Last night just after midnight, I arrived on the Tiger Tiger rank to be greeted by the usual sight of a line of Private Hire Vehicles forming their illegal tout rank, in a 24 hour bus lane and on a Licensed Taxi Rank. I tried to phone Westminster Parking Services, but was unable to get through due to a technical problem at their end. I spotted a passing policeman and just as I was about to ask him to move the touts on, right behind him, the driver of the blue Peugeot Glx R737 HGS approached two members of the public leaving the club and asked as bold as brass;
"Do you want a TAXI"
The officer watched as the two passengers were escorted to the car and placed inside. The policeman then said to the driver;
"Stand over there mate while I speak to your passengers". He then asked the two to get out of the touts car.
As the officer spoke to the passengers, the driver ran off. The two passengers then flagged down a passing Taxi and were taken away.
By now the other touts were speeding off like the start of Le Mans.
As I stood and spoke to the officer the tout came back with another man wearing an ID photo card round his neck who said he was the controller for Tiger Tiger. He explained to the officer that this driver worked for the night club onAnon and was licensed to pick up passengers. The Policeman asked why he had touted passengers from Tiger Tiger.
The first tout went into a hissy fit shouting he was sorry and wouldn't do it again, but was calmed down by the second tout.
The tout controller said it is recognised practice that when a club is busy it phones other venues and gets cars sent round to be put on stand by.
Just as I felt the officer was about to caution the driver and arrest him for touting the worst possible thing happened;
Someone shouted that a fight had broken out inside the club.
The Officer turned to me and said "Sorry mate I've got to deal with this, its more important" and off he went.
The first tout jumped into his minicab and was off and the controller walked away laughing. Because I thought the officer was going to arrest the tout, in the melee that ensued I forgot to make a note of the policeman's number.
In future I must make this a priority.
How can this keep happening night after night?
Where are the TOCU squad?
How do they justify their budget?
Joe Royle should hang his head in shame. Since he has been in charge of the "Tout Squad", the situation has dramatically deteriorated.
Click on image for enlargement
Photos by Jim Thomas
When dealing with problems similar to this, it is not advisable to get out of your vehicle. These touts can and do turn violent, I have been assaulted on more than one occasion in the past.
If possible wait for a Police officer or try phoning Westminster Parking services on; 020 7823 4567 and press option 5.
Jim mate you got to stop putting yourself in danger.
ReplyDeleteIf we lose you, we will have no one left to lead our fight for survival.
All the other so called leaders have got their hands firmly in the till!
Im sorry Jim, but i feel other drivers are letting us down. I have worked all over the christmas period and have made a point of ranking outside Tiger Tiger and most of the time have been the only licensed taxi there surrounded by touts and miniscabs. Untill we start servicing this rank properly then the scabs will carry on taking liberties.
ReplyDeleteChris
Great work Jim.
ReplyDeleteDizzy.
jim,this is our problem other events overtake what we see to be off concern to us, i know my daughter is in the job,and believe me she and other plods hate it as much as we do.the up and coming kipper is the time for cab enforcement to make an impact.if joe royal and his team cant do it then god help us,
ReplyDeletei was in covent garden tonight just looking,the amount of scabs just cruising through looking was unbelievable. i think this kipper is going to be serious,as we know these people come from Countries with not much regard for the law and tfl/pco just want the license money as for cab enforcement well im not going to hold my breath.
The only way at Tiger Tiger is to have it as a 'going home rank or at least put a camera up. WCC will be keen to collect the £££
ReplyDeleteWhat is Bob Oddy, Barry Hooper, John Thomas, Richard Masset and Steve Mac doing ?
ReplyDeleteWhat is Grant Davis and Darryl Cox doing ? oooops following the Bob and the Unite lot ?
What is Unite doing ? eeeerrrrr they are following Bob Oddy Too.....!
Wake up you mugs before you end up following this bunch of losers straight down the dole office because this lot couldn't give a toss they only care for stand down pay and fat salaries oh and of course the photo shoot with civil servants that give you lot the impression they are doing something when the simple answer is things have got worse since feb the 5th 2009 not better....
Have you all noticed the latest trend in taxi advertising, not only are rickshaws advertising massage palours now one of the trade papers is to. Do any of these people actually think how their wives or girl friends must feel about this.
ReplyDeleteWhat about women members of this particular organisation.
It seems some put adverts for anything above standards in society and this trade and yet TFL place this publication on display for members of the public to pick up and then invite this organisation in for talks.
Why doesnt TAXI carry adverts for Flightlinks or its part owned PHV service on Com Cab?
ReplyDeleteNo space of course as they are advertisng the time date & place of the LTDA members meetings including agenda & minutes of the latest BoM meeting.
Opps sorry it's 1st Jan not 1st April!
Anon and Travis B,
ReplyDeleteThe trade associations must start to look at the format of the adverts they carry in trade publications.
Knocking shops, massage parlours and lap dancing establishments make these papers look more like pimp cards.
What next Prostitute phone numbers?
Surely there are companies who want to advertise in our trade journals that are not connected to the sex trade.