bomb

A few notes on the fun and games around the Aintree area over the weekend.....

I used to be vehemently opposed to the Grand National and all its' associated side-shows that go on over the time of the meeting. But now, I just think it's all rather sad and pathetic. In fact, me and Jayne are planning to go to Ladies Day next year. Mind, I don't need an excuse to be obnoxious.

Anyway, what always interests me during the aftermath of the Aintree weekend is the amount of phone calls on Roger Phillips' phone-in on Radio Merseyside - most, if not all, complaining about the taxis, and the alleged rip-offs going on. Today, one woman claimed a line of Liverpool hackney (black cab) drivers wanted a minimum of £40 just to pull off the rank, followed by the fare to wherever it was they were going.

Liverpool hackney drivers mainly complain about the road closures and their private-hire nemesis', Delta Taxis.

As a former private-hire driver, I was fortunate enough to work just one Aintree meeting. I still have my diary of that time, and it shows I did two jobs to the racecourse before clocking off for the entire weekend. Which must have meant I was that pissed off with it.

I've heard many stories over the years of the superior attitude the general public who attend these events have over anybody serving them - whether they be a taxi driver, or bar staff, or even police. And it's disgusting. Just because you might be wearing a nice suit or expensive dress doesn't give you a licence to be completely and utterly shitty to someone just doing a job.

I remember years ago that me and Irish Horror got invited to a night-time event at Aintree, and I wouldn't go anywhere near it. She went, won £56 on a bet and spent the lot on drinking herself into oblivion. Which wasn't unusual, but I never really saw the world in the same way she did, thank god.

The traffic restrictions between Aintree and Fazakerley, this year, were excessive. There was one day I had to race across to Jayne's in an emergency, only to find most of the side roads adjoining the racecourse were closed, or restricted to residents. What the authorities will never realise is most people using the road system aren't anything to do with Aintree. The majority of us are just passing through on our business. Yet we're penalised, to the expense of the few.

That IRA bomb alert back in 1997 was failed opportunity to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all. I'll have to have a word with Paddy and Mick about that box of semtex, one day!