working for my taxi in Dublin without the Dublin licence.

[Jack Meoff]

Not sure how long you’re in the taxi game but when you decided to put a taxi on the road you knew what you were getting into.
As for protecting the public I’m sure they can look after themselves.

[dalymount]

Im in the 13 years. As for looking after themselves,tell that to the women who have court actions pending against foreign national  taxi drivers.not withstanding that,there is security,and knowledge  criteria laid down  in law ,which in not being adhered to by the authorities,and this is because of their absolute fear of the immigrant council of Ireland

[Jack Meoff]

Ok so

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Nobody said these were rules that were written in law,but they were moral understandings in which taxi drivers collectively adhered  to.it all worked till these people came here,and changed all that,and then shouted racist  when challenged

Ah yes, I member it well, we`d drive ahind each other and keep the code. Then ET in his 200L and The Pirhanas ripped the hole outta the whole lot of us.
Only one Black lad in sight back then, and a 100% gent too, Black Jack. ( Soz 2, Blessed Martin was driving too, Ola was still a couple of years away )

1980`s.

The no overtaking on M1 into Kesh is still relatively adhered to. It used to start at Whitehall/ Collins Ave junction, now it`s sorta tunnel exit outwards on a sliding scale.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I was driving into town, down Frederick St one night, headin for the Gresh, 2 am. Summer night. Windows open. All of a sudden I was in a life or death battle with Pirhana 1 on Frederick St. He gunned past me on my right. I shouted out the window "TAXIIIIII" . He anchored his Jetta.  Easy peasy.

[mercenary for hire]

I love hearing them stories...I just shout abuse a them lads.No need to be bating around.All it does is add more stress to your shift.

Years ago I was coming in past UCD already on the limit and out of nowhere a Nigerian lad in an E-class was attempting to overtake me with me light on absolutely flying...I could see him move to the extreme inside lane.So I managed to get into the middle lane and hold him behind another car all the way into Upper leeson street.Some screaming and extra horning he was doing.Someone told me he got a driving ban in the end.I'm ashamed of some of the stuff I did during the bad years.Only a little bit though.Just happened to be a Nigerian lad but I'd probably do worse if he was Irish.I'm gonna get spikes on me wheels for the next downturn.Maybe some tyres on me doors like the little tugboats have..

[dalymount]

Well I have found in my time in the game,that you have as much chance of getting a fare by going slow,then you have when your booting it.

[The Liffey Lip]

The guys who destroyed this game were all Irish, Dalyer, but you don't want to hear it or can't accept it. When you have tramps looking to skin people for 50 punts to get from Stephen's Green to Stillorgan and Kilmacud on a freezing cold night in pre-dereg Dublin it's bound to go tits up...........no radio companies or App providers involved. Ironically, if it wan't for short-thinking Neanderthals like them......you wouldn't be in the game either. Thank your lucky starts for the morons in P & T and Dublin Docks and the old ESB who held the ordinary public to ransom to line their own pockets........camaraderie my Dublin arse! I'm Alright Jack is the mantra.

[Rat Catcher]

To be fair LL, anecdotal evidence suggests that immigrants have a far higher propensity to rape/murder riders than those of us who are Irish by accident of birth. While media reports and court convictions might suggest the contrary it's extremely important to understand that rape is the least reported crime of all crimes and that murder victims never report being murdered.

[The Liffey Lip]

All anecdotal in the end, but a quick visit to the Lower Deck of an evening might have led one to believe there wasn't a Taximan working.

[Rat Catcher]

Actually Balbriggan was outside the old Dublin meter area and was under Louth/Drogheda licencing area. When Dublin area became Dublin County, Balbriggan drivers became Dublin licences. The Wicklow licence option was offered to Dublin licenced drivers at the same time. As Rat pointed out, the old meter area extended into  Kildare and Meath but we weren`t offered quid pro quo there.

That's actually a true story. Whatever the attitudes of locals outside of the city licences were not granted on the grounds of perceived racism. In fact, SB used to chase a couple of immigrant drivers with Laois licences who regularly worked Dublin illegally. They tried everything, including crying racism, to get Dublin licences. In the end they got them by passing the new Kathleen Doyle test after failing several times previously. Ironically, SB now advertises mytaxi who are responsible for enticing millions, no more than that, thousands of immigrant drivers up from the bog to work Dublin!

When the county system was introduced all Louth/Meath licence holders became entitled to Dublin licences because their original licensed area included parts of County Dublin. The principal was established by Balbriggan, Rush and Skerries drivers who held Louth/Meath licences simply because Barbriggan Garda station was within the Louth/Meath district at that time. Hence without such a provision men would suddenly be banned from working the areas they always worked and were always licensed to work. As BhT notes the same principal allowed many Dublin drivers (myself included) claim licences for Wicklow without sitting any test. In fact the lads who's licences came up for renewal earliest (e.g. your man who used to run The Spar Shop forum) were granted Wicklow and Wexford as that was all one area under the old system.

[Rat Catcher]

Why would you be surprised  ,I have made enough comments on here clearly stating my feelings about these people ? You say its an expression of disbelief ? So you find it surprising,and disbelieving that I should want to protect the Irish public from people who are not properly vetted ?

I've often thought that you're just taking the piss with the apparent opposition to multiculturisation. When push comes to shove you seem to fight the corner of the immigrant really e.g. your support for mytaxi who have extended radio work to immigrants and who encourage immigrants from all over the country to work Dublin, etc...

[Rat Catcher]

I wonder were you equally as welcoming to them when they were pulling up to the top of the ranks taking the fares from the men trying to operate properly ,or when they started illegal ranks in full view of offical ranks ,and when challenged cried racist ? ,or when they came here and introduced a new kind of moral values into the industry by breaking every rule in the book ?

We've had unofficial ranks as long as I'm driving... long before entry liberalisation and even more longerer before we had significant numbers of immigrant drivers.

[The Liffey Lip]

Rules for Radicals and School for Scoundrels.

[Rat Catcher]

yes, i cant stand racists. no doubt you would be listening to them ranting about foreign people the whole way there.

Play with them. The conversation will always involve dem blax not having a clue where they're going... just agree and chip in that it's a fuckin' disgrace that they ever got licences and it's all that Kathleen Doyle cunt's fault... and ask for directions at every junction!