Please Read My Petition

[James]

Hey guys,

I realise that this won't apply to alot of people on here, but I am aware there's a few people from in and around the Cambridge area so I figured every little helps. I'l explain what's happened.

I work on the River in Cambridge at one of the independent punting companies, (often referred to as mobilers). The companies offer historical chauffeured punt tours of the Cam river which goes past some of the major parts of the Cambridge University Colleges, it is a huge industry in Cambridge and a massive part of my life. There's about 5 or 6 mobiling companies who operate on the river, and these companies are made up mostly by a huge group of people that are friends as well as collegues, who've been on the river for a very long time, some people as long as 11 years and have seen it grow and grow into one of the most important parts of tourism in the town. There is also a company called Scudamores who are a massive commercial business. They have a large majority of the punt stations on the river at both ends, and have, over time completely lost sight of what Punting and the heritage of it, is all about.

Basically, very recently Cambridge City Council have outlawed 'Independant Punting Companies', and have banned us from using our usual spot of the River for mooring, loading and unloading passengers. This move was introduced mostly becuase of unfair and untrue propaganda fed to them and the local press by Scudamors acting as both residents and a company, in an attempt to monopolise the entire river by removing all competition. This move has ultimately led to the Scudamores staff's pay being massively reduced becuase of the lack of competition, something which doesn't seem to bother the ones higher up at Scuds as in their mind, their staff are entirely dispensible. I'd like to point out that even though I would never dream of working for Scuds, (out of principle) I have no problem with their staff, alot of them are friends of the mobilers and have found the move by the council un-just. It is the company bosses and management that I feel have instigated this.

To sum up what I'm trying to say here, I feel that the mobilers have been absolutely cheated here and havn't been given so much as a chance to defend their job which for most of them (including me) is their livelihood and something that we all feel hugely passionate about.

So if you feel that you would like to help out, me and the other mobilers have set up an online petition which we will present to the council along with a paper petition that we plan to take around the town to proposition to the local businesses and residents which we feel will lose out aswell.

The petition can be found here

Please only sign if you're genuinely interested in helping us out, it's very important.

Thanks for your time.

James

[Ben Cox]

im signing it mate its such a shame when big corps kick out the independent buisinesses using sly and underhand tactics like this. I for one really hope this petition makes the council overturn there crass decision.

Ben

[Skoze]

Signed! Everyone deserves a fair chance Big corporations like that deserve a pimp slap.

Matt

Edited February 16, 2008 by Skoze

[poopipe]

I tend not to sign petitions but I'm well up for a nightime punt scuttling session if you fancy it...

[James]

Cheers boys. I agree, it is sad when you see big companies shitting on the little guys. We're going to fight em with every ounce of strength we have however!

[Ben Cox]

bump for james

[anzo]

I'll be signing it after this post. But I'm failing to see why the 'big company' is at fault here. It was the councils decision and the big company are simply carrying on in business as normal...afterall if this was the other way around; you'd carry on as normal, right?

I'm not arguing your points; just making a comment