Saturday, October 31, 2009

How was it for you?










Happy Halloween to you all.
Dublin looked like a Hollywood movie set tonight with witches,wenches,pirates, mummies and naughty nurses all going round together.
The rain came bucketing down and it made a good night for taxis.
Perhaps I am getting old, but the girls when they dress up at this time of year become more sluttish as time goes on. A Korean girl once asked me if we were going through the "Red light "district, I said no that this is how the girls dress on Saturday night in Ireland.
No,I am not complaining!
A group got into the car and they were talking about a stabbing outside a nightclub, one of the guys said that the girl was a really beautiful girl. One of the girls said she was a real psycho imagine carrying a knife and stabbing the guy like that, I hope he will be OK. I am glad I picked them up and not the psycho.

It was all go.

Something is going on I had typed much more and now when it published it vanashed.
I will try again later.

Another thing I missed was the marathon on Monday. 2,700 runners went mad on the streets.





look we beat the clock!

One of my friends wrecked his gearbox last night, for a good car it is a repair job, but in this case it will be a trip to the car sales for another car.
I was in the auction rooms of British Car Auctions in Belview Manchester, loads of good cars going cheap. Over here we have Merlin car auctions. Loads of repossessed cars going cheap now. One good sign of the recession.
I never bought a bad car at an auction, the nearest was when I brought a big Mazda ex special branch car, but the engine was blown. I went to IVI I think they were called on the Naas rd. New engine the next day,we drove it for 3 years and made £200 profit when we sold her on.
Car auctions are a great day out. Looking at the wheeler dealers at work, but be careful don't buy on the first or second day, avoid cars with dirty drivers seats and dirty panels on the doors. Engine nice and clean? any oil leaks? look for holes on the dash where meters or flashing lights might have been fitted. Look in the glove box, sometimes you can find a service manual, check the mileage it may have been "Clocked" (turned back). All good fun.

One of my headlights blew, it is amazing to me how so many taxis have only one headlight working. In France if you are caught with one light blown you get an opportunity to fix it there and then. If you have no spare bulb or if you can't replace it you get an on the spot fine.
I tried to reach the bulb myself, no way. I huffed and puffed and tried to dismantle the front end of the car to take out the headlight unit and failed, so in the end I gave up and went to a garage.They huffed and puffed and after 3/4 of an hour announced that it was done, I was nervous about paying but it was only the cost of the bulbs.
I will be going back to Murphy and Gunne in Rarhgar again, they understand a thing or two about customer service.

Monday, October 26, 2009

3 funerals or was it 4










I survived!
3 funerals in 3 weeks, the last one was in Manchester in the UK.

When I was heading off a friend of mine told me he had a pall who was visiting him and his pal was going back to Manchester on the same day, so we could share the journey.
What a mistake that was.
Johnnie was on a "bender" and was determined to drink himself silly.
When we got off the boat I revved up to make the trip from Holyhead to Manchester because time was short.
"Hold on a minute I need to get a few cans for the journey, pull into this off-licence"said Johnnie.
I had to go back in to get him out, he was chatting up the girl who worked there.
"She is very nice, you should come back in to meet her".
Johnny I am going to a funeral and time is tight said I.
We had hardly gone 15 miles when he started "I want to go we wees, stop soon or I will wet me nappy" So I stopped and he peed in full view of the oncoming traffic three times this happened. As we approached our off ramp on the motorway he had fallen asleep, so I whipped out the "Sat Nav" and got us back on course.
Johnny woke up and soon we pulled into the town.

"Look I think I will go to the funeral, I like funerals"
No way Johnny, as I turfed him out to get on to the train to Manchester.

The "guest" of honor was late, so I was on time for his funeral.
My cousin died from cancer, without pain he had time to plan his funeral, It went very well, lots of young ladies crying around the hearse.
Its great to see relations you haven't seen for a long time.

Lawlor arranged that a card be placed into the collection of cards at the funeral.
The card from the other side read something like this.

Hello big Sis.
I arrived here on the other side after a short trip. Mum and Dad are here, they look great just like I remember them and we have a lot to talk about.
Thanks for looking after me when I was sick, it must have annoyed you to have to spend the time with me, but we resolved a good few issues and parted as friends.
Look after yourself and behave or I will haunt you.

Your little brother,
Lawlor

I think death is a thing we Irish deal very well with.
A celebration of life and good thoughts about the deceased.
Then a few sad songs.

Lawlor loved 4x4s and used to go to trials with his mates, the undertaker had a 4x4 hearse and his friends from the club gave him a guard of honor.
One thing for sure if you were lost on Snowdonia, or on the moors these beasts of trucks would roar up through anything to help you.

You could see that they will miss him for sure.


On driving and death there is the great joke.
"When I die I would like to go like my father did peacefully in his sleep................................................................................

....................................................................................
Not roaring and screaming like his passengers"

Bob Monkhouse.

I went by ferry because my Ryanair transaction would not process, after trying for 2 days I booked the ferry and drove over in my car. No one looked in my bag, I hadn't to take off my shoes and belt or give up my drinking water or aftershave. I didn't have to travel a few miles from the car park, then go through security and then have to walk 2 miles to the gate.
Oh its the sailors life for me in future.
You would be stressed out just thinking about it.

This is the high speed Johnathan Swift.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Welcome home Sharon


The welcome home Sharon Cummins the Goal aid worker held hostage for 107 days

Theese dock workers have been on strike for 115 days.

This stinking cesspit of filth is the outflow from the "purification" plant at Ringsend,I wouldn't like to drink a glass of water from it.

I have a video called "Dockers"
Don't buy it here you can get it much cheaper elswhere,mine cost €5.
Well it is about the dockers who went on strike in Liverpool and it was brother against brother, a very emotional film,but this DVD also has a second program about the making of the movie.

Be careful boys and girls, the union might just be hanging you out to dry, they don't miss one days pay not like you do.

The strikers are dying every day.


Today I was hopping around looking for work minding my own business when out of the blue 2 junkies got into the taxi just as a woman was getting in the other side.
She scarpered as soon as she saw them, lucky woman.

Now I don't mind junkies when they are under treatment but as soon as this pair said their destination "Merchants Quay" (a drug addict drop in center) that I knew we were in for trouble for sure, they were high on drugs speech all slurred etc.
They were stoned out of their minds and the bloke in the front seat was looking at my pockets and anything else in the car that he could steal in a few seconds.
We were in the traffic by then and I turned into Fleet St to avoid the lights at O'Connell bridge. "Where are you goin' bud,I said O'Connell St"
"No you didn't you said Merchants Quay"

To get things under control I drove onto the footpath and put the car in park.
Taking off my seat belt I shouted into his face "Get out,GET OUT, GET OUT NOW"

In a flash the battle lines were drawn up.

There are a lot of variables you have to consider, and you have to do it quickly, one mistake can really spoil your day.

He raised his fist to strike me and I said "hit me and you are dead, make no mistake about that"
I was up on my left knee, therefore well above him in height with my back to the door, so I was looking down at him and his partner could not stab me in the back.
His girlfriend screamed and they both jumped out leaving the doors open.

Round one to me.

What was likely to happen next would be a kick to the side of the car, or better still for them is you would walk over to close the door and they would jump in and take the car.

A quick burst of speed put an end to their plans. I drove forward with the doors open. The Prius makes no sound when you engage the power,unlike a conventional car where you have to crank the engine or rev the engine.
I went back around the block back to the same rank and the other drivers let me back on to the front of the rank. Then the driver who had been behind me came over and told me that they had tried to smash his windscreen the week before because he had kicked them out.

I don't know how much longer I can keep up with this kind of pressure.

Remember a few weeks Shea Ryan was beaten up and had his car burned out? He was battered to a pulp and the cops say there is "Little they can do about them"
They were caught by the way.
The system protects the rights of the criminal all the time.
They get free legal aid and all the perks.

Back to work

You can't get on to ranks without double parking, the other day I got a 5 minute lecture from a motorcycle cop for stopping on to the end of a rank for 2 minutes while going to the toilet in a nearby..I didn't get a ticket but I often see that same cop eating in a certain restaurant and the owner tells me he doesn't get paid for the meal ..Ever.

Who is the worst sinner? him or me? I pay for everything.

C'est la vie!

Big fleas have little fleas on their backs to bite them, little fleas have lesser fleas and so ad infinitum.

We all live off each other to some extent.

The gouvernment are in the shit now as revenue is well down.
If you are not working you don't pay income tax.
!/3 or so alcahol consumed in the republic has been bought in Northern Ireland where the taxes are lower.
Pubs are closing down because of the smoking ban.
You can drink at home for a fraction of the cost in the pub and you can smoke too!

They just don't get it!. If you paint a door the government want tax from you.
So the painter says €120 for cash or €160 if you want a reciept.
So the untaxed guy gets the job!
Thing is the guy working for cash is often on benafit, so they loose out twice.

A little one to share with you from a passenger.

Publicans are really bad payers when it comes to work done.
You do the job and its "tomorrow" for months.
I worked in the security industry for years so we both knew the score.

This was his story.

"I did an alarm in system a big pub in town and we put in CCTV and a super sound system,changes the mood and tempo during the day, a super system, thing was they owed us around €2,000 when all was finished and the cheque was not coming.
I rang and rang, the usual excuses were given, not here ring you back etc.
So I went into the office, The girl was very nice and looked up the invoice.
"No its not in the system" she said.
The guy said I will fax it to you today.
He went back to the office and faxed it in.
She got it and said "I will enter it into the system now and you will get your money in 30 days"
"You don't understand, I am not a supplier delivering wine. The agreement is payment of the balance on completion not in 30 days,this is my property and it will shut itself down at 5 pm if my money is not here.

Then,if there is any more bullshit I will take the system out and there is only one other supplier in Europe you can get it from and I will make sure yiu are waiting for a long while for another system"
She must have thought I would be turning up with a few heavies, like the old days,
So 5Pm came and I entered the system for the pub from my computer,I could even see what song it was playing, I waited until the song finished and shut off the music.
Then I turned off my mobile phone",
the next morning messages about the sound system breaking down, Yes I will fix it. There is an €80 call out charge and €40 for the first 1/2 hour have the cash there and a draft for the balance owing, if the cash for the call out is not there I will go away and you will owe a second call out charge when I come back again"
The cash was there and the music started in due course."Where is the balance?"
"I asked them to send it, it should be here soon"
Well send it on to the office I am sure you don't want to pay me for waiting.
By the way, the music will shut down at 5 pm again this evening unless I get the money before that time,then there will be another call out charge.

"I got my money within the hour, technology is great"

There are many guys in every city who would not pay God, fact is that after a few years no one will deal with them any more and they fold and go out of business.

The guys that pay promptly get discounts and repeat business time after time.

The Celtic Tiger created a lot of brats who thought they could treat people like mugs,their chickens are coming home to roost now.
One guy I saw today had his Firrari taken off him and it was sold for a fraction of its worth, he still owes the balance of the loan he has to repay..

I decided I would put a road safety video in every week until Christmas.
So here is a Czech one.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Just a thought.

Our Goal aid worker will be landing at Dublin airport around now after 106 days in captivity.
You might think of aid to Africa and what good it is doing.

Here is a piece from ted.com

Just click here

And then there is Atlantic Philanthropies.
Founded by the passenger who influenced me most of all the people I ever met, Mr Chuck Feeney.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Best Good News at last






Just when you thought that things were so bad things take a turn for the best.
I had been worried about the outcome of the Goal aid workers being held captive in Africa, I feared for the worse after Ramadan had passed with no news, then after 100 days I feared the worst.

Well the news is good for a change.
They have been released and are strong and well.

Thanks to everyone who said a prayer, it worked!

Great result fo Africa as now aid can continue.

I had a guy in the car just in from NIGERIA he was pale and had the classic Irish red hair and white skin.
I can't go out in the Strong African sun or I would fry he said.

It is a thing I never thought of until then. What would it be like to live and work in Nigeria?

You live in a bubble he said, there is a fear of kidnap all the time, you live in a nice compound, your office has armed guards in the lobby. You go to work in a convoy.
Trouble is never far away.
I am so glad to be back in Ireland.
"Plenty of Nigerian taxi drivers here too". said I.
Funny thing that, I can tell by their accents where they are from, and at least here in Dublin I can tell them where to go to get me home.

I related her story to a girl who was heading for Raglin Rd.

Nigeria is where my uncle worked about 20 years ago.

He went to the local market every day and learned to speak Nigerian.
He had great fun with the traders.
He was kidnapped one day and held to ransom for 2 weeks.
Then one day his cell door opened and this tall guy boomed out. "Seamus, what the hell are you doing in here".
It was a guy from the market that he used to talk to on a regular basis.
The guy was the local rebel leader.
"I have been kidnapped".Said my uncle Seamus
"Let me buy you a meal and a pint of Guinness my friend, this should have not happened".
He was out then and was never bothered again.

I often wondered what kind of people lived on Raglin Rd.

For myself I picked up a girl from Brazil,whether through accent or whatever I could not understand where she was going to.
She could not write it down as she could not spell it, but she could give me directions,so off we went.
"Straight on right etc etc. then............. NO ! you should have gone to the left there.
But now I am on the M50!!!!!

"Sorry I was writing a text,its my fault".

"Shit happens it's no ones fault"

I stopped the meter and drove down the motorway looking for a turn back,6 miles it took more or less I suppose! I was trying to keep her happy talking all the time, she was a bit nervous and that in turn was scaring me too.
In conversation I found that she had turned 25 a couple of days ago.
"Girl you only look 15" (she really did)
No bullshit, I thought she was little over 15
What a great way to be looking at least 10 years younger.
This is why I was nervous, I thought I had the babysitter who thought she had been hijacked by the taxi man !
Then we corrected our course and made a perfect landing at her door.
I wish her well, I know the feeling of coming to another country to live, though I never had to live in French or German as she has to now in Englise.
The life of the migrant is tough for shure.

You know all these people who came have made our lives better. Polish people are very honest and hard working workers. What amazes me is how well educated they are, ask them if you don't believe me.
Look at the bone structuer and looks of the Russian,Checz and Latvian girls. Such fantastic teeth, they must have no sweets there.

It has been a pleasure to meet you all.

Too many taxis here in Ireland for sure.

Oh yes my photo shop has broken down.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Quote of the week



UP THE DUBS




It happened last week, but I don't tell you everything.
But on reflection I thought it is funny enough to pass on.

I picked up 2 girls who were kissing their boyfriends goodbye, one girl was Chinese and her boyfriend was Irish. The girls got in and chatted as we went along, then the Chinese girl got out. The Irish girl then got into the front seat and went throught the CDs, she picked the Tom Wates CD and the journey continued.
I remarked that it was not common to see Chinese girls mixing with Irish people,
her reply was a classic
"Ming knows her mind, Chinese men are insecure and possessive, on top of that they have nothing much downstairs at all"
I have been laughing at this silently all week, thanks.

Income Tax all week, I will do next years tax through the year not at the last minute as I seem to do every year.

The government made me poor.

I went in to the Gravediggers pub for a pee the other day, I met a fellow taxi driver there but for a second I was not sure if it was him, he had lost 4 stone in weight, but he looked great! a younger slimmer man.
But when he got up later to get a drink he nearly fell flat on his face.
"Are you drunk" says I.
No he told me, he had picked up a virus and it attacked his central nervous system, he recovered but now has no feeling in his hands or feet.
He cannot work and he told me that he can't get any social welfare as he was self employed.
Worst of all the doctors don't really know what is wrong with him.

Yes we have got a third world government and a fourth world health service.

We should hold a revolution and chop their heads off.

On the work front there are special events like football and rugby matches which are keeping things going, but I am spending time fixing up the house and doing income tax at present.

There are so many taxis in Dublin now that a lot of people are in big trouble money wise.
It is hard to explain to your partner that you have been out working for 8 hours and have brought home only €65 and a fine of €80 and spent €20 on fuel!
The public have no sympathy.
But the Garda are starting to pull in taxis and ask for papers, some drivers without papers are being caught.
Some day soon they may catch cloned cars of which I believe there are many.

If you look back in this blog you might recall how there was a fight in Clontarf where a guy was being kicked by a group of youths who had stolen his wife's handbag.
The guy from the kebab shop phoned the Garda and I got stuck in and the youths scattered, the guy was beaten unconcious but came to after a few minutes. All was well and my son joined me and we decided not to wait any longer and turned on to the Clontarf Rd. An unmarked police car drove past us, lights flashing sirens blaring and stopped a car at the next lights,so I stopped in front of the car they had stopped and walked back. "The guy who was being beaten up is back there at the side of "Joeys" the lads are not far away you can catch them if you go back now".

I swear to God he said "We will go there after we process this driver"

Now perhaps if one of those guys involved in the mugging would have had a knife, what would the story be then?, there was no police response to my call and the only garda presence were only interested in a wayward motorist.

Well...............

Last Saturday night a young guy of 22 was kicked to death not 50 yards from that spot.
Were the boys in blue? in the "Perky Chick"? who knows

When I passed the spot I did see an ambulance and a taxi facing the wrong way, but I didn't see any police.

Today a young guy gave himself up, a moment of madness ends in tragedy for two famalies.

Evening Herald headline 4 Garda being investigated for drug gang involvement.

I gave you this before but I didn't know how to put it on the blog.
Just goes to show you..

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Football is good for taxis


Do you know what this is?
It's a diving bell one of the first ever built and was used in the construction of the port walls.

The arches near Merrion St.


The Heguenot graveyard Merrion St

Williams and Woods sweetmakers

Before you read this take a moment to say a prayer to your God for the safe return of the 2 aid workers who are being hed hostage in Africa. 100 days have now passed.
No ransom can be paid, if they pay the result will be that all humanitarian will have to end in Africa as no aid worker would be safe.
And you thought you had problems.

Tonight was the best night for years for taxis here in Dublin.
We had football against Italy, we were in the lead 5 minutes from the end but a quick goal made it a 2/2 draw. After the matrch we were hopping and as for myself I hardly got a chance to have a pee I was so busy.

Interesting people and a run to Bray with a young single parent who is so full of life and vigour that you felt fired up by her positive energy, she has a great job too but it is by no means easy as her daughters dad pays nothing towards the kids upkeep.(Bring him to judge Judy) I wish her the very best.
Her mum died when she was 12 and she started working at 16 and fending for herself since, a great person.

I rattled around Shankhill and Blackrock before I got back into town where the crowds were 60 deep at the Trinity rank.
I stopped and picked up there, what a mistake. Just because I felt sorry for them waiting. Complaints by the yard is what I got for my trouble.
Why do I feel sorry for these people? You pull up and take the first slobbering idiot at the head of the rank and they give you loads of abuse as to how they had been standing there for an hour. Nothing about how grateful they are that you picked them up when so many others had driven past.
Why do the others drive past?
Easy, you can see if a punter is able to stand up straight and if the don't have a mad look in their eye that's a bonus too. If you stop at the rank you don't have that choice.
I picked up 2 girls in Pierse St who were being kicked out of a taxi later on.
The driver thought they had no money. They were quite funny really. One of the girls claimed she had been robbed and she had been robbed last week too.The other girl went over the night in a logical fashion. "how much did you have leaving the house? It was €100 right? and you paid for the taxi in and 3 rounds of drink each, right? Sure that's nearly €100 there."
I won't bore you with the rest of the manic conversation, but suffice to say they won't save much money for their dowrey.

I see the Christmas puddings and cakes are in Aldi....Humbug!
When I left Aldi on Friday I did so with 2 girls in tow from Chili, I never met anyone from there..They got soaked and were looking for umbrellas, so I gave them a free lift down to the Omni center.
I don't mind doing a good turn for someone, though sometimes if can backfire on you.
On Friday I was heading home when a car beeps me on Nrth.Grt. Georges St. "Can yo direct me to the Enterprise car hire depot please?"The lights were going to change and I couldn't think for a second so I told him to follow me, Dame St., O'Connell St,Findlater Place,Upper Gardner St, Mountjoy Sq.,Fitzgibbon St into Jones's Rd.
He then flashed his lights at me when he saw the sign.
Hold on a second I thought, he will need a taxi to bring them to their hotel or the airport, so I did a u turn and came back.
The driver shook my hand and I asked if they would be needing my services further to take them anywhere. The driver said no that Enterprise had agreed to take them to the port and he just turned away.
I had not expected to receive a big bonus payment but €5 would have been nice, still, perhaps that is why I had such a great night tonight. Kismet.

Sometimes you wonder. A pilot told me she was heading to her plane and an old lady needed a hand, so she brought her all the way down to where the lady was going, then the pilot had to run to catch her plane, but what shocked her was that the lady didn't even say Thank You! Whats happening?
You know when you let out traffic and they don't give you a wave....Why bother?

Takes all sorts I suppose.

One of the questions I often ask is "What do you work at?"
Well I had an unemployed solicitor, a PA, A pilot 4 lots of students and an out of work diamond salesman. Remember the 4 Cs Colour Cut Clarity Carat
There is a lot to learn about that trade for sure, learn a bit more and you will always have a job.

I will have to make a trip to Manchester next week my cousin is dying from Cancer. I went to see him last week and he could hardly hold up his head.
I will go on the ferry with the car, airlines rob you when you try to take a flight at the last minute.
Take a look at the directions from the AA, they are pretty good, though not as clear as they were on the site.

Wonderful.



Holyhead Ferry Terminal, Isle Of Anglesey
To: Handforth, Wilmslow

Distance: 117.3 miles (show in km)
Time: 2 hr 13 min
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Start out on unnamed road
0.04
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Turn left
A55
0.15
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At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A55
0.26
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Turn right onto the A55
0.34
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At traffic signals turn left onto the A55
Signposted Bangor

0.47
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At roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A55
Signposted Bangor

0.53
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Travelodge (Holyhead) Travelodge - link opens a new window
21.21
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Britannia Bridge
25.02
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Travelodge (Bangor - Jct with A5) Travelodge - link opens a new window
32.07
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At Junction 15 roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A55
Signposted Conwy

32.93
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Pen-y-Clip Tunnels
34.92
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At Junction 16 roundabout take the 1st exit onto the A55
Signposted Conwy

36.13
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Warning: Speed Cameras along the A55 Speed camera - link opens a new window
36.42
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Penmaenmawr Tunnels
38.65
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Conwy Tunnel
A494
74.79
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Keep in right hand lane then continue forward onto the A494
Signposted Queensferry, Manchester M56

77.37
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Queensferry Bridge
A550
77.97
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Continue forward onto the A550
A5117
79.90
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Continue forward onto the A5117
M56
81.57
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Continue forward onto the M56
87.64
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Chester Service Area (Road Chef)
91.53
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101.42
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Lymm Service Area (MOTO) Travelodge - link opens a new window
101.47
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Continue forward on the M56
Signposted Manchester

A538
110.68
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Leave the M56 at junction 6, then at roundabout take the 3rd exit onto the A538
Signposted Wilmslow, Macclesfield

111.18
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Travelodge (Manchester Airport) Travelodge - link opens a new window
112.79
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At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto the A538
115.40
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Turn left onto the A538
B5166
115.75
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At roundabout take the 2nd exit onto Manchester Road - B5166
Signposted Handforth

116.01
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Continue forward onto Manchester Road
117.00
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Continue forward onto Manchester Road East
117.05
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Continue forward onto Wilmslow Road
B5358
117.13
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Continue forward onto Wilmslow Road - B5358
117.32
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Turn right onto Wilmslow Road Garage
117.34
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Arrive on Wilmslow Road Garage
Section time 2:13, Total time 2:13
About your route

This recommended route is designed as a guide to help you get to your destination safely and easily. If you find an error or omission, please let us know (routeplannerfeedback@theaa.com) so we can correct it for future users.

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Its amazing what they can do!

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Ships that pass in the night








(Look you can see the new bridge,Liberty Hall, the Custom House and the Spire)


Thursday saw me waiting for 3 girls to finish their cigarettes before I brought them to their sailing ship the Concordia, thanks to Google I found out more about it.She hails from Canada though there was no Canadian flag flying.

Training sailing ships are a great idea, far better than prisons in helping young people to cooperate and work together. Our very own training ship the Asgard 2 lies off the coast of France. People in the know tell me that she probably hit a container that had fallen off a pasing ship. They fall off ships all the time and float just under the surface of the water where they are invisible to radar or the naked eye.
Not the kind of thing you would expect.

Fair weather to all who sail, I see tropical storms around the Bahamas and in the East Indies too. Seeing as I didnot win the Lotto I will stay at home for another while.
The weekends sporting event ?
Ireland V Italy . Whatever will be will be, the futures not ours to see q.........

Our newest tourest attracion is open for business. The Wax Meusium in Foster place.

Monday, October 05, 2009

Beautiful Day

just found this clip again, so I will share it with you again.

And this other one as well from the roof of their Clarence Hotel.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Good girls go to heaven

May West.
Good taxi drivers,just like bad girls go everywhere.


Nottingham.

Chinese door to the Jade palace Cyprus.

Must go up there sometime.

Dublin

The Angel of the North Gateshead
We are getting one of Gormleys works soon.


Last week around 5.00 AM I was heading off to Manchester.

I hate the procedure involved in air travel. Imagine taking off your shoes and giving up your drinking water and after shave before passing through security.
Then they sell you water and after shave on the other side of the barrier.
So like many people I get up early and get it all over with.

The procedure has become so intense that you could be forgiven for not thinking that the airport people were there to assist you along your way.
Where in reality they behave more like prison guards.

An Italian lady was at the front of the line at the door where you proceed through to the metal detectors, she had a small girl with her of perhaps 3 years of age.
She had one boarding pass and she was not being let through.
Now there was a language problem, but what was going on was not as they say a text book method of behavior.
The DAA employee or whoever she worked for was pushing the woman back to one side and letting everyone else past. The staff at the gate just kept holding up 2 fingers and the Italian lady just kept showing her the passport and boarding card.

How you react to a situation varies but this is what I did.

I said nothing until I got through the doorway where there was a supervisor with a clipboard counting his staff. I collared him and told him that there was an Italian lady who needed help on the other side of the doorway and that the staff member was not helping her.
He told me it was not her job to help, if she helped someone then the line would stop moving.
I speak (About 6 languages) but not Italin so I cannot help her.

"I don't care what languages you speak, whether you help her in person is not my business but I bet it is your job to alert the correct person.
What is your name?"
At this point his lecture to me ended and he held his clipboard over his name badge. Then he went out to offer his assistance.
I did see her later at the departure gate and by her demeaner she had missed her flight.

What I should have done was to ask to look at her ticket and take them back to the desk, jumping right to the front of the queue and explain that the staff made a mistake with her ticket. Then bring her past the queue to the departures area trying to get an airport worker to take her over from me all the time.

A little bit of humanity was all that was needed.
Sadly it is a thing that is missing in todays world.

I remember this story told to me once.

After much delays a mother with a crying infant asked for some boiled water to make up her babies feed. The hostess (Now thats a joke right there) told her that that was not her job, but she would look after her in a while.
The mother started to cry and a man who was sitting next to her stood up and said MISS I will not sit down until you look after that hungry child. Then 20 others stood up as well, so they had to act.
The baby was looked after and the plane then took off.

I guess that we just allow ourselves to be pushed around so much that we forget that we have the option to stand up to bullies, but we seldom do.
A Rabbi told me that these thingsare being sent to test us. We should never regret how we acted at that time, the true test is how we act the NEXT TIME.

Well the Lisbon 2 treaty is through. Good or bad I don't know. it was a bit like a bowl of soup, good bits and bad bits but you had to eat it all or go hungry.

There were a good lot of bad bits in that treaty.

A good weekend we had rugby in the RDS and wrestling in the octagon cage at the O2, it brought people into town and now with the polling over we needed a bit of light releif.
Saturday night 4 women off on a multi drop around the city, one of the ladies spoke about how she was not one bit sorry for taxi drivers,looking at the row of taxi lights going up Wexford St., she remembered a time when she had to walk home after being out for a night.
The others tried to change the subject a few times, then I just said . "Anyone for no perticular reason at all can find themselves out of work and driving a taxi and people sometimes find that they are walking home more out of their attitude than for any other reason".The other 3 girls whooped in delight, "Are you getting out Marie?" She shut up then. But she gave me a big kiss on the cheek as she was getting out, "Sorry".
"Fair play John , she is a tough cookie, you stood up for yourself well"said one
One by one they got out until I arrived in Foxrock at a very posh detached house.
Just before we arrived the last girl started talking about how this recession was affecting her family. Her husband was a pilot and they might have to take the kids out of private fee paying school. I let her go on, but I wish I would have asked her if she had been to MABS (money and budgeting service) Did her husband loose his job? Did he walk out? I know a job that might suit her, but what the heck.(No,not as a hooker)

I am just the bum who drover her home to her €1.5 million home with 2 good cars in the drive, what would I know.






Oh yes sometimes things do not work out to plan.

The Germans really know how to sell cars

What do you mean?. You don't like Cuban music.


Who says they have no sense of houmour?






This is for the guy who "clicked with the chick" Then he went into the Esso in Ranelagh to buy condoms and came out with cream buns and crisps. En route she asked him to show her the condoms, but he hadn't bought them so she kicked him out.

Then she said" why are all the clever men taxi drivers"?

Friday, October 02, 2009

Turkeys not just for Christmas










A taxi thinks he would become invisable by taking off his roof sign, he wasw jeered all the way down the street.


Qoeues for the second day for part time Christmas jobs, yesterday people queued around the block. All well qualified people too.


At the time of wrting taxis are blocking one lane each way on O'Connell St and the Garda are not letting any other taxis down the street.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Taxi protest.





Today was another protest day for the nations taxi drivers.

They came from the four corners ot Ireland, but all in all it was not well supported.

Many people that I spoke to said that they knew nothing about the strike.

a Driver from Galway told me that a big story is about to break about forged taxis operating in their city. The scale and extent of the fraud took the investigating Garda by surprise he said.

RTE report on the day.

O'Connell St re-opens after taxi protest
watch Thursday, 1 October 2009 20:35

O'Connell Street in Dublin has reopened to traffic after widespread disruption earlier today due to a protest by taxi drivers.

More than one hundred drivers are still parked along O'Connell Street in protest at worsening working conditions.

They say they will continue overnight, or until the Transport Minister Noel Dempsey addresses their concerns, if necessary.
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Buses and cars are now passing through the street, but taxi drivers not participating in the action are being prevented from accessing the street.

From lunchtime to 7pm, O'Connell was closed both ways to all vehicles due to the protest.

The taxi drivers are protesting against what they say are worsening conditions in the industry.

The Irish Taxi Council says taxi drivers have travelled from Waterford, Galway and other areas to take part in today's demonstration.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said the Taxi Regulator is compiling a report with recommendations on the next steps for the industry. The move follows a recent public consultation.

Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins joined the protest and called on Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to meet the drivers' representative.

He said the Minister should, 'accede to the simple and straightforward request of the Irish Taxi Council's president Frank Byrne to meet and discuss the plight faced by drivers trying to earn a basic income'.

Earlier in the day, the Commission for Taxi Regulation has released a statement saying the taxi market is now liberalised and therefore there are no quantitative controls on the number of operators.

It added that the Commission was committed to reform, including raising the overall standards required to get a taxi licence.

Gardaí said that a separate protest about a different issue in Dublin Port was planned for tomorrow and that traffic will be disrupted from around 3.30pm to 6.30pm in and around the port area.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1001/taxis.html

One point that they seem to be missing is that taxis operating illegally have a great advantage over the legal ones.

If you have 10 cars at a rank, some will make a living.
Now we have 200 more + illegals all competeing for the same amount of work.

NOW THERE IS A PROBLEM.

saying "the taxi market is now liberalised and therefore there are no quantitative controls on the number of operators"

THIS STATEMENT IS OF NO HELP, WE NEED ACTION AND DIALOGUE.