PLEASE NOTE: I WILL BE ARRANGING TO DISCONNECT THE ALPHA TAXI MOBILE NUMBER - IF YOU WISH TO STAY IN TOUCH PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL SEND MY NEW NUMBER WHEN I HAVE IT - OR CONTACT ME VIA:
amwinspear@hotmail.com

I have relished my 14 years in the taxi trade, and was looking forward to celebrating 10 years of success for Alpha Taxi last month.  I have greatly enjoyed looking after a wide variety of clients, taking joy and pride in caring for their varied needs to the best of my ability.
However, I have been unable to undertake any night rank work since the prosecution started against me in late 2007 by Kettering Borough Council who wrongfully alleged I had disposed of cigarette ends from my vehicle window. 
I tried to explain to a council bureaucrat that I would have willingly paid the fixed-penalty tickets if I'd been guilty - as I have done with the handful of parking tickets and one speeding ticket in my 36 years of driving.  They chose to disbelieve me and proceed with the prosecution.
Unfortunately Kettering Magistrates chose to believe the council's litter warden, despite the lack of any video or physical evidence - and the FACT that I had NOT committed the offences.  Indeed, the court refused to even look at the many witness statements I had brought to the court (as requested by the Chair of Magistrates at the first hearing) demonstrating my rabid anti-litter stance and behaviour.  Regrettably I was advised that appeal against the council would be prohibitively expensive - so I paid the £660.00 and went into an isolated decline.

THE SAD FACT IS THAT THIS COUNTRY'S "JUSTICE" SYSTEM IS NOW NO MORE THAN A FARCE - RUN IN LARGE PART BY PUBLIC SECTOR BUREAUCRATS, INSTEAD OF THE POLICE AND LEGAL PROFESSION AS IT WAS IN IT'S HEYDAY.  A SYSTEM WHICH WAS ONCE THE PRIDE OF THE COUNTRY, THE ENVY OF THE WORLD - AND SOMETHING FOR WHICH I HAD GREAT RESPECT - HAS NOW BEEN SULLIED BY POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND THE PETTINESS OF OVERPAID "PUBLIC SERVANTS" AND AMATEURS.  SADLY, WHILST IT HARASSES AND PUNISHES THE INNOCENT LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN WITH ARBITRARY CIVIL PROSECUTIONS, INTERNAL ENQUIRIES AND THE LIKE, IT LETS US ALL DOWN BY FAILING TO PUNISH REAL CRIMINALS ALL TOO OFTEN.

The effect of this traumatic experience was a great negative impact upon my health, leading to a severe increase in depression, coming as it did after a particularly sad year or so in my private life.

Anxiety and panic attacks prevented me from undertaking rank work, losing me a substantial amount of income.  I was somewhat insulated from the financial impact by the contract work I had until early 2009, when the loss of substantial contract earnings has left me barely being able to make a living since.

I soon realised that I would be unable to afford to replace my taxi in 2010, as planned, to meet current regulations.  Originally I planned to work until July 2010.  However, since summer I've realised that I have to plan for my future so have been considering earlier dates when it would be appropriate to finish.  I recently decided not to renew my licences at the end of this month, then decided it wasn't worth undertaking a council vehicle test on Wednesday just in order to work one further week before my holiday.

Whilst I am grateful to my many loyal customers for continuing to book me, the level of work has simply been too little.  The "credit crunch", combined with the smoking ban and the negative impact of "24 hour" licensing has had a bad impact on the taxi trade generally.

Had I been your average "jobsworth" taxi driver, I may still be in business, who knows... but I wasn't, and never would be.  I am the person I am, and 
despite it's drawbacks, I couldn't contemplate my life being any other way.

Over the years, I've been castigated by some in the public sector for the way I've carried out my business.  I was told, several times, that it was wrong to 
become friends with passengers, to give clients Christmas or birthday gifts.  What sort of twisted, perverted society do we live in when such a simple gesture - often reciprocating a kind gesture by clients or their families, and fully in the knowledge of the clients' families - is regarded as "suspicious"?  It may have been "safer", for me at least, to comply with the PC brigade.  After all, there seem to be plenty of miserable taxi drivers making a living, who can't even muster a smile, never mind a kindness.  Not me!  I've never done anything I've felt it necessary to hide or to be ashamed of.

However, I am not a "jobsworth" complier, and never will be.  Gestures such as gifts, often reciprocated, gave so much pleasure both ways, in the giving and receiving that I ignored such "rules".  The long term friendships of such clients and their families is worth far more to me than the approbation of some public-sector desk-bound jobsworths.  Occasionally simple favours, to make life easier for clients or their families, were undertaken for no other reason than that I could... no skin off my nose, but a great help to others.

I've NEVER refused a short job from a rank, unlike some in the trade who pretend to have a booking (in which case they shouldn't be on the rank in the first instance) because they're greedy and think they'll get a more lucrative long job.  Likewise, I've never refused a wheelchair journey, by driving off the rank, or driving past when a wheelchair is in view...  Likewise, I've always endeavoured to take the shortest (cheapest for the passenger) route available, not something some of our brethren in the trade can claim!  As on all other matters, I know that when my head hits the pillow after a long day or night there's nothing I've done to trouble my sleep!

I've made some wonderful friends over the years as a taxi driver.  I'd like to think I've been there at the best of times and the worst of times for some of my passengers... I've shared tears of all natures with some very special people... tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears of accomplishment, tears of despair and tears of rage and frustration.  They've all left their mark in my memory, and some in my heart.

For the rest of my life I'll treasure some of the friendships I've made in my time as a taxi driver, and I'd like to think I've had a positive impact upon the lives of those I've met... including, but not limited to, the following...

The student who spent a lifetime in special needs education, but had never had one of their wishes granted, to learn the "two times table" - we had great fun working on that one over the years, with more than a little help from a great escort, now that "two times table" learnt in my taxi is that person's most exciting achievement - I was humbled and honoured when I was recently invited to a birthday party, being told that along with a lifetime best friend I was the only thing wanted to make it a perfect birthday...

The lad who'd been indulged by the psychologists and do-gooders, (some who admittedly knew what was needed, but had their actions restricted by the PC regime of current-day broken Britain) but would have ended up being locked up without some tough love and firm advice on behaving himself... I feel a warm glow as I see him developing as time goes on to become a more rounded person, better able to fit in and enjoy his life...

The dear, sweet, but troubled lady who knew that when she was feeling suicidal she could rely on me to pop around at any time of night or day (as a friend, not a paid taxi driver) for a chat, and to remove her knives and cords until she felt safe to have them in her house again...

As some will know, I can be very compassionate, and I can also be stubborn and assertive when I feel it necessary to help... I hope the person I "urged" to complete an application form after weeks of depressive unemployment, which I then proceeded to put a 1st class stamp on and post myself (as I had great doubts it would ever have been posted if I hadn't) is as glad as I am when I see them still progressing in their new career, having met the love of their life through that job, and now expecting their first child...

I've lost count of the number of times I've rushed to town to "rescue" drunken regulars from themselves, calming violent urges, keeping them safe and out of trouble...

I do not count the number of people I've seen safely to their front door, or occasionally further if necessary, instead of leaving them stranded just because they hadn't enough for the fare all the way home...

I'm no saint, but I have made sacrifices.  I lost one of my dearest friends ever, because I felt I had to do the right thing despite his protestations and fears... seeing him happily reconciled with his children makes me hope my painful loss was all worthwhile.

Some people have made it deep into my heart as a result of meeting me through Alpha Taxi, and will never leave it.

To all these friends and more, I say: "thank you".


For alternative recommended taxis, please see below.

I wish all my customers, past & present, every happiness and success in the future - you will be greatly missed.  Many of you may not realise how valuable you were in making my life worthwhile, and how much pleasure it gave me looking after you.

If you wish to have a personal reliable taxi service, I'd recommend you try the following:

Chan's Taxi 07710 261270

Crystal Cars 07777 692467

Ise Taxis 01536 414166


For larger needs, up to 16 passengers, please book LADYBIRD MINIBUS (Sue) 01536 525305

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