Taxi Strike - NYC and Philadelphia
Sep 5th, 2007 by Vik
In case you’re trying to get home from the long weekend today, or looking for a way to the train station or airport - you might be in for a long wait today.
Cab drivers in Philadelphia and New York are on strike. The Inquirer estimates the number at 1,600 medallion taxis, and 200 non-medallion taxis that will not in service today.
These are supposedly the list of cab companies: Bennett Cab Service, Concord Coach Taxi, Bucks County Services, Penn-Del Cab and Germantown Cab Company. Too bad PHL Taxi isn’t on the list.
The protest centers around the installation of GPS devices in taxis and installation of credit card machines. Taxi drivers say there are signal problems with each that hurt business.
My take: In my experience, taxi drivers HATE when I use the credit card machine - likely because its reported to the IRS instead of the cash he’d rather have. Also, cabs frequently pass up chances to pick up nearby passengers because their destination is to “cheap”, instead waiting for a better fare. GPS would curtail that as the dispatcher knows the location of the taxis. Both moves seem like pluses to me, but naturally because it’s putting restrictions on “underground” rules taxi drivers live by, they are protesting.
Over 80% of taxi drivers are 1st generation immigrants and either them or someone they are supporting are in the naturalization process, which means they must show taxes. How would you like it if you work all day and when it’s time for you to punch out the clock is broken. Next your employer tells you that you won’t be paid for today. How would you like to give total strangers a loan at their request and you take the 5-10% lost. Everyday is a crap shoot on whether the meter will crash during a fare. These driver all already working 12-16 hours per day with no benefits that most people enjoy. Because of cultural and language barriers, it’s difficult to find other work. I know it’s hard to put yourself in their shoes, maybe if you can imagine if your father or children had to do this work, you may then understand.
Ronald-
Great point, and I see where you are coming from. I never said being a taxi driver wasn’t easy, it’s hard, grueling work. I know some drivers in NYC and conditions they live in and live through.
My question is how does that affect whether they get credit card machines and GPS systems? Why do they oppose these things? Seems like they would be a useful tool to me.
I recently took a cab about 40 miles north of the city and my driver had no clue where I wanted to go - but his GPS did. If he didn’t have that, he would have lost my $80 fare.