About 50

Gearoid,
Great comment.

I’m amazed the PC Brigade haven’t savaged you yet for speaking the truth

Yet :p

I tried to include what I assume is their perspective without attacking it. PC versions of tolerance just don’t cut it in the real world.

A lot of the talk about tolerance, sensitivity and inclusion is has a covert piece of everything it’s trying to solve. It’s the best that can be arranged by that level of awareness. The word ‘level’ there ought to take care of that ‘yet’ :p

no Geroid, he made an intelligent informed comment, a little different, !

Relatively intelligent and informed. Also relatively partial.

I tried to speak to what I see as both sides of that. It’s ok if you don’t agree with the less complimentary one.

At the height of the celtic tiger this would be a non issue, we just could’nt get enough of them into our great little country,ah sure are’nt the great the “new irish” i belive is what ye called them,now things not so good,lets snub them.Most of these foreign taxi drivers have irish born children who will remember this.Patriotism the last resort for scoundrels.

Actually we couldn’t get enough Eastern European citizens into the country, because they were skilled workers and tradesmen, many already part of the EU. If you will remember in 2004 a referendum was held to restrict the rights of non-national parents of children born in Ireland as they were automatically entitled to citizenship. mothers were coming over in their droves from certain countries just before they were due to give birth. They would then fly back after the child was born with an Irish citizenship in hand. The next step was then to claim welfare and benefits.

A large proportion of Irish taxi drivers rent their taxi out to other Irish drivers with no criminal checks rte did an exposé that uncovered high rates of organised criminal gang involvement and taxis being used to launder drug money so there is an element of risk in getting into any taxi. Racism is inherent in most these post and it is very disturbing that rescission seems to have legitimised racism and xenophobia

Orla, I dont think it EVER legitimises it at all but it will always be there. I have mates working in Southern Sudan and Uganda and they get abuse every day but theyve accepted it.
Here, we have 60-70,000 irish emigrating this year and yet 30,000 from abroad are coming in to the country so people are getting angry. In yesterdays journal there was an article that said over half the population of north Dublin wasnt irish. People do not like nor want this so when something like this is confirmed for people, they are going to react. How have irish people become a minority in parts of our own capital city? how did that happen and how is a fifth of our population foreign born? What are these visas being given out for/ jobs in amusement arcades,Spar, McDonalds, waitressing? It will get much worse as the recession gets worse and I feel that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Yes, and even more so that you have to ask

Oh, now this is interesting.

I don’t think it’s as simple as crying ‘sexist’ in a society which is statistically, inherently dangerous to women. Avoiding risk (and fear, in a climate which drums up paranoia and places all responsibility on the women who must keep safe, rather than educating the men who might harm them… http://www.taxisafety.info/) seems to make sense, and perhaps is therefore prudent, or at least responsive rather than sexist to get female cab drivers and pretty much negate your fear of rape…

However, is it the same to want to avoid non-Irish drivers because they don’t know the city/say sexist things/you want to give money to Irish people in Ireland only (ie come over here taking our jobs etc)? Hmm…

i couldnt care less. id always support my home team anyway.

Yes, and that’s his customer makes the choice. Is the customer not always right?

Taking our women too? Might explain my romantic predicament. Why didn’t I get the memo?

To the aptly named JibberishIrish. Why don’t we have black people sit at the back of the bus? Why can’t we have separate wash rooms? I mean, now that we can have separate taxi drivers. It’s amazing how the Irish have become so uninhibited when it comes to making overtly racist remarks.

Makes no odds to me. I can’t afford to use taxi’s.

haha howard i am in rural ireland, lucky to get one at all

That doesn’t make you racist, Cpm. What makes you racist is that you perceive those qualities form African drivers, but not Irish. I’ve had all those negative experiences from Irish drivers. Sure in Dublin a few years ago they’d pull up across the road from the packed ranks at 2 in the morning and wait for someone to go and offer them double fair to skip the queue.

My perceptions are based on my experiences.

Cpm don’t even bother you can’t argue with people like that. The type of people that tell you a blackboard is called a chalkboard but are still happy to call a marker-board a whiteboard, i.e. PC nazis.

Lots of chalkboards are green. Just saying, maybe it’s not all “PC gone mad”

the colour of an inanimate object in the use of an argument about racism really does show your level of ignorance

Paul: Touché.
Emma: Believe it or not this how a teacher explained to us how not to be racist. She said we can’t call it a blackboard because that was racist to black people and proceeded to tell one of lads to write a sum on the whiteboard. Either a complete dumbass or playing tricks with the kids.

a complete dumbass if you ask me, the colour of inanimate objects is not in any way relative to racist remarks about people,

Just as I thought. I think that some people want to be observed as tolerant that much that they almost appear racist to their own race (if that’s possible) and from a lot of comments here accompanies the generalisation that all Irish taxi drivers are racist slobs. This I find comical.

They don’t let you skip! I did that once out of ignorance, and the driver sent me back to the top.

Well this very news site you are commenting on broke the story and asked him (i.e. the Minister for Transport) for his opinion.

true,I never thought of it that way I will avoid the green lights from now on!!
yes they should be regulated, as any service should be where people are alone with others etc, nationality should not even come into it

Should we ban drivers from putting up irish flags during the football? Would that be racist for them to fly the flag of their own country?

that is not even relevant in this , supporting a team does not compare to blatantly advertising your nationality to attract those who chose not to use a particular race for a service based on their prejudices, that is a highly ridiculous and unintelligent comparisson

Hows about i only get into a cab because the driver is irish and id like to talk to him about our match that day? Is that still racism?>

HAHA is this Ciara one for real? I think thee protest too much, many attempts to defend a racist attitude is increasing my opinion to the contrary.keep digging.

Hi Anise! Great to have you here, bless!
Im actually just trying to suss out how people work. Most who prefer to use irish taxis drivers is due to experiences they have had and not just because someone doesnt look irish so I’ll stop digging when i hit something interesting.

haha, errm no it is stating where it originated for economical purposes, this argument has been tried , tested and failed, no comparison, nice try though

Emma for economical purposes? And why do you bloody think I’m Talking about giving my money to the Irish taxi driver. I’d rather do that. It’s my choice. Doesn’t mean I want to smack the head or name call other races. That’s the way the world works honey. Your lost but too busy trying to sound educated. I know your kind.

Wha?

There’s a fine line between being proud to be Irish, and being a narrow minded nationalist bigot. By all means take pride in all things Irish, but not to the exclusion of other people.

Indeed, stupidity and racism are never far apart, Anna

so when Ireland play Spain in the Euros we can’t cheer for Ireland incase Leo Dipshit thinks it’s anti-Spanish? Someone should tell that dope to get a grip, I’m Irish… And Proud… And do actually have a t-shirt that says so… Am I a racist?

Jason, that argument makes no sense and not relevant here at all, the level of stupidity here this evening is immense, but as El said, stupidity and racism are never far apart!

How does the argument make no sense Emma? I don’t accept that little green lights are racist and its really the interpretation of the client / customer / passenger. To me it means an Irish Driver, with Irish knowledge of the city not a blow in who couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag.

On the same note isn’t it identical to the Guaranteed Irish symbol? example: Guaranteed Irish cornflakes on the shelf beside foreign cornflakes, both are the same price, both taste the same – which do you choose and why? Of course the Irish ones – does this make you racist?

This is copied direct from http://www.guaranteedirish.ie/faqs.htm
1. What is Guaranteed Irish?
Guaranteed Irish is a private, non-profit organisation which was established in 1984 to promote Irish goods and services.

2. What is the strength of Guaranteed Irish?
Irish companies have developed a reputation for quality. Validated research also keeps telling us that consumers like buying Irish products and dealing with Irish based companies. Shoppers know that when they buy a product or service featuring the Guaranteed Irish logo they are supporting Irish companies and safeguarding Irish jobs. That makes it an important, powerful device.

All taxi drivers are self employed – they are their own little micro business – isn’t it the choice of the client as to who he/she gets in a taxi with? It’s called freedom of choice so let’s not take that away or confuse Irishness with racism…

Jesus tap-dancing-christ- Of course we’re allowed say we are Irish, can people stop making ridiculous arguments about this.

There is a difference between having pride in your country and using a signal to alert people that the guy driving a cab is not black.

Does no one get this? I feel like i’m taking goddamn crazy pills today.

And Jason, for the 5,000th time today- the guaranteed Irish argument is a complete nonsense. The Guaranteed Irish symbol supports and promotes Irish business in the face of foreign multi-national companies who spend no money in our economy and expatriate profits etc etc.

All taxis on Irish roads are Irish by definition. They pay Irish road tax, insurance and income taxes. Amazingly enough the drivers may have families here that the need to support.

exactly Cliff, which takes me back to my comment on the level of stupidity here!

once again Jason, a futile argument, not one word of what you said has any relevance whatsoever to the point here, that of the fact that taxi drivers are signaling they are of a particular race , therefore claiming superiority to other races and encouraging those who chooses prejudice themselves when using a cab, the argument about the GI is so far away from this topic ,you obviously have o idea about economics whatsoever, we need to buy GI products to prevent all our resources being exported, ,

Cliff me good man…. it is the choice of the client who he / she gives his / her money to. Taxi driving now is dog eat dog. 10 years ago there were 3000 regulated taxis, now there are 14,000 unregulated taxis all fighting for the same small pool of clients. The same pool which is getting smaller due to the recession. If an Irish guy thinks he’ll get more business advertising he is Irish then good on him. Same goes for a Nigerian. If a Nigerian wants to put a big effin lampost on his car with a big effin N for Nigeria and he gets more passengers from the Nigerian community then fair play to him too. Why can’t people see this is just a way to get one up on the competitor like in any other business?

I for one am glad for those green lights/shamrock stickers on taxis. Now I know which bigots not to give my money to – and I will avoid them LIKE THE PLAGUE.

and for your information Emma, the Guaranteed Irish symbol was indeed found to be racist by the EU back in 1982 and the Irish Govt were banned from financing it so it was “put” into “private” hands to promote Irish goods. Where does this PC crap end?

So basically Jason, you’re saying that in tough economic times it’s ok to be a racist?

Some other places tried that in the past. It didn’t work out so well for a lot of people.

Once again to Jason- the Guaranteed Irish symbol was NOT found to be racist. The EU held that individual member states could not directly promote their own products as it might give an unfair advantage to them over other countries.

Nice try though.

I know lots of people in different trades and businesses around the country that make it very clear in their advertisements that they are Irish and there is no law against that.I don’t see why us, as strangers and customers, should tell some taxi driver (who we don’t know and who pays for his cab himself) how he should adorn his vehicle.Its none of my business.If you don’t like the fact he has a green light,simply don’t use the cab. Myself, I got a business card from a driver I found to be reasonable on price and who was sound, and I solely use that cab driver.He is Irish.I personally like to think my money is going to an Irish man supporting an Irish family in situ in Ireland.I know he knows the lay of the land (from journey times!)and as I pointed out, he is good on price.If he cant take the trip I go to whoever is at the top of the q (as per the rules, Irish or not!)but I’m not gonna tell another man trying to make a living (in a recession) what to do with his own car.That’s his choice..fail or win! I wouldn’t want him dictating to me.

The country is nearly bankrupt, we are a cog in the Euro machine which is falling apart, and yet our govt have time to come on the news to say this is racism. Bollix to that. Well said the taxi driver who asked if the pound of sausages with the guaranteed irish symbol was racist. And, there was no need for this story to get this profile. If the foreign drivers felt it was a problem they could simply put up same green signs. A week later the green signs would be meaningless. Now Leo get back to fixing the bloody country

Jason your argument re Guaranteed Irish etc is futile. If we were to use the Guaranteed Irish symbol the way taxi drivers are using these green lights, your box of cornflakes would have to have individual symbols per cornflake indicating if that particular cornflake was made by an Irish person. Whats next we put green lights on buses so we can decide what bus to get? As for Irish taxi drivers knowing the direct routes, they also know how to take three mile detours when picking up “tourists” from the airport.

@ Jason corbally & Anna barton

Anna: Take a deep breath, then talk some sense!

Jason: Are you for real? Flying the Irish flag at a football match is completely different. These taxi drivers should put their hands up and admit as to why they really had the green light. They’ll give good decent Irish taxi drivers a bad name. Idiots!

I’m going to buy only Irish now ‘cos we can be fine without having anything to do with dem foreigners. So from now on I’m only drinking irish wine and champagne, eating Irish takeaways, such as McDonnels, not McDonalds, Irish Pizzas, drinking only Irish tea and coffee, Irish orange juice….eating Irish potatoes……I could go on. Only for the influence of foreigners on Ireland, we’d still be eating grass and drinking water.

The only thing certain in Dublin are debt and taxis……

We’re German now.

what’s stopping all the non national drivers puttig a green light on their taxi also ??

…and nearly all men too

He’s half Indian, half Irish???

Hear hear! It wasn’t the foreigners that wrecked Ireland- we did that all by ourselves.

ever had a bad experience with an Irish taxi driver? there was an Irish taxi driver sent to jail last week for being in the real IRA and extorting money from people….best avoid the Irish drivers too…….

of course you are free to choose who you want to drive you home…as am I free to tell you your reasoning is based on xenophobia at least….. if not a dash of racism

Look what this Irish taxi driver did…..do you think all Irish taxi drivers are rapists?

http://m.brne.ws/ireland/taxi-driver-fails-in-rape-appeal-531720.html

So if you dont like Irish drivers, get into a foreign drivers taxi! See, everyones a winner!

no I have never had a bad experience with an Irish taxi driver and neither has anyone I have ever known, yet quite a few people I know and have known have had trouble with non national drivers. I never once said Irish taxi drivers are perfect, but based on facts I have heard from people about experiences with non nationals they are the better of the two. Thats my opinion and I’m entitled to it, if I feel safer and better with an Irish taxi driver then thats who I’m going to get because I’m paying them and I deserve to be able to make that choice. As I said before I work with mostly non nationals and I get on with and respect them and have no problem with any one of them, so nobody could say I’m a racist just because I prefer Irish taxi drivers. That would be like saying a woman who prefers to date Irish men over non nationals is racist, you can’t say someone is racist because they have a certain preference on ONE thing. Sure, theres a possibility they could be racist, but you cant say for sure based on their preference of only one thing.

You misspelled blatent.

And so did I *facepalm*

Thanks, I should’a listened more in class,oh and must cease with the txt writing

Choosing not to get into a taxi because of someone’s nationality – whether they are white or black, Asian, Latino or whatever, is RACIST. There is absolutely no doubt at all about that and anyone who denies that does not understand what racism means.

It is not good enough to say that a customer has the right to choose who offers to drive them home, because unless you know all the drivers personally, you will not know whether someone is a good driver, a good person or a rip-off just by knowing their nationality.

HOWEVER, while I find many of the comments here deeply offensive, racist and stupid, I would make one point in defense of those who are unhappy with the current situation and wish to be able to choose who drives them home. There is clearly a problem with oversupply of taxis, in Dublin city at least, and a related problem of non-compliant operators. There are many old and unsuitable cars on the road also. These are facts that have been established in a recent Government report on Taxi Regulation Review. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that many of the non-compliant operators are new arrivals to the business and are more likely to be new arrivals to Ireland. The sooner the Government sorts out this mess and improves regulation of the industry, the better for all.

But, despite what I have just written, there is NO place for green lights in a tolerant society. Let people make their own decision on who to travel with based on the look of the car or their assessment of the driver by all means, but devices which identify drivers as being Irish only are totally racist.

And for those who justify green lights by recalling “Buy Irish” or “Guaranteed Irish” campaigns, this is one of the most ridiculous arguments I have ever read. Green lights are clearly aimed to distinguish between Irish PEOPLE and non-Irish PEOPLE. Guaranteed Irish campaigns are aimed at saving jobs in Irish companies, where the people working may be Irish, Polish or any other nationality. They are, therefore, not racist (even if the Government is prohibited from running such campaigns on competition grounds, and they are now run as private campaigns by Industry representatives).

I’m not agreeing with it but would someone not have the right to hire a cab with any particular group they liked? Just as they would to pick a blue cab over a red one.

The real problem is you want to feel safe and that the driver knows how to get you to where you’re going.I understand that alot of our taxi jobs have gone to non nationals,as long as their are in the country legal and know their job then no problem.

Picking a blue taxi over a red one would not discriminate against the red taxi because the red taxi isn’t a human being. Discriminating against people because they’re not from your country hurts actual people. Difference is pretty damn huge.

I tend to want to give the work to an Irish person whether it be a taxi or whatever and I refuse to feel guilty for that.

Fair enough, I love lamp. You do what you want. No one’s going to lock you up for being biased. Just be honest that you’re being so, and don’t compare people to colours.

If I’m biased towards supporting Irish families it really doesn’t have much to do with being racist. When I used to hire plasterers I would always get local lads when a lot of other people were hiring a gang of lads from up north because they were a bit cheaper, how would that make me racist? Was Dunne Stores accused of racism with their slogan “The difference is we’re Irish”? What’s the difference between this and the taxi drivers?

No I love lamp but if Dunnes labelled their staff by nationality then yes that would be racist.

But the taxi drivers are only labelling themselves, no one else. So where is the problem?

The group who seek out Irish drivers are usually young girls.some of them just don’t trust foreign drivers and walk past cabs until they see an Irish driver. These same girls would go nuts if they were accused of being racist.usually if not always with drink involved.couldn’t care less myself.but you gotta do whatcha gotta do to get by in business so I don’t have a problem with it

Sorry we are talking self employed taxidriverd here?… Pay taxes? God bless them…

No, it makes you xenophobic and narrow minded

Hardly. Ive never refused to get into a foreign taxi, I’m just making the point I feel more comfortable in an Irish one. I’m Irish, I think it fairly natural. I feel more comfortable talking to girls, am I also sexist?

well yes, generalizing a gender or a race makes you some kind of “ist” i personally would feel most comfortable with a genuine ,honest person, whatever their race or gender,

Emma, who did I generalise? I’m pretty sure the only race I generalised was Irish. And it’s only an “ist” if it’s a prejudiced generalisation. I have no prejudice to foreigners. Heading off for two polish weddings this month. Black girls in my group of friends. I prefer drinking with people of my age group. I must be ageist too.

so amy , you are mostly comfortable with irish females your age, you are missing out there girl!

Not missing out at all – you should really read my comments fully and climb down off that high horse

i read them loud and clear Amy, you clearly stated you are more comfortable with irish, women and people your age, , , my horse is not so high , :)

And I also clearly allude to my ties to people who aren’t irish. I don’t dislike my parents, aunts and uncles etc because they are not my age. I shockingly have an 8 year relationship with a man even though I feel more comfortable talking to women. Quoting out of context and only listening to the parts you want does not make you clever. And demanding everyone should have the same opinions as you does, I’m afraid, stick you rather high up there on that there horse.

Amy, the pot is calling the kettle black here , i never demanded anything, been nice talking with you Amy :)

Emma, if youre happy getting into a taxi with a foreign driver and giving him your money then thats up to you but there are plenty of women who do not feel comfortable with that. Ive a pain in my face being asked by African drivers,wheres my husband or boyfriend, why am i out on my own, do I drink, do I go to church, do i want to get married, why am i wearing make up etc so I got the phone number of a local rank and everytime I need a cab I’ll ring then and get collected because I know i wont get any of that. it could just be a cultural thing to have that conversation but its not one a lot of women want to have.

your point being Ciara?? this is not about my preferences

Do you need me to cut and paste there Emma?
My point is that there a alot of women who do not want to travel in a taxi with a foreign driver. Nothing wrong with supporting irish families and their businesses. I dont shop in halal butchers as id like to support my local irish butcher. Is this racist too?

haha do you actually know what halal is? once again (this is getting boring now) your comparison is ridiculous,

Yes i do dear, thanks for asking and Im sure youre aware that halal butchers are run by muslims so if i chose to go to my local family run Mick butcher rather than my local halal butcher,does this make me racist too?

once again, this is not a relevant comparison, actually none of them are, anyhow, im bored now, i prefer a good intelligent argument ,nice talking with you ciara:)

Ah yeah, me choosing my local irish butcher over my local muslim butcher is completely different to choosing an irish driver over a foreign driver. Theres no link there at all! 2 completely different topics altogether! Tangent alert!

You go have that intelligent conversation with a used tea bag, Im sure it will still make a better argument than you have.

You said that in your last post Emma and you still came back. Stick to your guns this time yeah? Good girl.

i think i will, will certainly be way more intelligent than anything you have said there, thanks for the tip ,:)

And she comes back again!!! This is GOLD!

just waiting on the teabag love,

you have a bad case of lastworditis Ciara, seen as you posted that last comment 40 minutes after she left the conversation with you/

I know! Sure there was I trawling through the posts when lo and behold there it was! Like the golden fleece!

“well yes, generalizing a gender or a race makes you some kind of “ist” i personally would feel most comfortable with a genuine ,honest person, whatever their race or gender, ”

So you discriminate against drivers with less than perfect social skills? This “green light” racism is hogwash. People have the right to choose whichever taxi they please thx to the Taxi Regulators dictat that it be so. There was a time when it was ILLEGAL to pick up within 50 yards/metres of a rank. There was a time when the first taxi at the top of the Q was FIRST. But the public wanted MORE taxis. The public GOT more taxis. In fact, there`s so many taxis now that they`ve become a health and safety hazard in the city centre most nights.
Anyway, Enda is delighted a €10 green light has kicked everything else off the table for a day or two. Strangely enough, I`ve not heard any African drivers complaining about green lights. They complain about the same thing every other driver complains about: ” How are going to get through this year?”.
Stop bellyaching ppl. Walk to the rank and take the first taxi, green,white,yellow, brown,black or purple.

hi i never mentioned social skills, seriously, a futile attack on my comment there, unless i was in obvious danger i would not even consider who my diver is tbh, and to be fair., i only ever get taxi’s if i am needing to get home after a night out so pretty oblivious then anyway, not that it would matter,

that’s because racism is endemic in australia, especially if you’re non-white. Sure twenty years ago they were taking aboriginals off their parents to ‘civilise’ them. You should go live in Australia.

nutoriously a racist country, not exactly a good example, then again seems you might fit in well there!!

finbar that is!!

438,300 on the dole not 460,000

Yes, Australians are racist. Pity there’s no irony font on here.

ah i get ya point paul, i really did not word that correctly did i, my comment was just based on the history and the political ideals in place there right now, certainly not generalizing the whole country :)

i have worked abroad and would expect a local to get job before me.wasnt treated badly but realised i was an immigrant and would not feel hard done by if local was given job before me.never played the racisit card.

No Nigel, that’s what it indicates in Spain. In Ireland, as the article yesterday showed, greeners are being bought and sold to show irishness. Get your facts straight before calling others ignorant.

sounds like the green light is ideal for you then, El Brujillo

i also ask will u bring me home for a tenner works 9 out of ten no matter where driver is from we should all do it fare on meter is around 12 in day 14 in night.

exactly Sean, prejudice and hypocrisy go hand in hand though!

The green light could serve as a way to avoid racists (if this is indeed the intention of the green light), simply choose a taxi without a green light.. Problem solved :)

Totally agree. I always find it funny that the people who say “that’s not racism” or “that’s not homophobia” and “why are people so sensitive”, are usually straight, white people who have experienced neither.

I wouldnt get into a taxi if the driver was a smoker. Does this make me smokist??

haha ciara, seriously? considering smoking is a health hazard, again, your comparison is ridiculous and unintelligent, actually so much so it is amusing

No Emma, i didn t say the driver was smokING, I said he was a smokER. I wouldnt take a lift it I anticipated the smell of smoke no more than id get into a foreign drivers car if i anticipate the inappropriate conversation foreign taxi drivers always seem to start with me. When i say foreign here, my experiences with African drivers has been appalling. I have never gotten into a cab with an African driver (and that includes a white south African driver) where they havent started up some ‘so, do you go to Church, wheres your husband?’ conversation.

i have never been to a hairdresser that doesnt ask the same questions, !!!!! anyhow, i am done conversing with you as you do not have anything interesting, relevant or smart to say, good night :)

Ciara, not wanting to get share a confined space with someone who smokes would be a (somewhat) legitimate and acceptable reason not to get into a particular taxi. Not wanting to share a confined space with someone of another nationality and/or race simply *because you feel uncomfortable around them* is pretty much the definition of xenophobia/racism.

Ciara, discriminating against someone because they’re a smoker is wrong too – if you’re going to look down on someone because they smoke. It makes you prejudice against smokers.

It’s not in any way even CLOSE to racism. Racism is a much bigger and much more dangerous problem and to try and compare it to prejudice against smokers is just stupid.

Sean, so should i get into a taxi with someone Im not comfortable with?

So if I decide Im not going to go to a certain coffee shop chain ever again because the service I got everytime has been brutal by all staff members, thats ok but if i decide i dont want to get into a taxi with, lets say, an African driver because every single time I have gotten into an African drivers taxi, I have gotten bad service and inappropriate question asked but the 2 are very different are they?
Bad service by every member of staff at a chain of shops isnt as bad as bad service by __________ taxi drivers every single time I have got into their taxi? So i cant just decide, enough is enough and not use their service anymore.

Ciara,

Probably not, but that wasn’t really my point. As per my original comment, I was merely making the statement that someone who isn’t comfortable around another person because of their nationality is a xenophobe. Similarly, someone who isn’t comfortable around another person because of their race is a racist.

What if i dont get into taxis if the driver is a skinhead?

You agree ‘there’s no wonder there’s racsim with this kind of cod’s wallop?’

Ed, that is not true about the British getting Irish citizenship for free, the cost is still €950 , not that it is relevant here but just thought i would throw it in

straw man argument

So, you reckon products get a GI label if they’re made in Ireland by Irish-born hands? But if they’re made by foreign hands on Irish soil they won’t?

Or what about the Polish fella slicing up and tainting your 100% Irish beef in the deli? Would that all of a sudden become false advertising?

Ridiculous comment to make

Niamh youre an idiot

Products and people are not the same. One has human rights and a demand to be treated equally and respectfully regardless of their nationality, the other doesn’t. Can you guess which one’s which?

The very fact that you are comparing the experience and knowledge of your builders with the Irish vs non-national signs debate is racist. Just because someone is Irish it does not mean that they are better suited for the job, or any job at all. The problem here is that race should never play a role in your decision, but if it must, it certainly shouldn’t be openly encouraged for the rest of the world to see in shining green.

The very fact that you are comparing the experience and knowledge of your builders with the Irish vs non-national signs debate is racist. Just because someone is Irish it does not mean that they are better suited for the job, or any job at all. The problem here is that race should never play a role in your decision, but if it must, it certainly shouldn’t be openly encouraged for the rest of the world to see in shining green.

This arguement is ridiculous…. So if there is a black taxi driver in the first car and a white driver behind him, both whom you never met, never knew – which taxi would you get? Now make your decision before reading the rest of this comment.
Ok, now that you have decided, the black driver is an irish born to one irish parent dubliner and the white driver is a loyalist nationalist hating belfast man. the point is, your patriotism is infact racism and your example above does not support the green light arguement, it simply supports hiring someone you know.

Anyone watching the consumer show “think Irish “

Taxi drivers have only themselves to blame for the flak they get! Personally I prefer to get a non Irish driver! The sob stories you have to listen to from Irish drivers is very off putting! I stopped getting taxis from Dublin airport because I live less than 15 minutes away! The reaction from some drivers when you tell them where you want to go can be a bit scary!

They ought to make a violet light for taxi drivers who don’t complain. Or a rainbow coloured one.

I get the same anytime I get a cab to my parents from the airport because the 20 min journey is not far enough. Seriously what do they want me to do, walk or ask my parents to move further away?

You’re not very prudent with linear reasoning. Allow me to tidy that up a little.

Q: Why have taxi drivers been putting green lights on their cars?
A:To show that they are Irish
(Original question is open ended and your answer to it presupposes that everyone or the majority had already known of the green light, been able to make a distinct common connection between the light and the driver and also why it was being done. The question is open to many interpretations, like perhaps a taxi driver would put a green light on his car to show support for our boys in green in the Euro’s)

Q:Why would a taxi driver want to show that he’s Irish?
A:So customers know they’re getting an Irish taxi driver instead of a “foreign” taxi driver.
(Nothing wrong with the question or the answer there, I tend to purchase a breakfast roll over a burrito, nothing against Mexicans, burritos are nice, just I prefer Irish products or what I know best.)

Q:Why would a customer care what the nationality of the taxi driver is?
A:Because they have a right to choose their preferred service provider based on the information they have at hand, perhaps they have had a bad experience before, perhaps they want to be as certain as possible that the driver knows where he/she is going, perhaps its that given the many instances of gaps in taxi regulation being exploited (as highlighted in Paul Williams TV3 documentary) they just feel that when getting into a total strangers car its a better gamble to stick with what you know best. Its their prerogative.

I’m not getting into the green light debate, just though you could use some help in-case you were.

Your first response: That the light is open to interpretation= Absolute rubbish. You know what the light is for, I know what the light is for. You’re merely trying to deflect from the issue when the facts that I have stated are correct. If you read the article you would see that the taxi drivers have admitted to this.

Your second response: That’s there’s nothing prima facie wrong with that – Eh DUH- That’s exactly the point I was trying to make.

Your Third Response: That it’s merely providing information to allow them make a decision based on previous experience, the important factor in this instance being race or nationality. I.e that they’re going to PREJUDGE a taxi driver on the grounds of nationality or race. The exact definition of racism or xenophobia.

Notwithstanding my “not so prudent linear reasoning”, all you’ve actually done is corroborated my argument Killian.

Boom. Lawyered.

I now know what the light is for, you now know what the light is for, but your question is worded in such a way that it would have to be interpreted as being put to us before the article came to light.

I will put it to you this way, prior to the article, if I had asked the general population “Why would a taxi driver have a green light on his car?”. The responses would be wide and speculative.

Your second question and answer can be interpreted in two ways, (1) in the manor in which I interpreted it or (2) in the way your reasoning left it to be interpreted, as joining it’s properties with the properties of the following line of reasoning:
-Q3. “Because all those foreigners are coming over here stealing our jobs and our money and our women!”
-RESULT: The green lights are racist and cannot be defended. Simple as that.

Therefore we were not making the same point.

Not sure what point you are trying to make on number 3 there. Your original answer did not follow very well from the question. The answer speaks for everyone. I’m sure that ALL customers as you speculate do not chose an Irish taxi over a foreigners simply because they are ALL “coming over here stealing our jobs and our money and our women!”

Your “exact” definition of racism is a little hairy.

Racism-
a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.

I don’t see how recognising that through experience that there have been inherent and consistent difficulties with some foreign taxi drivers thus leading people to prefer the services of a more familiar and experienced person conforms to the definition of racism really fits in with that.
If i want to know about Lagos I speak to a Legosian, not an Irish guy whos lived there 5 years.

I wont say boom, because I’m not twelve but please, retort.

Ok, I’ll try and make this as clear as possible for you. The line of reasoning proposed here is not one of a potential customer, but of the taxi driver in choosing to put up this light.

If the customer does not know what the light is for then it serves no purpose. It is redundant. The light therefore only matters if the customer understands the Taxi driver’s stated intention. By trying to mitigate the argument by saying that because not everyone understands what the light means, is a ridiculous argument to make.

As to your second argument, the way you interpreted it is irrelevant as it is the meaning attributed to it by the taxi drivers that matters. It is the taxi driver that is the subject of the argument, not the individual customer. The customer I have presented here is not a real customer but a model that the taxi driver has in his head of a potential customer out there.

Therefore it has a direct relationship to answer number 3 as this is their motivation for putting up the light.
And how does the definition of racism you used differ to the one I’ve given? “a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others” I.e. that foreign taxi drivers are not as good as Irish Taxi drivers??? It’s the same thing. The “Belief or Doctrine” can be based on past experiences, i.e. prejudice.

………Boom.

Christ almighty, Finbarr, there are three dots in an ellipsis.

Three. Dots. Stop it with the random commas.

I’m hemorrhaging IQ points reading your posts.

I pretty much agree with all you said. If you want to take that taxi take it if you don’t then dont no biggie. I’m not going to start hurling abuse at the people who dot choose to pay the Irish guy the fair first. I simply don’t care but personally I’d like to. I like the idea of paying the Dublin boy, born and bread in the city over anybody. Nothing wrong with that either.

And he still probably had better English than you.

Well there’s about 10 points there that are alll the same, try and condense it next time. You’re still coming across as bigoted and intolerant sorry love ;p

Joanne, racism is in fact believing that your own race is superior to another, every argument you are using there pretty much shows you to be so, you pick and chose your services based on race or nationality, you have said that yourself, I will not fill this page up with copying and pasting your comments but it is there in front of us in black and white, most people would pick and chose their services based on skills, references, experience or qualifications and nothing else,I suggest you look up the word patriotic, and you most certainly are not smart, you cannot distinguish between there they’re and their for a start!! no one has told you who and what to chose at all, you seem to be getting rather irate and are probably getting carpal tunnel syndrome from the ill educated and ridiculous essays you are typing, no need for a personal attack back ( I could put a weeks wages on it you will though) because i am not in any way phased by them , good luck to you, quit whike you are, errrm behind!

so a green light makes you a racist ,a red light makes you a prostitute , a pink light makes you gay , you have set yourself up as judge jury and executioner over a green light ,hope you never have to do jury service…

it all depends on your reason behind that decision of course, I buy as much local produce (which just because it is produced in Ireland it doesn’t say WHO produced it remember) as I can to try and help the local economy, if you insist on using this ridiculous argument then think of it this way, buying locally produced products feeds the industry withing this country, this keeps the economy flowing, a taxi driver from the same firm, whatever race or nationality will still be feeding into same economy, so unless you are choosing products only made in ireland because you merely dislike the origins of other items based on the nationality of it then yes you would be prejudice , smart enough people purchase things produced in countries where the ingredients flourish better, like coffee for example, anyone with any inteligence would not even attempt to use such a nonsense argument!!