Irish Times article on racist taxi drivers

The_Minister · 24-02-2010 02:01PM

Can someone explain the concept of 'last' to me?

Crann na Beatha · 24-02-2010 02:03PM

This post has been deleted.

General Zod · 24-02-2010 02:04PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

We have more taxi drivers in Dublin than they do in New York.

so? there's 13k "yellow" taxi's registered in the city of New York. There's another 40,000 "for hire" vehicles registered. Only the Yellow cabs are allowed to stop a hail.

BTW there's more drivers than taxi's, adn the value of a medallion is extimated to be $760k (which is the real reason the Irish taxi drivers hate the regulator, no more cosy cartel for them).

So we didnt actually need to import more drivers. There's more Irish taxi drivers then ever before.

We didn't import drivers. Immigrants in every country gravitate towards driving taxis as the skill to drive a car is the same in every country.

The test is quite difficult. It would be much easier to get an average job. So why taxi driving?

the test isn't very difficult. you can study for it and pass it.

Or are you implying something else?

General Zod · 24-02-2010 02:07PM

The_Minister wrote: »

Can someone explain the concept of 'last' to me?

Telling another taxi driver where the last position on the rank is. For somewhere like the Dublin O'Connell St. rank it's not as simple as "last in the queue". Because the rank is circular and has two points of departure.

MOH · 24-02-2010 02:08PM

Karl Hungus wrote: »

But everyone makes generalizations all the time

I don't. I resent that generalisation!

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 02:34PM

Iolar wrote: »

Why do some get their backs up on immigrants who actually want to work and pay taxes?surely its the people who use the dole as a way of life/profession they should target their anger at

We never needed immigrants to work in the industry, there were enough local taxi drivers. What industry are you in? I am sure there are millions of third worlders who would happily do the job at a fraction of the price.

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 02:37PM

General Zod wrote: »

so? there's 13k "yellow" taxi's registered in the city of New York. There's another 40,000 "for hire" vehicles registered. Only the Yellow cabs are allowed to stop a hail.

So? New York has a population ten times that of Dublin. Do you not find it odd that Dublin has more taxis than a city like New York which has a population ten times larger?:rolleyes:

General Zod wrote: »

We didn't import drivers. Immigrants in every country gravitate towards driving taxis as the skill to drive a car is the same in every country.

So how did they get here?

MikeC101 · 24-02-2010 02:48PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

So? New York has a population ten times that of Dublin. Do you not find it odd that Dublin has more taxis than a city like New York which has a population ten times larger?:rolleyes:

You're oversimplifying things again.

You can't just equate Dublin with New York, there are too many factors. For one thing, there's a much better public transport system in New York, it has an underground, commuter rail system, aerial tram. Over half the workers in New York use public transport for their daily trip to work.
Plus, it's may make more financial sense in New York to use public transport - Dublin is a pretty small area, New York is a massive size compared to it.

Nodin · 24-02-2010 02:52PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

So? New York has a population ten times that of Dublin. Do you not find it odd that Dublin has more taxis than a city like New York which has a population ten times larger?:rolleyes:

Well, thats a valid point. You will however have to take it up with the regulator.

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 02:57PM

MikeC101 wrote: »

You can't just equate Dublin with New York, there are too many factors. For one thing, there's a much better public transport system in New York, it has an underground, commuter rail system, aerial tram. Over half the workers in New York use public transport for their daily trip to work.

Id say its more or less the same in Duublin, with the buses, Luas, and DART services. Not to mention the number of motorists who drive to work. I really dont get your point.....

MikeC101 wrote: »

it's may make more financial sense in New York to use public transport - Dublin is a pretty small area, New York is a massive size compared to it.

As it is in Dublin too. How may people use taxis to get to and from work on a daily basis(excluding RTE employees)?

Lollipops23 · 24-02-2010 03:00PM

I've had awful taxi drivers from most ethnic backgrounds at this stage.

I think it's a bit rich of the Irish driver to pass remark on the black ones; the taxi drivers seem to be clueless as to the public perception of them!

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 03:04PM

Lollipops23 wrote: »

I've had awful taxi drivers from most ethnic backgrounds at this stage.

I think it's a bit rich of the Irish driver to pass remark on the black ones; the taxi drivers seem to be clueless as to the public perception of them!

I never had a problem with taxi drivers of any ethnic background and I used to have to shell out a small fortune using them.

Taxi drivers are an easy target, in my opinion.

MikeC101 · 24-02-2010 03:08PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Id say its more or less the same in Duublin, with the buses, Luas, and DART services. Not to mention the number of motorists who drive to work. I really dont get your point.....

The point is, looking at New York and saying Dublin has more taxis (which of course, it doesn't, when you take into account the 40,000 other registered vehicles) is over simplified. It's a sound bite, nothing more, and it doesn't prove or even imply that we have an excessive number of taxis.

There are too many other factors at play - I could say the fact that Dublin is relatively small (especially compared to New York, which covers a massive area) means more people take taxis, because it's more financially viable over shorter distances.

And, of all the cities in the US, New York has the highest use of public transport - it's a little suspicious that this city was chosen to highlight taxi numbers.

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

As it is in Dublin too. How may people use taxis to get to and from work on a daily basis(excluding RTE employees)?

I don't know. It's 1% in New York. If we have so many more taxis here, it seems there is more demand for them, no? If there are so many taxis, it would seem enough people get them to warrant their existence. If not, they'd go out of business.

I mean, if we're on some sort of "compared to New York" kick - 80% of taxi drivers there are foreign.

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:29PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

So? New York has a population ten times that of Dublin. Do you not find it odd that Dublin has more taxis than a city like New York which has a population ten times larger?:rolleyes:

No. the number of taxi's will be determined by what the market can support. I remember waiting until 4am to get a taxi home having left the club at 1am. the number of taxi's on the street doesn't bother me at all.

So how did they get here?

In a taxi.

MisterMonkey · 24-02-2010 03:31PM

MikeC101 wrote: »

The point is, looking at New York and saying Dublin has more taxis (which of course, it doesn't, when you take into account the 40,000 other registered vehicles) is over simplified. It's a sound bite, nothing more, and it doesn't prove or even imply that we have an excessive number of taxis.

There are too many other factors at play - I could say the fact that Dublin is relatively small (especially compared to New York, which covers a massive area) means more people take taxis, because it's more financially viable over shorter distances.

And, of all the cities in the US, New York has the highest use of public transport - it's a little suspicious that this city was chosen to highlight taxi numbers.

I don't know. It's 1% in New York. If we have so many more taxis here, it seems there is more demand for them, no? If there are so many taxis, it would seem enough people get them to warrant their existence. If not, they'd go out of business.

I mean, if we're on some sort of "compared to New York" kick - 80% of taxi drivers there are foreign.

we also have more taxis than london or paris

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:33PM

MisterMonkey wrote: »

we also have more taxis than london or paris

another 2 cities with multiple excellent public transport systems.

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 03:33PM

General Zod wrote: »

In a taxi.

Probably from the north. Then applied for asylum and got leave to remain under the IBC scheme. Oooooooooops!

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:34PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Probably from the north. Then applied for asylum and got leave to remain under the IBC scheme. Oooooooooops!

Is there a thread you can't turn into an asylum seeking debate?

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 03:41PM

General Zod wrote: »

Is there a thread you can't turn into an asylum seeking debate?

Sure is.

The vast majority of taxi drivers of an african origin are former asylum seekers. They got leave to remain under the Irish Born Child Scheme. Those who applied for the IBC scheme were offered courses and encouraged by the state and the various number of state funded immigrant agencies to avail of schemes run by the Dept of Social Welfare. Better to have them driving a cab than availing of the dole. Which under the scheme, they were entitled to as much as any Irish citizen.

The most widely used scheme was the Back To Work and Education Scheme, which includes grants from local welfare partnership to become self employed while retaining gradually lowered social welfare benefits over a five year period. Additional payments such as rent allowance are not affected and the recipient will continue to recieve these benefits regardless of income.

Over 90% of applications for the Back to Work and Education scheme were relating to the purchase of taxi licences and motors.The system is stacked in favour of the BTWE recepient as he is in receipt of welfare, rent allowance and paying no tax, whilst his competitor is paying full tax and trying to run a household on his deflated wages.

Thats why we have vast throngs of non EU citizens driving taxis on our streets.

MikeC101 · 24-02-2010 03:42PM

MisterMonkey wrote: »

we also have more taxis than london or paris

Do we? I can't find a reliable source for the numbers, but the number claimed for Dublin I'm most familiar with is 16,000 or so.

London apparently has 21,000 licensed black cabs.

Paris (due to resistance from National Taxi Federation regarding deregulation) has about 16,000, to increase to 20,000 and people I know who live there say it's hard to get a taxi.

(anyone with links to statistics, it'd be appreciated)

Plus, again on the public transport thing, I can't vouch for Paris, but I found London to be far superior to Dublin in terms of public transport any time I was there.

Edit: RTE website has "Taxi drivers claim that, since the deregulation of licensing in 2000, the number of taxis in Dublin has risen from 2,000 to 25,000." but doesn't provide a source.

WindSock · 24-02-2010 03:44PM

So it's the migrants fault for availing of this scheme?

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 03:45PM

WindSock wrote: »

So it's the migrants fault for availing of this scheme?

Nope, its the poxs in government for allowing them stay.

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:48PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

The vast majority of blaxis

Thats why we have vast throngs of non EU citizens driving taxis on our streets.

got any figures as to what percentage constitutes this "vast throng"?

As long as my taxi driver gets me home, I don't give a **** where he or she comes from.

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:49PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Nope, its the poxs in government for allowing them stay.

Even when it was the bears, I knew it was the immigrints.

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:50PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Nope, its the poxs in government for allowing them stay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uSGtRoEQYA

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 03:51PM

General Zod wrote: »

Even when it was the bears, I knew it was the immigrints.

Yawn, yawn, yawn.:rolleyes:

General Zod · 24-02-2010 03:53PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Yawn, yawn, yawn.:rolleyes:

so you've turned a debate about white taxi drivers treatment of black taxi drivers into a thread about how they shouldn't be here in the first place.

yaw, yawn, yawn :rolleyes:

IrishManSaipan · 24-02-2010 03:53PM

General Zod wrote: »

.......

Stick up the South Park episode there too, theres a good man. These people got leave to remain against the wishes of the majority of the Irish people. 80% of the electorate voted against this loophole. It was undemocratic to let them stay.

Nodin · 24-02-2010 03:57PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Sure is.

The vast majority of blaxis .....

Not that you're a racist or anything.

Nodin · 24-02-2010 03:58PM

IrishManSaipan wrote: »

Stick up the South Park episode there too, ....

I've a few suggestions on what can get stuck up where too....

Irish Times article on racist taxi drivers

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