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35 taxi drivers commit suicide in the last year.

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    #182
    goose2005
    Registered Users Posts: 4,798 ✭✭✭goose2005


    "There are 11,000 drivers in Dublin now. That is more than in New York for the population," she said.
    Actually there are 13,000 "yellow medallion" taxi drivers in NYC, and over 50,000 cars for hire in total. [http://ask.yahoo.com/20070321.html]
    John Usher from the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation, who said he was aware of nine suicides amongst taxi men in the last year, said a lot of drivers had seen their cars or houses re-possessed.
    9? 25? 35?
    Taxi unions have been calling for some time for the industry regulator to put a cap on the number of licenses being issued so that drivers can find it easier to make a living.
    I'm sure they are. And Spar want a limit of one newsagent per street, and restaurants want supermarkets to stop selling food, and internet cafes want to ban private ownership of computers.

    If your business is unprofitable, then find another one.


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    #183
    Snakeblood
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    goose2005 wrote: »
    Actually there are 13,000 "yellow medallion" taxi drivers in NYC, and over 50,000 cars for hire in total. [http://ask.yahoo.com/20070321.html]

    Just on that, it's said in relation to the population. So Dublin has 11 thousand for our population, and NY has 13 thousand for theirs.

    Mind you, I was in New York and there were loads of cabs in Manhattan at least. And they were cheap as hell. With GPS and tv in the back of the drivers seat so people could see where they were, where they were going, and the best route.


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    #184
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Dudess wrote: »
    But it's true isn't it - your feelings on those groups? Don't see what my postcount has to do with it.


    Ah the truth if only you knew. Sadly you couldn't. :o


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    #185
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Dudess wrote: »
    Wager and reckon all you like - it's still an assumption, and totally sh1tty to gloat.
    An assumption it is, as is the idea that these men took their lives because 'they can't make a living anymore'.
    Who said I was gloating? I was commenting on the flawed economic policy and work ethic that alot of taxi drivers refuse to change.
    Any time anyone makes that awful comment here on AH, you just know they're saying it from the comfort of their job. Well very few jobs are secure at the moment - and when one of you loses your job (and statistically, it's likely) you'll perhaps look with a bit more sympathy at those who are struggling, and bear in mind it's not always due to being careless with money, but simply down to losing their job.

    Not speaking about taxi drivers specifically btw, just any worker.

    Been there. Done that.


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    #186
    Scambuster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 258 ✭✭Scambuster


    Bill2673 wrote: »
    I don't know Boards all that well and I never really understood the whole After Hours thing......but how the hell did this quite serious and sad topic turn into a discussion about bloody toilet attendants......what the hell are you people thinking?

    In fairness after hours is for people who like to hang about and make innapropiate jokes.


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    #187
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Deleted User wrote: »
    How many people committed suicide in the construction trade? In the hotel trade? In the IT trade?

    The annual suicide rate in Ireland is over 400 and nearing 500 which is close on 10 deaths every week. Every one is a tragic event. Hardly ever gets a peep in the media in stark comparison to road deaths.


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    #188
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    Sonnenblumen wrote: »
    close on 10 deaths every week.

    Wow, I knew it was high but never that high

    And there may be more like single vehicle road accidents or death by misadventure cases.
    But that's for the coroner to decide, not for me to speculate

    Just saying the real figure is probably higher then the official figure

    Very sad

    Sonnenblumen wrote: »
    Hardly ever gets a peep in the media in stark comparison to road deaths.

    The Examiner did a magazine over two days a few months back.
    So well done to them I suppose

    But you rarely see the other papers do much, I suppose they have a policy they follow


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    #189
    Dudess
    Closed Accounts Posts: 37,215 ✭✭✭✭Dudess


    Sonnenblumen wrote: »
    Ah the truth if only you knew. Sadly you couldn't. :o
    You're bigoted towards French people, Polish people and people you consider to be of a "lower class" than you - I understand.
    senordingdong wrote: »
    An assumption it is, as is the idea that these men took their lives because 'they can't make a living anymore'.
    I don't assume they took their lives because of that either, but they took their lives, and I don't see the need for finger-wagging, "If you'd only been more sensible with your money" type comments.
    Going by some comments on AH - and I mean in general now, not specifically by you - if a person loses their job, they'll be fine once they weren't foolish with their money when they were earning, which is just... :confused:
    So if, say, a man with three children under working age and a mortgage, whose partner only works part-time, loses his job and has a bit saved and then gets his benefit entitlements and gives up the luxuries, he'll be fine? The money won't run out? Get real. Even without any extravagances: three children and a mortgage and bills = a hell of a lot of outgoings.


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    #190
    senordingdong
    Registered Users Posts: 10,673 ✭✭✭✭senordingdong


    Dudess wrote: »
    I don't assume they took their lives because of that either, but they took their lives, and I don't see the need for finger-wagging, "If you'd only been more sensible with your money" type comments.
    This is just the tip of the ice-berg.
    The finger wagging may not be necessary, but nothing in this thread, content included, was really necessary.
    they'll be fine once they weren't foolish with their money when they were earning, which is just... :confused:
    = a hell of a lot of outgoings.

    Ofcourse it would be tough, I don't disagree that unemployment is tough, but as pointed out before, the taxi drivers didn't help themselves and now they (well, some of them) are in the ****.


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    #191
    CreepingDeath
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,016 ✭✭✭CreepingDeath


    Snakeblood wrote: »
    Just on that, it's said in relation to the population. So Dublin has 11 thousand for our population, and NY has 13 thousand for theirs.

    You can't compare NY to Dublin.
    NY has an underground/metro system, so they don't need as many taxis.

    I don't see why taxi drivers should get any more sympathy than anyone else in the recession. It's an unskilled job that simply requires a drivers license.
    If pizza delivery guys topped themselves (and I don't mean with ham and pineapple) then nobody would bat an eyelid.

    Shit happens, deal with it.

    Taxi drivers need to cop on that there's no such thing as easy money for an unskilled and uneducated job with easy entry into the business.


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    #192
    Bill2673
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭Bill2673


    CreepingDeath wrote: »

    Shit happens, deal with it.

    Taxi drivers need to cop on that there's no such thing as easy money for an unskilled and uneducated job with easy entry into the business.

    Either we have compassion in society or we don't.

    If one group in society has a suicide rate that is ten times higher than all other groups, then either we care about that or we don't.

    Personally, I would care about it.

    I've a limited knowledge of psychiatry, but if someone is a suicide risk, telling them to cop on is definitely not the way to deal with it.


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    #193
    Snakeblood
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭Snakeblood


    Bill2673 wrote: »
    Either we have compassion in society or we don't.

    If one group in society has a suicide rate that is ten times higher than all other groups, then either we care about that or we don't.

    Personally, I would care about it.

    I've a limited knowledge of psychiatry, but if someone is a suicide risk, telling them to cop on is definitely not the way to deal with it.

    The thing is, the cab drivers don't have a suicide rate 10 times higher. The taxi lobby is making **** up about what is a serious problem.

    I agree on your other points.


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    #194
    Spook_ie
    Registered Users Posts: 10,896 ✭✭✭✭Spook_ie


    Snakeblood wrote: »
    The thing is, the cab drivers don't have a suicide rate 10 times higher. The taxi lobby is making **** up about what is a serious problem.

    I agree on your other points.

    Who says they don't? Given the figures from the NOSP
     in the 1st quarter of 2010, one can make the extrapolation that a full year would be 200+, if (conservative figures allowing for Hype etc.) 15 taxi drivers committed suicide then that would be a figure of 7.5%, a high proportion of ALL suicides.

    It's a difficult thing to put numbers to, as AFAIK NOSP do not give a breakdown by profession but tends to limit itself to Age/Gender etc. but 1 suicide is 1 too many.


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    #195
    homerjay2005
    Registered Users Posts: 29,346 ✭✭✭✭homerjay2005


    Scambuster wrote: »
    I don't care any more for one suicide than another depending on their profession. Using suicides for political reasons is fairly reprehensible.

    Indeed, all suicides should be treated the same, just cos its from one profession, does not make a difference and its just a sad, tasteless ploy to get what they want, by using stats that are, i would be sure, no higher than any other profession. i would bet, that if the entire figures were realeased, then farmers, builders, electriciains, unemployed and every other profession would be suffering in the current time. money, unfortunately drives alot of lives and its not jsut one profession that has suffered in this respect, its most of them. at least taxi drivers are able to work, have some income and some form of life, others have to struggle on, with alot less. ive no sympathy for them, well no more so than anybody else.

    still though, Rest in peace and sincere condolances to all families concerned.


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