Irish Taxi Forum
Public Area => Taxi Talk => Topic started by: Dr. Martin Gooter Bling on December 06, 2020, 04:11:57 am
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unbelievable bollocks.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/taxi-industry-will-not-cope-with-christmas-rush-after-driver-exodus-1.4428856%3fmode=amp (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/taxi-industry-will-not-cope-with-christmas-rush-after-driver-exodus-1.4428856%3fmode=amp)
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People dining out in the run up to Christmas face being stranded on the streets because the taxi industry cannot cope with demand after an exodus of thousands of drivers during the pandemic, it has been warned.
After reports of cab shortages in central Dublin on the first night pubs and restaurants reopened after six weeks of lockdown, Vinny Kearns, chief executive of NXT, one of the country’s largest taxi firms, said availability would only deteriorate in the coming weeks.
“The situation is going to get worse, not better, right up to Christmas Eve,” he said.
Mr Kearns, secretary general of the Taxi Dispatch Operator Representative Association, said “thousands” of taxi drivers had left the trade to take up delivery and courier jobs.
“They were in dire straits during the lockdowns, with finance companies beating down their doors for missed payments on cars and the like,” he said.
“I know so many people in the industry – and there are about 20 per cent of drivers who have HGV licences as well – that are now driving for supermarkets and wholesalers.
“A lot of drivers who haven’t got that licence are driving for courier companies who are out the door looking for more drivers. The courier companies are actually calling up taxi drivers, knowing that they know their way around, offering them work.”
Mr Kearns said the hike in demand for delivered goods during the restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, coupled with a collapse in demand for taxis with shops, pubs and restaurants shuttered, had forced as much as one-fifth of drivers to take up other work.
Many were finding working conditions better, more lucrative and more secure elsewhere, he added.
“Taxi drivers who for the past eight months could not go out and earn 50 quid for 12 hours during the day, are now driving vans and trucks,” said Mr Kearns, a former vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers Union.
“They are not coming back. They are quite happy and have as much work as they want. They are sitting down to their dinner, finished work at 6pm. Many don’t have to work weekends – for a taxi driver that’s heaven.
“There are thousands of taxi drivers, and I mean thousands, who have left the industry, who will never come back to the industry, who will never drive a taxi again.”
In September, hundreds of taxi drivers protested in Dublin city centre, calling for more financial supports from the Government, with drivers saying they were struggling to survive with as little as just 20 per cent of their usual trade.
The demonstration was backed by four main driver unions, the National Private Hire & Taxi Association, the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation, the Taxi Alliance of Ireland and Tiománaí Tacsaí na hÉireann.
While drivers can avail of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, Mr Kearns said access to the supplement was too little and came too late for drivers under pressure to cover large insurance premiums, car repayments, fuel and maintenance costs.
“There is nothing that can be done about this short term, because it’s been left too late,” he warned.
“Taxi drivers have left by now and they won’t be coming back. There will be a grave impact over Christmas.”
Mr Kearns said people trying to hail a taxi after a night out over the festive period “won’t be able to get one from here on in”.
“Getting out shouldn’t be too much bother, but definitely – considering public transport is operating at reduced capacity – the taxi industry will not be able to cope with after pub closing hours on busy nights from now to Christmas,” he added.
“People will have to plan their night. Anyone who thinks they can walk out of a pub and grab a taxi – that is not going to be the case. Definitely not in a city centre.
“People who are waiting on the streets will be left waiting. People who have booked might have delays, but will get home.”
“I was born into the business,” says Dave Murphy, a taxi driver for 35 years, whose father was a secretary of the Irish Taxi Driver Federation.
“I was the youngest taxi driver in Dublin when I started out at the age of 19.”
Now aged 54, Murphy is giving up on the trade as a result of the pandemic to retrain as a driving instructor.
“I had a romantic notion at the start of the outbreak of just taking a guilt free month off work,” he says.
“I stopped the mortgage, the car repayments, the credit union, everything, to take a month out. The weather was good.
“But then one month turned into two months, turned into three. Drivers were only turning 40 or 50 quid a day. When it became four months I knew it was not sustainable.”
The Dundrum-based driver has two children, one in final year at college, the other sitting the Junior Cert next year. He says mounting bills forced him to turn to his teenage apprenticeship training in stone masonry – he carves headstones and makes patios – to get by while studying for his driving instructor exams.
While there will be demand over the coming weeks for taxis, Murphy thinks it wouldn’t pay to renew his taxi insurance policy – he was quoted €1,700 – which expired last month.
“After Christmas there is going to be nothing again,” he says.
“Everybody is already talking about going into another lockdown in the new year.
“I’m more than three decades in the taxi business, I know a lot of drivers. I would imagine one in three are going out of the business.”
Murphy says he felt there was “no help from the Government” for the taxi industry compared with the financial packages given to other industries.
“I wish they had done more for the drivers to be honest,” he adds.
“I’m lucky because I have something I can turn my hand to. There are drivers out there who don’t have anything they can turn their hand to, and it’s those guys I feel most sorry for.”
For now, he is hoping to qualify as a driving instructor by next March.
“I can’t see me ever going back to driving a taxi.”
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Save you the bother of reading it .Its an Advert using subliminal advertising .Where Vinny probably paid for the article .He says there will be a shortage of taxies so prebook oh but dont blame my company if we dont turn up the lads are not all back in work yet ....
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Just talking to Rialto Driver he is working as a cellarman .Says his pub had over 20 no shows from people who booked tables .I wonder will Vinny be paying a scrub to any of his drivers who covered those non existing jobs .
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Theres your great dispatcher friend for ya now .showing his true colours.he is no more worried about people left waiting on a taxi then rhe man in the fukin moon.this prick has offered an open invitation to the NTA to flood the market with even MORE taxis.the same fukker who actually STOPPED men from working because they would not subscribe to his union when he was on the other side of the fence.
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Vinny Kearns, chief executive of NXT,
Mr Kearns, secretary general of the Taxi Dispatch Operator Representative Association,
Mr Kearns, a former vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers Union.
How many strings has Firefox to his bow? lol
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Theres your great dispatcher friend for ya now .showing his true colours.he is no more worried about people left waiting on a taxi then rhe man in the fukin moon.this prick has offered an open invitation to the NTA to flood the market with even MORE taxis.the same fukker who actually STOPPED men from working because they would not subscribe to his union when he was on the other side of the fence.
+1
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The dispatchers are missing the point
It's not lack of drivers its lack of drivers willing to pay 100 a week due to apps pay as u go system
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Fukk Kearns I hope his company drowns in the same misery he inflicted on drivers who he STOPPED from working because they wouldn't pay blood money to him to join his dodgy union
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Shitetalk like that will encourage the NTA to release more licences ::fds There's probably of taxis parked at what few ranks remain but people are too lazy to walk to them.
Anyways, what's a taxi driver supposed to do? Pubs, cinemas, theatres and most everything is closed. Restuarants/gastropubs are maybe doing 3 sittings a night and they have to close at 11 or something. That's fukk all reason for a driver to head out. And since DCC has ripped out most of the ranks in the city centre, drivers have nowhere to park up and wait for a street fare.
It must be soul-destroying to drive someone into a restaurant for say 7pm and know you're might not get another job until that person finishes their dinner and needs a taxi home. And you've nowhere legal to park up so you drive around wasting fuel.
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Kearns and his friends are not remotely interested in the welfare of customers,they are only interested in signing up more drivers
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It's been a long time since Vinny was a Vice President of any union.The Irish times will be taking pictures of him in his army uniform next if it fills a few pages....What a fukkin surprise people waiting on taxis at Christmas because they all left at the same time.Even Erm could have predicted that one..
The real worry is the NTA will release electric taxi saloon plates to use up all that juicy grant money.Then they'll further ease the test to keep the renters and despatchers happy.
There are plenty of us who are owner-drivers on standby until things improve.We haven't left we're just waiting it out.I couldn't be arsed doing an NCT or suitability and paying insurance right now for a burst of work before they lock the place down again.
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While Friday and Saturday were certainly better than the "new normal", I got no sense of a serious shortage of taxis at any time on either night. The on screen bookings were all taken at reasonable intervals. Over the Xmas 10 days there won't be any night clubs, pubs have to be cleared earlier than usual. I think that supply will generally meet demand with slight shortages maybe for an hour or so, but a lot less than the normal 3 hour waits in "normal peaks".
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Whats even MORE worrying is the fact that our present reps actually AGREED with Kearns that loads have left.how the fukk can people supposed to be representing us effectively say to the NTA,you need to replenish the stock,loads of them have left .and therse reps are supposed to be ON ORE SIDE ,ffs
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^^^^Also not every place that was open during the last level 3 has reopened.Any pub with no kitchen on the premises hasn't been allowed reopen.Some have also decided it's not worth the hassle when they can claim up to 5k a week off the state to stay shut.
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Everyone tries to protect what they have even despatchers. If the unachievable unity was ever to be achieved, it woud need to be achieved against the biggest enemy which is Free Now.
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I speculate that, perhaps, business will be more spread out over the day, with people unable to book night time dinners on Fri/Sat, settling for mid week dining, maybe even more ladies opting for "lunching" rather thatn dinner. No office parties either. I see house to house work 2am-4am being there.
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I hope yis all make a killing.I'll be still on my Xmas holidays from last year.I may even have to relicense my taxi just to show(pretend)that I'm trying..and stay eligible for the covid money.
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Kearns can't pimp out his taxis, that's why he's crying. The only person I know that has more pensions than Dollymount.
Why can't he claim for all the drivers "Working" for him?
As far as companies going to the wall - I hope his is NXT!! 8)
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Ive hoped that would be the case for a long time now silver,but how any of those fukkers are surviving is a mystery
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Ah fukk them all.im looking forward to the cup final on RTE 2 at 6 pm.come on Dubdalk please dont let the tallaght scum do the league and cup double
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Ive hoped that would be the case for a long time now silver,but how any of those fukkers are surviving is a mystery
Imagine thinking that brown-nosing Bertie Ahern was a path to success.
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NXT going to the wall will, as usual with these things, only affect the most vulnerable lower paid workers. The chiefs are all of an age, and I'm sure have themselves well enough backed to survive.
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Hospitality sector struggled to find staff for re-opening as coming off PUP ‘not worth it’ for many workers (https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/hospitality-sector-struggled-to-find-staff-for-re-opening-as-coming-off-pup-not-worth-it-for-many-workers-39833641.html) (Indo)
Looks like there's plenty of other people who won't risk their lives for a few pennies...
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Makes sense.Many of those working in normal jobs would be still on the full €350/400 until February.Hard to get off the sofa for an extra hundred a week before commuting costs just to be laid off again in January.
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Hospitality sector struggled to find staff for re-opening as coming off PUP ‘not worth it’ for many workers (https://www.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/hospitality-sector-struggled-to-find-staff-for-re-opening-as-coming-off-pup-not-worth-it-for-many-workers-39833641.html) (Indo)
Looks like there's plenty of other people who won't risk their lives for a few pennies...
Employers who take staff back on can reapply for covid subsidies with the wages .They could well afford to up the money the state are paying most of it .
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NXT going to the wall will, as usual with these things, only affect the most vulnerable lower paid workers. The chiefs are all of an age, and I'm sure have themselves well enough backed to survive.
your probably right Bob,but this one in particular nwwds to be dissed for having stopped men from working because they wouldn't join his union.now he on the othet side of the fence pretending he actually cares about them,so he goes whinging to the papers that we need more taxis .total hypocrisy
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Multiple pensions for the fat soldier and still worrying about renting heaps.
Could it be the alimony?
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Wouldnt Vinny be better off looking for compo for drivers who CANT work .....Dublin Bay North TD Seán Haughey has warned of potential traffic chaos in Dublin when the U.K. leaves the European Union on January 1st.
Fianna Fáil Deputy Haughey made the remarks in the Dáil as the U.K. and the EU continue to try and reach a post-Brexit trade deal.
The Chief Executive of Dublin Port, Eamonn O’Reilly recently said there were plans to allow HGVs exiting the southbound bore of the Dublin Port Tunnel to be U-turned to the northern bore in the event that the port congests.
“There are reports of concerns about traffic delays occurring as a result of congestion at Dublin Port after January 1st,” Deputy said in the Dail.
“Delays in carrying out border checks could result in a backup of trucks in the Dublin Port Tunnel which could cause traffic jams on the M50 and the surrounding road network in Dublin.
“That must not be allowed to happen.
“Irish Ferries and Stena Line should be asked to stagger ferries arriving from Holyhead and Liverpool into Dublin Port.
“It is my understanding that Transport Infrastructure Ireland has also raised these concerns.
“An overflow parking facility for lorries has been earmarked for Dublin Airport.”
Deputy Haughey said many state agencies will have to work together.
“The Department of Transport, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Dublin Local Authorities, An Garda Síochána, the Dublin Port Company and the Revenue Commissioners must all work together to try to resolve this issue,” he said.
“There is nothing surer than if the traffic in Dublin starts to snarl up, it will be one of the most immediate effects of Brexit that our citizens will experience.
“We need to prevent that.”
Negotiations continue ahead of this week’s crucial European Council meeting.
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Hi Paul,
I refer to previous correspondence regarding difficulties faced by taxi drivers.
Please see attached the reply which I have received from the Minister for Transport to a Parliamentary Question I submitted to him on this matter.
I hope that this information is of some assistance and I will continue to take an active interest in this issue for you.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Seán Haughey TD
Designated Public Official under the
Regulation of the Lobbying Act
Please note that any personal data contained in your email correspondence with Seán Haughey TD will be processed by Seán Haughey TD and his staff as a data controller in accordance with applicable data protection law. Much of this data processing will be done in connection with representations/requests made and also for electoral purposes. For further information on data protection, including your data protection rights, please refer to the data protection section of my webpage by clicking here.
If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately and then delete it. Please do not copy it, disclose its contents or use it for any other purpose.
Oireachtas email policy and disclaimer. http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/about/oireachtasemailpolicyanddisclaimer/ (http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/about/oireachtasemailpolicyanddisclaimer/)
Beartas ríomhphoist an Oireachtais agus séanadh. http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/ga/eolas/beartasriomhphoistanoireachtaisagusseanadh/ (http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/ga/eolas/beartasriomhphoistanoireachtaisagusseanadh/)
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Hi Paul,
I refer to previous correspondence regarding difficulties faced by taxi drivers.
Please see attached the reply which I have received from the Minister for Transport to a Parliamentary Question I submitted to him on this matter.
I hope that this information is of some assistance and I will continue to take an active interest in this issue for you.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Seán Haughey TD
Designated Public Official under the
Regulation of the Lobbying Act
Please note that any personal data contained in your email correspondence with Seán Haughey TD will be processed by Seán Haughey TD and his staff as a data controller in accordance with applicable data protection law. Much of this data processing will be done in connection with representations/requests made and also for electoral purposes. For further information on data protection, including your data protection rights, please refer to the data protection section of my webpage by clicking here.
If you have received this email in error, please notify me immediately and then delete it. Please do not copy it, disclose its contents or use it for any other purpose.
Oireachtas email policy and disclaimer. http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/about/oireachtasemailpolicyanddisclaimer/ (http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/about/oireachtasemailpolicyanddisclaimer/)
Beartas ríomhphoist an Oireachtais agus séanadh. http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/ga/eolas/beartasriomhphoistanoireachtaisagusseanadh/ (http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/ga/eolas/beartasriomhphoistanoireachtaisagusseanadh/)
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______________________________________________
For Written Answer on : 10/11/2020
Question Number(s): 287 Question Reference(s): 35381/20
Department: Transport
Asked by: Seán Haughey T.D.
______________________________________________
QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Transport if he will consider
introducing a package of financial measures for older
taxi drivers wishing to exit the industry in view of
the difficulties they are experiencing due to Covid-19;
if they will be given compensation for transferring
their taxi licences to younger taxi drivers; and if he
will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
The Government recognises that the trading environment for self-employed individuals
remains difficult. Accordingly the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will continue until 1
April 2021. Self-employed recipients, including SPSV drivers, can earn up to €480 per month
while still receiving the payment. Furthermore, individuals exiting that payment may avail of
the COVID-19 Enterprise Support Grant, a once-off grant of up to €1,000 which can be used
towards the costs associated with reopening a business, including the purchase of cleaning
materials and personal protective equipment.
These measures build on the supports provided since the start of the pandemic. The NTA
took action at the outset of COVID-19 to support the SPSV sector, such as licence
extensions, the waiver of late renewal feels, and facilitating the suspension of SPSV
insurance for those operators who decided to temporarily stop working and suspend their
licence. The NTA has also extended age limits for vehicles that were due to reach them since
March until the end of 2020, and are currently considering extending them further until the
end of 2021.
Furthermore, the Deputy will be aware that the recently published Budget 2021 contained
further measures to aid SPSV operators. My Department will provide funding to the NTA to
enable it to waive standard SPSV licence renewal fees in 2021. A €15 million scrappage
scheme has also been introduced to encourage operators of older vehicles to switch to electric
vehicles.
The transfer of small public service vehicle licences, as suggested by the Deputy, is
prohibited under section 14(1) of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013. There are no plans to adjust
this provision at this time, the rationale being that a licence should indicate a person’s
suitability to carry out a function and should not have, by association, a monetary value or be
tradeable on the open market or redeemable for a value. There is, therefore, no basis for
introducing the type of compensation scheme suggested by the Deputy.
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The day after Vinny and pals played the poor mouth in The Irish Times, FN phoned The Mirror... lol
Taxi company issues warning to Irish public as customers swarm amid easing of restrictions nationwide (https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/taxi-company-issues-warning-irish-23124056)
Ireland’s taxi drivers are having their busiest weekend since March, as people head out and about amid eased restrictions ahead of Christmas. Customers are being urged to book their taxi in advance as some Covid-19 measures continue and streets fill up with revellers this December. Taxi service Free Now says Friday and Saturday were its busiest days since the pandemic began in the spring. And the company says taxis are the “safest and most reliable” mode of transport as Ireland opens up for the festive season. Free Now’s Irish manager, Niall Carson said the company works 14,000 drivers – making it the biggest Irish taxi operator.
Ireland’s taxi drivers are having their busiest weekend since March, as people head out and about amid eased restrictions ahead of Christmas. Customers are being urged to book their taxi in advance as some Covid-19 measures continue and streets fill up with revellers this December. Taxi service Free Now says Friday and Saturday were its busiest days since the pandemic began in the spring. And the company says taxis are the “safest and most reliable” mode of transport as Ireland opens up for the festive season.
Free Now’s Irish manager, Niall Carson said the company works 14,000 drivers – making it the biggest Irish taxi operator.
<snip>
Translation: fukk you, biatches 8)
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Ill translate it for you .Dispatcher's have said there is loads of work out there so drivers should be fucked of the PUP in fact some of them were earning 50 a day (I think thats more than 480 a month if they work when we tell them so cut them off )And while we are at it you remember we lobbied to have masks made mandatory so that taxi drivers could overcome the problem of Social distancing and the reason for paying them PUP could be removed .FFS lads learn to read between the lines .These so called articles in the Newspaper are referred to a Journalist Led adverts .Freelance Journalists do the interview and offer the piece to the papers if they take it up Jurnos get paid Its all part of Subliminal advertising with malice First generate work then force drivers to cover it .Loads of kids freelancing as Jurnos writing for websites love to have a piece published in National Press for their Bio.
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Am I reading the bit about trucks right if there is no room in the port you turn around and drive back through the tunnell turn at the crossover and drive back through the tunnell ..and they will park trucks in the Airport carpark .The only way out of the airport will be by plane roads will be fucked .
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Ill translate it for you .Dispatcher's have said there is loads of work out there so drivers should be fucked of the PUP in fact some of them were earning 50 a day (I think thats more than 480 a month if they work when we tell them so cut them off )And while we are at it you remember we lobbied to have masks made mandatory so that taxi drivers could overcome the problem of Social distancing and the reason for paying them PUP could be removed .FFS lads learn to read between the lines .These so called articles in the Newspaper are referred to a Journalist Led adverts .Freelance Journalists do the interview and offer the piece to the papers if they take it up Jurnos get paid Its all part of Subliminal advertising with malice First generate work then force drivers to cover it .Loads of kids freelancing as Jurnos writing for websites love to have a piece published in National Press for their Bio.
could th i s be an air of vindication about what I always said about,dispatcher scumbags ?
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Ermy, there's a chicken farmer looking for workers in North County Dublin.
I told him about your experience with handling small cocks, 9.50 an hour, you start Monday! 8)
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Ermy, there's a chicken farmer looking for workers in North County Dublin.
I told him about your experience with handling small cocks, 9.50 an hour, you start Monday! 8)
And when that rooster walked into the yard....
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He caught those chickens right off of their guard
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What do you call a bunny with a crooked dick?
Fucks Funny
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Along with the removal of the two sex offending taxi drivers, it appears numbers are going in the right direction .
Having the personality of the aforementioned taxi supremo will ensure more drivers will seek to work with cardboard boxes rather than be associated with archaic cab companies . 8)