Dear John Mason....By Thomas the Taxi

I must first start by pointing out the fact that the Anderson shelter is not a trade representative org, but simply a blog that seeks to inform Taxi drivers on what's happening within the trade in general.

Director of LPH John Mason

We are not a public forum and do not ultimately speak for any trade body or org in particular. We allow most comments sent in as long as they contain no unwarranted personal attacks or profanities. This facility is sometime used by certain trade orgs members to bring discord and to spread malicious gossip for political gain. We keep an eye on multiple comments sent in from a singular source and sometimes feel the need to remove. While we allow most comments, we would point out that the opinion of the poster would not always be the same opinion of the editorial staff. 
This would be the same for almost all on-line blogs.


We get most of our content from other trade blogs, papers (both trade and national) and forums, plus we invite drivers to contribute. We have always had the policy that if our posts are proved to be inaccurate we will of course change or remove, which we have done on a recent post after receiving your email.


Although we made minor adjustments and posted your email, you still seem intent on insulting the integrity of the editorial staff.
The tone of virtually every email you've sent us is unacceptable from a man who holds such a prestigious office. You even had the audacity to copy me in to an email you sent one of your junior officers saying I was nothing to worry about, just a old father Christmas look a like.

Who's watching the Watchers?

The incident that took place outside Palestra showed poor judgement on your behalf and we feel justified to re post the UCG article.
We also note that in your recent email you failed to answer a single question.
How diplomatic of you John!


New York police officer, Frank Serpico, once famously said;
"How much does it have to be, before it is wrong and perceived as a bribe, $1...$100...$1,000.?


To stand in the street and receive a brown envelope and a bag stuffed with diaries was extremely poor judgement on your behalf and that of the LTDA. These items should have been dispatched and received though the correct channels. We would have never seen this behaviour from Ed Thomson or Roy Ellis.


Before posting the article from the UCG website, I personally contacted the Chairman and Vice Chair of the RMT, who both confirmed the destination and content of the Mayors letter from Bob Crow. 
Bob Crow would only take the trouble to write to a politician on a matter of this importance, not a glorified office boy. 
I also spoke to people who were outside Palestra, who confirmed they saw you give an orange LTDA bag to a woman who was standing with a group of new Taxi drivers on finals day.


We understood, after talking to an LCDC member that Mr Davis attended the meeting with the mayor, as he should have as part of the UTG, along with a senior member of Unite the union. But if we take your word that only Mr Oddy was there to represent the trade, this would have serious implications that the Mayor and TfL are now only consulting with the LTDA.


John, you seem to spend so much time questioning the accuracy of my blog and yet for the last two years, the LTDA's Taxi magazine has printed insults and lies about the RMT and are now attacking the UCG in the same way...Yet, not one single word from you, just constant support for this one org above all the others, even to the extent of accrediting them with the achievements of others...seems strange John.

After all, are you not supposed to be impartial?


In the same vein, questions must be asked as to how a director of a large private hire owned company can impartially represent the Licensed Taxi trade on the board of TfL. Surely there is a conflict of interest!