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If you rely on taxis, you may want to adjust your transportation plans: The Taxi Workers Alliance says that drivers it represents will strike on September 5 and 6 to protest the Taxi and Limousine Commission's decision to add GPS systems to all yellow cabs. But then the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, another advocacy group, said that there would be no strike (with spokesman Fernando Mateo saying, "Read my lips: There will be no strike."). Our thoughts: Pray there's no unusual weather event and take mass transit or your bike.
The NY Times reports that opposing viewpoints come from groups who are "vying for the right to speak for city cabdrivers." The TWA believes that GPS systems present an invasion of privacy, while the NYSFTD says, "You want privacy, you don't drive a cab." The TWA's Bhairavi Desai says there are 40,000 drivers willing to strike, and questioned the use of GPS: "They're not navigational, cannot be used for dispatching, and serve no purpose to the driver or the public." Well, there is the supposed potential of the TLC being able to track down a cab for a passenger (who has left something in it) with GPS
The TWA has about 10,000 members (there are around 44,000 taxi drivers in total, driving 13,000 cabs, according to the Daily News). Taxi drivers would lose $200 a day if they went on a strike, which led a TLC source to tell the News, "Owner drivers are doing very nicely, and lease drivers are paying every day, whether they work or not, and they don't want to be losing money. Maybe a handful of fleet drivers would be sympathetic and strike, but you won't notice a difference." At any rate, the Office of Emergency Management is developing taxi-strike contingency plans.
The last taxi strike was in 1998, when drivers protested new rules and higher fines. Desai also led that strike, which involved 40,000 drivers; then-Mayor Giuliani threatened to allow vans and livery cabs to pick up passengers.
Photograph of a Grand Central taxi line by Unlisted Sightings on Flickr
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strike, strike, strike!!!!
bring on the strike! The city would be so much better off without the crazy taxi drives thinking Manhattan is a NASCAR speed track.
I agree with Steven. Taxi drivers think the raod it there for them only.
An invasion of privacy? What because they might be caught doing something illegal now? Taxi drivers need to learn some respect. They drive like maniacs, they are incredibly rude and all they do is talk on the phone. I think their needs to be much stricter rules for them... Go strike we have the subway who cares
If some of the yellow guys go on strike, the black cars will certainly pick up the slack.
Cabs should have GPS mapping systems, a great help to those cabbies who don't know where anything but midtown or an airport is.
Fleet owners like FedEx have GPS capability, why shouldn't someone who owns a fleet of cabs?
Guess some cabbies don't like being accountable.
Um yeah, I guess I don't really see much downside to a taxi strike. The weather should be pleasant enough to walk, the trains are more or less running, and any airport trips can be had via a black car.
Those new cab systems are awesome and cabbies should be required to use them - I care far less about the GPS than I do about the credit card acceptance - like just about every other city in the world.
Not really sure who the cabbies think they're scaring with this one.
Really, it is a waste installing GPS systems that can't even be used for navigation.
Anyone hear Desai on the news last night? She sounded like a psychopath. It's about time we had GPS in caps--for tourists, locals, and drivers. I don't have privacy in an office, why should they be entitled to complete privacy while they're at work?
Since they all are jammering on their cell phones all day they are already being tracked in effect.
But still, the only reason to install GPS is to track the cab. And to answer bxbrian, they are independent contractors, the cab is their job site, so they should decide if they want to be monitored, not the State. Your office may decide you needed to be tracked but that is your office's choice, not the State.
People are so quick to give up their liberty - even worse deny others theirs becasue they don't have it. "Why should subway workers get medical benefits, I don't" etc.
[3] wrote:
I suspect these could easily be used for navigation and estimating the distance part of the fare upon entering a cab.
It would also solve the problem of taxi drivers not having a clue about destinations outside the Manhattan grid.
My boss knows where I'm at all day during work. I'm assuming most of you are under the same type of "surveillance." If you protest to answering for your time and place while you're at work, quit and be your own boss. BTW, I'm almost positive the private shipping industry (ie UPS, FedEx) have incorporated GPS worker surveillance into their trucks.
Many do drive quite bad, but so does everyone else that nearly runs me over when I cross the street on a clearly Walk signal.
Point being,GPS if will be used by the drivers to improve their ability to get the passenger to the correct drop-off point (I have been dropped off at the wrong place a hand full of times, and I only take them when I really don't know where I am going---i.e. don't feel like trying to figure it out via the trains) I know in the few times taking a car service they use a mapping GPS system, to aide them in getting from point A to point B without getting lost (which saves me time). I don't like infrigment of privacy, but the truth is that part of what is happening in this technology era is that once it is available, eventually it will be pushed on us for use. I say if a taxi driver doesn't want to use it, but frankly taxi drivers are always on the move, so I don't see how the GPS could prove they are somewhere they are not supposed to be.....they are supposed to be wherever the people are....
"Cabs should have GPS mapping systems, a great help to those cabbies who don't know where anything but midtown or an airport is."
If your driver doesn't know where he's going, I have to wonder how he got the hack license in the first place. GPS is not for the driver, it's for your entertainment.
I don't really care if the taxi has GPS or not. But, if there was some way to make light of the fact that taxis are regularly occupying bike lanes, putting cyclists and their passengers at risk, perhaps a strike is the way to go.
I hope the Mayor will use some common sense and not automatically default to a contingency plan that allows liveries to replace them. Liveries do not have passenger exit indicators and will likely be worse for protecting the sides of the street from cars diving across lanes of traffic. At least when a yellow taxi dives into the bike lane, I expect it. I should not have to, but the car is yellow and I kind of see most of them coming. It doesn't make it right, but at least it's more predictable to spot as it's happening. It's not going to be fun riding a bicycle on those streets if the strike happens.
Looking back to the transit workers strike, I'm sure we'll be looking at a zone fare system again -- with liveries and other unmetered cars will pick up the slack. Consider some other alternatives, like the soon to be licensed pedicabs (locally), the subway, and good 'ol Taxi Ray if you're so lucky to find him.
cabs should have GPS. do you have any idea how many times i've had to give directions to a cab hailed in brooklyn on how to get to queens? what the?
sorry kafeen grrrl, taxi ray got busted by.. you got it, none other than the various medallion owners and the TLC who are sooo scared of losing business. jerks! check out:
http://gothamist.com/2007/07/21/taxi_ray_has_ta.php
man those sh*ts really gotta give it up and stop putting the drivers under so much financial pressure to pick up the pace and drive like crazy to pick up as many damn fares as possible.
From what I understand, the cab drivers agreed to the installation of GPS tracking equipmment, and CC billing machines when they got their last rate increase... Sounds like they are not holding up to their end of the bargain.
I'd think the congestion tax lovers would want a congestion tax added to taxi fares too... But I guess that is a post that belongs on another thread...
Die congestion tax, die.
#16, I'm glad your read that too... You see where I was going with that one....
I really sympathize with the drivers, but how much privacy can you expect as a taxi driver. Even independent contractors don't have any privacy. For instance, messengers continuously have to call in their locations.
The drivers should ask for some of the profits from this new technology to be used to improve their working conditions. Maybe create a health plan or create a fund to pay for short term disability.