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People who write to Newspapers are a self defining group of nutters. People who write to newspapers and or join in discussion about taxis articles on newspaper websites are a slightly rarer but equally nutty self defining group of sad oddball nutters ......... I was telling Lucky327 my cab driver mate on Saturday......... probably i should get some therapy....... then Ed from the flower Taxi Charity Portraits of hope rings me...... and tells me its snowing in NYC...... I'm thinking about dashing back to NYC immediately to shoot flower taxis in the snow...... although I have proper paying work here in DC............ Lets face it......... I am losing it......
Cheers Jez XX
PS........... This I wrote in response to an article in the new York Sun stating it was all over for the Ford Crown Victoria as it is now due to be replaced by a host of different hybrid vehicles:
Why no consideration of the the esthetics? Reader comment on: Hybrid Taxis To Replace Crown Victorias Submitted by Jez Coulson .......... Jezblog, Dec 12, 2007 12:54
To destroy the iconographic homogeneous look NYC yellow cab fleet and replace it with a messy mixture of all different japanese prius and other foreign looking vehicles is an act of wanton visual vandalism..... is it only me that thinks this is like replacing the Statue of Liberty with a new better cheaper more cost effective15 foot plastic Manga cartoon replica .... (which is more fuel efficient to light and clean)...? The taxi fleet is the life blood of the city and is, as it is now, absolutely the most recognizable human scale representation of NYC....... Here are some pictures I have made in homage to the way it is now........ soon you will not be able to tell if you are looking at pictures from Berlin or Beijing when looking at images of NYC taxis.......
http://www.jezblog.com/archives/07/12/07/745.php http://www.jezblog.com/archives/07/11/20/728.php
http://www.jezblog.com/archives/07/12/05/742.php
http://www.jezblog.com/archives/07/10/02/689.php
http://www.jezblog.com/archives/2007/05/08/ http://www.jezblog.com/archives/2006/12/12/
Cheers Jez Coulson ( reportage artist and photojournalist )
www.jezblog.com
Because the epitome of liberty in America is not a taxicab Reader comment on: Hybrid Taxis To Replace Crown Victorias in response to reader comment: Why no consideration of the the esthetics? Submitted by Jamin Sun, Dec 12, 2007 18:14
The purpose of a taxi is to get you from point A to point B. The point is not to look pretty while you sit in them; taxi aesthetic comes second to functionality. Additionally, the act of buying a car to make into a taxi is not an act of patriotism; this fear of everything foreign on Mr. Coulson's part, hopefully, will not be echoed by those with a real voice in the matter.
Mr. Coulson's xenophobia should not get in the way of real progress on reducing environmental emissions. His implication that, by not being able to distinguish a NY taxi from any other, a city will not be recognized, is absurd. Furthermore, his implications that Berlin and Beijing are somehow "inferior" because they're not reputed for their distinct taxis is repulsive, morally unsound and stinks of prejudice and bigotry.
And on a lighter note, the last time I checked, Lady Liberty wasn't emitting a lot of greenhouse gases. I believe the analogy to the Statue was rather flawed.
Human scale ...... unmistakably New York........ not just urban anywhere Reader comment on: Hybrid Taxis To Replace Crown Victorias in response to reader comment: Because the epitome of liberty in America is not a taxicab Submitted by Jez Coulson............. jezblog, Dec 13, 2007 01:10
I am not American.
Its not Xenophobic to point out unique aspects of, and take delight in, the culture of others......... I am certainly not implying that Berlin or Beijing are inferior.
I think people who are obviously keen to be polite and respectful to other peoples culture and heritage should also have a thought to the same respect for their own identity. Identity and culture has some roots in esthetics. Things that are unmistakably New York and are at a human scale... actually are important.........
There is nothing wrong or pejorative about New York being distinctly New York.
"Don't you know? You seem to know ?...... Well you don't know what you got till its gone..... A big Yellow Taxi took away my old man..............."
Only its the other way round....... the old Man (the Mayor) and the TLC will have totally done in a recognizable symbol of New York without even a moments thought to the esthetics of their decision. The Statue of liberty is Iconographic of New York..... but was designed and made in France. It is iconographic of New York as it is .......... so is the homogeneous taxi fleet, as it is now. Where it is made is not the issue...... I am suggesting not messing too much with the esthetics of the taxi fleet or indeed the Statue of Liberty.
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.... The photography and slightly mad life of reportage artist Jez Coulson ....