Boycott Addison Lee

Petition signed.

My sister, who has just moved North after 7 years in the smoke, just said to me...

"That thing you posted on Facebook, well, black cabs use the bus lane anyway, so what's the difference.."

Is this a view anyone else has encountered?

Surely that's quite an easy one to explain? The main reason is having Addison Lee as well as taxis doubles the number of vehicles using the lane. The other, long winded reason is taxis are better drivers - less aggression and less speeding, in smaller vehicles with a better range of view, they know the roads so are less likely to do stupid last minute manoeuvres, they have had additional driver training, they all do the knowledge on scooters so know more about what it's like to be a vulnerable road user, they aren't watching their satnav the whole time. Etc etc.

Did your sister drive when she was in London? Surely she knows, if she did, that taxis are usually (not always!) good drivers, and Addison Lee are considered by virtually every road user to be the worst drivers by far? People I know who drive (and don't cycle) always sympathise with complaints about Addison Lee!

Is this a view anyone else has encountered?

There are far too many people who regard Addison Lee as some sort of hero company locked in a struggle against crooked old school Cockney black cab drivers.
How far can you be detached from reality?

.

Good Job!! I was very happy to sign the petition. I work for a furniture company in W1, we always recommend customers to use Addisson Lee to transport large pieces of furniture as they have white van service. Anyone know any alternatives?

..

My main grape is with the blanket statements by the AL's boss.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think David Mitchell just called Griffin a dick.

Observer article here

i have never liked them. never used them. never will.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think David Mitchell just called Griffin a dick.

Observer article here

'In (those) moments of towering selfishness, Griffin's arguments have real eloquence.'

I think he just did!

BTW, the boycott call has just been sent to the 21,000 people that are on the LFGSS mailing list.

I hate to make LFGSS the centre for any campaign, but truly... fuck Addison Lee. So if you can retweet, tell others, and basically get the message out there far and wide, that would be aceness.
Good work David. I've posted this thread and forwarded your excellent email on to my groups.

Wasn't going to go on Monday but think I will now.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think David Mitchell just called Griffin a dick.

Observer article here
Fantastic article!

"At last he's found a big enough fan to throw shit" made me chuckle, as did "He must be one of those men who can only unwind by winding people up."

I tweeted this somewhere else, but in case you missed it, I reckon that none of Addy Lee's bicycle couriers have had cycle training, and I can guarantee you that none of them have 3rd party cover, as all the 3rd party cover for cyclists specifically excludes "working cyclists" (check your policy details if you don't believe me). I am thinking of writing a letter to Mr Griffin on this topic.

Not to mention the majority of 'cycle training' is learning how to ride defensively with vehicles that are driving poorly. I can't believe the stuff he's been talking about given he employs cycle couriers too; hope they're not getting a hard time with the fall-out of this!

we've cycled across next to them and and we know they'd happily run people off zebra crossings if your over 10.... usually i leave these these well alone but now i know its not just poorly paid, poorly trained drivers but tantamount to company policy from the boss down to forgoe other road users i shall be there in protest and in petition.

Not to mention the majority of 'cycle training' is learning how to ride defensively with vehicles that are driving poorly. !

It's really not. "Defensive" is too negative. And it's about position, awareness and communication with *all *road users. Though it's true that poor driving by motorists is the root of most of the difficulties we encounter, 'poor' driving contains lots of sub-categories, as does poor cycling, not all of them of the same order.

Ok so the boss of AL has made a large donation to bend the ear of the transport secretary and has written some not very nice comments about cyclists.

I don't really get the problem though... like @Malaysians sister asks, whats the difference between private hires and hackney carriages using the bus lane? Yes there would essentialy have to be a change in the law, and if that hypothetically happened, i still don't see the big deal.

More vehicles in the bus lane... well sure but less than on the outside and middle lanes. It's not as if cyclists are saints, the amount of times I've nearly been hit by a cyclist on a zebra crossing in London.. more than I have fingers and toes.

storm in a teacup

It's really not. "Defensive" is too negative. And it's about position, awareness and communication with *all *road users. Though it's true that poor driving by motorists is the root of most of the difficulties we encounter, 'poor' driving contains lots of sub-categories, as does poor cycling, not all of them of the same order.

Yeah, see what you mean. Although when I did my motorcycle training it was all about defensive riding. Although that was 10 years ago or so now.

Here in the States we have a word for people who do this sort of thing. I looked it up to be sure that I wasn't off base. Here is how Vocabulary.com defines it:

"Someone who uses violence, mayhem, and destruction — or the threat of those things — to coerce people or countries into taking a certain action is a terrorist. A terrorist may be motivated by religious fervor, politics, or just plain old-fashioned greed."

You Britts are way too polite. This person needs to be locked up.

Comment in the Guardian today:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/22/minicab-addison-lee-griffin-mitchell?fb=native

I think it's important to note that the comments are John Griffin's, not those of the people that work for Addy Lee. I know some riders & drivers at Addy Lee, and I also know employees of Addy Lee, and I am sure most of them are horrified by Griffin's comments. They have my sympathies, are they may well be the ones that suffer financially as the result of their bosses provocative & ignorant statements.

Well said Bill. Though hopefully, if this campaign is successful, work will spread to other companies who may then recuit ex- Addison Lee drivers?

On a side note I managed to secure 3rd party liability and personal accident injury cover whilst a courier. Though I'm sure off the shelf insurance products may have the exclusion you mention it must be possible for an independent broker to arrange cover for the pros, no doubt prohibitively expensive for individual couriers......and John Griffin probably wouldn't be keen to stump up.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think David Mitchell just called Griffin a dick.

Observer article here

I fucking love David Mitchell.

Griffin is a nasty bit of work.....perhaps a bus lane should be for buses and cycles...no taxis...no mini cabs.....and i used to be a London Black Cab driver.

He is encouraging 'his' employees to break the law and he is a major donor to the Conservative Party [£250,00 donation...wonder if that got him dinner with Cameron?]......but says something about the Tories and being 'law abiding citizens'.....or is that the law should be obeyed by when it suits!

+1 for the David Mitchell article in today's Observer.

Please can someone paste the list of major AL clients from the London Taxi Drivers forum? I would but I'm waiting for my account to be approved.

• If we work at an AL client then we should raise the issue internally
  
• If we know someone who works at an AL client then we should contact them
  
• And we may want to target the AL clients anyway (but politely/constructively!)
  
  

As regards raising the issue in our own companies then a good route is likely to be via keen cyclists among the senior management (i.e. those who will have enough influence to affect purchasing decisions).

Anyone know what London Bus companies are saying over this?
Have they weighed in?

Please can someone paste the list of major AL clients from the London Taxi Drivers forum? I would but I'm waiting for my account to be approved.

• If we work at an AL client companies then we should raise the issue internally
  
• If we know someone who works at an AL client then we should contact them
  
• And we may want to target the AL clients anyway (but politely/constructively!)
  
  

As regards raising the issue in our own companies then a good route is likely to be via keen cyclists among the senior management (i.e. those who will have enough influence to affect purchasing decisions).

Are any of the companies ones that are seen to actively promote cycling? An orchestrated and polite email campaign to one company saying that while they use Addison Lee then they will be boycotted could be worthwhile?