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INDUSTRY IN REVIEWBy Don McCurdyYou're kidding right? Hey you, you want to pay more for gasoline? Okay, let's all move to Chicago where we can have a referendum on whether or not we want to pay more for our gasoline. Yes, it's nonbinding, but it seems a little ridiculous to vote on whether or not taxicab fares should be increased. How about we phrase it this way, "Do you want to remove the licensing restrictions to lower taxicab fares?" Hell no, we can't phrase it that way because we would have to admit the reason the fares need to be this high is because of regulations requiring a medallion to operate. At the same time, those who voted no to giving taxicab drivers a raise voted yes to giving themselves a raise. Perhaps, it would be fair play to have the taxicab drivers vote to raise the minimum wage for the rest of the workers since it is they, the workers, who voted down the drivers' raise.
You read a lot of fairy tales about politicians, like they're tough and can make the hard decisions but I just don’t see it. The new, okay he's not so new now, Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago is reported one of those "sharp elbowed" Just as amusing is the vote to ban concealed weapons in any place that has a liquor license. Did anyone happen to mention to the voting public that convenience stores, restaurants, grocery stores and every other type of business that sells beer or wine has to have to have a liquor license? So, just about anywhere a man or woman might want to take their family to eat or shop would be off limits to concealed carry holders diminishing their ability and right to defend their families. I wonder if Chicago police officers will still get to carry their firearms in places with liquor licenses. They seem to be the ones that have issues with pistol whipping the help, not the general public. I can see where it might be bad if a private citizen shot an officer who was beating the barmaid to death. Perhaps, the good citizens can push their mayor up the ladder to governor so that he can be closer to going off to jail. Governors in Illinois go to jail, don’t they? Then they could get someone who really will watch out for the little guy and get off their backs.
An interesting bit from Pittsburgh regarding the quality of taxicab service has a local newspaper writer lamenting his fate for not being allowed to welcome Uber and Lyft into the fold of transportation providers available in Pittsburgh. Since the state regulates the industry in Pennsylvania the local politicians are unable to influence the outcome of the Uber extravaganza in Pittsburgh. It's always amusing when the press, usual cheerleaders for regulation, get upset that regulations are hampering what they think would be best for society. Several of the lines in the story border on slapstick, such as "there are also question about how the businesses will be taxed appropriately and assure patrons' safety." Uh, let's see, you can insure patrons' safety and appropriate taxes with regulation. Oh, but we're lamenting the result of regulation, I forgot. Then the line regarding Jamie Campolongo, head of one of the local companies, "apparently he hasn't talked to any transplants from New York or Boston or even - dare we say it? - Cleveland." Gee, you can't even call a cab in New York, you have to flag it, or else call a car service. Not to mention all of the goofy regulations New York has. I wonder if the author would promote "surge" pricing at peak times for taxicabs? Or, perhaps, all of the patrons pay in advance with a credit card so that when they get in the wrong cab the driver they abandoned at least gets his gas money back. Or, perhaps, the author wouldn't mind a $20 minimum or an automatic gratuity. There are lots reasons why Uber looks so wonderful to the well heeled, they don't have to pick up flags in the barrio.
St. Louis is reported to be the first city to approve an app based car service. I wonder who keeps track of these things? But I digress. The vehicles and drivers are licensed, insured and have undergone background checks. Not only that, but the drivers are supposed to avoid "price gouging." Who is this licensed app service, Uber? Lyft? SideCar? Nope, it's Carmel Limousine Mobile App Service. Who? Well, apparently Carmel Limo provides taxicab and "specialty cars," whatever that means, in 310 cities. The website even has a "worldwide" tab. The "we don't own no cars so we don't need a license" dodge doesn't seem to be necessary to Carmel, they actually get licenses. No doubt the "article" was a press release from the company, but it was interesting to see how they approached it.
Lyft is reported to be going rogue, sorry Sarah, in Minneapolis. The city says no but the management says blow. They aren't covered by the ordinance since, wait for it, they're not a taxicab company. Yes, it's the same old story, everywhere they go they get slandered, libeled, hear words they never heard in the Bible. Sorry, can't make music play in the background. No doubt this will be an exciting extravaganza for attorneys, but they have to eat too. I sure wouldn't want to be a driver on the front lines taking flak while somebody else's lawyers tells me not to worry about it. Good luck with that.
Alas, Philadelphia is having similar problems to what has been reported in Pittsburgh, nobody has a plan to make the taxicab world a better place. Well, first, how in the world do you end up with the "Parking Authority" regulating taxicabs? I mean really, if you were an authority on parking how would that translate into understanding ground transportation? Don't they have a Transportation Authority in Philadelphia? Like all big cities, Philadelphia has issue with taxicabs. Like all big cities they think that their system works. Like all big cities the regulators don't seem to have a clue. What makes companies responsive to the needs of the customers is some cut throat trying to steal their customers. I believe that's called competition. I haven't been there in a while but I would venture a guess that Philadelphia still has some cobblestone streets. Yes, very historic but hardly the latest technology. Cities are often satisfied with the status quo regarding the number of companies, the number of taxicabs, the quality of service (or lack thereof) and the general condition of the industry. Protectionist regulations have stagnated innovation and entrepreneurism. We can't deregulate, there'd be chaos. Usually the ones pointing this up are the medallion owners whose sacred cow would be so much scrapple if competition were allowed. Whether regulated by the state or by the city, no existing methods of entry into the industry allows the inefficient to survive and alas the inefficient are, well, inefficient.
In what can only be called a queer editorial, George Lutfallah, editor and lord high mucky muck of "Chicago Dispatcher" threatened, somewhat tongue in cheek, to expose several members of the city council as "closeted homosexuals." "Equality Illinois," billed as the oldest advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Illinoisans, really got his panties in a wad and went so far as to condemn George's editorial in a scathing rebuke which, of course, led to some questions I had, like why are lesbians listed separately? Now, I don't consider myself to be an authority or anything, but aren't female homosexuals called "gay" also? How come they get double billing? Isn't that just a little sexist? Well, maybe in reverse. Can you be reverse sexist? I noticed George taking a beating for being sexist for mentioning woman drivers, and I kind of take a beating on that subject too, especially if I mention them in front of my wife. Anyway, like all uptight, overly sensitive groups of special privileged protected groups "Equality Illinois" wants to pull a Mozilla on old George. You would think with a name like Lutfallah, George would do better than to invite the wrath of the gaystapo. Oops, I meant Gestapo. Some people just can't handle happy humor. Or is that gay? Thanks in advance for the hate mail.
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