INDUSTRY IN REVIEW

by Don McCurdy

Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

It has been reported that the Manitoba Taxicab Board wants stronger federal laws to better protect taxicab drivers after a surge of attacks on drivers in Winnipeg. It would only be the press and politicians who would believe that a new law would "protect" taxicab drivers. While the process would be simple enough to do, it would be of no lasting value. If there is not a steady stream of news articles pointing up the increased sentences given to persons who assault taxicab drivers it will have little lasting effect.

While I applaud the idea of increasing punishment for assaults on taxicab drivers, it serves to do nothing more than to get revenge after the fact. Protection implies prevention. If simply enacting a law increasing the penalties is going to "protect" us, how about just increasing the penalties for air piracy and stop wasting all that money on screenings? There are practical measures that can improve the safety of the world's most dangerous profession, some that cost little and some that cost a lot. There are two important questions:

• One is, how serious are you about protecting the drivers?
  
  
  
• Second, how much money are you willing to put up to show us how serious you are?

Some options are: purpose built cars, advanced training, shields, cameras and police priority to taxicab complaints. Some may point up GPS and panic lights, but they are of little value, in my opinion, as a preventive measure. I've said it before and it applies here, this is a feel good option that costs nothing and is worth every penny.

The gift that keeps on giving.

The DC taxicab industry reports keep a steady stream of entertaining snippets coming. A recent one has Mayor Fenty's opponents bandying about such terms as disrespected and disenfranchised. Particularly hilarious is former crack head and current council member Marion Barry denouncing Fenty for "disrespecting" taxicab drivers. Get serious. How many years were you Mayor, Mr. Barry? What exactly did you do to bring the DC taxicab industry out of the stone age for those years? I don't know how this man can keep a straight face while claiming that someone else is "disrespecting" anyone.

Another council member, Michael Brown, is attacking Fenty for not being "inclusive" enough, one of my popular favorites. Drivers are whining about not making enough money, but if you recall Fenty wanted a higher drop and got beat up by the very same politicians claiming it was too much. Now the drivers are looking to the very same politicians who pressured Fenty to lower the drop for help. Wake up, they've helped you enough! My opinion, worth all you paid for it, is that the DC fares should be increased to a comparable level with other major cities and the drop should be what the mayor recommended in the first place.

No connection there, of course.

D/FW (Dallas/Fort Worth) taxicab drivers are reported in a bit of a snit over the airport policy of allowing natural gas cabs to go to the front of the line. I always find it interesting when the government seeks to control our behavior by artificial means, but this one seems a little pushy.

Being a skeptic I would wonder if Dallas Yellow Cab's decision to convert their fleet to natural gas was in the works before or after the airport decision to give natural gas powered vehicles front of the line privileges? Not that I would think that Yellow Cab would have undue political influence right? I mean hey, Floyd doesn't own the place any more. Do they drive natural gas powered vehicles?

One has to wonder how good the airport taxicab service would be if all of the gasoline power taxicabs took a few days off. I am constantly amazed how brain dead ideologues can screw up other people's lives with absolutely no thought as to what is fair and decent. We all know, the end justifies the means. I can't help wondering why the board didn't shut down the airport all together. I mean, after all, wouldn't that be the "greenest" idea? We'll see how it all plays out in court. No doubt the airport will use the funds paid in by the taxicab drivers to defend the airport's right to discriminate against those very same drivers.

Shouldn't there be a sign?

A recent article about Brandon, Manitoba taxicabs carrying free condoms begs the question, at least in my fertile mind, shouldn't there be a sign forbidding in cab use? I guess I'm just not progressive enough to understand the value of taxicabs being free condom dispensers.

The program has been going on for about a year but is reportedly being expanded. Perhaps, this is a method of keeping the costs of government run medical care down. While many are skeptical the program is said to have saved 3,000 jobs, er lives. Okay, I made that part up. I will report that I'm glad it's Canadian.

Cameras not a deterrent?

Aaron Doyle, a Carleton University criminologist, is reported to claim that in cab cameras don't protect drivers. While statistically he may be correct, properly utilized taxicab cameras can prevent some incidents.

There are a couple of X factors in the equation that must be addressed such as the awareness of the criminal that a camera is in use. Houston was once the taxicab driver murder capital of the world. During my first week as General Manager three drivers were shot. I knew Houston had the world's biggest rodeo, but I had no idea that it was year around.

My second week we had a news conference showing off our new cameras and dramatic pictures of a robbery in which the perpetrators each got 40 years in prison since the DA had pictures and didn't feel it necessary to plea bargain. The next shooting that occurred in one of Yellow's cabs was over a year later. Now, I'm certainly not a scientist and I'm sure that my experience lacks the scientific quality of say the global warming fiasco, but there was a definite drop in incidents at Yellow.

Did they move to another company? Who knows, that wasn't my problem. The issue with the cameras is knowledge on the part of the criminal prior to initiating the act. Let it go six months without dramatic pictures of some robbery, and the resultant large prison sentence in the news and cameras are out of mind.
Routinely, I instructed drivers to alert their young male passengers, the most common miscreant "profile," of the camera.

One driver actually reported that the passengers actually got out of the car when he pointed out the camera. Now, toss in the camera getting a picture of a robber at the beginning of a string of robberies and enabling an early capture and you have a serious argument to Mr. Doyle's contention. I guess it's kind of like how many jobs were saved by the stimulus package? Hard to pin down exactly how many robberies might have happened. I wonder, did the numbers go up? Problem solved!

The State of New York is reported to have figured out how to get everyone to stop whining about the taxi tax. Well, almost everyone. They are reported to be amending the tax to just be a tax on medallions not on each individual fare. No doubt fares will rise to compensate the medallion holder, but that's not a tax it's just fares rising, happens all the time.

Now, that's clever. Any time a politician can tax without the tax being evident it's just plain genius. Why would anyone complain about a 911 surcharge on their telephone bill? It's not a tax, it's for the 911 system. Brilliant. The fact that the police have been answering the phone for as long as there have been phones is irrelevant. We need that money for the 911 system. Of course we do. Congratulations! By the way, I heard that the winter was so cold in New York this year that someone actually saw a politician with his hands in his own pockets.

Onward through the fog!

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome is reported to be pressing on with scheme to sell taxicab medallions to get 11 to 15 million in "new revenue" for the city. His plan is indicative of the problems California politicians routinely generate for their state: give us the money now and somebody will pay later.

Newsome, typical of politicians, appears to be going against the will of the people as expressed in the famous, at least in the taxi business, prop K. Clever wording of a recent proposition is claimed to allow such a change, but undoubtedly the entire affair will end up in court.

Newsome's proposal has morphed into some kind of buy one get one free extravaganza that demonstrates exactly why I don't see politicians regulating business as a positive thing. No doubt Newsome will make a great governor for California and keep it headed for financial ruin. Meanwhile, the good citizens of San Francisco will spend eternity paying for Newsome's "new revenue."

That must have been interesting.

El Paso County, Colorado is reportedly getting two new taxicab companies if the Colorado PUC approves them. Recent hearings and agreements seem to indicate that there will be three companies. What was interesting about the entire affair, at least to me, was that Colorado Springs Yellow Cab contested the 2008 law change by the Colorado legislature as unconstitutional.

Not being a lawyer I actually had to whip out my copy of the Constitution and reread that taxi competition clause. Try as I might I couldn't get any of the provisions of the Constitution or the Amendments to stand on their head enough to apply in this situation.

I guess the courts couldn't either because most of the suit was tossed in December. The whole thing must have been interesting though, kind of like that Ten Commandments rock in front of courthouse deal. I'm still looking for that one, but hey, I said I wasn't a lawyer.

That must be unconstitutional!

Seattle's limo and town car drivers are reported to be opposed to being regulated like taxicabs. Really? Who would have thought that? Representative Scott White has proposed a bill that would require unlicensed limos and town cars to get licensed and have their drivers licensed. Seems to me that if you're going to regulate taxicabs for the public's safety not regulating limos and town cars leaves a bit of a hole in the concept. Perhaps, just requiring a sign on unlicensed limos and town cars would assist the traveling public to make a wise selection. Like say: This vehicle's driver, safety condition, insurance and price are not regulated and have not been screened in any way. That might help.

If you have any comments regarding this or any of my articles please feel free to contact me at dmc@cmcauto.net.

—dmc

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