INDUSTRY IN REVIEW

By Don McCurdy

Just because everybody else does.

Bush Intercontinental Airport is attempting to establish a rule that taxicab drivers will have to pass an FBI background check and wear an ID badge like every other employee and contractor on airport grounds. It seems the drivers are taking exception to their being included in the "everybody else" category. Of course, they are.

The funny part of the entire story is that it is reported that the airport ID card will actually speed up the driver licensing process.The story appears to be much ado about very little as the drivers' other complaints about misdemeanor complaints and the effects of GPS tracking aren't true.

What is true, at least in my experience, is that taxicab drivers are major conspiracy theorists. Once a rumor starts it's repeated, distorted and gospel before it makes it off the airport taxi stand.

Taxi drivers know who was on the grassy knoll. The mayor has agreed to delay the start of the program until a public discussion could be completed. He said he didn't care about what New Jersey cab drivers were planning. Ok, I made that part up.

Revolutionary or just revolting?

The New York City TLC's plan for monitors in every cab with card swipes and GPS is deemed "nothing short of revolutionary.." by Commissioner Matthew W. Daus, but drivers seem to have another opinion. Not only is the city going to be able to track the driver's income (TLC calls it "automating required paperwork"), but the driver will have to pay for it.

I'm sure that the New York State Department of Taxation won't want any of that information from the TLC on that "automated paperwork". I wonder if the courts would consider that double jeopardy for the driver to have to pay for the device that rats him out to the tax man?

Say it ain't so!

Australian District Court Master Peter Norman is apparently shocked at how easy it is to get a license to drive a taxi in Adelaide. He complains that the accrediting authorities are "unaware of a driver's psychological condition" prior to licensing. Of course, a follow up psychological examination every now and then afterwards won't hurt either.

Psychological condition?

Norman also is reported to have said knowledge of the rules and regulations for driving taxis were as essential for drivers to know as are the road rules. Really? I sure hope so. Why isn't knowledge of a taxi driver's rules and regulations not already a part of the licensing program?

The State Transport Department is reported to be "looking into the structure of the driver training course". I wonder if that means the driver will have to speak English? I don't know why the judge is upset. No where short of London does anything resembling psychological testing exist in driver licensing procedures.

Throughout the vast majority of the world the required driver knowledge to get a license is a joke. Every now and then you'll hear a whiz bang politician come up with the cure all "passenger bill of rights", but they lack the political courage to say out loud that the driver should be able to read it in the language native to the service area.

Why that's racist! Seriously, until driver training and testing reach some level of quality control the industry and it's members will continue to decline in respect and income.

This ought to be good.

The Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau is starting an "in depth" study of the local industry. Entry barriers, service levels, professionalism and other issues are being reviewed.

I wonder who at the bureau knows what a professional taxicab driver should know, or how they should act? Might I recommend a visit to London for a trip in a black cab?

London has no entry barriers except the requirement that a driver complete "the knowledge". The time required to complete "the knowledge" is something between 2 and 4 years. I doubt the industry in any US city could survive such a demanding requirement. So what are they to do out there in Denver?

Well, you could require that every driver take a training course over say the next year. Offer the course at night as well as during the day so drivers are not compelled to starve to death while they study their craft. Get serious about regulating the industry. Put inspectors, no not the local guy, out on the street checking to see if drivers are refusing short fares.

As soon as you pull someone's license for refusing a short fare the word will get around. No, I'm not talking about dressing someone up like a gang banger and seeing if the driver refuses. They'd have to be an idiot not to. Get out in the street, call some cabs, wait at grocery stores, you know, like real cab customers.

I've worked at companies that wouldn't call their own cabs. Nobody was checking out their service. If you're going to regulate the industry, get enough staff to do the job right. There are numerous ways to improve the industry. All you have to do is want to and have the political courage to get it done.

Surcharge?

Chicago drivers are asking the city for a "surcharge" to cover the increased cost of doing business. Same issue time and time again. It seems to me that if you understood how the meters generally work you would know that you can increase the drop without having to recalibrate the meter each time.

It would be a simple matter for the city to designate inspection stations that could change the drop charge without having to run a meter strip each time.

A simple ordinance that could automatically link the drop on the meter to the price of gas would solve the problem.

When the price of gas goes to X for a week straight, the drop on the meter would automatically go to Y for one month. The drop would then be redetermined based on the price of gas after the month period has elapsed.

I know that if I were still a driver I wouldn't whine about having to pay
$20 to have the meter adjusted. There are logistical issues, of course, but nothing insurmountable if everyone leaves their ego out of the
discussion.

What an idiot!

A couple of months ago I received letters of "solidarity" praising my opinion on the "parking authority's" handling of the GPS fiasco in Philadelphia. Imagine my shock, ok so I wasn't shocked, when the same bunch called my opinion on credit cards "shallow" and informed me that I didn't have all of the facts, etcetera. I even had one informed individual tell me that he expected as much from the TLC! Huh?

Just for the record, I don't work for the Taxi and Limousine Commission. I write a column for Taxi Limousine and Coach Magazine. I am self employed and do very little work in the taxicab industry. Suffice to say that my opinions are my own and not subject to the boss's opinion.

That's how it always works.

Recently, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the entire NYC fleet of taxicabs would be converting to hybrid by the year 2012. Thus far the taxi industry nationwide has greeted the hybrid with something slightly less than unbridled enthusiasm. But it appears, however, that, at least, the New York City taxicab industry has a visionary. However, is Mayor Bloomberg really a visionary or is there a politiacal agenda to his announcement?

Who cares if the hybrid turns out to be the biggest loser the industry has ever seen? With all the talk about global warming and Al Gore's movie the opportunity was too sweet to pass. The taxicab industry has always preferred a proven winner to a pie in the sky. Go figure.

While the automobile manufacturing business works out the kinks on their alternate energy vehicles they can rest assured of one thing - they'll have customers.

I wonder if the New York City taxicab industry will take exception to the mayor ramming this proposal down their throats and spending their money to make political points. But, isn't that what politicians do?

—dmc

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