In message , Mike Hughes
writes
The whole thing should have been sorted out with the introduction of a
new computer system. Guess what? The system is not up and running
despite the fact that we were given guarantees that it would be working
no later than the end of September.

Did they specify the year, Mike? :-)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG

Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

In message , Ian Jelf
writes
In message , Mike Hughes
writes
The whole thing should have been sorted out with the introduction of a
new computer system. Guess what? The system is not up and running
despite the fact that we were given guarantees that it would be
working no later than the end of September.

Did they specify the year, Mike? :-)

Damn. I've just realised that specified the year but not the decade :-)

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

In message ,
Martin Underwood writes
"Richard Rundle" wrote in message
...
"Mike Hughes" wrote in message
...
I'm a London licensed taxi driver so I can speak with some authority
about the Heathrow system.

Taxis plying for hire at Heathrow have to first queue in a taxi feeder
park which can take as much as 3 hours before they get to the actual
terminal. The drivers are all 'green badge' drivers which means that
their knowledge is of the central London area, where the majority of
taxi passengers wish to go.

If taxis are waiting up to 3 hours between returning to Heathrow and
reaching a rank where they can pick up a passenger, doen't this suggest that
there are too many taxis? The ideal number would be such that there is no
queue in a feeder park and as a taxi leaves the head of a queue at one
terminal, another is just being marshalled to the end of that queue.
Obviously you need *some* slack in the system, but three hours seems to be
excessive.

The trouble is that there is no way of determining the demand. Although
there are roughly the same number of flights each day there are a
variety of factors which affect demand.

Rainy weather increase demand, train and bus problems increase demand,
bank holidays in other countries decreases demand. Road conditions also
have an effect Late flights are a prime example why there is a variation
of demand.

There is at the taxi feeder park a canteen which most drivers use,
particularly at 'normal' meal times. There are even a number of drivers
who live some distance from London, come to town for 3 or 4 days and
sleep in the taxi at Heathrow.

The number of taxis entering the feeder park is also partially
determined by the number of departures - the greater the number of
departures the greater the number of taxis taking them to the airport.

The whole thing is quite complicated. On the whole it works quite well,
giving an excellent supply of taxis. If only the marshals at the
terminals could get their act together when it's busy we could load up
the customers quicker - we get as frustrated as the customers by slow
'service' !

There seems to be a different outlook by customers when it comes to taxi
services. If it freezes and your pipes burst you don't expect to get a
plumber straight away. If you are trying to get to work at rush hour you
put up with it, but god help the taxi service if you can't get one from
your annual Christmas party to take you home. There is a huge outcry
that there's not enough taxis. The fact that everyone else is looking
for a taxi at the same time doesn't enter into the equation.

Now if we could just do as the minicabs can do and increase our prices
for the busy periods to encourage more taxis out on the road the
situation would not be as bad... (maybe) :-)

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

In message , at
00:10:05 on Sat, 18 Dec 2004, Martin Underwood
remarked:
If the system penalises taxi drivers in some way for doing short journeys,
why *should* he suffer in silence? For all he knew, you might have been in a
position to lobby for changes to be made, so he had nothing to lose by
moaning. "That's the law and it's tough" is no excuse for people to have to
accept the status quo in silence.

And, of course, rail passengers are entitled to take exactly the same
view when complaining to railway staff.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 19:38:35 on
Sat, 18 Dec 2004, Mike Hughes remarked:
Taxis plying for hire at Heathrow have to first queue in a taxi feeder
park which can take as much as 3 hours before they get to the actual
terminal.

Why not simply drive back to Central London and carry on getting fares
there? Surely the cost of that "empty" journey can't exceed the profit
you'd make in 3 hours of work?
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
.uk...
In message , at 19:38:35 on Sat,
18 Dec 2004, Mike Hughes remarked:
Taxis plying for hire at Heathrow have to first queue in a taxi feeder
park which can take as much as 3 hours before they get to the actual
terminal.

Why not simply drive back to Central London and carry on getting fares
there? Surely the cost of that "empty" journey can't exceed the profit
you'd make in 3 hours of work?
--
Roland Perry
-----------------------------------
As an London Licensed Taxi Driver for 25 years you will find that the
majority of drivers choose to work at the airport & wait because they can
no longer stand stopping for Pewkers, ****ters, ****ers, verbal abusers,
drunks, druggies (bilkers,people that run off without paying the driver)etc&
yes I have actually had several people **** themselves in the back & one
bloke actually got indignant with me when I shouted at him,if you think I
acted wrongly kindly forward me your address so that the next time it
happens I can come round to where you live & you can clean it up.

In message , at 14:39:02 on
Tue, 21 Dec 2004, Leigh Mallory remarked:
As an London Licensed Taxi Driver for 25 years you will find that the
majority of drivers choose to work at the airport & wait because they can
no longer stand stopping for Pewkers, ****ters, ****ers, verbal abusers,
drunks, druggies (bilkers,people that run off without paying the driver)etc&
yes I have actually had several people **** themselves in the back & one
bloke actually got indignant with me when I shouted at him,if you think I
acted wrongly kindly forward me your address so that the next time it
happens I can come round to where you live & you can clean it up.

Does anyone warn new recruits about this?
--
Roland Perry

"Leigh Mallory" typed

As an London Licensed Taxi Driver for 25 years you will find that the
majority of drivers choose to work at the airport & wait because they can
no longer stand stopping for Pewkers, ****ters, ****ers, verbal abusers,
drunks, druggies (bilkers,people that run off without paying the
driver)etc&
yes I have actually had several people **** themselves in the back & one
bloke actually got indignant with me when I shouted at him,if you think I
acted wrongly kindly forward me your address so that the next time it
happens I can come round to where you live & you can clean it up.

This sounds really horrible! It's people like this that really make
working with the general public truly dreadful. I have to remind myself
they are only a tiny minority of the population.

It is things like this that make me glad I have retired...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

I make no apology for the actions of the driver. He should not take this
out on his passengers. There are good and bad in every occupation. There
are also good and bad customers.

For example some customers who know the situation will ask for Brentford
when they go the Chiswick because you get a ticket to go back from
Brentford, but not from Chiswick. Likewise from St Margarets but not
from Richmond. The system is full of anomalies.


Mike is this an example of a good customer or a bad customer? It sounds good
from the driver's point of view, as long as he can get back within an hour.

xx j

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
.uk...
In message , at 14:39:02 on Tue,
21 Dec 2004, Leigh Mallory remarked:
As an London Licensed Taxi Driver for 25 years you will find that the
majority of drivers choose to work at the airport & wait because they can
no longer stand stopping for Pewkers, ****ters, ****ers, verbal abusers,
drunks, druggies (bilkers,people that run off without paying the
driver)etc&
yes I have actually had several people **** themselves in the back & one
bloke actually got indignant with me when I shouted at him,if you think I
acted wrongly kindly forward me your address so that the next time it
happens I can come round to where you live & you can clean it up.

Does anyone warn new recruits about this?
--
Roland Perry
----------------------------
That's a very good question Roland,the Public carriage office has no
orientation policy apart from a race & disablement awareness pamphlet which
new recruits are supposed to read,the head of the Public Carriage office Roy
Ellis appears to only have one issue on board & that is obeying & pleasing
his political master Ken Livingstone he is a despicable toady & does not
care a hoot for the drivers welfare,nothing could prepare you for the
scenario that I came up against 3 years ago when I found myself at 2.30 am
dropping off three big guys in a back street of Brixton one of them held a
knife to my throat while the other two pulled me out of the cab & robbed
me.not satisfied with that they began kicking me as result of which I lost
four teeth & suffered a broken jaw.I have not driven a cab since & now
survive on benefits & boot sales which ironically has been most liberating
for me I would never drive a London cab again as I now realise that for the
25 years that I did the job I suffered from anxiety & depression.