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The Taxi Workers Alliance announced plans for a second taxi strike on October 22. Last month, members of the TWA taxi union participated in a two-day strike to protest new technology, including GPS and credit card payment systems, in cabs. Many drivers feel the technology is unproven and useless (for one, if it breaks down, then the entire meter breaks down), while the Taxi and Limousine Commission says that the new technology benefits everyone (for example, if you lose something in a cab, you could call 311 and mention where the cab dropped you off, instead of needing the medallion number, to track the cab).
The city prepared for the strike by allowing the remaining taxi drivers to charge fares by the zone, but in the end, the impact was questionable. The drivers didn't win anything from the TLC while most people weren't affected (well, some may have been annoyed to pay much more than they usually would).
The TWA organizer Bhairavi Desai says that members will be protesting other things during the October 22 strike: Per the Post, the TWA wants to be "recognized as a union," and wants the "city to use revenue from medallion sales to start a health and pension fund."
Speaking of the medallion sale, the next auction is November 1. The minimum bid is $189,000, and in May, a record price of $600,000 was set.
Photograph of a taxi in Soho by nschaden on Flickr
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of course they are protesting again. The first time was city sanctioned price gouging. They made so much loot that they are going to keep doing this.
Great idea. I mean, the last taxi strike had such a huge impact on the public and all.
If anything, another strike is only going to further demonstrate impotence and take money out of cabbies' pockets.
cant wait
another calm traffic day
OH MY GOD! NOT ANOTHER TAXI STRIKE! HOW WILL I EVER GET BUFFY AND BILLY TO THEIR PRIVATE SCHOOLS?
I guess I'll have to dial 777-7777.
i got one of the cabs with the GPS in it the other night, and, it was pretty cool.
Generally they are the worst drivers with regard to courtesy and safety. I could see being on their side if they practiced a profession, but that requires professional skills. They, again generally, don't possess anything close to those skills. They operate in a selfish manner that diminishes the city's standard of living.
I know London taxis are far more costly, but the drivers have a detailed knowledge of the city's complex streets and they drive with a respect for everyone, other vehicles and pedestrians. Again generally.
Consider this, what is it like on NYC streets when just a few thousand cabs don't show up? I say much better.
I'm so glad I get to hear their whiny spokeslady some more. Her grating voice really helped me get through the last strike.
I wish more folks would read and absorb the following items from the M.Plaut Op-Ed:
The device has no navigational abilities. The monitor, which is set into the partition..., cannot be seen or accessed from the front of the cab. It does not give directions or plot routes. All it does is keep track of where you are...
Officials ... say the primary purpose of the devices is to track lost property and make sure cabbies aren’t taking passengers from point A to point B by way of point Z. Sadly, there are some bad cabdrivers out there who take visitors for a “ride,” but in reality, we have much more to fear from our passengers than they have to fear from us.
However, ... privacy issues aside, it’s all about money...prices ranging from around $3,250 to $4,000 to lease and install each unit.. For private owner/operators, this could kill their year.
The costs continue to pile up after the devices are installed. The test drivers who already have the touch-screens have reported finding the monitors covered in spray paint, stickers, soda and scratches.
Even without vandalism, the technology is likely to break down. ... Because these G.P.S. devices will be linked to the taximeters, when the screen is vandalized, the computer breaks down or the satellite connection is unavailable, the meter won’t work. The driver will be forced to go off-duty and bring the car in for repairs. In a business where lost time equals lost pay, this is unacceptable.
One fleet already using the system recently lost its satellite signal, putting about 250 cabs out of commission for nearly three hours until the problem was resolved. [Obviously, this means]... fewer available cabs ... but also lower incomes for ... cabbies.
For drivers ... who lease cabs from privately owned fleets, there isn’t the burden of paying for installation or repairs upfront, but the costs may still be passed on to us in the form of “surcharges” or “tax fees.”
The only potential benefit for passengers I can see in these machines is the credit card slide. Matthew Daus, chairman of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, is happy to tell anyone who will listen that our tips are better as a result of this, but I beg to differ. Drivers have to pay a hefty 5 percent transaction fee while most stores and restaurants are charged an average base rate of about 2 percent. So those “bigger tips,” if they exist at all, simply don’t cover the costs. And since most cabs already have the ability to take credit cards, what’s the point of installing a whole new system?
BWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Typical American attitude.
Do not care or know about the actual facts of the issue, only how will it personally affect me?
Adopt path of least resistance.
Follow.
Repeat.
#10, Where are you from?
Maybe they should have gone on strike BEFORE they signed the agreement (months ago) to put these in cabs. Now they are legally bound by this agreement. What a bunch of tools. I agree that the spokeswoman for this group is one of the most annoying people on the planet.
this strike can't start soon enough. i'm looking forward to nicer bicycle riding days.
Meanwhile, I continue my strike against tippinng cab drivers until they complete manditory courses entitled "how to drive" and "how to not act like a complete dickhole".
What system do the cab drivers use in Bangladesh?
I recently got into a cab with a GPS, credit card slider and LCD. I was concerned that the LCD would be advertising at me all the time. I was so relieved to find that I could press a button and turn the stupid thing off. I regard the back of a cab as a semi-sacred moment of peace and time to muse.
Cab driving is a very tough job. Those of you who tried it out for a while, like myself, will attest to that. The fact that it is a cash business give the drivers some wiggle room and independence from fleet owners, the IRS, etc. I think its the credit card sliders that have them all concerned. The GPS issue is a probably a secondary concern.
The city of New York is attempting to remove the human element from the taxicab. It appears that what the City really wants are a municipilized fleet of robot cabs. Unfortunately they are asking the private sector to do this.
Rather than focusing on making the working conditions less humane, the Taxi and Limo Commission should be striving for higher driver qualifications. They should bring the entire taxi industry to a higher standard of driver and vehicle. That is what the public would really love. A taxi fleet of well educated, informed, proficient drivers who love NYC and who enjoy there work.
Forget about these god forsaken moniters inside the taxis blasting more useless information in your face. How can a City require that taxi drivers accept credit cards? How is it the City's business? Cash is the recognized currency in this country. A business cannot be forced to accept anything other than American currency.
Taxi Driver
Athan Rebelos
San Francisco, Ca.