Claim's Cabbies Corner. Repo Revenge.

[bub2006]

I rather like insignias to be fair.

[Undercover Shitter]

They're quite nice for the 15 minutes they last without breaking. Have recently been tempted by the later 1.6 diesels, but unsure if they're reliable, or just marginally less shit than the 2.0.

[bub2006]

I have seen the newer ones have a 160 odd bhp petrol 1.5 engine in them. I may be thinking old fashioned but how can a 1.5 at that power be reliable in a large car. It's about on par power wise with a 2.5 monedeo

[paulplom]

I've got a reliable* 250hp 1.8 vw. 160hp is nowt.

[Warren t claim]

So where are we up to now and how did we get here?

To be honest I'm quite surprised I've got back in work and found a car before Xmas.

Getting my DBS check complete this year 50/50.
Getting a badge appointment with the council before Xmas. 50/50
Getting an HMRC tax check code with my dodgy history. 50/50.
Finding a car/cab before Xmas. 50/50.

To put this into perspective, I didn't just bet everything on black on roulette, I had to leave the chips on black and let the wheel spin another three times. Even now I can't quite believe my luck!

My day started with an alarm call at 8.30am as my council appointment was at 9.45am. I logged onto the HMRC not hopeful of getting a tax check code as they refused to generate one for me the previous night. I clicked a few different options and the magic code appeared. I promptly snapped a pic of it on my phone before His Majesty's Revenue And Customs changed their mind.

Next was the simple task of generating a DVLA driving licence check code. A piece of piss.

After checking that I had all the forms, including my DBS certificate which only arrived that morning, I set off early to the council offices. After arriving I had to do a simple spoken and written English and numeracy test which was easy.

Still slightly worried about the HMRC check the lady dealing with me ran it through her computer and told me that I'd be getting my badges today. Result! Whilst waiting another lady walked past the room I was sitting in and walked in after seeing me and said that it was good to see you again Warren and asked how I've been. I have no idea who she is but I played the nice guy!

After paying £143 plus another £35 to be licenced for both PH and hack, I left clutching both badges and heaved a sigh of relief!

Next port of call was the insurance brokers to get the Insignia insured. As you can imagine this didn't go totally smoothly. I had to phone the guy renting to me for the date he bought the car which took a while for him to respond and I needed to find a copy of my existing policy for the P38/Fiesta/Disastra to prove that I'd been insured on a car sometime in the last 12 months. Last time I had to go through this with the same company they refused to take my traders policy as proof that I'd insured a car in the previous year. I'd had the good sense to Whatsapp Claim_Intended a copy of my policy so after some digging on my phone I found the screengrab and emailed it to the broker. After paying £72.20 for a week's fully comp cover plus a £25 admin charge I was insured on the Insignia.

Time for a quick dash to the other side of Wirral to get the Insignia from Dave. I arrive to see it looking like it'd been dragged out of the Mersey but I really didn't care. The problem was that he'd been letting his daughter use it and the taxi plate had been lost! The replacement cost of a lost plate is only a tenner but more seriously, to get the replacement involves making an appointment with the council to get them to make another. I make the executive decision to wing it and turn up on spec hoping to blag a new plate. Instead of the cute 20 something lady who'd just given me my badges, I get boy bastard jobsworth who asks me if I have an appointment. I lie and say that the plate was never issued and he agrees to do me a favour and make a new plate during his lunchtime.

Plate acquired, I hot foot it to the taxi office via the IMO car wash to get the white Insignia at least looking like something the fare paying public would want to travel in. It actually scrubbed up OK so I drove the 50 yards to the taxi office to get activated. The prick behind the desk starts pulling a face because I apparently owe them £42 from ten months ago! He makes a few phone calls and agrees to put me online as a big fucking favour for me. Despite this, it takes an hour of head scratching before they can get my new Samsung PDA graft phone to work. I'm told that I need the new corporate door signs so ask him for some but he says that he can't give me them until I hand back my old door signs that have been stuck to my fridge freezer for the last ten months! Petty cunt! I decide to use my old door magnets and fuck him off.

I go home and get my old door mags. I go to the cash machine and withdraw my last £30 and use the self scan at my local Co-Op to buy cat food to get change to use as a float.

As the Insignia has a quarter of a tank of diesel I'm good to go!

Finally, at 4pm I'm back on the road and spend the next 14 hours bidding on any work on the screen and return home fucking exhausted!

[Warren t claim]

Things to do today.

Change door signs.
Buy batteries for torch.
Full taxi valet.
Get the Insignia set up how I like it.

[paulplom]

Great stuff.
How many runs did you do?

[LynehamHerc]

Success at last!

[Hooli]

Amazing how long it takes to get things sorted.

[LynehamHerc]

Was that comment about the things you've been asked to do on here and still haven't?