drivers listened to the general public instead of thinking about lining their own pockets we'd all be in a better place.


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    #54
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    PCPhoto wrote: »
    it is a disgrace that the regulator wont listen to taxi drivers ....


    She's a deluded fvck. Have you ever heard any of her interview's (if thats what you can call it when someone will only answer predetermined answer's and will not take random Q's).

    She's a right ol' wagon that one.


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    #55
    TT09
    Closed Accounts Posts: 293 ✭✭TT09


    maybe it's time that taxi drivers lower their rates and be more competitive with public transport prices and maybe they will get more work.


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    #56
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    TT09 wrote: »
    maybe it's time that taxi drivers should lower their rates and be more competitive with public transport prices and they will get more work.

    Most companies are offering 20% discounts on fares, some are offering that plus no call out charge.

    Fare's can be negotiated with the driver also.

    The commission for taxi regulation ('The Regulator') sets the metered fare.


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    #57
    De Dannan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 486 ✭✭De Dannan


    Gunsfortoys wrote: »
    Was listening to Newstalk this morning and heard this worrying statistic. Done a bit of research on the internet and only found this article on Google. It is a frightening statistic to say the least and it is a shame the regulator will not listen to the plight of these men.



    Are you really foolish enough to believe that all these men committed suicide just because of Taxi regulation ?
    My own guess would be these men may have had more problems than just that :rolleyes:


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    #58
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Marlowe Hundreds Tail wrote: »
    She's a deluded fvck. Have you ever heard any of her interview's (if thats what you can call it when someone will only answer predetermined answer's and will not take random Q's).

    She's a right ol' wagon that one.

    This sounds like Taxispeak: crude, self centred and abusive. No other business comes close to the Taxi whingers, why don't they just put up and shut up, just like every other service co?

    75% of Taxis are unsuitable for self employment, poor people skills and you can guess the rest. Which makes it an enjoyable but occasional pleasure to meet one with an open mind and no chips.


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    #59
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Sonnenblumen wrote: »
    This sounds like Taxispeak: crude, self centred and abusive. No other business comes close to the Taxi whingers, why don't they just put up and shut up, just like every other service co?

    75% of Taxis are unsuitable for self employment, poor people skills and you can guess the rest. Which makes it an enjoyable but occasional pleasure to meet one with an open mind and no chips.

    He was fairly bang on about the womans attitude. The rest of your post is indeed "crude....and abusive".


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    #60
    deelite
    Registered Users Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭deelite


    bluewolf wrote: »
    While I don't regard any suicide lightly, they used to be laughing at customers and now finally we can get taxis when we please. I've no sympathy on deregulation.

    But RIP anyway and condolences to families


    Totally agree with your post. Does anybody remember when the "Seven Seater Taxi's" first made an appearance in Dublin - a driver refused three of us - because it wasn't worth his while but if we all paid 15 pounds each that would be okay (the normal cost of the total are at the time was 8.00 pounds) - this was the rule rather than the exception.

    Another thing - are Taxi Drivers are allowed to go to the Health Boards - Community Welfare Officers who would help them out during difficult financial periods?


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    #61
    Nermal
    Registered Users Posts: 2,614 ✭✭✭Nermal


    Marlowe Hundreds Tail wrote: »
    She's a deluded fvck. Have you ever heard any of her interview's (if thats what you can call it when someone will only answer predetermined answer's and will not take random Q's).

    She's a right ol' wagon that one.

    Why? Because she won't give moaning taxi drivers what they want?

    She's doing a great job, getting a taxi has never been easier. She regulates for consumers and doesn't give a flying **** about the living standards of taxi drivers, and that's how it should be. We don't owe these whingebags a living.


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