Double Jobbers Out!

Ray Palmer · 11-02-2013 01:29PM

Balmed Out wrote: »

Well I do have sympathy for the ones who paid 80k for a taxi license only for the fee to drop to 5k. Thats the retirement plan up in smoke.

I do too but not an amazing amout. They tried to hold the city to ransom and would negotiate. Talks after talks failed. They wouldn't budge and eroded most public support with their strikes.
It is an unskilled job and there is no real reason it should pay a high wage. There is no need for the similar exams to London. The place isn't that big.
They double jobbers, Irish signs are just revealing to the mentality of drivers. They use intimidation and threats. Anyone with such stickers should lose their license.
Many held on to the expensive license as they expected/wanted a pay off. They brought a case to Europe but I am not sure of the outcome or if it is still ongoing. Deregulation is result of taxi union behaviour.
Of the full time taxi men I know none have any other 'skill' Their situation is completely their own doing so I have limited sympathy.
Widows with plates they rented out I do feel sorry for but it was a gamble taken.

not yet · 11-02-2013 01:31PM

jeni wrote: »

Yeah was asking hubster bout the green stickers on there doors, n supossed to mean they are full time taxi drivers, so you know the difference

Sorry....but whats a hubster.

Czarcasm · 11-02-2013 01:34PM

not yet wrote: »

Sorry....but whats a hubster.

hubster; hubby, husband.

TheDoc · 11-02-2013 01:34PM

Hardly surprising.

With the barrier to entry being effectively demolished years ago, its no surprise to see this. There is nothing to stop a Taxi driver working full time, to only work his car part time and work a different job full time.

When are they going to stop trying to claw back their monopolised cartel racket? It's gone lads, move on, and consider yourself lucky people still want Taxis : /

Ush1 · 11-02-2013 01:37PM

Corkbah wrote: »

like ??

Depends what you are good at? Having strangers in your car isn't high on my list.

sbsquarepants · 11-02-2013 05:27PM

Balmed Out wrote: »

Well I do have sympathy for the ones who paid 80k for a taxi license only for the fee to drop to 5k. Thats the retirement plan up in smoke.

That's just business for you. Business' aren't pandas, they don't have some god given right to be profitable, or to exist at all.

Where To wrote: »

Wee bit harsh sb.

It requires very little skill to be a taxidriver, I'll agree with you there. But being good at it requires skills, talents and attitudes that can't be taught.

It is harsh yes, but again that's just life. Taxi driving is right at the bottom of the food chain skills wise. I could drive a taxi tomorrow, the vast majority of people could - i couldn't just rewire a house, fix a broken truck or remove a brain tumour.
Doing something that practically any other adult can do is not the road to riches. Old school taxi drivers, for some absolutely bizzare reason got away with saying it should be. They held us to ransom due to an artifically enforced "shortage" of taxis. Everybody in their 30's onwards remembers the horror story that was getting home from a night out - fúck going back to anything like those days.
As for the talents required - there really aren't any - you need to know how to drive, and not be a dick, that's it. If you know where you're going all the better, if not - sat nav.

Spook_ie · 11-02-2013 05:52PM

SamHall wrote: »

Prob having a go at Michael O'Leary OP.

High flying with Ryanair all day, then driving his personal Taxi on the side!

Actually no, MO'L employs a taxi driver to drive his taxi, owned by a subsidary company. He doesn't drive a taxi

Where To · 11-02-2013 05:55PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

It is harsh yes, but again that's just life. Taxi driving is right at the bottom of the food chain skills wise. I could drive a taxi tomorrow, the vast majority of people could
.

I have no doubt that you could sb. The question is, would you be good at it?

krudler · 11-02-2013 06:04PM

Where To wrote: »

I have no doubt that you could sb. The question is, would you be good at it?

A lot of ones who do it at the mo aren't.

Corkbah · 11-02-2013 06:07PM

krudler wrote: »

A lot of ones who do it at the mo aren't.

but are they the double jobbers ?? lol

bobwilliams · 11-02-2013 06:07PM

ah the poor taxi drivers..............ask any cop in town,they're the prostitutes best and most frequent clients and still, they say they've feck all money.

Where To · 11-02-2013 06:08PM

krudler wrote: »

A lot of ones who do it at the mo aren't.

Too true krudler, too true.

krudler · 11-02-2013 06:15PM

Where To wrote: »

Too true krudler, too true.

If anything now would be a great time for someone to set up a taxi company with a proper office and phone line, uniformed drivers who have to prove they can do they job and clean, well maintained cars.

Where To · 11-02-2013 06:33PM

krudler wrote: »

If anything now would be a great time for someone to set up a taxi company with a proper office and phone line, uniformed drivers who have to prove they can do they job and clean, well maintained cars.

That's a bit of a paradox krudler, drivers who can do the job and keep the cars in good nick don't need companies, and companies don't want drivers who are able to demonstrate an ability to think for themselves.

somefeen · 11-02-2013 07:19PM

The good taxi drivers will be alright.
I doesn't make much difference after the pub, but if I need to phone a taxi to get somewhere I always use the same fella since he's sound and chats away to you. The cars always in a decent state as well.

I have every sympathy for people who relied on the 80k licence for a retirement plan, but not anymore than I have for the people who invested that money in houses and other businesses.

sbsquarepants · 15-02-2013 01:30PM

Where To wrote: »

I have no doubt that you could sb. The question is, would you be good at it?

Define good from bad?
Bringing people from a to b - assuming you get from a to b in one piece that's really it. If i didn't know how to get from a to b i'd do exactly as i do in my day to day life - type it into a sat nav and mindlessly obey it's instructions.
I don't mean to insult you're job or anything, but it really is trained monkey stuff. Your geographical knowledge is no doubt vastly superior to mine, but that's a skill rendered absolutely obsolete by technology. For a fee in the region of €100, I can find my way to practically any location in europe.
I've a terrible sense of direction and i haven't gotten lost in years!

leggo · 15-02-2013 01:34PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Define good from bad?
Bringing people from a to b - assuming you get from a to b in one piece that's really it. If i didn't know how to get from a to b i'd do exactly as i do in my day to day life - type it into a sat nav and mindlessly obey it's instructions.
I don't mean to insult you're job or anything, but it really is trained monkey stuff. Your geographical knowledge is no doubt vastly superior to mine, but that's a skill rendered absolutely obsolete by technology. For a fee in the region of €100, I can find my way to practically any location in europe.
I've a terrible sense of direction and i haven't gotten lost in years!

Would ya cop on, there's clearly a difference between a good taxi driver and a bad one. If you've been in enough taxis, you'll have experienced both.

Where To · 15-02-2013 01:38PM

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Define good from bad?
Bringing people from a to b - assuming you get from a to b in one piece that's really it. If i didn't know how to get from a to b i'd do exactly as i do in my day to day life - type it into a sat nav and mindlessly obey it's instructions.
I don't mean to insult you're job or anything, but it really is trained monkey stuff. Your geographical knowledge is no doubt vastly superior to mine, but that's a skill rendered absolutely obsolete by technology. For a fee in the region of €100, I can find my way to practically any location in europe.
I've a terrible sense of direction and i haven't gotten lost in years!

There's a bit more to it than knowing where to go.

By good I mean could you make a decent living from it?

Celly Smunt · 15-02-2013 01:40PM

everybody who is not Irish,40+,white and driving a 7 seater or avensis out!

not yet · 15-02-2013 01:42PM

pmcmahon wrote: »

everybody who is not Irish,40+,white and driving a 7 seater or avensis out!

Out where..

AnonoBoy · 15-02-2013 01:49PM

Just google image-searched double-jobber there with safe search turned off.

Nothing untoward came up, seems to be just prams really.

Disappointing really because I felt I had a strong contender for a good post thinking that double-jobbing might also be a euphemism for some sort of multiple oral type sexual activity.

CramCycle · 15-02-2013 01:53PM

Sat Nav aside, you do need to know, traffic, where its busy, which routes are quicker, why you don't go through some areas, a sat nav probably won't help here.

They should bring in a decent test for taxi drivers like the london cabbie one, alot of taxi drivers, many who are not double jobbers, would be out on there ear.

Make it compulsory to have a re test every 3 years, a city can change alot in a short time.

CramCycle · 15-02-2013 01:53PM

Sat Nav aside, you do need to know, traffic, where its busy, which routes are quicker, why you don't go through some areas, a sat nav probably won't help here.

They should bring in a decent test for taxi drivers like the london cabbie one, alot of taxi drivers, many who are not double jobbers, would be out on their ear.

Make it compulsory to have a re test every 3 years, a city can change alot in a short time.

Truncheon Rouge · 15-02-2013 02:25PM

somefeen wrote: »

I have every sympathy for people who relied on the 80k licence for a retirement plan, but not anymore than I have for the people who invested that money in houses and other businesses.

Fair point, the comparison with the property bust, it was sad to see though in a way.

My uncle got burned by the de-reg big time.
A humble work a day guy, he had his faith in what he knew just from looking around him, wouldn't be the type to think of such unexpected scenarios.
(as it was with property for many)
It hit his family life damn hard for years.

Granted it had to happen, personally I wonder could they have just phased it in though, introduced say 10,000 new licences across years. A loss of 40K is not exactly pleasant but the likes of 80k is :eek: :eek: :eek: . I'd have gone postal.

anncoates · 15-02-2013 02:28PM

The dying cries of a monopoly.

Double Jobbers Out!

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