Hello! My name is David Yassky and I was recently nominated and confirmed as the 11th Commissioner and Chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
I appreciate this opportunity to let you all know how proud I am to continue my career in public service as the head of an agency that is charged with the regulation of six industries that are truly indispensable parts of the city’s comprehensive transportation network – and the most unique ones, at that. Why unique? Because they are perceived by so many as being a form of mass transit. In other words, a privately-held and operated group of industries that are collectively perceived similarly to a governmentally-operated and subsidized transportation mode. While there are many reasons why the primary tasks of the TLC and its commissioner are complex, the aforementioned fact creeps up near the top of the list of these.
It is for the reason enumerated above that it is particularly crucial for me to embrace that portion of the TLC’s mission that deals with the balancing of needs of all the many and varied stakeholders, from the passengers to the drivers, from the agents to the meter shops, etc.
In the coming weeks, I will be articulating my “vision” for the agency in various forums, talking to hundreds of people in the industries you serve, and learning more about the TLC, its operations, policies and protocols, and its history with those we regulate. I spent several pleasant hours during a recent night shift listening and learning from drivers at the JFK Central Taxi Hold. Earlier this week, I participated in a taxi driver forum sponsored by WNYC radio, where I enjoyed a history lesson complemented by a free flow of ideas and concerns (Conversation out behind wheel). I am truly excited at the prospect of getting to know many more drivers from throughout the TLC’s regulated industries in the weeks and months to come.
Just to let you know a little about myself, I most recently served the city for eight years as a Council Member from Brooklyn. Before that, I had a long legal career in the areas of government and private practice, and spent a fair amount of time teaching administrative and constitutional law at both Brooklyn Law School and NYU Law School. It was in these roles that I learned about the importance of customer service, and the fact that serving your constituents is what government is and should always be about – lessons that I intend to effectively apply in my job as Commissioner of the TLC.
On a more personal note, I can’t tell you how exciting it is for me to be so closely involved in what is arguably the best, most important and most significant ground transportation industry in the world. You move more than a million passengers each and every day, a feat that leaves me justifiably impressed with you all both collectively and as individuals. Now let’s see what we can do together to continue to impress the public we all serve…
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Best of luck, Mister Commissioner: I appreciate the tone you tried to set in your appearance at the WNYC program.
You certainly have your work cut out for you, sir.
Under your predecessor, cab drivers were marginalized at best, demonized at worst, their expertise and experience given no credence.
Mister Daus talked a good game, but no one ever learned anything by talking. And the tone he set in his final days as commissioner was patronizing, demeaning and irresponsible–he caused enormous harm to this industry, and to the perception of individuals trying to scratch out an honest living while comporting themselves in a professional manner.
Keep listening, encourage a dialog, and maintain an open mind. In and of itself, that will represent a significant departure from your predecessor.
Mr. Yassky he could and he would be the best commissioner for us ever! WE, the cabdrivers could and we would be in his TEAM to work with us. He will look out for everyone how cabbies are doing. I believe he will change the taxi industry into a TOP-NOTCH service, were all taxicab looks like new and clean, just like the day when the taxi passed the TLC inspections! Taxicabs specially in the HYBRIDS interiors needed rider and driver friendly. Older, handicap people who have hard time to get into the cab, or 3-4 rider need more spaces, not those unsafe partitions in small cabs! So much to change, and positive changes will make happy drivers and riders! I ask fellow cabdrivers to post their list for changes! When we work together we will go forward were all professional cabdrivers happy, because they are working on it! The right altitude is everything! Be part of it, be counted, be a leader, be the best!
The biggest change needs to be TLC FOCUS on a safe ride from A to B, that happens with the driver and rider. Somehow regulators see themselves as telling riders what they want and drivers what to do, somehow the benefit being those relatively few millionaire/billionaires who do not driver nor do they ride. They, the TLC, and auto manufacturer, and greedy cut banks and middle men will tell the drivers what to do, and the riders what they will get. But someone, the wants and needs of the TLC and those ‘others’ rule the day.
How did the taxi get to be a circus animal? Front T partitions, credit card acceptance, a 50 cent tax, and then to cover all these circus attractions the rider has to pay more. You know, it is nice if a cab can take 5 passengers, but it can’t. But can’t a van take 6 passengers? No matter what the capability is, there is always going to be one more person. I’d like to see a plain 2.0 4 cylinder gas engined Ford Transit Connect, cutting emissions by half, and gas use significantly. Enough. Try to fit 2 folding type seats behind the first back-seat row of 3. And then LET IT GO. STOP, everyday reinventing the wheel.
It was nice to see that Mr. Yessky has affirmed he knows the number of cab rides a day in NYC. More than a million he says, I had said 804,000 – close enough.
With a little math, mostly arithmetic, Mr. Yessky can place all types of statistics in perspective, and know which statistics are also lies and danged lies.
A TLC that is afraid to chastise riders, chastise fleet rental garages, and the whole bunch that is in the NYC cab business, and only winds up chastisinng and DEMONIZING cabbies is just taking the easy way out. Cabbies are so busy 12 hours a day, they can’t get back at the demonizing, thus they are the easiest to focus on, demonize, and thus with all the criticisms and surveillance give lots of news for the TLC to show Mayor Bloomberg they are DOING SOMETHING.
Without the cabbie, the fleet rental garages would dry up, and no rider will have an available cab transportation. Can anyone imagine the idea of share a ride, while the poor driver is processing all these $3 and $4 credit card charges. This was silly stupidity.
Here’s an article about cameras becoming mandatory in Chicago cabs. I think that cameras should be mandatory in all taxis in the United States! It is already mandatory in some city in the U.S., many European cities and Australia! -
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/City-Moves-Forward-With-Tiny-Taxi-Cam-Program-91912044.html
I do agree with U, radiofree taxi. I drive a 2008 Ford Escape and it is rediculous this L partition. The City of Chicago ordered to withdraw all those partitions from every taxi because They are dangerous for the safety of the driver in every aspect and I expect that the new boss at the TLC take the same measure here ijn NYC. With a camara and not partition at all or in any case with a regular partition I would feel safer. Jose
Summing up Commissioner’s Corner. First Mr. Yessky let’s you know he is heading up SIX industries, but doesn’t itemize them. I guess we can guess. He is smiling in front of the Stars and Stripes, I guess that means he is patriotic and believes in American freedoms of all kinds.
Next, he tells you his role is a BALANCING ACT, and actually does mention cabbies, riders, meter shops, and (who are these?) agents. However, riders and cabbies, should never be outranked or even with meter shops and (nebulous) agents. He has been thinking about how to do his job, and announces six industries and how to balance them. This means that cabbies and riders should be informed UP FRON they will not always get what they need in regulation, might have to take a back seat to the meter people!!!!
Next, Mr. Yessky says in the coming weeks he will articulate HIS VISION of the NYC cab business, and he has been spending time in the JFK hold, the driver’s forum WNYC, and talking with hundreds of people in the industry. We are not so interested in Mr.Yessky’s vision as we are in the cabbies and riders’ vision. The past modus operandi has been for the rich to get together with the commissioner and decide how they can get richer, talk to cabbies and say nice things, and then just implement their own plans, nevermind the cabbies or riders.
Then he wanted to let us know about himself, how he was a city councilor. Well we know he voted for the hypocrital move of extending mayorship terms for Bloomberg who had been part of the drum squad to limit mayoral terms for Giuliani. I wouldn’t brag too much about that. Some commentators have said this is a political appointment, sort of a reward. He has been a teacher of law at Brooklyn and NYU law schools.
Next Mr. Yessky talks about customer service and serving the constituents. Does that mean the six industries are left out, and all decisions that bring cash to the rich in the industries will be “based” on “riders” needs as interpreted by Mr. Yessky and the rich, who have never driven a RIDER? Again, will we just be told the ‘riders’ want this, the ‘riders’ want that, and poof, 5 of the 6 become rich at the expense of the 6th, the cabbies?
Mr. Yessky wraps up by admitting he knows NYC cabbies do more than 1 million rides a day, and how impressed he is with the cabbies. Then the caveat, and now let’s (cabbies and Mr. Yessky) continue to impress the ‘public’ who we serve. The best paragraph in the essay, unless impress the public means lots of new trapeze artist taks for the cabbies, with gadgets, jingles, and more loss of pay, further than the 20% already.
Mr. Yessky, as all previous commissioners, has left out the primary concern of the Commissioner, THE SAFETY of the driver and the rider from point A to point B. Let us help Mr. Yessky. Mr. Yessky, you need a single, separate telephone for safety, a telephone for drivers to call and leave a recorded message about safety and safety inssues they spot, even if it is about a giant pothole or a bridge giving way, or a smaller component of the ride from A to B, anonymously or not. You need to appoint 1 safety officer of sufficient education, experience, and compassionate skills whose only job is SAFETY OFFICER of the TLC, who is freed from administrative boondoggle so he has the time. When he is there he should receive the phone calls DIRECTLY (not through reception) and should listen to the safety complainer, anonymous or not. While he may not be able to act on many of these phone calls, he will acquire a GOOD BACKGROUND in the safety concerns of cabbies, and riders who cabbies can tell to call the safety officer. The safety officer should advise if the complaint is crucial enough that the cabbie should identify himself and/or come in to report a safety issue to the Safety Officer. Bring the safety officer down to the level of ride from A to B, and the safety issues. The 24 hour telephone recording messages must be listened to every morning, and periodically throughout the day when the SAFETY OFFICER has been in interviews with safety complainers. It must be made easy for the cabbie who is driving 12 hours a day and may only be able to report a safety issue on the overnight recording, or day recording. And the recording should announce the safety issue reporter may remain anonymous or not.
Calling it Commissioner’s Corner, does it only appear in this website, YellowcabNYC.com? And is this going to be his own blurb for his own motives and announcements? You see, already, he has not responded and will not respond to the recent DEMONIZING of cabbies. He has said what he wants to say. Like Bloomberg said on his CNN tv cable chance, you can be reimbursed if you used a credit card – a promo for cabbies to lose 20% of their pay.
We’ll keep our ears and eyes open, and hope that Mr. Yessky become a real director, who sees how his edicts play out on the ground, and regulates fairly and compassionately upon that knowledge.
SAFETY should be the major concern of Mr. Yessky, and the appointing of such an above described SAFETY OFFICER should have been the very first concern.
To RadioFree Taxi. It looks like Chicago caught cab theft parties through the camera, in 2008. Frankly, the camera in my opinion is about catching who did it after the crime. If I am robbed I don’t care if they are caught, I never have much money with me. If I am killed, I don’t care if they are caught. I only care if while they try to kill me, the police stop them. But the police, usually, are not in the business of saving the victim of violence, but in catching the perp. The police like to stand up after the fact and say we caught the murderer today and this is how. I don’t care about the after-the-fact part.
It is my opinion that most violent crimes by strangers, such as in a cab, are done by people in alternative states, either drinking or drugs. If they know there is a camera in the cab, they will find out where it is, and yank it out, and the tape too. Or they will just throw their hankie over it. In any case, if they are violent enough, out of their minds perps, and know there is a camera, they will just find a way to bypass it.
I think it is just one more bell and whistle and circus performance. Only one perp caught in Chicago in 2008. Still they are putting them in, probably to watch the cabbies. The cab business is going to heck in a hand-basket. Soon, the only people desiring to be cabbies will be mentally deranged, if not already!!!
The short answer to what did Commissioner say. Let’s say a cab is passing me the other way, and is beside me briefly with the window open, and says, What’d the Commissioner say, and I say He let us know he is going to do just what he wants to cabbies, and if we question him, he’s going to blame his BALANCING ACT with the rich REAPERS. Same same, he is going to do what he wants!!!
I forgot to mention, while the new Commish is developing his “vision” for what trapeze-artist circus cabbies will do and concocting what riders ‘want’ from one complaint in the drawer from some connected person like Bloomberg’s relative, while the coffers of the rich reapers grow, the new Commish will also be collecting a coterie of cabbies who will Yes Mr. Yessky to death. He will have a ‘collection of cabbies’ to say yes to Mr. Yessky as they always do.
The question is, if Mr. Yessky does not prove to be an experienced, fair, and compassionate commissioner with the proper ranking of focus, and if Bloomberg fails to be re-elected, then can Mr. Yessky somehow be dismissed?
Meanwhile, high technology rich reapers go from city to city and play one city off to the other, citing how great things are. Well, cameras in Chicago announce that one cab theft was solved by the camera in 2008. This is not enough benefit to justify the big cash the ‘camera people,’ the ‘camera installers,’ and the ‘camera maintainers’ and the whole long tail of the ‘camera operation’ will get. This is where the rich reapers operate, the fiction that the camera will prevent anything, as a partition does. How they get this high technology in is they buy the corrupt segments of the cab business off.
The next thing on the agenda after cameras, is the fleet rental garages have to raise their rental rates to include the ‘cost’ of the cameras. Capish?
And I forgot to mention the private drivers, they are going to have to sell their medallions the more high technology the fleet rental garages want to install. The private drivers cannot afford do-daddle cabs with more and more high technology to maintain, which do not contribute to a safe ride for driver and rider from point A to point B. And of course the fleet rental garages are saying aha, a few more medallions coming on the market to purchase, at a price they set, to bring up the value of the medallions they already own. Capish? Billionaires to Trillionaires?
Whatever happened to the word optional? We all know if it has a NASTY TASTE, soon the regulators will forget the word OPTIONAL, and make it mandatory, once they let the optional in for a while.
To Charles T. – Credit Cards here to stay and more riders will use it, because the benefit for them. Furthermore, it is safer for the cabdrivers because no money in their pockets, so nothing to steal from the cabbie. Soon or later will be Quick-Metro-Taxi-KING Card, ONE card for all transportation needs! The future will hold a lot, every cabbie will have their own account for ONE card, and that does it all! No more dirty money to count. No more cash in the future, only HI-TEC electronic surveillances, cameras, speed sensors, etc. Are we happy with this? Well, these new gadgets are in productions to enhance drivers’ life, so changes must be made!
Jose, was it U who was complaining about paying dispatcher tips? Hope you saw the New York Post today.
To RadioFree Taxi. I missed your 4/27/10 comment before, about credit cards being the thing of the future and the Quick/Metro/Taxi/King card. No, I do not think it will be good. There is a move by the rich rich trillionaire banking king pins for everyone to go cashless. At that moment all of us in the USA will be under their control and surveillance. If they want to squeeze you out of the cab business, they have the tools to do it. It is a shame, but there are no WWII fighters left, they are dying 1,000 a month. They gave their lives for freedom, and we wind up serving the NEW Nazis anyway. Lists of us. Lies to us. Isn’t it odd, cabbies and taxis are such a TARGET for those rich manipulators; they will not let us go! Right now, they’re leaving limousines alone, until they can figure out how to buy out the limousine companies with corrupt perks.
One thing, Commish Yaasky is good-looking. His political star Chuck Shumer has just been beaten by Bernstein, who has CIA on his resume. One article said Senator Chuck Shumer would walk a mile to get in front of a camera. Commish Yassky needs to be a little more shy and put the cabbies first. Never mind balance. No balance for safety.
What does moderated mean. Webmeister doesn’t like comment? Then it disappears?
Commish Yaasky, stop the circus taxis. We do not need wireless in the taxis, please. Let driver and rider relax from PointA to PointB. Please, remember that the rider is also a “watcher” helping the driver. With rider heads in the clouds with the technology, may fail to see the important, “WATCH OUT,” that the driver did not see. SAFETY, not a circus tent. Remember, just because technology invented it, does not mean we want it or that it improves quality and safety of life; technology invented it to make MONEY, and then found ways to FORCE THE SALES of their technology, buying out corrupt business interests who hold sway over lawmakers.
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