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INDUSTRY IN REVIEWBy Don McCurdyBy all means, keep them. A recent story out of Baltimore poses the question of what the city should do about “hacks.” “Hacks” is the local term for unlicensed taxicabs. In New York City and other jurisdictions, however, a hack is a licenced taxicab or, often, a licensed taxicab operator. For the most part, the article was favorable toward the “hacks” even though it did mention that two “hack” passengers were raped. Hey, no problem there. The author seemed so enamored with the unlicensed “hacks” that the thought occurred to me that, perhaps, the city should stop licensing taxicabs altogether. Who cares if the cabs are unsafe, the drivers unlicensed, and both uninsured? Hey, pedophiles need work too, so, what’s the beef? The author did say that new drivers have to be vouched for by “hack” captains. Captains? Illegal taxicabs have a chain of command? Who would have thought? While I am all for minimal regulation, allowing some taxicabs to operate illegally isn’t exactly what I had in mind. If the city has determined that there is a genuine need to regulate taxicabs then they should regulate all of them. Regulating the willing simply makes the drivers who are legal pay more than the drivers who are illegal. While Ms.Vozzella, the author, may find a certain level of romance in participating in the private parties she attends and where these issues are discussed, she fails, however, to think the process through to its logical conclusion. What happens when, not if, one of these unlicensed taxicabs gets into a collision that injures a passenger and taxicab doesn’t have insurance to cover the damages and injuries occurring in the accident? Other issues with unknown or unlicensed drivers are pretty obvious, but I guess not to everyone.
Wow, how could the DC cab situation get any more interesting? Fraud, official corruption, bribery, arrests, a strike, death threats and an honest administrator. Honest administrator? DC? How did this all happen you wonder? Well, reports abound on what happened, who did what, who paid who, who threatened who and, of course, who pled not guilty to what. The story appears to be that some wannabe taxicab drivers attempted to bribe Leon J. Swain Jr., the head of the DC Taxicab Commission. Swain is reported to have brought the FBI into the picture and the game was afoot. Sucked into the corruption vortex were several potential licensees and a top aide to one of the DC councilman. Now, that’s more like what I would expect. The aide, Ted G. Loza, is accused of taking a bribe and coincidently works for the councilman that chairs the public works and transportation committee. In what can only be called an “amazing coincidence” the councilman, Jim Graham, turns out to be the author of a bill to establish a medallion system, something some of the reported bribery was all about. While no charges have been filed against any council members, Graham, Phil Mendelson, Kwame Brown and Tommy Wells all are reported to have returned $400 “campaign contributions” from a former chairman of the DC taxicab commission, Causton Toney. Toney is reported to be partners with Yitbarek Syume at Jet Cab and United Fleet Management. Syume is one of three men charged with funneling money to Straight Arrow Swain who may be the most successful so far at lowering the deficit. Okay, so maybe not. Anyway, Graham has withdrawn his bill to establish a medallion system even though he claims it had absolutely, positively, unequivocally, nothing to do with any alleged bribes paid to his chief of staff. Now, I honestly don’t know about all that Jimbo, but my guess is that you’re going to play hell getting that off your boots. I don’t know if Loza chumped Graham or Graham was in on it, but it sure will be interesting to see what happens when all of the plea bargaining is done. Of course, it is DC, Graham might have more trouble getting reelected if it turns out he didn’t see it going on under his nose then he would if he were directly involved. Well, you know, after he got out of prison.
San Francisco is surging ahead with the idea of revamping their voter approved taxicab permit system for a Gavin Newsom approved money grab from working taxicab drivers. I guess Newsom just considers himself smarter than the electorate. Since they elected him how can we argue? Instead of hard working taxicab drivers getting the permit, Newsom wants to sell the permits for a one time windfall for the city. New York City was very successful in raising money for the city by selling additional medallions at auction not too long ago. However, will this work in San Francisco where there has never been a medallion market? It appears to me to be just another politician stealing from the poor and giving to the rich. Who exactly benefits from this deviation from the current system? Well, the companies do.They won’t have to lease permits from drivers any more. A permit (medallion) market is meaningless to them because they won’t be selling them once they own them. Bummer for the drivers. The banks, somebody will have to loan money to the companies to allow them to buy the permits. Of course the drivers, and the public, will be the ones paying more to cover the interest. Bummer for the drivers. Newsom’s plan does nothing good to working taxicab drivers and gets the city a minimal, temporary cash infusion. A definite loser for the drivers, the riders and, long term, the city itself. The idea that the new approach is going to “improve service” is a joke not worth telling. It’s obvious, even from here, that this is simply a money grab from some of the poorest members of the community. It can only be described as a politician’s solution, take more money from the poor to keep from having to act in a fiscally responsible manner. Is anybody out west paying attention to the D.C. medallion scam? I’ll tell you what Mr. Mayor, send me 10% of the projected price of one of the medallions and explain how you can get ongoing revenue for the city and have it be a winner for the drivers. You will have to wait until the check actually clears though, you are in California after all.
Meanwhile, in the heartless land. Oops, typo there, that was supposed to be heartland. Mayor Daley of Chicago is reported to be “sympathetic” to the fare hike petition. Sympathetic? How about just pathetic? Mr. Sympathy stiffed the drivers last year with a fuel surcharge. What will be the excuse this year? It’s amazing to me that anyone would even want to do the most dangerous job around for chump change. The real problem for taxicab drivers is that they don‘t have enough money to make “political contributions” sizable enough to make new “friends.” The good news is that there are plenty of new immigrants willing to live ten to an apartment and drive twenty hours a day to be able to send a few bucks home. The bad news is that the dollar is losing value so fast that the few dollars they send home can no longer feed the family. Ultimately, they may have found a solution for illegal immigration. The interesting part is that driver’s expenses are close to 80% of their income. Now, that couldn’t be because of the huge price that the medallion holder had to pay to be able to put a cab on the street is it? Perhaps, Mr. Sympathy will call Gavin Newsome and fill him in on how much Chicago made selling medallions so Newsome can start being sympathetic right away and won’t have to wait until he’s starved all of the veterans out of the business. Nah, probably not.
London Black Cab drivers are reported to have been in a bit of a snit over the Public Carriage Office (PCO) decision to allow a man who strangled his wife to study “the knowledge”, the London, England Taxicab operators exam. Apparently, the Black Cab drivers don’t want to be associated with killers and such. Go figure. London Black Cab drivers have long been the industry elite and their reaction reinforces their commitment to their profession. The driver’s reaction to the story has caused the PCO to reconsider the “wisdom” of their decision. I doubt very seriously that the rank and file of the PCO had any input in the decision, a terrible decision that appears surely to have had its root in political correctness at a level they couldn’t have comprehended. It sure does make you wonder though, exactly what was the thinking behind this decision? Or was there any?
Its being reported that Suffolk County New York spent $308,997 transporting “homeless sex offenders” to east side trailers to spend the night. Gee, I didn’t know “homeless sex offenders” were entitled to free transportation. Legally the county is required to provide shelter for the homeless, regardless of the sex offender status. How positively civilized. Makes me embarrassed that Texas state law isn’t as humane as New York state law. Our homeless sex offenders aren’t entitled to government provided shelter. Well, I mean, you know, when they finally get out of prison. Is it any wonder that the State of New York is broke? Not only are they broke, but they’re humanity is breaking the counties also. I know this, if I were a homeless sex offender I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live in Texas, which is probably why I live in Texas. Maybe it’d be cheaper to give them a bus ticket and a thousand dollars to leave town and never come back. Send them to San Francisco, they’d never notice.
It’s reported that the federal government is suing Vegas Western Cab Company for discrimination after they refused to hire a driver with an artificial arm. Well, it has long been my contention that if you can’t eat your lunch, talk on the dispatch radio (okay, so I’m old), and write down an address while driving you weren’t qualified to drive a cab. Okay ,so he would have had to put his sandwich down. Big deal! I was presented with the same decision over a decade ago and the guy drove for a long time, no accidents, no complaints, with one arm. As an employer I am always happy to have people that want to work, not just want to draw a check. I don’t know what the management of Vegas Western was thinking, but I wouldn’t turn away anybody without a lot more cause than having a missing arm. Buddy Llewellyn drove for decades with two artificial legs from the knee down, lost when his chopper went down in Vietnam. I’m not holding back anybody with the audacity to want to try their luck at the world’s most dangerous occupation.
The airport police at LAX, in conjunction with other agencies, are reported to have issued 71 citations in a surprise inspection of ground transportation vehicles on the airport grounds. Citations were for various safety and licensing violations. All in all a successful outing to be sure. Perhaps, other cities will follow their lead and start enforcing their own regulations. Kudos to the LAX police and Chief George Centeno. Keep up the good work. If some have to be registered all should have to be registered.
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