It was like old times in Dublin yesterday. You couldn't get a taxi for love or money, writes Chris Dooley.
Taxi drivers, angry at the impact of deregulation, withdrew services for 24 hours and staged a noisy afternoon procession through the city centre.
In an attempt to replicate the success of the farmers' "tractorcade" protest in January, the drivers headed to Merrion Square and parked their cars four-deep, by arrangement with the Garda.
From there, several hundred walked in silence behind a horse-drawn funeral hearse, with a coffin symbolising the death of their business, to Molesworth Street for a rally outside Leinster House.
As is the custom on these occasions, Opposition politicians were out to greet them. But Government TDs were conspicuous by their absence.
Labour leader Mr Pat Rabbitte listened intently while drivers outlined their complaints. "Why should I have to work 80 hours a week to make a living?", asked one man. "Some of us are working 14 hours a day.
"If we work Christmas Day or New Year's Eve or Patrick's Day or Easter Monday, we get exactly the same fare as we will get tomorrow night at five minutes past ten."
Without promising anything specific, Mr Rabbitte offered words of comfort. "I don't think this Government would have been so quick to deregulate some of the professions as they have [in the case of] ordinary working men."
Acknowledging the presence also of Fine Gael TD Mr Denis Naughten, Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation president Mr John Ussher drew loud shouts of "No!" when he asked if anyone present was happy with Fianna Fáil or the PDs.