Cablog

Cab reform

I was going to do an in-depth analysis of Transport Minister, Michael Costa's decision to adopt the recommendations of the Cook report into taxi reform. But honestly, it bores me to tears. Sorry. I just go to work as a small business and work as hard as possible, then go home. Period. Otherwise, the politics of cabs shit me. Maybe I'll try later...

Sure, there are regulatory obstacles, but Costa seems to be focused on removing these. Good luck to him. Needless to say there are forces and vested interests in the cab industry which are beyond my comprehension. For the latest changes, not necessarily new, go here. And don't slam the bloody door !

Blog power

Did Sydney blogger, Tim Blair have a hand in delivering Ohio to George Bush ? After all, it was he who suggested, albeit with a throwaway line, that British newspaper The Guardian organise its readers to spam voters in one of the battleground states, with a view to changing their votes to John Kerry. An exercise which has now famously backfired as a result of the Guardian's hairbrain email campaign.

The results in Clark County? Al Gore won the county by 1% in 2000. John Kerry lost the county by 2%, just shy of 2,000 votes, this time.

Tim's post and comment box would seem to confirm this. Doh !

CABPOLL Summary

I formally kicked off the election CABPOLL three weeks ago. Prior to that I’d been doing casual reports on passenger's views. However, once the media became interested I was inspired to have a serious go.

It was never my intention to garnish pure voting numbers, looking for an empirical result per se, but rather to gauge what issues were exercising the minds of passengers. In order of priority, they were concerned over,

- Mark Latham’s relative youth, temperament and inexperience
- economic management, in particular interest rates
- fixing a dysfunctional health system
- security, plus foreign policy regarding the UN and US, though not Iraq
- the provision of decent education opportunities

On this basis one could be forgiven for thinking the election is a referendum on Mark Latham...

CABPOLL 11

It is with much relief I present my final election CABPOLL taken last night in the hack. From the word go, it was shiftus interruptus. My cab was having a service so I kicked off with the ‘dog’ for a couple of hours, before changing vehicles around 8 pm. Heaven in this game is a familiar cab and friendly passengers.

An indication of my weariness with this CABPOLL is the undisciplined inclusion of some non-political fares. I’m just dying to get back to personal passenger stories...

Choice

Yesterday afternoon, I found myself in the seat of Bennelong, Man of Steel territory. Unfortunately for my image library, I noted an absence of electioneering posters around Gladesville. These three were the only ones I found. Could not find one poster for Uncle John. Did he elect not to poster ? Who cares. In the end it's just pollution.

CABPOLL 10

After yesterdays spray over cabbie bashing, I’ve decided to conduct my next CABPOLL surveying women passengers, of whom 33 percent feel vulnerable in taxis at night. Fortunately it won’t be as intensive as this election survey, which has eliminated the opportunity for personal passenger stories.

Honestly, this election CABPOLL is boring me and I wish it were over. Actually it will be tonight, as I now have Thursday night off work, as well as Friday. On Friday I’ll present a summary of CABPOLL plus a few observations...

CABPOLL 9

Starting late, just on dark, I cart a 40 something couple from Rozelle to Fox Studios. They’re off to see the circus. I’ve often wondered - is a circus with no animals, a circus... No matter, they’re definitely not going to the Sleaze Ball !

For him (he does all the talking) the difference between the parties is, ‘not so much specific but an overall management difference’. Then in a breathtaking contradiction, nominates the economy as why he’ll be voting for the Coalition. ‘Too many people consider good economic conditions are automatic’, he states, ‘especially salary earners. You see them on the buses and trains, going to and from work, or in their offices looking like robots. They don’t think’...

Not a CABPOLL

This is not a CABPOLL due to a rare night off work. Though the election campaign is unavoidable at the moment, so here goes. Last night I caught Labor's policy launch on both radio and television. On ABC's Lateline I watched Labor sex-symbol, Julia Gillard using the term, ‘a Latham Labor government...’. There’s something catchy about the term, ‘Latham Labor’ - okay then, let’s just call him, ‘La La’.

La La looked good launching Labor's campaign, presidential even, as he stoked the fires for the True Believers. Given it’s been a long time between drinks, they might as well enjoy it while they can. I liked his direct method of delivery, without a tele-prompter it seemed...

CABPOLL 8

Driving through the electorate of Wentworth last night, I stopped and took an image of our Mal on a telegraph pole. Unfortunately it doesn't do him justice but if you go to his website you'll find him relaxing at Bronte Beach. Centrebet has him favourite at $1.55.

I quizzed a few drivers at the cabwash last night regarding talk in their cabs. The consensus had a Howard win coupled with general disinterest, reported by a couple of Premier drivers, out in the Parramatta district. I intend to conduct further driver quizzes over future CABPOLLs. Heard a radio interview with the manager of Centrebet who reported someone had plonked $200,000 on the Coalition, firming their odds to $1.28 and easing Labor out to $3.30.

CABPOLL 7

Last week in CABPOLL 4, I made the point the Coalition, who appeared to have enough momentum for victory, should not consider the election a foregone conclusion. I still hold that view. For them to salute the judge, the Roy and HG skit springs to mind. This has the jockey beating the conveyance to a pulp, so that it barely staggers over the line, a pulsing heart and little else.

One thing I would say - if it wasn’t for our resilient economy, you could put down the glasses now for the Coalition would have their heads kicked-in on the home straight. Personally, I don’t want Latham to win. Not that I don’t believe in him, but for mine, he’s three years early. Later, with his rough edges knocked off and the Left under control, he can shape up to the Mad Monk, who also needs three more years for the same reasons. This should herald a golden age of Australian politics.

But I digress, on with the latest CABPOLL...