It's The Quiet One's You Need To Watch............................by Semtex.

"Quiet People Get The Most Accomplished, Because Their Next Move Is Always Unknown."

Ex-serving Police Officers within our Cab Trade, will tell you that when you apply to join the service, you get put through a series of stringent tests.

During my Military Service, I was seconded for a short while to the Met's Surveillance Training Unit, and was working from Aybrook Street in Marylebone.

Part of the test that was shown to aspiring new Police recruits, was to show a video of an angry demonstration gathering. It was politically led and as some of these violent demos normally are, quickly becoming intimidating, precarious and dangerous.

After watching the video for about ten minutes, we would stop it half way through. The candidates were then asked who, in their opinion were the potential main antagonists. Where were the flash points and what area of the crowd presented the main concerns. We were looking for candidate's natural observational skills. People who could, without further training spot a needle in a haystack. As you can imagine, people with a very pragmatic and analytical mind set would be chosen to progress to specialist training to further their already natural skills.

The candidates would sit at their desks, fill in the questionnaire and hand their papers back. We would then restart the video, and the reactions of the future police candidates were very interesting. Some of them spotted the hidden dangers of course, but many failed to observe, that the quiet man in the middle of the crowd, the chap looking as though he didn't want to be there, and the student academic who was on his mobile and appeared to be showing no genuine interest ......actually revealed themselves to be dangerous, highly motivated and an escalating volatile threat as the video rolled on. 

The moral of the training video was of course, that surveillance Police Officers need to evaluate threats which may not be coming from the most vocal and obvious origins.

Politicians and MP's worldwide, are now learning fast after a spate of huge professional cost and personal loss. Ignoring the 'quiet people' is a very dangerous practise these days. Ask David Cameron, Hilary Clinton and many others.

During the 70's and 80's, owning up to liking Abba was regarded as being very 'uncool'. Despite the fashion of sneering at the Swedish group, somebody must have bought their 375 million discs and albums, mustn't they ?

Roll on forty years and the opposite has generally happened. I have watched two documentaries within the last four weeks, actually admitting how musically and lyrically brilliant, Abba actually were. Its fashionable to say they were great nowadays.

It is 'cool' to shout that Donald Trump and Nigel Farrage are cranks, isn't it ? 

Look how vocal the crowds and demos are of the bleeding hearts and The American Civil Liberties Union are at the moment. To watch the news this evening, you could be forgiven for thinking that President Trump had held a gun to somebody's head to pave his way into Office. 

The media and TV crews zoom into the academics and tree huggers crying of unfairness, as the 'quiet people' are once again ignored. But again, who do you think put Trump into the White House ? 

Yes Sir. The 'quiet ones' voted for Trump. They voted in their absolute millions. Sick of being threatened with bombs and murder, the 'quiet people' voted in a man who said he would stop it. He won, and he's delivering his manifesto. That's what he was voted in to do.

Closer to home on the UK's shores, the same thing is happening. Watch the TV, watch the news. You would have thought that leaving The European Community was by way of some unfavourable act of Parliament or something, wouldn't you ?

No, it wasn't. It was the 'quiet people' once again, backing Nigel Farrage in their millions, and demonstrating that they are sick to their back teeth of our once great country, sliding into the sewer. Sick to the back teeth of our elderly, sick and war veterans dying in hospital corridors, as foreigners from the Middle East and Syria, come here to milk our NHS dry .

The abusers and users are naturally screaming the place down and crying foul play, as the media film crews zoom in again, giving their huge but minority voice a platform. Meanwhile,  elderly citizens and veteran service men and women, continue dying in hospital corridors and care homes, after paying into their NHS service all their lives. Nobody films them as they pass with 'quiet' dignity into eternal sleep. Once again, the 'quiet people' ignored.

It is fair to say I guess, that the hierarchy, MP's, Ministers, and the Establishment, should be very concerned when it comes to ignoring the 'quiet people' these days.

Take the global mini cab firm, Uber, Loud, brash, making a big noise wherever in the world they go. The media and news once again zoom in their lens, giving the Corporate giants a vocal platform.

Treading roughshod over a world renowned and dignified London Taxi Trade, the hierarchy dig their boot studs into us, as they give assistance, part the waves and ensure that Uber's transgression through lawful criteria and licensing, is as comfortable for them as possible.

Once again, the 'quiet people' are ignored and abused. 

Unfortunately for them though, The Great London Taxi Trade now have their own 'Quiet People'. They operate in secret. They are unseen, unaccountable and unknown to most. They do not shout, they do not threaten. They do not need to.

A band of Trade Brothers and Sisters, who fight for decency, fight for justice, fight for fairness and fight for survival.

They are unpaid, anonymous, without malice and without egos. Tired of being beaten down by the corrupt, fed up with having the profession they trained so hard for ripped from their grasp by a Regulator with ulterior motives, and resolute that our legacy will be protected. 

They ask no fame, they ask no finances. They ask no spotlight, they ask no expenses.

They are The London Taxi Trade's 'Quiet People.' They are fighting the good fight for our trade's survival and unafraid of confronting a bent, unfair regulator. They are the Independent Taxi Alliance.................And they're Coming To Get You.

Be lucky all.

8829 Semtex.