If you’re familiar with this road you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. The place is a mess nowadays, boarded up shops and flats, long standing businesses closed for good. The doorways of the aforementioned are now used as public conveniences by many a reveler, and just look at the pavement up by the taxi rank… It’s a filthy disgrace.

Friargate could and should be Preston’s jewel in the crown, it has great pubs, it’s got a few restaurants too, and it’s even got a 24 hour convenience store.

There’s so much potential but it just needs some investment. (As I type this now, there’s a group of street drunks shouting and cursing at the top of their voices, such scenes doesn’t leave a good impression to an out of town visitor.)

Back to investment, yeah, the Bello restaurant that closed earlier this year, that building has huge potential. My colleague Mark and I were discussing what would work in that spot and we both agreed a Bistro French type party restaurant would be great, but whether it would be viable is a different story in the current climate.

Also, I think there are too many takeaways on Friargate, for me they make the place look dingy with their neon flashy ‘come and buy from us’ signs, I suppose a bit like our ‘For Hire’ signs.

Boarded Up Shops

I turned around and said “that’s the time sweet heart”.

She said OK and off we set.

When I got to her destination I asked if she’d experienced hiring a taxi with the meter already running, and to my disappointment she said she had. I told her if it happens again she must note the cabs number and report it to the council.

Apart from Christmas and New Year, the price you need to see on our meter when setting off is either £2 or £2.70; if it’s any more insist the driver resets it, but make sure you don’t mistake the time for money.

We do get asked a few times why the meter is already on £3 or £4 or £4.50 etc but that’s when they do mistake the time on the meter  for money, (when meter is off the time shows in the screen) if it’s 3AM or 4AM or 4:50AM, it shows in the meter screen as 3.00 or 4.00 or 4.50 so I can see how easy it is for people to make the error.

When we reached the Adelphi Roundabout I had to slow down for someone who appeared to be struggling to cross the road.

Upon closer inspection it became apparent why this young man was taking so long to cross; he only had his pants, including his underwear, down around his ankles while he shuffled across with his bits exposed.

As funny as it was, there was no-one else around; usually student pranks like that are done for a laugh among mates. Maybes there were people watching from the Adelphi pub windows.

Anyway, once he crossed I said to the ladies “did you see that man crossing the road with nowt on?” and one of the ladies replied “no I didn’t, can we go back for another look”.

The owners of the cab I drive have been looking for someone to share with me since the last driver left a few months ago.

They need someone who wants to work the day shift, which are any hours between 6AM to 6PM.

Up to now there have been no takers, unfortunately.

I’ve got a mate who has expressed an interest in becoming a taxi driver, so with a bit of luck he’ll breeze through the appropriate tests and get his badge if he decides to go for it.

If he doesn’t go for it, I suspect I’ll soon be given an ultimatum by the owners, to either rent it full time myself, or relinquish it to someone who does want it full time. I couldn’t blame them for this, as they’ve been losing money on their investment since my last partner left the trade.

The thing is; I can’t afford to rent it full time, for starters I don’t work enough hours to justify it, because I like to take nights off and go for a beer. My nightly shift is usually from 8:30PM to about 4:30AM five nights per week, which equates to 40 hours in my working week.

If I was to take on the cab full time I’d have to slip in another shift every week to pay for the difference in rent. So in effect I’d be working an extra eight hours for the same wage I’m on now.

I work to live; not live to work.

Sure, when I’m wanting of something I’ll bang in a bit of overtime, like at Christmas or before a holiday (what’s a holiday?) , but not every week, no chance.

Anyway, fingers crossed and let’s hope you’re not reading The Adventures of an Unemployed Man anytime soon.

What is with some people?

I was heading back to town to pick a regular up who’d phoned me minutes earlier.  Because I was ‘not for hire’, I deliberately turned my big bright glowing ‘FOR HIRE’ sign off.

So on my way into town two lads who were stood in a pub doorway saw me approaching; one of them preceded to walk into the road with his hand out trying to hail me. When he saw that I’d moved over into the other lane he got the message that I was not available, and turned back. His mate however wasn’t having any of that, he carried on walking into the road and as I past him he smacked the cab with some force.

If you’ve got your ‘for hire’ light on you have to stop for flag downs, it’s in the by-laws I’m sure. But if you’re booked with someone waiting for you, you can’t stop and explain to every person flagging you down that you’re not available.

The light not being illuminated should be enough to say that you’re not for hire.