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Last week we heard that a bulk of the city's cab drivers are starting to consider forming a union. That sentiment may be put to the test when we see whether any drivers heed a flyer calling for cab drivers to stay parked tomorrow.
The protest is aimed at the city, which some drivers say have ignored the seriousness of their situation. The last time Chicago cab drivers saw a fare increase was in 2005, and cabbies have pointed to constantly rising fuel costs, insurance rates and leasing fees as legitimate reasons for another.
What we wonder is, will anything really happen tomorrow? The flyer has no sign of relevant affiliation or name, but a quick conversation with cabbies hanging around on the streets today shows at least some are aware of it. So, will the streets have far fewer cabs tomorrow, or will the unorganized workers who participate just see their fellow cabbies take advantage of less competition? While we (obviously) don't really want to spend more on a cab, we still think that cab drivers are absolutely right in calling for a fare increase, and the city should be forced to address. Either way, the anonymous flyer has the potential to bring about change for the city's cabbies — if the first attempt at any kind of organizing doesn't fall flat on its face.
Image via wkp.fresheye.com.
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I suspect news of this planned protest will spread quickly via Bluetooth headset.
I suspect the protest won't happen. If all of the other cabs are parked, more fares for me!
No sympathy. Get rid of your 10 mpg crown vics and a buy 51 mpg prius. No sympathy at all.
As for the fare increase, quit driving like idiots and your insurance premiums won't be through the roof.
I'm using your cab to get from point A to point B for me to make a living. I hope you don't expect me to put your kids through Wharton on my fare.
A few weeks ago a cabbie threw a water bottle at my head because I didn't clear the cross walk quickly enough.
i'm not really so bothered that the Invisible Hand is giving cabbies a prostate massage right now.
I'd pay more if most cab drivers knew how to navigate through the city instead of trying to park his cab on the expressway during a rush hour trip or taking me down the most congested street in the city instead of making good use of side streets.
You should also get a discount if they are on their cell phone the entire time.
On one hand, it's part of being a cab driver; everybody else has to deal with higher expenses too. However, most other industries; if their cost from vendor's goes up- the cost for their product goes up too.
Regardless, if cabbies get higher fares, do the fares go down as gas prices go down?
There are tons of cars suitable for taxi service which get way better mileage than the big ones used today. A Ford Fusion gets 30mpg and can hold four fares plus the driver. Save $$$.
I have *no* sympathy for the cabbies. They drive gas guzziling sh*t mobiles like they were on a NASCAR test run. They could buy more efficient vehicles and learn to drive.
Screw cabbies. and i'm sure this work stoppage is not going to to materialize. they still need to make the money for their lease, so how is this going to help??
Man, what's with all the cabbie hating? I *like* it when a cab driver does his best to get me where I'm going. I expect -- demand -- aggressive driving.
Two things cost cabbies money: gas, and renting the car for the day from the company. Why all this noise over gas prices but no noise about reducing what cab companies charge their drivers?
RobL
#s 4-10:
I say we pool together ideas to form a new cab company, using economic/efficient/environmental vehicles to transport fares at reasonable rates.
#3
Here's why I'm lacking sympathy:
"The drivers' demand for a fare increase comes at a time when customer complaints about cabs are on the rise. The Department of Consumer Services logged more than 5,000 complaints about drivers during the first half of 2007, compared to 7,400 complaints in all of 2006."
I do ANYTHING I possibly can to avoid having to ride in taxis in this city. I just don't need to deal with getting attitude when I interrupt their oh so important phone conversations to ask them to please not take me by this route that I know is going to cost twice as much...
God forbid I try to find a taxi that will allow me to pay with a card. Card reader is broken, eh. I'm SO sure.
Someone above asked why there was "cabbie hating" on this thread.
It's not cabbie hating. It is a series of observations by multiple commenters. The talking on the phone, the herky-jerky driving, the speeding, and the cutting-people-off, which is unpleasant whether you're a passenger in the cab or a guy in the other car getting cut off.
Recently, a cab stopped in the middle of the street to let me out, blocking a long line of cars behind us. I said, "You can pull to the side up there," and he got pissed off.
I told him cabdrivers who drive like they are in the Grand Prix don't help anyone. He said, "Oh no, its good that we do that. We keep the traffic moving."
I wonder if he really believed that.
next time a cabbie refuses to take your credit card, simply tell him he either takes the card or he's not getting paid. He'll make that card work in a jiffy, i guarantee. If he tries to call th cops, let him. Then they get inform him he is in violation of city ordinance.
I hate the cabbies on Michigan Ave -- they'd just as soon run over any pedestrian in front of them.
I was taking a cab home with a friend a couple months ago, and after a few minutes in the cab, it was clear that the driver was intoxicated (by his insane driving - even for a cabbie - and the smell of his breath). We asked him to pull over, and he asked why, and my friend said, "You are clearly intoxicated, sir." He then started screaming at us that he had never been drunk in his life, and refused to pull the cab over (for at least a good fifteen minutes), meanwhile playing the radio full blast so he couldn't hear us yelling at him. We were on Lake Shore, otherwise we would have just jumped out.
I take cabs frequently because I live in a neighborhood where I don't want to walk home at night. 80% of the time, the cabbies are total assholes.
This really has nothing to do with raising fares, I just needed to vent.
I don't have a car, live a few blocks from the Loop and use taxis all the time. At least 3-5 times a week.
My observation is that many of them do drive too fast, or jerkily. However, I rarely come across outright rude cab drivers, and for the most part, they know where they're going.
I agree with the idea that cabs could be more fuel efficient, and not all drivers are saints. But the level of ranting against cab drivers here is way over the top. It's just not that bad, folks.
Try riding a cab along Ashland Ave on Friday or Saturday evening. I been one the right side of the cab to slide to the other side and back again.....
#16 - please tell me you got the fella's medallion number and lodged a complaint.
The other night one of my girlfriends was seriously drunk and she made our poor cabby turn up the Ghostbusters song on the radio as she yelled out the window.
He was very nice about it, I gave him a big tip.
Driving drunks around this city on a Saturday night is not an easy job.
The SEIU has been kicking butt in the political arena. Why not organize these guys? What does Mare Daley say on this subject? Cabby's have saved many people from DUI's and worse yet, death. Lets help these hard workers make a civil living.
Mare Daley says nay.
Patrick -
Most cab drivers don't actually work for the company. They pay the company (pick any of 'em) to rent the car for the alloted period of time. The company keeps whatever the rental fee is, the driver keeps whatever he earns in excess of the fee. The companies do have some drivers, I believe, who actually draw a paycheck, but most don't. That's why they're really tough to organize and unionize. They can't even form a formal union, as most are "self-employed". They could form an association which would work similarly to a union to lobby for better fares and other issues, but someones got to convince them to work together.
Do they even have another viable option in terms of another vehicle? It's the most popular fleet vehicle out there: the parts are available, the mechanics are available, etc. - I'm not sure that even a sizable improvement in MPG will really offset the cost of additional maintenance for less gas guzzling cars. You've got these massive infrastructure's built around these cars all the way up the supply chain so it becomes unlikely that you'll find anything that could compete with the Vic in terms of maintenance costs.
Given the amount of money invested in each car (and what the expected return is) it would take more than 3 bucks a gallon to convince the cab companies (and for that matter, police and anybody else using the car) to step it down to something smaller.
Although, a while back somebody on /. was talking about some sort of retrofit option for the victoria.
i'm seeing fewer cabs on the streets today but i'm not sure how much of that is coincidence. lots of cabs seemed stuffed, maybe doubling up on fares?
Cabbies also must pick up fares in "underserved" neighborhoods, most of which are "underserved" because Richie and Frank Kreusi eliminated bus routes in them.
No offense to the good cabbies, but screw most of them. I am sick of:
* the constant honking of the horn to try to get fares to turn around and get in their cabs. If I need a cab, I will look for one;
* the constant honking of the horn a split second after the light turns green;
* turning from the lane next to the turn lane because they don't want to wait in line like everyone else;
* running red lights;
* etc.
I tip cabbies well when they don't do this stuff, and poorly or not at all when they do. Then I tell them why I tipped them poorly. It's one thing to drive aggressively; it's another thing to drive like an asshole.
i am amazed by the number of ignoramuses on this forum, i drive a cab myself first of all can all of u stop the self-righteous babble, let me address the one major concern i see on this forum & that is envoirnmentaly friendly cars, well if u bums r so for hybrid cars call ur Alderman to institute a policy which requires so, the lack of leadership on the part of DCS is not my fault & DCS stands for Dept of Consumer Service,Ford Crown Vic is a Mass produced vehicle which is cheaper to maintain & is heavy duty enough to take the abuse of 23 hrs on the road when u consider double shifts on 1 Cab. 2ndly every one wants to complain abt cabbies driving like maniacs let me say this once every one starts driving smartly their would be no need for Expedient driving, now if i sit in the right turning lane waiting for the bum in front of me who will take an eternity to make the turn the same person who posted the comment b4 me would be going off on me for runing the meter on him?!?!?!? what a joke & can u plz explain why would a cabbie want to kill one of u pedestrian,does he/she wants to spent rest of his/her life in jail, it's baffling, & do not even talk abt credit cards i accept the charge any way but tell me why should i pay 5% service fee from my pocket & imagine how i feel when an ASSHOLE customer does not even tips me on a CC for no logical reason????????
some habits of Private Car Drivers
* siting like a dummie on the turn waiting for the arrogant pedesterian to pass by while talking on the phone and the light has turned red already.
*driving 0.1 mph in the middle of the road and spasmatic breaking
*making laps around daley centre blocking north bound dearborn, just to save few bucks by not parking the car.
*waiting for a royal invitation to move once the light has already turned green for 20 seconds, may be wondering if it is going to be any greener!!
*blocking left lane on the highway, doing 40mph while having passionate debate on the cell phone & having the audacity to drive a million dollar car but not buying a BLUETOOTH.
*blocking the intersection even after knowing the fact that they could not have made it on top of it rather than trying to move into the less conjested lane siting behind the same car in the middle of the intersection further exacerbating the situation!!!
& the pedestrian JJJJJJJJ-walking in the middle of the road acting like he/she is in his/her backyard & frowning on the ignorant cabbie if he dare honks at them
all i see is hating on this forum, some really wacked out closet racists & GOD knows what else!!!!
y2raza: nobody is saying that private drivers are without fault. however, THEY ARE NOT BEING PAID TO DRIVE OTHERS AROUND. big difference. if i'm paying for a service, i expect a knowledgeable, english-speaking driver who will go the way i request - safely.
credit cards i accept the charge any way but tell me why should i pay 5% service fee from my pocket & imagine how i feel when an ASSHOLE customer does not even tips me on a CC for no logical reason????????
[28] Posted by: y2raza
YOU SHOULD PAY THE 5% SERVICE FEE LIKE BECAUSE ALL BUSINESS THAT TAKE CREDIT CARDS PAY FEES FOR IT. YOU ARE STUPID!
you should also take the credit cards because its the LAW. Now who's the "asshole"?
but stupid iam not a big buisness like lets say starbucks & Gas Stations, a daily count of 4 CC would approx cost me some where 15 to 20 dollars, the analogy is completely BOGUS, yea if DCS increases the Fares & the Lease remains the same & there is an additional Gas surcharge whenever Gas hits record high, i bet most drivers will be more than happy to take CC & if u don't know already i accept CC no matter what. the point i made would apply to any cabbie who does not accepts the card.
as far as driving goes i just don't know what is the beef all about, and if u don't believe me plz look up SCHALLER CONSULTING's website, the study was printed in NY times too, Cabs r less involved in accidents than private cars, when u take into account how often they are on the streets.
i can only speak for my self iam substantially knowledgeable & know english too, so i don't know who r u talking about may be u r in the LOU DOBBS camp who believes that he is the only legal resident of this country!!!
and the asshole customer who did not tipped me, had no reason to do so, he came out of the house 10 min late( i was picking a call), and remained asleep most of the ride, he looked like a liberal from hell(& plz don't ask me how i came to that conclusion)
you sound like a raging idiot and I hope I never have to get into your cab.
y2raza: You seem to be taking this pretty personally. What do you like about your job? Why are you in your line of work? What do you think an appropriate tip should be?
Everyone has to deal with assholes in every line of work. I have had some good experiences in cabs (good conversation with the driver) and some horrible experiences (cabbie drunk with tremors, for example). I think anybody that takes a cab has had both positive and negative experiences.
There are expectations when one provides a service, and when that service is sub-standard, what do you expect a customer to do?
y2raza, I probably use $120-$300 in cabs a month for the past 6+ years. I've probably stepped in your cab more than once.
The problem I have with cabbies are as follows (in no particular order):
1. Not taking credit cards FROM ORD. It's simply amazing -- I take a cab from my Lakeview home to ORD, I've *never* come across a cabbie that did not take a credit card, but when I'm at ORD headed back to Lakeview, I have to wait an additional 15 minutes for a cabbie that takes credit cards. I realize there is a 5% surcharge for credit cards, but quite honestly, it's the cost of doing business. If you don't like it, then don't drive a cab.
2. Talking on your phone. This is a clear violation of the rules posted behind your seat. It clearly says that cell phone usage is for emergency purposes only -- it's pretty clear your not on the phone for emergency purposes.
3. The smell from cabbies -- I am Indian, I know how most native Indians smell, I'm sorry, it doesn't go over too well here in the States. Please take care of some western personal hygene.
4. Honking -- there is excessive honking by cabbies, and I don't know how to stop it. If I'm walking with a travel bag, every cabbie will honk at me asking if I need a ride. Unless you're offering a free ride, don't honk at me. I am fully aware of how to flag a cab.