Black taxis waiting for half time voting…
Black taxis were reportedly being put on standby in west Belfast to ferry football supporters from the pubs to the polls after Celtic’s crucial European Champions Cup second leg match against AC Milan. Or even at half-time. There are also major Manchester United and Arsenal clashes, two teams with huge followings in the province. And then there’s Tracey Barlow factor in Coronation Street. Facing trial for the murder of her partner Charlie, will Tracy put people off voting?
Tags: Election 2007
Possible tanked ups at the polling booth around the same time rushing to be back for the 2nd half.
Should go smoothly……….
They aren’t ferrying the old or the disabled from what I can see, but then this has always been Sinn Feins support base. Drunks that don’t know who they are voting for. Should bode well for the future.
So all the talk about the Sinn Fein machine being invisible broken and gone was wrong and we’re back to the sinister ruthlessness of it all.
Come on Sinn Fein, up Celtic and good luck Tracy Barlow.
Gerry,
I have to say I find your post quite insulting.
Not everyone who goes to the pub to watch Champions League football is a drunk you know.
Or are you perhaps saying that it’s the lethal mix of football and supporting Sinn Féin that leads to alcoholism?
Not everyone who goes to the pub to watch Champions League football is a drunk you know.
Maybe not everyone, but that’s usually how it pans out for me… touchy George, settle down, only 8 hours till close of poll.
Gerry – so Sinn Feins support base is made up of “drunks that don’t know who they are voting for” is it?
You sure you don’t want to retract that stupid remark before you get deservedly lambasted for it?
You may not like the party, but your pasting with a mighty big brush there.
But are people in a pub likely to have the relevant ID with them? (Unless they are young enough to be mistaken for being underage).
“Black taxis were reportedly being put on standby in west Belfast to ferry football supporters from the pubs to the polls after Celtic’s crucial European Champions Cup second leg match against AC Milan. Or even at half-time.”
Sounds like Chinese whispers to me. No doubt the SF election machine (in WBelfast) is still there and transport will be arranged for older people and housebound but i think its unlikely they’re going to herd people out of the pub and up to the polling station. People who are motivated to vote will, people who aren’t won’t.
Reported yesterday:
SF fears vote slump over Celtic match
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/election07/article2332818.ece
The taxi drivers, many of whom are former IRA prisoners, will call round to the pubs before the 7.45pm kick-off and even at half time. As loyal party members, the service will be provided for free.
A Sinn Fein spokesman confirmed that the party was putting special plans in place to ensure a high voter turnout.
“We will be doing our best job on the day to make sure everyone gets out to vote.”
The party’s growing share of the vote has been partly attributed to its highly efficient election machine, which ensures the highest possible voter turnout.
Party members knock on doors in estates, arrange transport and tick off names as each voter goes to the poll. All of the transport is provided for free.
Party members knock on doors in estates, arrange transport and tick off names as each voter goes to the poll. All of the transport is provided for free.
As they have done in the past…
Black taxis waiting for half time vo(mi)ting…
read that one a little too fast
BTW, there is nothing remotely unusual in any of this.
nmc & Sammy M
Agreed. This is a non-story. Maybe its just a reflection of the low key nature of this election campaign.
taxi drivers like watching football matches also
oh nakamura
wo-oh nakamura
he eats chow mein
he votes sinn féin
at halftime in a game against milan
so sinn fein’s typical voter, typical enough to be ferried to the polls that is, is one of those close-cropped, hooped-shirted, educationally subnormal, socially inadequate thugs that infest castle street these days? either that or morons who watch drivel like coronation street – was it for this the wild geese fled?
And no time for a late full-time dash now, either!
This could go either way.
Extra time. No late rush to the polls in West Belfast?
“was it for this the wild geese fled?”
Maybe they could see what was coming?
Fred
was it for this the wild geese fled?
If they were here today they would probably decide to be on the first boat out!
yanno..it’s this going round the estates ticking off the names of who goes to the polls that I find disturbing as someone looking in from the outside. It’s one thing to offer transport and encourge voter turnout but what I’ve read smacks of *big brother* intimidation to me.
In a free, democratic society who one votes for or even if they bother to vote at all is no-one else’s business but their own.