It didn't take long before the rule book went out the window and open touting became the norm at many night venues. Licenses were sold off like sweets to anyone with the necessary fist full of dollars.
Licensed by TfL, the general public believed the lines of cars outside clubs and bars were legitimate after all, even the press had started to refer to these vehicles as Taxis...so they must be legal.
The legitimate licensed Taxi trade started to see a massive decline in night work.
The Met officer in charge of the TOCU squad Joe Royal, took one look at the legislation and said this is completely unenforceable and promptly resigned. Not long after Joe's departure, the TOCU squad were disbanded.
Most night men carried on regardless, driving round with their light on and their head in the sand, hoping for the odd raised hand.
A couple of dozen militant drivers stepped forward shouting, "Enough's Enough" and took on the touts at their own game. By ranking (most on the time illegally) in front of, or beside the touts, and work was clawed back. Night passengers had become fed up with the exorbitant prices being charge by the touts. There were many incidents and some nasty moments. The subject of touting was elevated in the trade media, but sadly, drivers seemed reluctant to help out on ranks.
We just turned up, ranked up....we were taking the work back, it was easy!
One thing that came out if this action was the trade blog "The Anderson Shelter" reporting to drivers who were lucky enough to have a PC or laptop. Many drivers had mobiles and we kept in touch mainly by text. We then read updates from on nights endeavours on the London Taxi Drivers Forum on our computers, when we got home.
It was hit and miss most of the time but became addictive to those involved. There were victories and new ranks started to appear in Cranbourne Street, Hanover Square, Tiger Tiger, Coventry Street, Charing Cross Road and later, Nobu on Berkeley Street.
With the invent of the smart phone, using social media apps like Twitter and FaceBook, the group found a better way to communicate and now had a name, the Twitter Action Group (TaG).
The trade was reenergised and TaG encouraged night-men to start reusing the rank in the middle of Regent Street at Swallow Street Arch where touting was rife.
But as the summer season kicked in and the work picked up, night drivers became complacent again and their militancy dissipated. Again, the ranks became overrun by touts, door staff took on the roll of the old clipboard Johnny, working hand in hand with regular touts. And so for the next few years it went round in circles. When the Arabs were here, we went back to bad habits...in the kipper, we tried harder and fought back....but it was still easy
Last year as the work dried up due to the influx of the new enemy, a major boost to the night Taxi trade came in the shape of the Mayfair and Shoreditch Mobs who had amazing success, reclaiming ranks and getting new ones implemented. We seemed to be struggling like never before. Basically there was work there but many driver had to change the way they worked. Ranks became the corner stone of our modus operandi....and yet, it was still pretty easy.
Then easy stopped....Work levels are down to all time lows, you don't need me to remind you of this. It's sole destroying sitting on a rank outside a restaurant to see customers exit, phone in hand, waiting in the wind and rain for a car to pull up.
It just doesn't seem to make sense. These people having spent a small fortune on fish and chips, are now looking to save £3 off a ride home.
Surge pricing, accounts being hacked, ridiculously round about routs, even an increase in sexual attack on females and now mass murder by drivers are not impacting on Uber's business model.
The trade has been seriously impacted and carrying on regardless is no longer an option
Taxi Leaks warned "Men are coming to kill us".
We also warned "Men are here now killing us".
Now we are shouting from the rooftops, we are in the last chance saloon, we have one last chance before we are killed off...and so far, only 2,710 have heard the call to put their money were their mouths are. Unless this trade takes TfL to court, we will soon be an ex trade like the miners, the printers, the steel workers the dockers. Killed off by complacency and apathy.
The solution has been handed to you the driver in a plate. You don't have to do the hard work all you have to do is put your hand in your pocket and come up with £25 a head....but time is running out.
TfL, The Government and Uber are laughing at you. They believe you are too stupid to take the only road left open to save your future.
We are two thirds of the way through the time allotted and have only raised one third of what is needed. No more thinking about this it's time to act.
What could be simpler?
Your future, your livelihood is solely in your hands today...tomorrow will be too late. You no longer have the luxury of time.
Pledge your support now, don't put it off any longer and let's get TfL in court to answer for what they've done to us.
JUST CLICK THE LINK BELOW.
DO IT NOW...IT ONLY TAKES TWO MINUTES.
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