Dalbir Singh did not know where to go on Wednesday when he arrived at the corner of East 72nd Street and Third Avenue, seeking one of the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s new share-a-cab stands.
“I asked the T.L.C. officer, ‘Where is the taxi stand here?’ ” Mr. Singh said later, crossing Central Park in a yellow cab. “He said, ‘I don’t know, I’m looking for it too.’ ”
Grand social experiments are not easy to pull off. So when the commission decided to test whether New Yorkers — a fairly cranky bunch — would be willing to share a taxi ride, a hitch or two was to be expected.
The program allows up to four passengers to share cabs, car pool style, from designated stands along three set routes in Manhattan, for $4 each.
But the problem on this cold, wet Wednesday morning, the first day of the experiment, was that virtually no riders showed up. The stands, marked by small yellow signs, were without cabbies and passengers alike. According to the authorities, only six shared trips took place.
Gloria Park, from the Upper East Side, rode in one of them. “People are hesitant, and don’t want to share,” Ms. Park said as her taxi zipped down Lexington Avenue. (She had arrived at the Third Avenue stand seeking a ride; a reporter offered to join her.)
New York, she said, is not like Seoul, where her family lives and where sharing cabs is common. Still, she added, “some people may take them just to meet other people.”
Some said the rides might yet catch on, given time and word of mouth. Matthew W. Daus, the taxi commissioner, said he expected interest to grow.
“Some people are into it, and some people are not into it, and that’s fine,” Mr. Daus said. “This is New York.”
{ 85 comments… read them below or add one }
Tariq 03.04.10 at 8:38 pm
I think thats a stupid idea,
Charles T 03.04.10 at 8:46 pm
Why did I get a forbidden access message when I first tried to access this website? Did I do something wrong? I didn’t write anything that was not true. Let me know if I did.
Brooklyn Mark 03.04.10 at 8:57 pm
The websites server was down earlier today and it caused everyone to receive the forbidden access message.
Charles T 03.04.10 at 8:57 pm
In Bloomie “Hail” article, it said that NY State (Gov Paterson) legislature needed to obtain a lot of money from the transportation industry, and that $85 million needed to come from NYC taxis. I am sure everyone understands that the NYC taxi business is very rich, fleet garages are very rich, big medallion owners are very rich, no doubt the TLC has a very big collective salary and operating budget, and no doubt the undercover police patroling and the rest of the TLC administration, to include the administrative judge all cost a fortune. Yet, somehow, we know all of that richness comes out of the cabbie driver’s hands, out of what they earn when they are doing the work of the NYC taxi business. So the state of NY will take $85 million from the working cabbies’ pay. At the same time we know that all of the richness of the NYC fleet garages and medallion owners comes directly from the cabbie drivers’ hands. If the cabbies, the ones doing the taxi business WORK, did not work, none of these rich taxi barons would exist. It is interesting that the State of NY did not say, we need to get $85 million from the fleet taxi garages, or from the large block medallion owners, garages or no garages, or the finance companies, none of them were given the tax, it was taken from the cabbie drivers’ hands. No TLC personnel were let go or layed off, or did any of them take salary cuts?
It had been written up the least paid jobs in the USA, cabbie was at the top of the list as one of the least if not the least paid job. Yet, it was from the hard working cabbies, actually doing the work, that the $85 million has been slated.
Go figure.
CreditCardCabbie 03.04.10 at 10:06 pm
I am too tired to post today, but I have a load of dictated toughts on my Digital Voice Recorder. It is very helpful, and every cabdriver should have one!
CreditCardCabbie 03.04.10 at 10:15 pm
When I am overworked like most cabdrivers, more mistakes happened. I typed wrong, it is “thoughts”!
Aamir 03.05.10 at 4:08 am
I want all taxi driver who use share cab stand do the following things:
1: Dont take shower
2: Jerk off in the Cab.
3: Blow nose loud all the time.
4:clear your troat all the time.
5: Dont move your taxi until all 4 seated, even it take 1 hour to load.
6: Fart in your cab on every signal you stop.
byeeee, take care .(
Charles T 03.05.10 at 8:49 am
to Peters. Let’s do more math. If 13,000 NYC cabs same as you give $80 a week to Gov Paterson, who needs $85 million from NYC cabbies, does 13,000 x $80 come to $ 1,040,000 a million dollars a WEEK. And if there are two shifts in every cab, you could double that to $2,080,000 2 million dollars a Week. Then you could easily multiply by 52 to get amout $100 million a year for Gov Paterson. But those who are connected get those airport jobs and do what 7 trips a day? What is their share?
Charles T 03.05.10 at 8:51 am
Anyone know, how many wheel-chair accessible NYC cabs? I’m asking because I’ve been told and thought for a long time that NYC had 17,000 cabs, mostly owned by fleet garages (no matter how large or small). Could it be that the wheel-chair accessible NYC cabs number 4,000? I had the Insider guy’s e-mail address but somehow deleted it. I’d like to get it again. It was AOL.
Charles T 03.05.10 at 9:07 am
The cabbie’s has an extended family on his back he must support. He is responsible not only for their subsistence, but their rich lives. If the cabbie doesn’t support his extended family, they can’t eat or live. They will die. A long time ago a Haitian cabbie whose English was so minimal tried to explain to me how many people were on the “cab driver’s back.” I really didn’t understand it, I was only trying to do a shift and get my shift due, which I never got because of the corruption and greed throughout the business, which the regulators ignored.
It is almost a joke, how stupid the cabbie is, who works like crazy every single day, and it wasn’t enough for every family member to take him to the cleaners every time he passed by, fix the cab break it at the same time, rent the cab, tips, bribes, hotel doormen, regulators, rules, and more rules that benefited the family none of whom drove a cab, not the breadwinner.
The cabbie is the BREADWINNER for the whole extended taxi family, and he is treated like dung, every news release tells what nasty thing a cabbie die, how dirty a cabbie was, how dirty the cab was. Wouldn’t it be interesting if for a whole year the news about cabbies was only the news positive for the cabbie and outlining cabbie woes. Like the fare who vomited all over the cab, like the fare who called out each street three times, helping with the directions, how a cabbie had almost a repair a week, how long the cabbie waited for the dirty cab, must a cabbie rent and then wash his own cab? The breadwinner for everyone. A whole year of cabbie stores of how they were abused by the public. How the hotel doormen cheat them.
When is the BREADWINNER of the extended family going to be praised? The cabbie works 12/7. 12 hours driving, 1 hour commute, 8 hours sleep, 3 hours for bath, clean clothes, see family, and shoved out the door for another 12. How hard the BREADWINNER works, and such praise for Mr. Schenkman, in his write-up no one said he ever drove a cab. How many TLC big shots have ever driven a cab. They are the extended family pushing and shoving the cabbie with no respect for their father, the cabbie, their breadwinner.
Even Governor Paterson, black, has no respect for the 80% immigrant cabbies who make NYC run. Governor Paterson should be looking for poor communities (which have a high percentage of people of color) to support him in re-election, along with the rest of the state. Instead, this is how he treats the taxi business extended family’s BREADWINNER.
Hi Pop! Got any more money?
Akbar Cabby 03.05.10 at 11:43 am
To Aamir,
I truely loved your 6 point advice before going to the Group Taxi Stand. I showed it to my wife, and she could’t stop laughing. I wish more taxi drivers could come into this web site and write their comments. Good Job Aamir.
Akbar Cabby 03.05.10 at 11:54 am
To Charles T,
There are 13400 yellow cabs operating in day shift and the same 13400 are working the night shift. That makes it 26400 taxis. If on average each taxi has 20 passengers in a 12 hour shift, that means that we transport nearly 500,000 people in 24 hour period. Now, multiply 500,000 times $0.50 Cents, and you see that MTA is collecting $250,000 Dollars EVERY SINGLE DAY from yellow cab drivers!!!
We the cabbies, have become a collection agency for the banckrupt MTA.
Charles T 03.05.10 at 8:16 pm
To Akbar Cabby. Thanks for info, 13,400 NYC yellow cabs. How many of them are wheel-chair accessible vans? Or are the wheel-chair accessible van NYC taxis in addition to those 13,400?
No Matter how you look at it, about $2 million a week, times 52 is about $100 million a year.
Charles T 03.05.10 at 8:21 pm
TLC put 60-100 sting cab drivers in NYC cabs. This way those cute passengers who are so obnoxious and verbally if not physically assaulting on the cab driver, will suddenly find themselves facing a cop in the front seat. Can you imagine the backseat passenger who says he is not going to pay after doing some confusing backseat driving, steps out of the cab, and the driver a sting cop gets out and says not so fast, you are under arrest for fare beating, and shows his badge.
Or the cop driver turns around and says if your kids don’t stop kicking the back of my seat I’ll have to arrest them.
You’re getting the message, wouldn’t it be nice if that program followed Cash Cab, and instead of the public hearing every nasty thing anyone can think of about them, suddenly the public will see what horrible things the riders do to the cabbies.
Do you like that idea? A whole year worth of talking about every single horrible thing a rider does to a cabbie.
Cabbies might be treated better, out of rider fear that a sting cop might be driving.
Jose Bataller 03.05.10 at 8:29 pm
…and We have to stop these 50 cents tax that is hurting too much to oru pockets. I make numbers every evening when I come from work. In December 2009 I had 15% less in tips than the same month 2008 and 10 % less in tips in January than the same month the year before and a whopping 35% less in february than the same month 1 year ago because February and also January were bad for bussiness..Every taxi driver should e-mail there state senators and assamblymen/women and to the governor. This is just a robbery and should not continue. Today is this tax and if We do not stop it tomorrow will be another one and They will take us like a cash cow . So far We did not have any increase in the meter since May 4 2004 and then a time ajustment Nov 30 2006…Is anybody living there with the salaries of 6 years ago? can anybody tell me? Meanwhile the salary of that crook taxi commissioner that We stil have is $195.000 a year
Charles T 03.05.10 at 8:30 pm
To Rooco. You said “make a union.” Just remember something, when two people are getting a divorce and each want to make sure they get their share, they each hire a lawyer. Then, they have TWO MORE PEOPLE who want to make sure THEY GET THEIR LAWYER SHARE. It then becomes not what cabbies want, but what the UNION officials want. Soon the UNION officials and the taxi regulators are better friends than than the union is with its own members.
Charles T 03.05.10 at 8:34 pm
Gov Paterson points his fickle finger of fate and says: we need $85 million out of the taxi breadwinners’ paychecks. Vote and sign a law, and poof, $80 a week gone out of Peters’ paycheck. It’s not enough that Peters is the breadwinnder for not only his own family, but his extended taxi business family. No entity in the taxi business gets anything except through his Dad’s hands (the cabbie).
It would be hilariously funny if it were not so SICK. The lowest paid job in the USA according to a national survey, and Gov Paterson chooses the cab driver to cut his pay by $80 a week.
Jose Bataller 03.05.10 at 8:38 pm
We have a good Union that all of us should join, I am a member. It is called New York Taxi Workers Alliance and if We want to be heard everybody should join without any fear and also I would like everybody who write their opinions in this webside to let their names and hack numbers public without any fear, please!!! Charles T and credit car cabbiie….common. My name is Jose Bataller, my hack is #422928, I am driving for 23 years and We as americans should not be afraid of expresing our opinions with a full name, OK? Jose Bataller
Jose Bataller 03.05.10 at 8:47 pm
Everyboody, every taxi driver should refuse to go to those share cab taxi stands in the Upper East and West. Boycott it!!!!! how is possible that they put this share a cab stands in the richest areas of the City? We are exploited and They want to continue to exploit us more and more. This is the people, upper west siders and east siders who got from this mayor the closing of central park to traffic and make our job harder in these areas of the City and still want to go for $4.00 to midtown and pay with credit card!!! I am not slave of anybody and I pledge not to pick up in those share a cab stands and hope the same from You fellow drivers. Jose Bataller
max 03.05.10 at 11:28 pm
jose battaler is right,,but all these newcomers here dont understand,,,,use easy words,,,,to all drivers do not pickup at these stands,,you are not forced to do so!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charles T 03.06.10 at 7:18 am
To Battaller. If the union is so good, how did those credit card tv screens, gps, and 50 cent MTA tax get into the cabs. Once they were in, the cabbies were all done, might as well stick a fork in them.
Next, if someone has a good idea, they don’t need to brag who they are. Plenty of cabbies will adopt the idea. If you point out with your emergency siren there is a tsunami coming, do you need to scream out your name and badge number? Take it or leave it.
It is my idea that those whose negatives are exposed want to go right to the source, to stop it. I remember Bo Gritz said what does it mean when you are getting a lot of flack? It means you are right over the target.
Charles T 03.06.10 at 7:44 am
To Battaller. How many members in the “alliance?” For years one city regulators kept telling complainers about unfair regulations that were strangling them to “form a union,” just to rid of the complainers. After years cabbies managed to get an “alliance” or whatever you call it, just what the regulators wanted. All the traitor cabbies playing both sides flocked into union HQ and the staff couldn’t move without stepping on one of them. Lo and behold with practically no members (compared to total number of cabbies, the “union” in order to become important AGREED (and if not agreed, didn’t fight) credit card, gps, computer screens, advertising to push up a fare increase ALREADY COMING . These cab regulators city to city network and they want to take control of the cabbies jobs, somehow it is going to bring them a benefit. That’s what I am told is happening.
What is really sick!! New cabs every 3 years. The car payment for new cabs just about equals what PETERS was saying. $320 a month in MTA taxes, steals the car payment, through tips and less fares, for the private drivers, single and double medallion owners. How can they survive? Eventually, they have to give up, one by one, and sell out to the big fleet rental garages. How did that happen? Cabbies need to march on the TLC and demand to know their 1, 2, 5 and 10 year plans. You can bet those plans include cabbies not to make a living from driving a cab; but the pay becomes SO LOW (when the fleet rental garages own all medallions) that the driving is taken over by part timers, who have other jobs, working a night or two, or students working a day or two, newbies, and transient cabbies, here today gone tomorrow. Safety goes out the window. But what was safety? Safety is just a way to extrapolate out and base some new killer edict designed to drive out private drivers and cabbies who make a living OUT OF THE CABI BUSINESS. That pedi-cabs were approved is a fine example of that. Obstruction of visibility edicts, a fine example.
Part timers will rent the use of the cab for a day or night, do their homework at hotel stands, do their errands, and if they make a $40 profit so much the better.
Charles T 03.06.10 at 7:45 am
To Brooklyn Mark. You could predict the reaction down to the last detail, couldn’t you?
Charles T 03.06.10 at 8:00 am
To NYC hotel guests, tourists, businessmen. Once you arrive at your hotel and settle in, take a walk out to the HOTEL CAB STAND and talk to a few cabbies waiting. They will be glad to help you find out how long it will take and how much it will cost to visit either the tourist attractions or travel to planned business locations. Do not step into any cab that is not on that cab stand. You do not need a hotel doorman to step into a cab.
Unfortunately, hotel doormen stay in ONE location, the hotel, for years. I once had terrible riders who wanted to go to a supermarket and they had the location from the hotel doorman. I kept riding up and down the street, no supermarket, and the riders were accusing me of not knowing what I was doing, was in the wrong place, etc. I cannot remember the outcome. But a few days later I went to the street and went inside a few businesses to ask where the supermarket was. I was told it had closed down 7 years ago!!!!
Charles T 03.06.10 at 8:03 am
To Brooklyn Mark. I was wondering who takes the very good, brilliant yellow cab pictures for the feature articles? Mark, do you put in a 12-hour shift besides? This is a good website. More cabbies ought to use it.
Charles T 03.06.10 at 8:06 am
So far it doesn’t look like cabbies have to worry about share-a-cab. Maybe it will pick up. But riders who throng in one location every day morning commute probably know who is there everyday and could already have doubled or tripled up to save in fares. In other words, those who wanted to share probably already did.
Time and distance is how cabbies bill, and in an allotted time, whether renting or not, 12 hours is about the max daily. Taking time on little fares for credit card processing takes time and THEREFORE MONEY out of the cabbies pay.
RadioFreeTaxi 03.06.10 at 9:41 pm
To Charles T. – This is a good website and getting better! Thanks to You, and other cabdrivers who care about the taxi industry! So much we can do, a lot more than the NYC Taxi and Limoussine Commission! Simply, because we are serving the public, and all cabdrivers can do their job with the maximum care, then the TLC no longer in business with professional cabdrivers! Those who can’t do it right, should go back to school of Taxi Academy, or visit this website and learn from fellow cabdrivers who are happy to help them to become an excellent cabdriver! Cash Free Cabs, – Robotic Silent Cabdrivers, – Passenger Controlled Cabs, and so much more!!! – GET READY $4 A CHANGE and DO YOUR BEST! -
Jo Batallerse 03.06.10 at 10:34 pm
To Charles T.The Taxi Workers Alliance fought GPS with two separete strikes. One of two days the other one one day but unfortunatelly the majority of drivers went to work, the same drivers that complain today when passengers pay with a credit card. i was one of them who joined the strike in september and october of 2007. where were U, Charlie and the majority of ignorant cabbies who took advantage of double charge riders with the permission of the TLC ? Taxi Workers Alliance were the only taxi group to oppose so call GPS which is not. LOMTO and Taxi Safety of David Pollack went along with the TLC like ass kissers that They are. It is regretable that just a group of cabbies are ready to fight and the majority of drivers, mostly new in this bussiness are ready to accept the crab that the TLC and this mayor are giving us day after day and seems to me Charlie that You are one of them hiding your name and identity behind that T. Jose Bataller
Boss 03.06.10 at 10:39 pm
I drove both days during the strike. I made over $600 dollar per day in 10 hrs. I did not disagree with the GPS or credit cards. I think they are a great idea for cabs and open up more business. I no longer drive a cab now, I have moved on too better things. Driving a cab should be treated short term. Drive, save up money, move from the bottom of the food chain and on to real business!
Jose Bataller 03.06.10 at 10:53 pm
The thing that driving a cab should be hort term does not mean that We should accept the crab that the City want to give to us. Drivers should be more active and stronger in our demands. That’s why that nobody respect us like a group like the MTA workers the firefighthers or cops with a strong Union. Boss, You made $600 with the permission of a crook mayor, crook TLC chairman and let me tell U body, You are another crook and the rest this industry need is another driver like U. Good that You are not anymore driving a cab, body!!! Jose Bataller
Boss 03.06.10 at 11:04 pm
Jose, I make over $600 in 3 hrs now. Good luck sweating your ass for 12 hrs in that box partition for $100 dollars. You are chained to the cab 6 days a week, you are not living life and that is why u blame the mayor, tlc and others for your problems
RadioFreeTaxi 03.06.10 at 11:27 pm
It does not bother me if Charles, or any other cabbie hides their real names, what they address or post, that the matter to me! I focus on issues, and most cabbies do when they add something to read, like the cabbie called BOSS, who made 600 dollars per day in 10 hours few years ago! No cabdriver will make that kind of money in a day!
Charles T 03.06.10 at 11:54 pm
Unsuccessful fighting against TLC. Somehow cabbies think if they can only explain how unfair and how they suffer from TLC edicts and decisions. The Alliance called two strikes but still you have not only meter-invasive credit card systems, but advertising screens and GPS which had NOTHING to do with accepting credit cards. At the root of the problem, the TLC is not going to STOP ANYTHING unless it is made to. And cabbies cannot make them stop anything, nor the fleet garages. However, did any cabbies ever think that some of the TLC actions were criminal? And take those complaints to the Manhattan District Attorney? No matter how you categorize it, cabbies take a pay after paying the cab rental. For someone to suddenly say credit cards acceptance and processing is mandated, well cabbies’ pay is based on time and distance, and without a by-your-leave time (pay) was stolen from them, they were forced to trust every customer when even retailers are not required to trust every customer. There is scam loss. But the percentage that the credit card vendors take, if cabbies could discover exactly where that entire percentage goes, it might be a matter for the D.A. For example, are fleet garages getting any percent of that taken percent? Is any percent of the total percent taken given to the TLC or any of its programs? Are any fleet garages given any such percent for maintenance of the systems? It seems a little criminal to me to force cabbies to listen to advertising, to lose part of their pay not at their own option, and to have part of their loss given to others, and not be aware of it. There may be a criminal basis for complaint. You see, taxi regulators pay no heed to cabbies or private drivers because there is no “force,” to make them stop. And the only force they would recognize is the LAW.
The TLC and the whole regulatory bundle know how their decisions are hurting the cabbies and they do not care and they will not stop. Constantly wanting to educate cabbies. Did that yoga teacher who gives taxi driving courses ever drive a cab? A cabbie who has to be fined not to use a cell phone while driving customers, and doesn’t know automatically he shouldn’t be doing it while driving passengers for hire, well he cannot be educated; he needs to stop driving. It is the refusal of cabbies to stop talking on the phone when carrying customers that makes the rule come no electronics, blue tooth, blackberry, any of that in use in the cab.
I don’t spend much time criticizing other cabbies, but I will tell you what is annoying and doesn’t look good to me: To see a cabbie on the stand, strutting outside the cab in rubber foot thongs, cutoffs with bagged knees, and T-shirt, forgetting to shave for a day or two, parading around his cab, then moving it up one spot, and then getting out again. Every cab parked this way and that, some straight, some with the back stuck out into the travel lane, several of them leaving 3/4 of a space while other cabs want to get on the stand. To me it gives the impression they don’t know how to park, act, or dress on a cab stand. They do a good job of carrying riders for hire, and that is the important part. But cabbies should know how they look to the public when they put on a bad show at the cab stand.
One that really does bother me. A cab driver gets out of his cab and gets in the passenger seat of the cab in front of him (his friend), they talk for 60 seconds, the line moves up, he delays, then runs to his cab and pulls it up, and then gets back in his friend’s cab. This continues until his friend is TOP of the stand, and he gets back in his friend’s cab. Now he will stay there until they size up the next rider, and if the rider doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere, he won’t hurry to get out of the cab, and let the rider think the cab is somehow not on duty and then the next cab is empty, and then there is me. But if somehow they size up the rider as worthwhile (luggage, business suit), he opens the door, and says right here, mam. I find this one intolerable, especially because to move up on the stand takes forever for him to get out and move his cab. So rude. These guys don’t need to be educated, they need to be removed from the cabbie force.
I remember before the earpieces the cabbies holding the phone to their ear and bracing the cell phone between ear and shoulder while loading the passenger’s luggage into the trunk, without stopping conversation, and asking where the rider was going, still talking. If the driver didn’t know that was rude, what DID the driver know, probably nothing.
Charles T 03.06.10 at 11:58 pm
Someone may not like criticism and demand to know the name and hack number of who has said what. Giving a name and hack number as their own, what does it mean? Nothing, and no one knows whether it is real or not, or who cares.
I agree with radio free taxi, the issues are the important thing.
Charles T 03.07.10 at 12:05 am
To Jose. As Bo Gritz said, what does it mean when you start getting flack? It means you are RIGHT OVER THE TARGET. You could have ten strikes and nothing being changed because TLC and regulators do not need to ride in a cab. Get it? Do you think you could strike long enough for the riders to march on the TLC? I don’t think so. Maybe a trip to the D.A. is in order.
Jose Bataller 03.07.10 at 1:51 pm
It means to be man enough and not be afraid to talk the true. Your opinions are very valid, Charlie but if U hide your identity they do not mean anything. What are U araid of saying your name and for how many years are U driving and your hack number? are U afraid of TLC, of the commissioner, of the NYPD? what are U afraid of? Jose
Jose Bataller 03.07.10 at 2:00 pm
Boss, the thing that We are driving a taxi that does not mean that We have to be slaves. I do not complain about my job. I complain about the TLC, the regulators and the people that make us to stugle to survive. I do not know where I could go if I quit driving. I wish but at the moment I cannot. This is a society, a world that like people who make millions like beisbol players and other and at the same time have slaves all over like us, people who clean the trains, food deliver byciclist and a lot of more. We live in a world of explotation but that’s what the ignorant peoplke around us want and We are going have this system for ever and ever sad to say. Jose
Charles 03.07.10 at 7:53 pm
‘Fraid of your inappropriate demands, Bataller.
Jose Bataller 03.08.10 at 7:58 pm
I think it is a waste of time to debata with so call taxi drivers who hide their identity because like chickens U guys are afraid. Your comments are wothless since You guys do not identifie yourself, who are U, how many years are driving and your hack lisences. What the f–k are U afraid of? Fricking cowards!!!! Jose Bataller#422928
Charles 03.08.10 at 8:33 pm
To Jose. Everything on the internet is nebulous. You are giving a name and a number, and I have no intention of finding out whether they are accurate or not. I am not interested in investigating people, but IDEAS. It’s getting old and let’s agree to drop the subject.
Charles 03.09.10 at 4:36 am
I have heard that some NYPD (on their own time) outside of their regular jobs are somehow connected with Creative Mobil Technologies. Is that true?
Charles 03.09.10 at 4:40 am
To Brooklyn Mark. How many NYPD would you say own medallions or simply choose to be a part-time cabbie to make a little extra money or just because they like it? Is it likely that this type of medallion is managed for profit by a fleet rental garage?
Brooklyn Mark 03.09.10 at 2:51 pm
Unless the medallions have been passed down from the grandfather, not many NYPD officers can afford a 650k medallion at a 30k a year salary.
Not many NYPD officers drive cabs, they are mostly too busy with overtime and working nights 6 days a week. I think many of them ticket cabbies because of jealousy. A cabbie can make $300 on a good friday night, while a NYPD officer makes $300-$400 a week.
Jose 03.09.10 at 7:43 pm
U drivers have to be careful in the morning around 6:00 AM around 42nd street 6th & 8th Avenues. There is an undercover patrol car giving tickets to cabs for the minimum fault that U can make. This NYPD are totally out of control harrassing cabbies everywhere and whenever They can do it. I really wish them the worse. I am sick and tired of them. What about U guys think of the NYPD> am I the only one tired of them? Beside that when They talk to us They have an actitud and are bullies. Of course, They do not do that with the avarage dirver in the road…I hate Kelly and hiis boss, the current mayor and I cannot wait the day They will be out of office!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brighton Beach Borenka 03.10.10 at 5:12 am
Is this website for sale? Booting it up somehow I landed on some internet addresses that looked same as this, and found an advertisement “this website is for sale.” Is there another website similar to this?
Charles 03.10.10 at 5:15 am
What percent of your daily jobs are cootie cards and dootie cards? What percent cash?
Charles 03.10.10 at 5:20 am
To Jose. When the old rascals are OUT the NEW rascals are IN, all will be the SAME because the POWER behind it is the same (fleet rental garage zillionaires). If you had a job to do, wouldn’t you rather do it between 5 am and 6 am, and then go home, having zapped your quota?
Brooklyn Mark 03.10.10 at 9:43 am
Yes, if one of the taxi billionaires wants to buy it then it is for sale.
Police_are_your_friend 03.10.10 at 11:08 am
The Police are your friend Taxi Driver. Anyone who has driven one hour in Manhattan knows that Taxi Drivers are morons who deserve ninety-five percent of the tickets they get. I as a Taxi Driver am amazed daily at the driving antics of these mindless maniacs in there yellow death machines. I as a Taxi Driver have been victimized by these maniacs time after time, and if I’m attacked daily what chance does the general public have? A few days ago I was hailed and signaled to my fare i was coming too pick them up. While signaling and moving over one lane too pick them I see a Crown Vic barreling down Lexington Ave to drive up my inside too try and steal the fare. Any Taxi Driver with the brains they were born with could clearly see i accepted there hail and was making my way safely too them. Mr. Crown Vic crazy would have none of this at the peril of me, the fare who hailed me, and himself. Mr. Crown Vic pulls right up in front of my hail and waits….the fare walked in front of his Taxi and walked towards my Taxi. Mr. Crown Vic wasnt done yet he gets out of his Taxi and demands the fare get in his Taxi because “I got here first” . The fare looked terrified by this crazy Taxi Driver and could not wait to open my door and find safety in the back of my Taxi. The fare later told me that if they had too walk they werent getting into that lunatics Taxi. I wonder how many open TLC complaints and Police Department summonses that lunatic has. I could go on and on with these drivers but why waste any more time.
Charles 03.10.10 at 7:47 pm
The large fleet rental garage owners must be billionaires by now. As for NYPD officers, in addition to their salaries which I thought might start at about $40,000, they can apply for overtime, be assigned overtime, and other police assignment time such as restaurant and night club details, and so forth. I was under the impression that the hustlers were close to $200,000 a year.
Jose 03.10.10 at 8:37 pm
Seems to me Charles is that U are one driver, cab driver, being old in the job acts like a new one accepting all the crab that the NYPD,TLC and this administration give us. Regetebly, is the actitud of a lot of cabbies outthere.
CreditCardCabbie 03.10.10 at 9:31 pm
We all experiencing problems, and many drivers getting stressed! Not everyone knows how to deal with the ever increasing rules and with the income shrinking living standards. Using the website drivers able to get more help and support from each other and learn how much better we can live and make a decent living standard to support our family. Happy cabdriver can do a much better job! The TLC should know that, are they?
Brooklyn Mark 03.10.10 at 11:19 pm
Salary for a rookie NYPD cop, which is a measly $25,100 a year.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/item_6Xw65aNSTgkGe1R0w9e1OL
Charles 03.11.10 at 12:26 am
Cabbies think IF ONLY we could get thru to TLC and NYPD, explain to them, show them, make them understand how hard it is, how thankless it is, if only they would know, they would make it different. THAT IS THE GAME. Long ago before you became a cabbie, the equations were decided, who would make the money, who would do the work. Cabbies would do the work, fleet garages and regulators (working ever closer together) would reap the power and profits. All the game parts, the equations are there, and they just keep switching them around to their own satisfaction. Cabs, Hack licenses, medallions, meter rates, riders, manipulation of safety, vehicles, hybrids, fleet garages, lease caps, regulators, dispatchers, airports, trains, subways, and cabbies who do the WORK supporting their extended family. The game has already been decided, cabbies will work 12 hours, and an 8 hour day is never going to be possible at meter rates established. And because the cabbie is the sole PROVIDER of funds for the whole business, when all the other game parts think they have waiting long enough for another GRAB at the cabbies’ pay, out come the edicts, the stricter rules. There are so many new words in the game, that simply carrying riders from A to B has been lost; every other part of the game is more important than that. If the cabbie whining and clamor gets too loud, they point and say dirty cabbie dirty cab, overcharging – that is the extended family’s mantra if daddy seems to be getting to tired to provide for them at their desired standard of living. Even a union is a new player in the game, and it will become stronger and stronger, richer and richer, long before a cabbie will actually get any more pay. More pay, more deductions, more rules, more fines, more stealing of cabbies’ work. Eventually the game is going to be: we’re taking everything, we’ll make the money, the advertising money, we’ll hire employees for shuttles! Poor worker bee cabbie a thing of the past. How are the black car cab stands at malls coming along?
Charles 03.11.10 at 8:48 am
To Jose. Hey, Amigo. Que to me platiques, hoy que regresas de donde yo naci.
La viejacita y la vida me vio segura esta llorando por mi, espera que quizas vuelva ya, y yo no quieres poderme abrazar. Stop criticizing your fellow commenters, criticize ideas and not people.
Jose 03.11.10 at 8:52 pm
I criticize the idea of a lot of drivers and I am afraid to say including U that all what the City dies is well done even if is against your fallow drivers and workers in general. That’s all. Nothing personal. I saw drivers that at the moment of receiving a moving violation from a police officer are smaling and saying thanks officer. It is that actitud what boddens me of those drivers that feel that They are less than anybodyelse Bacause They come from abrooad. No!!!! Once U have your legal pappers, your lisences and are working U are the same than everybodyelse, come on!!!!! Defend your rights and stand up, please!!!! Nobody is giving us nothing in this City. We have to work hard and We deserve the same respect thant anybody else. Learn, Charlie!!!!! Jose
TLC 03.11.10 at 9:21 pm
Jose, we know you have been criticizing us and Bloomberg. We have already looked up for files and see that you are in retirement and driving at Tunnel Garage in LIC. We will have TLC Officers waiting every morning to inspect and ticket you. Let this be your warning before we pull your license..
tunnel garage 03.12.10 at 8:03 am
jose write in english please!
Jose 03.12.10 at 7:30 pm
Whoever wrote this comment about me driving at Tunnel is a coward. I do not have any thing to hide. I am not in retirement. I have still at least 20 years ahead of driving. Give your name, coward!!!!!
Jose 03.12.10 at 7:35 pm
That’s my english. If U like it OK!! If U do not, F. U.!!!!!!!
TLC Officer 03.12.10 at 7:41 pm
Jose, you are finished. You will not work in this city again. I will make sure to hit you with so many fines and tickets that you will be living off of your daughter in queens.
Charles 03.12.10 at 8:59 pm
To all. Who was it who said take rider from point A to point B, run meter, WAS NOT ENOUGH? The vain-glorius charlatans who decided they could get CUTS off of a special meter, credit cards and so forth, the greedy equipment guys, the MTA tax that these meter advertising people sold the TLC on. They had to make the cab a circus performance, a song and dance man, with the Mayor like Al Jolson dancing and singing a welcome. More control, more money out of the driver’s hand. Daddy, who supports the whole taxi business, couldn’t make it, and finally was driven to do something that was not right.
The Department of Investigation is looking into these $8.3 million overcharging incidents. Would the Dept of Investigation look into who is getting cuts of the cootie card and dootie card take off the gross? With the extra tax, tips are coming down.
They have flogged and flogged daddy, the driver, who supports the whole NYC cab business. Now he has been presented with the equipment to cheat, and has been tempted beyond his endurance. Poor daddy.
Will he be able to buy his way out of this with fines?
Charles 03.12.10 at 9:08 pm
Isn’t there a federal law that says law enforcement cannot hide and watch to see if someone commits a crime?
With the $40,000 guy; I had to hold my eyebrows down when they said a woman in July complained the meter was going too fast. And so they looked into it. That was the justification for looking at all the records of that cab. I found this a little too pat with no naming or outing of the complaint and complainer.
Frankly, I thought they were computer surveying everyone’s daily cash register (in the cab) to see if they could find something wrong.
Last time I booted on, someone said they are going to check every NYC cab’s cash register to see if it is right. I found that to cross the spirit of you don’t start investigating and fishing for crimes, without a probably cause to find one. That one guy did it, is not probably cause to check 56,000 drivers cash registers.
It is too bad that with military science and computers these days, the top guys are all taken. It is the second wave guys who are running things. And no longer do lawyers and judges really know the law anymore, they just do what they want.
However, the bribes and tips, the cootie and dootie cuts, and the surveilling of people’s cash registers, the taking of cabbies’ pay in an underhanded way, the surveilling and watching to see if someone commits a crime, all of these are matters NOT FOR TALKING WITH the people who are doing it, but for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. These things are crimes, some of them, and others are just plain against the law. That’s my opinion.
tunnel garage 03.13.10 at 12:55 am
Jose you drastically improved your english today! If it’s too hard please write in spanish.
Charles 03.13.10 at 3:53 am
David Yassky the new TLC commissioner? Nominated, but not yet confirmed? Lashing the whip over 56,000 poor cabbie slaves, the reward for a city councilor who lost his elected position by helping Bloomberg hypocritically run for a third term, after Bloomberg had helped institute a two-term limit, to get rid of Rudy Giuliani.
If poor cabbies thought they were going to improve their lot with a new TLC Commissioner, think again. The new hypocritical mindset in CHARGE.
Mr. Yassky’s education?
Brooklyn Mark 03.13.10 at 10:10 pm
This guy Jose is a unintelligent clown. Does he not know that every one of his passengers has access to his name and hack license number? All of his comments are just cursed rants at Bloomberg and Daus …. no real thought or issues to discuss with others.
pablo 03.14.10 at 1:06 am
No he’s just STUPID!!!!!!
Charles T 03.16.10 at 11:43 am
U have to be kind to the TLC or they will give U tickets Jose. I am friends with the TLC.
Charles T
Jose 03.16.10 at 9:35 pm
Any institution or goverment oficial meaning anyone who is doing public service from the president to the governor to the mayor have to take the heat when in public office and if They do the wrong things and deserve to be critizice so be it. What’s wrong with the free speach, Charlie? where U come from? if U are afraid of the TLC that is your problem. I do work an avarage of 290 days ayear, 9300 fares, 60 hours a week. Nobody gives me nothing. I am an american by birth although I grew up somewhere else. I live in NYC almost 26 years and I am driving a taxi in a full time basis since June of 1987 when Ronald Reagan was president, Cuomo our governor and the corrupt son a a f-k-ng bitch of Koch our mayor. Nobody is going to shut up my mouth and even less U Charlie, neither your beloved TLC. If I miss spell is because I write fast. Yes, I should take a look before sumiting my writing. Jose
Charles T 03.16.10 at 11:55 pm
Ha ha ha ha I never said anything bad about you.
Charles T 03.16.10 at 11:59 pm
Jose. I suggest that the Alliance spokeswoman who was on CNN to ask CNN to go back on CNN to give the real statistics that show what a low incidence the overcharging was. Give the driver incidence 5% and the overcharging incidence .0025. She didn’t do enough with her chance on CNN.
Acting kooky, several times I recommended your Alliance report the criminal activities of the TLC to the Manhattan District attorney.
Jose 03.17.10 at 11:45 am
If U are so individualist and want to go by yourself in live it is up to U, body!!! I fill represented and happy belonging to the Taxi Workers Alliance of NY. Let’s see when the cops stop U and give U 3 or 4 tickets….who will represent U? Who will help U?, the TLC, the mayor, the NYPD? What does not happen in years could happen in one day. I want U to know that this mayor is NOT friend of cabbies and for the next 4 years and hopefully the last He will make live impossible to all of us including U, big guy!!!! Jose
Charles T 03.18.10 at 7:28 pm
Jose. Once you and the Alliance find out from TLC precisely how the gross credit card percentage is allocated and to whom, if anyone in the NYC cab business got any precentage (like fleet garages, or the TLC), the Alliance should DEMAND to get a fractional percentage of that rich economic pie.
N 03.25.10 at 12:07 pm
This is a great idea. I;d never heard of it before. I would absolutely prefer to do this over taking the subway to work if i new it existed. Are there stands like this in Brooklyn?
Charles T 03.26.10 at 8:17 pm
Dr. So & So the guy who complained his fare was $7 when usually $4. Everyone knows Medical Doctors are soooo cheap. I wouldn’t fault the guy to do this once, just to get a tip out of the doctor. When it is doctor commuting time I stay away; no one wants to be ordered around as if they are under arrest by the passenger who also wants his 50 cents!!!!! Let him be the way he is, and let the cabbies be somewhere else. Only the indoctrinated go to pick them up, ONCE. Then they find somewhere else to be. Everyone knows medical doctors and pilots do not tip!!!!
No, I would not cheat a medical doctor, I would have a heart attack on the spot and not let him in the cab. He would run to another cab despite my heart attack! ha ha ha ha
Charles T 03.26.10 at 8:19 pm
You know they said it was SOME WOMAN who called in. Well it is a manly name for the medical doctor that sounds like a man. Was the TLC lying to disguise who it was who complained? Or did they have no complaint, but then fished through the drawer and found one from some medical doctor?
Charles T 03.26.10 at 8:21 pm
To Jose. What is the address of the Taxi Workers Alliance? I asked and was told before but I forgot and cannot find it. Good for them they are holding an info fest outside the Rector Street HQ of Matthew Daus, ex-commissioner, and who is the new Hitler and when starting?
Charles T 03.26.10 at 8:22 pm
Someone said Taxi Workers Alliance used to be near Curry in a Hurry, but it had moved near 21st and 5th avenue.
Charles T 03.26.10 at 8:53 pm
Never mind, Jose. I stumbled upon the Taxi Workers’ Alliance Website and found out everything. Ms. Desai, in my opinion, is a very talented writer and thinker. She has done a good job. Hope the protest and demand for apology went well.
Charles T 03.26.10 at 9:03 pm
TLC is a form of legal authority, and like police are interesting in carrying out their duties, taking orders from who they are supposed to do so, and issue their edicts. The law is behind them. If you start talking about something bad they did, begging them to admit anything is unfair, their first thought is, what is your authority under law. It is nothing. Thus, they listen, know that you are wasting your time, until suddenly you have a law behind you. Then they will LISTEN-UP, I mean their lawyers will listen up. But if you are not litigating, that is all they will do is LISTEN UP and they will not deviate from their course 1 iota.
You can scream to the whole world that what they are doing is criminal, but until they get the summons to court and receive a law suit, they will not act. And even when they get the summons to court and the suit, they will not change anything, they will submit their defensive briefs, and delay things, and if it takes 10 years, they will drag it out, MEANWHILE they will not change anything one whit, and will continue to oppress cabbies with their edicts.
What cabbies must get through their heads is, the TLC is not a good-faith regulator, they are bad faith regulators who look to loopholes and a justification of blindly following the orders of those above them, who are empowered by law. The moment they enacted oppressive rules and regulations, THEY KNEW IT. They knew they were not fair, but they just follow orders, and those who gave the orders knew it was not fair. However, they know they are scot free to pass out edict after edict, and only when a judge issues an order will they change anything, THAT IS AFTER they are in contempt of court and continue their actions, and then you have to take them to court again to say they didn’t follow the judgement order.
And then they drag it out ever further, they didn’t understand the order, and more and more time, and litigation and MONEY. After all, the taxpayers are paying their bills, poor cabbies are paying the Alliance bills.
Thus, cabbies must no have it in their heads if only the TLC knew how unfair it was. They did know how unfair it was, and their edicts are in bad faith.
Each commissioner arrives having been handed a set of goals by his higher up supervisor, and that is what he has to do. Having been appointed by his higher-up, he is not going to say no to his higher-up.
The whole system is an endless loop. You hope for good faith regulation, but you are not going to get it. You will be worn to a frazzle by legal action you must pay for before you succeed.
Jose 03.26.10 at 9:18 pm
Charlie, the 5% credit card ripoff is shared between the garages 2% and 3% to the banks according to the hearing done last year(January 2009) by the City Council comitee of transportation when They were debating a local law creating accounts to the drivers so every fare paid by credit card would had gone straight to drivers accounts and avoid such a high fee of 5%. It would had been maybe 3%. but because of the oposition of the garages, the silent of Lomto and Taxi Safety and also the oposition of the TLC, the mayor and the City Council speaker Chrystie Quinn(the lesbian) this law did not go anywhere. Only endorsed by the NY Taxi Workers alliance. By the way the Alliance is now at 250, 5th Avenue, at 28th streeet. Want to Join, Charlie?
Charles T 03.27.10 at 3:18 am
To Jose. Sorry, but forced driver debit cards (3-day float on your own money, and $1.50 to get your own money back), where YOU could neither add nor withdraw from your own debit card from the BANK TELLER, would NOT have brought down the 5-6% credit card rip-off; neither would having direct deposit to your own account. I did find the website, address, and all good stuff, through the Village Voice link.
I think the TRUTH be known, other fractional percents are going somewhere, and the Alliance ought to demand again the breakdown (because as it stands lots of cash is going to the fleet rental garages). But what about private drivers, where is their 2-3% going as there is no rental garage, or did they CREATE ONE FOR THEM? The credit card scheme and takeover of NYC yellow cabs was going no-where unless the garages agreed: they were bought out. The corrupt were bought out by the corrupt, and pooof: 5-6% out of the cabbies’ daily pay, out of their hands.
Charles T 03.27.10 at 3:33 am
To Jose. Just because there was a hearing to discuss linking CC money to bank accounts, and it was discussed there that 2% went to garages and 3% went to banks, does not mean it was true. You would have to have a transcript of the hearing and poor over every single phrase so see if slick lingo conveyed false impressions. These are the type of affairs where you go back to the one who said it when you find out different, and they said, oh, he thought that be he really wasn’t involved. Shifting accountability. In other words there was no signed affidavit at the hearing (by someone authorized to sign such an affidavit) giving absolute testimony that 2% was going to garages, and 3% to banks. Only the point man in the VTS or CMT bank deposit software could testify to that.
When a regulatory body is slippery, oily, and greasy, you could wear yourself out trying to make it honest, but you cannot do it. They can lie and manipulate faster than you can expose and indict.
Think about it: Is the phrase TAXI OF TOMORROW a justified excuse to upheave the whole cabbie business of NYC. Are passengers pounding down Daus or Bloomberg doors demanding THE TAXI OF TOMORROW? Course not. They are trying to justify their jobs with busy work, until the cabbies have become TRAPEZE ARTISTS.
Who and what is bid to the TLC about the TAXI OF TOMORROW? When will someone who knows something be able to look at it?
Can you imagine the whole NYC yellow fleet getting Ford Transit Connects (which seem to be good if you just use the 4 cylinder gas engine) and then being forced to run them with compressed CNG AND LNG (which can be installed aftermarket with Ford kits and complete instructions). When the NYC passengers find out that the TANK is going to be right under their seats, oh, no, buses, or not, they are not going to get in the cabs.
Suddenly Black Cabs and Car Services become the transport of the day in NYC while the yellow cabs line up waiting. Airport demand for cabs decreases and decreases while as I said Black Cabs, shuttles, car services grab the money.
It upsets the TLC that their are how many, 30 or 40 different types of NYC Yellow cabs running. The LOOKS. Well, suppose, the cabbies decide that only good-looking (to cabbies) commissioners can serve on the TLC. Suppose garage owners have to LOOK GOOD, we’ll check nose and chin lengths, and chipped teeth.
This TLC has yellow cabs looking like there is NO MISTAKING A NYC YELLOW CAB. What else do they have to do? Sit passengers on a CNG ROCKET?
It is ridiculous, ludicrous, and discriminates against aesthetic disabilities!!!!!!
This is a far out extrapolation. But as we have seen with the BLAST OF BULL SHIVICKLET about cabbie overcharging around the world which was about 99.95% over stated, nothing is too ridiculous in the cab regulation business!!!
Charles T 03.27.10 at 3:53 am
Doctors and pilots are the worst tippers or no tippers.
CabCurious 04.06.10 at 10:41 am
To All
I’m a student at NYU that’s doing a project on NYC taxi cabs and I’ve been having quite a difficult time in terms of talking to cab drivers. While willing to stop to answer questions, the answers I’ve received have been quite limited. As a more open driver told me, many drivers are uneasy when it comes to answering questions because they don’t want to jeopardize their jobs. Then I came across this website which seems like an open forum for drivers and riders alike. I was wondering if I could ask a few of my questions here. Nothing personal. Mostly general questions about the Cab Culture of New York City. I want to know more about the people that take taxis and the people that drive them. Would I be able to ask my questions here?