So who is in charge of network security?

A recent blurb out of Arlington Heights, Illinois cited an investigation into a former employee of American Taxi for hacking into their computer and sending another company's taxicabs to American's trips. This begs the question of who, exactly, is in charge of network security there at American?

Now, I don't want you to think that I'm paranoid, but I've been known to change a password before an employee showed up for work on his or her last day, let alone after they left. People get sloppy about network security from time to time, but it only takes one act of sabotage, which I've already experienced, to make you paranoid for life. Every company needs someone who really knows how this stuff works, but if you fire them best be prepared to fend off some cyber attacks. If a few lost trips are all that ends up happening to alert company management of the potential dangers of lax computer security count yourself blessed.

Every once in a while...

I recently read a study called "Labor Supply of New York City Cab Drivers: One day at a time." I was immediately interested to see if my prediction matched their prediction. While I, as an individual driver, would work until hell froze over if it was busy, most of the drivers I knew would go home early if they had achieved their daily objective. With that in mind my prediction was that most drivers wouldn't stay out longer if it was busy.

The study analysis was that drivers would stay out longer if there was money to be made. While I admit my study is twenty years old, not in New York City and has no basis in science, kind of like that global warming thing, it was correct. I would suggest to the study group that taxicab drivers might not be the ideal group to study for this kind of analysis. If you could define the "average" taxicab driver it might be possible, but I've never been able to do it.

Speaking of the global warming scam.

While I'm always up for improved technology making the world a better place I wonder if forcing taxicab companies to buy hybrids is still a "ram it down their throats" priority with Mayor Bloomberg now that the scam has been exposed. Perhaps, a respite while the emails are investigated might be in order. Or, perhaps, he considers it presidential to pretend that the emperor's new clothes are just made of such a fine weave that you just can't see them.

Minimally, Congress and the President should be screaming for a full scale investigation of the science leading up to the attempted robbery of the American people, but that's not what's happening. Without mentioning the audacity of the hoax being perpetrated on the American people a United States Senator demanded an investigation of the leak of the emails. Don't get me wrong, not the content of the emails mind you but letting the truth out of the bag.

The complicity of the network news, not mentioning the leaks at all, is absolutely astounding. To simply not report a story because it doesn't suit your agenda propels the bulk of the American media into the propaganda department. We can no longer expect the broadcast media to be the watchdogs of government excess or even to present an honest product. It's really a shame that the once proud stature of broadcast news has sunk to the same level as the Iranian state controlled media or Pravda.

Does anyone wonder how things would have turned out if the Washington Post had simply not reported on the Watergate story? The magnitude of the "solution" to the global warming hoax demonstrates quite clearly that the congress and the news media couldn't care less about the American people. All I can say to Mayor Bloomberg is that you'll never get elected president if you show some spine and demand an investigation of the email's contents before mandating "green" cabs". So there it is. Which is it, a search for the truth or sucking up to the media bosses? Time will tell.

So you thought Cap and Tax was going to be bad..

Wait until the new EPA guidelines are issued, you'll be begging for Cap and Tax. In what I can only see as a gun to the head of congress the Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that CO2 is "dangerous" and they will start creating regulations to control it.

Damn the fraudulent data, full speed ahead. CO2 emissions have gone beyond science now and are strictly a political issue. There are certainly enough questions remaining to be answered to give any true scientist pause and require further investigation before crippling the economy of the United States. The fact of the matter is that the president and congress couldn't care less what the new EPA guidelines does to the American people or their ability to pay their utility bills as a result of it. It fits their agenda and that's all that needs to happen.

The effects on the taxicab industry won't be felt immediately unless there are increased taxes on fossil fuels. However, you can expect increased costs throughout the economy which will eventually impact the trade. Why is it that it seems like the people who are charged with "leading" the country seem determined to push it into a ditch?

Who would have thought?

It's being reported that New York City taxicab drivers "like" credit cards. Say what? Well, apparently New Yorkers really do tip more with plastic than they with cash. How about that? Perhaps it's a variation of using chips on dice tables instead of real money theory. Three weeks from now someone sending me a bill is not quite the same as me shelling out a twenty right now. Besides that, my wife pays the credit card bills. As I mentioned when NYC taxicab drivers were striking over the credit card issue, business travelers prefer using credit cards and have been known to show that appreciation with tips. Oh yeah, did I mention that taxicab drivers hate change?

How much is enough?

Recently, a story in Houston tracked the case of a passenger that was kidnapped by a driver with previous convictions for a variety of crimes including assault. The city of Houston allows a driver to obtain a license based on the last ten years of their criminal record which would allow Charles Manson to obtain a Houston taxicab license. "Yo, Chuck, downtown please." So from a liability standpoint what should a company do to prevent getting cleaned out in court? Well, how about acting responsibly?

I've terminated numerous driver's contracts that were completely in compliance with the city's guidelines, one of whom ended up murdering two passengers. The city guidelines are not the be all end all. The company claims that it is in compliance with the city's regulations, which it is. The jury didn't really care what the city said. It decided that Yellow should have been more judicious in selecting their drivers and I can't help but agree. Putting someone behind the wheel that shows a pattern of criminal behavior is not a good business decision for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost the riding safety and satisfaction of your customers should be a company's number one priority. Second, the legal fees for defending the company in the potential lawsuits could add up to way more than these criminals are paying you to drive. Being the father of two daughters my criteria was very simple: would I want this driver to pick up my daughter at 3:00 am? Perhaps, Yellow, and some other companies need to find some fathers to help screen their drivers.

Tale of two tales.

Two stories, in two different cities, caught my attention. The first story, out of Charlotte, NC, mentioned a 71 year old driver wrestling a gun away from some would be robbers. The article stated that the driver's first inclination was not to load the passengers. He talked himself into it and it went badly. Fortunately, he was able to overcome his mistake. What initially piqued my interest was the thought that he would get in trouble in a lot of jurisdictions if he didn't load, like say New York City.

The next story was from Washington DC where a local station was conducting a test to see if DC taxicab drivers would pass a black customer and load a white customer just down the street. According to the report the drivers passed the black customers dressed in their work cloths three out of five times and four out of five times in sweats. All very interesting, but there was some information left out like the ethnic background of the driver.

It would be more than an interesting footnote to know if the drivers were discriminating against people of a different color or the same color. The next question would be how exactly did they come to want to discriminate against people of color? The statement, despite being professionally dressed, as if that should matter, indicated to me that these people believed that a taxicab driver should pick up anyone, wearing anything, anytime. Well, it's good to dream.

Unlike the majority of people in the article, taxicab drivers make life and death decisions every single day. They're mugged, robbed and murdered daily so pardon me if I don't start bawling every time they pass someone that scares them for whatever reason. When you're willing to stop and pick up gang bangers hitchhiking give me a call. At least I'll know where to send the flowers.