Since PIX11 found countless examples of the off-duty “where you going?” scam during its year-long examination of cab drivers who abuse, Part III of Hack Job focuses on information New Yorkers should know. It comes in four parts.
[I] The Rule: cab drivers during changeover or shift-change are allowed a “going my way” option – to ask passengers for example “I’m going to [location] to changeover my cab, if you’re going that way I’ll take you.” But according to the TLC, it is illegal for them to ask you “where are you going?” first. It implies they are picking their passengers and not truly on-duty.
[2] Take Action: if you believe a cab driver who turns you down was not actually off-duty, get the medallion number, call 3-1-1 and file a complaint. The TLC has beefed up its staff in recent years to handle such complaints. Those who file the complaint can testify by phone – a process that can take less than 5 to 10 minutes.
Take Action: if you believe a cab driver who turns you down was not actually off-duty, get the medallion number, call 3-1-1 and file a complaint.
[3] App-bout Time: the TLC is looking to allow livery hailing-apps (YellowCabNYC APP) to include taxis. The livery industry has gone to court to stop the move, fearing it will take income away from livery drivers. The issue may be decided in court in the coming weeks.
The TLC will increase the login time for the driver so the light will be harder to manipulate for the purposes of the current “where you going?” game.
[4] New Lights, Less Confusion? By May all cabs will convert into a new light system without the off-duty option. The light above a taxi will either be on, indicating on-duty, or off. The TLC will increase the login time for the driver so the light will be harder to manipulate for the purposes of the current “where you going?” game.
Read more: http://pix11.com/2013/02/20/hack-job-iii-ways-to-defeat-the-off-duty-where-you-going-scam
All drivers now know what to do at 4pm or am all drivers go offduty and no more pickups! Easy, all doors are open for cabbies. What gonna loose in the last hour, time for gas and shift change. Period! No more on-duty wthin the rush hour.
It can’t have anything to do with Bloomberg’s buddies on Wall Street destroying the economy and manipulating the price of gas to $4. Blame cab drivers for trying to make a living wage. How about the real scam of the city ticketing cab drivers to death, or forcing them to work for the MTA for free.
You reap what you sow.
They seem to state 4-5 is an official ‘shift change’ window which permits refusals. Is this really a legit regulation if done without the off duty light? I was under the impression that only the light granted right of refusal.
We are getting tickets everyday night and day.they must stop it no matter where yu turn u get a ticket.ee are fedup.this must stop
ok just take it easy .let us do math.how much money ,the driver is paid per hour ?who recovers the money for him during the holidays when you guys travel out and he drives like a goast in town chasing time änd money but no hope?
who recovers the traffic money for him as he works for free??
.who recovers the money for him when he spends 3 hour at jfk.??
who recovers his money when somebody refuses to pay him.???
who recovers his money when paid his lease and got sick cant work.??
…………….
the driver loose more than the public does.and the pëople must take the risk too ,because it’s the capitalism game,in adidtion they are self-employed
you dont tell him how to work if he loose it’s his responsibility.
just last week my friend had a partner,so the partner went to jfk around 420 pm säying he cant refuse the trip because of the new rules. the pärtner came back aound 6.10pm empty from jfk , the two drivers broke up and returned the car to its owner who lost his weekly lease and for him is hard to find two drivers who can pay 1850$ per week.
. offdutty in favor of the day drivers who work daily, they have now the reason to bring back the cab late and garages will loose night drivers .but dosent work,,,,the public got to take the risk ,becasuse is the way life works.bey now and good luĉk.
Jim, back when there were paper trip cards, if you had your OFF DUTY light illuminated, you had to write down “Why” on your trip sheet. I was once stopped near Penn Station by a couple of cops; they asked to see my trip card, and I had indicated “Off Duty–Bathroom Break.” NO Ticket.
“Off Duty–Going My Way” likewise means, if you are heading west towards the Queensboro or North towards the Bronx, you are allowed to driver with your doors locked, and you may tell customers WHERE YOU ARE GOING, not ask them where they are going. So God forbid you are heading for Astoria and maybe they are heading to York and 63rd…okay. But if they are heading to Columbia University, “Sorry, I am heading back to the garage.”
Of course it is WAY DIFFERENT for a night man than a day man, so if someone was heading for the Bronx and I was around Sixth Avenue, there were times I would offer to give fares a free ride two blocks over to Madison, to pick up a north-bound cab. Often they would give me a buck or two on top of nothing–better than a 311 call.
There are, of course, various cues you can choose on your electronic trip sheet including end of shift, as well as other things relating to temp breaks, breakdowns…a good way of protecting yourself in case someone said you had a refusal. Of course if you refused someone going uptown claiming a shift change and took the next fare to JFK, the trip sheet would indict you.
Chip, I remember the trip sheets. But what is the answer to the question? I’m pretty sure there is no regulation permitting refusal at any time without an off duty light. I’m not even sure you’re allowed to pick up a fare if you’re logged off the system, which is now the only other option.
I am glad off duty lights are gone for goods. Every-time I drive after the guys with off duty lights I end up with the fare to Brooklyn. So tiered of that. Smart asses want to get a fare to downtown and get the fare back to uptown, jump on FDR and make $50 right away. Well it all comes at my expense. I don’t feel sorry for you guys. And if you go to garage, you just go to garage if you had a bad day, extra $7 won’t save you.
What if someone wants to go to Staten Island via New Jersey around 5pm, and Lincoln tunnel is fedup.
i-cab I never heard of fares like this
icab let him sit in traffic for 2 hours and pay extra $40 instead of $13 for Verizzano
It’s about time to learn black car’s trick in rush hour. After all they r cherry picking experts all this time without any roof light. TLC doesn’t know how drivers r resilient n top notch game player. One driver on this site mentioned he got Square App n free device attached to his phone that allow swiping card as a back up in case back seat device doesn’t work. Square app gives a receipt by e-mail.
Only PIX11 covers a next topic to inform public illegality of hailing black cars in NYC.
You welcome to NYC, home of the troubled cabdrivers!
Every time we need to take a leak or something, must log out. Simplified system are designed to keep cabbies ruled! Oh, are you forgot to log in, then is another opportunity to get the summons! You guys must be a multitasking genius in that sickening taxi TV implanted environment in your cab to be worthy for all rules, and stress! Listen to some classic music from Boccherini, that may help you to ease the day, and keep you focused in driving and not to make any slightest mistakes!
All driver’s should not work after 4 pm because passengers and tlc don’t understand the problem of driver that they have to give the taxi to night shift driver within an hour.
Driver should not pick up after 4 pm. We should leave the city without the cab for an hour and half. Let see the trouble.
Actually no off-duty light worked better for me last Friday. It’s working like one-way mirror. I’m looking for local Fares in last hour or so but passengers don’t know I’m available so they r looking for another cabs. So they don’t bother with me but I can approach for local cherries n pick them up.
I left meter on after cash payment without receipt so didn’t bother with log off but still same effects without roof light. After credit, log off, pick up a fare n log on n meter on. Repeat until finish. Using a device by iVeriFool is like texting while driving. Drivers eyes r off the road looking down. I’ll practice to operate just by touching although it’s not made for that.
I’m starting to take subways! Let George, and all the cabbies’ circle around, or sit in traffic and cherry-picking tickets!
You know, passengers are not the only ones affected when day drivers keep cherry-picking fares right up to the last minute. I did time at a Bronx garage where a great many of the drivers just kind of wandered in when they were good and ready, which meant that as far as the evening rush hour was concerned, night drivers might not pick up their first fares until 6:00-6:30-6:45PM. Not the end of the world on Friday or Saturday, but if you are humping on a Monday or Tuesday night, with an eye towards getting a cab on Friday or Saturday, you are boiled, fried and fricasseed; you have essentially missed 2/3-to-3/4 of the evening rush, so you end up scrambling to make your lease and pray you get into some sort of rhythm after 11:00PM or you can count yourself lucky to clear $50 for yourself. The night side used to be a land flowing with milk and honey, but I’d say over the past five years the day side has evolved to offer drivers a better chance to come home with something other than their dick in their hand at the end of the shift; on the night side you need good luck or dumb luck to make the shift work for you after 11-12:00 at night, so cars on the day side are largely ready and waiting for those drivers who look to get an early start.