DC Cab Rider

Is it Me?

2010-07-18T15:34:00.002-04:00

First, sorry for not posting much - life intervenes, and fewer cabs being taken.

Second - is it not posting so much that has offended the cab community to such an extent that 3 out of the last 3 cabs I've ridden have been trash dumps. Falling apart, horribly maintained, and full of who knows what all over the front seats & back floors. I almost asked one driver to redirect and drive me to an ER for a tetanus shot!

I know we tend to get a bit relaxed about life in the summer, but guys, really, if you don't want people to open the door, scream, and then slam it in disgust. Or if you harbor any hopes of getting through inspection without bribing someone, clean up the cabs!

Yes, still here

2009-11-22T09:24:00.003-05:00

Apparently there was another strike the other day. The cabbie who picked me up told me about it. Then showed me a flyer about it. And yet still were tons of cabs on the street (I didn't have to wait long before getting one).

So if the drivers hope to make anything happen - you are going to have to get much better organized! During the last strike I was picked up by a guy who didn't know there was a strike.

Strike?

2009-09-22T21:50:00.001-04:00

Ok, if you're going to strike you need to be much, much better organized. I didn't know there was supposed to be a taxi strike today until a cab pulled up next to the one I was in and the driver asked my driver. Turns out the other guy thought Monday was strike day and he'd stayed home. There were a lot of cabs out today for a strike.

Stinky Driver - yuck

2009-06-16T15:25:00.002-04:00

Hey Mad Cabbie - you have to let us know what day of the week it is that the Diamond Cab drivers have that shower. Opened a Diamond Cab door this morning and BO smell just flashed over me like a flash flood! I quickly said I changed my mind, closed the door and let him move on. Caught a cab a few minutes later. Feel really sorry for whoever ended up with that guy, it was on K street this morning, really busy, so I'm sure he did pick up someone who needed the ride bad enough to trade breathing for it. And stupid me, I didn't even think to get the guy's cab number until hours later!

Deaf Drivers?

2009-05-27T17:39:00.001-04:00

I have had more than a couple of drivers - including one today - who have had their radios set so they are blasting loud in the back. Apparently some can't figure out that there are settings for back speakers and front speakers? Or some only have the back speakers working? Or maybe they just think passengers really really want to hear whatever is on at deafening volumes.

Vice Magazine takes on DC Cabbies

2009-04-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

There's a short piece on DC Cab drivers and (ok, so the author didn't get too creative) their interest in politics. You can read it here.

Someday maybe someone will write an article that doesn't turn everyone in the city into a political force. Some of us just live & work here.

Ride Sharing

2009-01-31T14:01:00.002-05:00

In District BM (Before Meters), drivers could cram as many riders into the cab as they could get, all going different places. In District AM, that option official exists only from Union Station. So I was a little surprised to have been in two cabs in the past few weeks doing ride sharing. Each time the first person in (once it was me) was on the meter, and the 2nd person in (other time me) was given a price that basically corresponded to the BM rate days.

Am wondering if others have noticed that ride sharing seems to be making a comeback.

Lame Blogger Still Lame

2009-01-09T11:33:00.002-05:00

Sorry I'm not keeping the blog going these days - lots of other things going on in life. Am doing some contracting work and have gone back to school. So not lots of free time. And not much cab riding going on.

Am excited about getting a new president, but it's hell on traffic :). Penn Ave in front of the White House got closed of some years ago, but now with Obamas in the Hay Adams, they've closed off H street and a few others. Then come the inaugural, and it's going to be hell on wheels to drive in the city. Will be interesting to see how many cab drivers brave the city over inaugural weekend.

Go Vote!

2008-11-04T08:02:00.001-05:00

Even the unemployed can vote! ;). Sorry haven't posted much - poor people (and those who don't get reimbursed by work) don't take as many cabs it turns out.

But I did take one that was memorable. Diamond Cab #32. Lets just say that this gentleman perhaps should not be driving at night? Or have eyesight checked? Or ...

Dream Job?

2008-10-02T18:21:00.000-04:00

While I'm pounding the pavement - let me know what your dream job is in the new poll.

Posting sooner than I thought

2008-10-02T18:12:00.003-04:00

Yelled at a cab driver a couple of days ago. Couldn't help myself. Just came out. A friend had taken me out to dinner and hailed a cab to take us back home (friends are being great to me these days!). Just a few minutes after we get in the cab, driver starts going on and on about the new meters, how unfair they are to drivers, etc. Sarah mentions that she's paid about the same for most of her rides, I say that I have paid more on average. Driver keeps going anyhow. We get a 5 minute rant on how much money he's losing especially when the meter stops at $19. After all of that I finally shouted back at him - "well at least you HAVE a job. Not all of us do!" Sarah burst out laughing at me and I started laughing at her. The driver was not amused. Started in on how being out of work would make him more money than driving does these days.

We decided to just tune him out and started having our own conversation. I don't know what Sarah gave him as a tip, but I doubt if it was much.

Vacation Longer Than I'd Like

2008-09-27T09:29:00.003-04:00

Got back from vacation to a few days of work before I got layed off. I haven't been much in the mood to post with all that's going on, I'm sure you'll understand. After a few days of sobbing and feeling really sorry for myself, I've pulled things together and have been working it. I probably won't be posting that much for a little while, my focus being elsewhere. So good thoughts & vibes, cross those fingers and let's have a cheer for all of those folks going back into the workplace while the economy is tanking.

VACATION!

2008-08-24T09:02:00.002-04:00

The beaches of North Carolina call and I am going to answer that call. Hope everyone has had a good summer so far. Will be back in cabs when I return in September. In the meantime, take care all!

That $19 Maximum Rate - Take Two

2008-08-20T20:13:00.003-04:00

Lots of good comments on this topic, interesting to read.

As someone noted in the other comments, the rate is an inside DC maximum rate, so does not apply for trips from inside DC to Maryland or Virginia. DC is about 68 square miles in total area.

The $19 maximum rate is the law, making the driver's claim of restarting the meter, or other drivers' stories of dumping people out at $19 quite illegal. As for the $19 max rate = socialism, I'd probably have little more sympathy for that if I'd been hearing that for the top zone rate in the pre-meter years too :).

That $19 Maximum Rate

2008-08-19T19:08:00.002-04:00

I was chatting with a driver last week about DC's $19 maximum fare rate which was set when the switch came from zones to meters.

I asked if he'd had many $19 fares yet and boy did he have some interesting answers. Yes, he said, he'd had a couple. And each time he tossed the meter back to the start and added that fare onto the $19 maximum. I said I didn't think that was in the spirit of the law (ok, legal lol), and he said sure it was, since he had the right to get paid for his work. Besides he said, at least he took the person to her destination. So that made me ask - huh? The response was that he'd heard of at least 2-3 drivers who had pulled their cab over when the meter hit $19 and told their passengers to get out, end of the road.

Both moves are quite illegal, and who knows if the second stories were real or new urban legends, but I thought it interesting comments on all of our getting use to DC's life with meters.

Well That Was Fun - Not!

2008-08-14T20:36:00.005-04:00

I am stupid - because I didn't write down the driver's cab number (was one of those with great black card with the person's name on the side).

I got in cab, all is going well as we're driving along Eye street late last night heading west. I should mention that I'm not a tall person. So folks may not be able to see me sitting in back there. Anyhow, on with story.

We're going along on Eye street. There's a woman 1/2 block ahead of us trying to hail a cab. A driver on the far side of my cab speeds up, cuts in front of us to pick up the woman hailing the cab, so we slam on our breaks. I figure he didn't see me and was trying to beat out my driver to the fare.

She gets in 2nd cab and by the next block we're side by side at a red light. My driver rolls down the passenger window and starts yelling at other driver. Who of course starts yelling back. Woman & I staring at each other with "can you believe THIS?" looks. The light turns green and the drivers don't move! They're still yelling at each other. Light turns yellow and they yell more.

I check out my meter, grab the exact change toss it in the front passenger's seat and get out of the cab. Driver now screaming at me - I turn around and scream back "are you KIDDING ME?" and walk behind both cabs to get into a third (non screaming driver) cab for rest of trip.

Really Bad Facial Hair Move

2008-08-08T15:49:00.002-04:00

Ok, it's not a cab-riding story, but had to share. Was at Union Station a couple of days ago and saw this older guy walking with other tourist-dressed folks across the street. This one guy had a Hitler mustache! You know, that boxy silly looking thing that you never see anybody wearing anymore because who wants to look like the 20th century's greatest psychotic dictator, right? I couldn't take my eyes off the guy. In all other respects he seemed like a perfectly normal tourist. I noticed a few other folks doing double takes as he walked by. Would love to know the story behind that.

That Time of Year Again?

2008-08-08T15:44:00.002-04:00

Regular readers know one thing that really annoys me is drivers who hit on me when I'm in their cab. Please guys - I just want a ride! You know, you take me where I'm going, I pay you for that. Simple transaction. My great run of not getting hit on ended last week with two cabbies hitting on me in the same week. Ok, so maybe it's summer and we're not all bundled up in coats or something, but really guys - outside of Mad Cabbies' midnight run passengers, does that ever work?

New Poll

2008-07-25T09:05:00.002-04:00

According to my last poll - summer vacations are going to be spent at home, with family or friends - or the winner -- at the ocean. Either lots of people live near the ocean, or a few folks have more travel money than I do this summer :).

The new poll is simple - are cab drivers worse or better drivers than the rest of us. And don't forget - there is a comments feature, so feel free to add your thoughts with your vote.

Picking the Route

2008-07-25T08:58:00.002-04:00

For the first few weeks after meters I noticed drivers asked almost every single time which route to go. A question I'd get once and a while before became a common occurrence. But now, a couple of months in, drivers don't ask anymore.

Obviously asking at first on the meter -- I can see that. But why have they stopped?

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

2008-06-23T21:25:00.002-04:00

Taking a cab home, driver needed to cut the run short for an emergency. I said sure, no problem, will get 2nd cab. So for my good deed, I get ...

a driver that decided to share with me, nonstop, his recent revelation of a new philosophy of life.

arggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh ;)

Rants and Raves on Cab Riding in DC

2008-06-23T16:35:00.001-04:00

I haven't had a blog entry for a while dedicated to the various rants and raves of readers. So have fun.

Let's hear from you.

Tips

2008-06-22T19:38:00.002-04:00

So here we are weeks into meter world and I've found that the meter rate for most of my trips is about what I've paid before INCLUDING the tip. So now my question has been. Do I pay the meter AND more tip, or do I pay only meter and no tip - which was about the same as before?

I've found that I really have started reacting to the ride. I used to tip automatically. Now I leave a tip if the driver was good, the cab clean, the ride undramatic. But where the driver's been a pain in the ass, the cab a mess, or the ride a herky-jerky stop/speed-fest full of honking and screaming, I just go with the meter rate.

Where's Yours' Apostrophie's?

2008-06-02T12:08:00.002-04:00

In a break from the DC Meters story, let's take a look at a story from the Sun in Great Britain, about cab driver Laurence Kirk who couldn't get a renewed license because he didn't pass a new test. Not on geography, or fares, or how to treat passengers -- things that might be important to know as a driver. But on English grammar.

Laurence Kirk whose cabbie licence from six years ago had expired, was quizzed about apostrophes in a story on football.
But he only got 60 per cent of the questions correct – and a pass was 70.

Stunned Laurence said: “When I got my licence six years ago I filled in some forms, had a medical and a driving test to prove I knew the area and they passed me.”

He said the new rules of Bournemouth Council, in Dorset, were “barmy”, adding: “No one has asked me if I know Bournemouth or what I would do if approached by a drunk person – just where to put an apostrophe.”

Laurence, from Poole, must go on a GCSE English course before he can reapply.

Last night council licensing chief Steve Wright defended the test, saying it “allows us to assess candidates’ abilities”

We're no strangers to panic over language here, of course, although I have to say as long as the driver knows the city streets and how to get me where I need to go, I'm ok with him not knowing the finer points of English grammar.

Meter World

2008-05-31T12:15:00.002-04:00

Oddly enough, last night I actually hit a cab without a meter. Driver said he was getting it tomorrow. Cutting it nice and close there. I know I wouldn't mess with a $1000 fine!

Well the verdict is in for my rides at least. They're all more expensive with meters. Anywhere from a couple of bucks to $6 more on one. Each driver I've asked has said two things 1) he's making less money on meters than zones; and 2) yes, he's making more money off of me. Guess I'm the only passenger paying more by meters LOL.

So as of tomorrow everyone's on the meter, or hiding from police while trying to operate on zones.

Any thoughts from folk on the last month of mixed rides?

With Just Over a Week to Go

2008-05-21T14:36:00.002-04:00

I continue to get more cabs without meters than those with. And with only one exception in half a dozen rides, the cost has been MORE with the meter than with the zone. So I am still perplexed at the resistance to meters by drivers. If they're making more money off of me, am I that much of a rarity? I can't imagine I am.

How Long to Get a Cab?

2008-05-12T18:47:00.002-04:00

So how long do you wait for a cab you've called before you call it quits? I guess if you're in great shape and not far from a main road it wouldn't be long. But if you've got two bad knees, it's raining like mad and your only umbrella is broken? How long then? This morning for one reader, it was 1 hour before she called to check on her cab - to be told that "we're working on it." So she waited, she said that a cab was her only option when her husband had the car out of town. Another forty minutes later, she called again. This time, nobody answered the phone after 20-some rings. So she called a different company, which produced a cab in about 15 minutes.

Thoughts from the crew?

More Meter Fun

2008-05-09T07:44:00.002-04:00

Ok, I've had three meter cab rides now. Each time I've asked the driver how long he's had the meter in and what he thinks of it so far. The first two drivers seemed resigned to them, but not at all happy about it, the third driver was quite enthused about them. He said he was glad not to have to try and justify fares to tourists anymore. He followed that with a long story about a family who traveled just a few blocks, but crossed a zone line with resulting screams and threats from the father.

For my part, the fares were all higher than the zone(s) would have been, from just slightly more to a few dollars more on one ride. It's fascinating to watch the change over & get such a wide variety of thoughts of where it is all going.

But as that third driver pointed out yesterday, in 2 months this will all be history and nobody will even remember what the fuss was all about.

Meters - The Latest in Safety Equipment?

2008-05-08T15:48:00.001-04:00

I've figured it out. Meters aren't about less money for drivers, or some conspiracy of shadowy figures to own the DC cab market. Nope. Meters are about public safety.

I finally hit the cab lottery yesterday - a cab with a meter in it (and after only 4 rides in non-metered cabs since the 1st).

I gave my destination and we set out . . . slowly. The whole trip, cars were passing us in the other lane. I just had to peak and then was laughing inside. I think at one point we might have hit 35 mph. And I'm not talking downtown DC in traffic - no, this was a trip that took us through Rock Creek Parkway and along Massachusetts Ave. In all of my years in DC the only time I've ridden in a cab that slow the driver looked to be about 95.

So I have it figured out now. Meters = public safety. Instead of drivers that go as fast as they can to dump you out to get another fare, now we'll have rides that stroll along at snail's pace.

I may not have any money left when this is over - but I will be safe!

Meter Day

2008-05-01T16:53:00.001-04:00

More or less. Today is the day cabs are supposed to have meters, but there is a month-long grace period where they will receive warnings for not having them.

Rode in 2 cabs today and neither had a meter. No surprise. Of the 7,000 or so cabs in the city, I've seen reports estimating that not even 1,000 have either gotten meters or have appointments to get them. It's definitely not going to be a quick process to transfer everyone over. Especially for those who were waiting to see if Mayor Fenty was going to be overruled.

Riders - if you get a metered cab, let us know. I will post when I get my first metered cab ride in DC.

Cell Phones and Cabs

2008-04-28T08:49:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I don't always read the Post as well or quickly as I should - missed this story from a couple of Sunday's ago about drivers vs. passengers on the cell phone debate.

From the passenger's side in the article:

" I think it's a party line," says Michael Levin. "One big party line and they're all talking to each other."
"I always assume they're talking about me," says Levin's friend Laura Silberman. "It's usually in a foreign language . . . but I assume they're saying, 'Ugh, this annoying girl just got in and now I need to --' "

And then from the driver's side:

"If the customer is rude or if I'm talking to my young son," says cabdriver Tekle Atsku, "I'm not going to get off the phone. I'm not."

"We're not the only ones" on our cells, says driver Birhanu Gizaw. "Sometimes passengers, they don't even stop talking to tell me where to go. They get annoyed that I'm not going but they don't tell me where to go."

Is it rude? Or just part of everyday life anymore? The Post reporter goes on to note:

Perhaps it boils down to an etiquette problem. Butting in on someone else's discussion should be done under only dire circumstances. Is an acceptable interruption . . . when you know of road construction ahead? When you speak Amharic and you feel you have something to add to the front-seat conversation? What, exactly, does a cabdriver owe his passenger? Safe transport from A to B, or sparkling dialogue on the way?

What is the right balance? I don't use my cell phone in public unless I have to (yeah, I know, there are 3 of us left) and that includes in a cab. On the other hand, I've never had a problem with a cabbie using his phone, as long as I know that's what he's doing. At least a couple of times I've thought the driver was talking to me when he wasn't. In the morning I don't like to talk to anyone, co-workers, drivers, family. I am not chatty in the morning. In the evening, I'll chat away. Most of the time I'm with someone, and we'll talk to each other, the driver usually not chiming in.

Latest from Mayor Fenty on Meters

2008-04-23T12:33:00.003-04:00

The mayor has said that drivers will have a grace period of a month to get their meters installed. From today's WaPo:

Beginning May 1, city inspectors and D.C. police will spot-check taxicabs and issue warnings until June 1, after which fines will be assessed to those without time and distance meters. . . .
Yesterday, cab drivers were lined up at one of those firms, District Cab on Benning Road in Northeast. Ajab Abdus-Samad, who has been driving since 1968, has an appointment next month to get his meter.

Linroy Hanson, who's been driving for 32 years, said he would comply with the law. "I have to obey the law," he said.

Others, however, were less sanguine about the change. Some of the more than 6,500 drivers have threatened to strike, while cab companies struggle to meet the deadline.

Yellow Cab has 600 cabs, but the company won't be finished installing meters until it receives licensing approval from the city to convert existing meters, which are equipped to measure zones, in about half of its fleet, officials said. The company will have to modify them to measure time and distance. The other half of the fleet will get new meters once they arrive, said Roy D. Spooner, the company's general manager.

"The June 1 deadline is pushing it," Spooner said. He said that the installation process, though cumbersome, is not his biggest concern.

"My biggest issue is what service we will be providing customers between May 1 and May 31," he said.

It remains unclear whether a two-tier fare structure will be in effect for the month. Asked what passengers should do if they get in a cab after May 1 and are charged a zone rate because no meter has been installed, Fenty suggested that riders report the driver's name, company and license plate number to the Taxicab Commission at 202-645-6018 or dctc@dc.gov. Pressed further to explain whether passengers should take another cab or refuse to pay the zone rate, Fenty and Nickles said riders should report the driver, but that the general confusion over which pay scheme will be used should be short-lived.

Meters vs. Zone Fare Estimator

2008-04-21T18:33:00.003-04:00

I've added a link to the Post's Taxi Fare Estimator to the right. I had a link to this some months ago, along with a note that for my most common rides, the meters would be more expensive than the zone.

I decided to try it again to see.
Trip from work to home - $11 by zone; $11.50 by meter
Trip from work to current most common client - $8.80 by zone, $9 by meter.

The zone system is cheaper for me on both counts.

Court Agrees with DC Mayor

2008-04-21T15:38:00.001-04:00

From today's WaPo

In her ruling, Superior Court Judge Brook Hedge said Fenty has authority under the Home Rule Act and a law passed by Congress in 2006 to order the switch to meters. .

"Since the Mayor had authority to issue rules, he had authority to decide which meter system (time and distance or zone) was in the best interest of the District of Columbia," Hedge wrote in her ruling.
Cabdrivers say it will be impossible for all the city's 7,000 cabdrivers and owners to convert their cabs to meters by the May 1 deadline. Drivers face a $1,000 fine every time they are caught picking up rides without meters after that date.

New Poll

2008-04-19T11:13:00.001-04:00

Drivers and Riders (and old poll shows that either most of my readers are riders, or they are just more vocal) ;) - I've added a new poll on DC meters.

Latest on DC Meters from the Post

2008-04-19T10:46:00.003-04:00

The deadline to install meters in DC cabs is May 1. But most drivers aren't even close to that. Many are waiting on a court case ruling on the whole meters decision (that might come next week if all are lucky). In the meantime, companies that make meters aren't producing them because they don't know if there will be a market. And drivers aren't installing them. Well most aren't. Some are going ahead. Here are a few bits from today's WaPo:

Confusion marks every step of the attempt at the historic change. Most cabdrivers have balked at paying the estimated $350 for a meter until the court challenge is decided. Without a guarantee of paying customers, the three approved meter manufacturers are holding up shipping thousands of meters to the District. Some meter installers became licensed to do business only yesterday afternoon.
Everyone has been awaiting the outcome of the lawsuit filed last month by the D.C. Coalition of Cabdrivers, Companies and Associations, a group opposed to the change. The coalition argued in a March 27 hearing that Fenty (D) had exceeded his authority by ordering the switch from zones to meters. . . .
"The May 1 deadline still stands," D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Leon J. Swain Jr. said yesterday. On that date, a cab without a meter "will not be considered a D.C. taxicab," he said. Drivers are subject to a $1,000 fine every time they drive an unmetered cab.
Swain said there are just six licensed installers, at least some of which are cab companies, and they will have to operate "24 hours a day, seven days a week" to meet the deadline.
Acting Attorney General Peter Nickles said yesterday that the District "will not be unreasonable" if the judge's ruling comes "late in the game." He declined to speculate on extending the deadline. . . .
Pulsar, a meter company on Long Island, N.Y., likewise has shipped some orders to the District but is awaiting news from the court before shipping massive orders, an employee there said.
Meter installers, in the meantime, are gearing up.
Mushtaq Gilani, owner of Icon Cab, which has about 20 vehicles, has yet to install one device, he said, because his shipment has not arrived from the manufacturer. He hopes to begin this weekend.
"What I tell people is, 'You know the meters are coming, if not today, then tomorrow,' " he said. "I say, get ready for it and then whatever happens, you can go from there."

Rude, Rude, Rude, Rude, Rude

2008-04-10T19:32:00.002-04:00

While standing and waiting to flag down a cab the other morning, a guy came out and stood near me for a bit, then walked against traffic for 1/2 a block, and flagged down the first cab that had come down the street in the 10 minutes I'd been waiting.

I've come out onto the street to get a cab before where someone else is already standing. I always move down to give space, but AFTER them, not before. I figure they were here first, they should get the first available cab.

This guy was just rude, rude, rude, rude, rude.

New Poll

2008-04-02T15:32:00.000-04:00

Moving on from the strike to meters - and who wants them, or doesn't want them. Is it as cut and dried as riders yes, drivers no? Who knows. You tell me.

She and He/She?

2008-03-20T22:33:00.002-04:00

The cab I hopped into yesterday morning was driven by a woman. She's the 3rd woman driver I've run into in DC since I started paying attention to such things a few years ago. So what are the odds that I'd ride in a cab driven by a woman again tonight?

Well, not sure about odds, but definitely not sure about gender.

A friend & I took a cab after dinner back home. We obviously didn't spend too much time addressing or looking at the driver. After we'd gotten out, I asked my friend, "how much did you tip him?"

"Him who"? was his response.

"The driver, of course,"
"You mean her?"
"Her? That wasn't a woman, that was a guy."
"No, it was a woman."

Well after debating finer points (hand size, hair style, voice) we decided that the driver was ...
well, we couldn't come to a decision. I ended up thinking that maybe it was a woman just as my friend decided that it was probably a guy.

At any rate he/she wasn't the world's best driver - but other than that, no complaints. Other than not having a clue as to actual gender :).

If Diamond Cab #926 Stops For You - Run!

2008-03-17T19:27:00.002-04:00

A friend's co-worker passed this story along to me - since I have a natural place to share it.

She got in this cab one morning, already somebody in it, but that's rush hour. The driver apparently had two moves. Full speed and slam on brakes. And yelled at other drivers. She said she should have gone with her 1st instinct not to get in the cab. He was in a far lane and cut off traffic in 2 lanes to get to the curb by her. That's one cabbie who wants a fare! Anyhow, after a trip that had her mentally making her will, he yelled at her for trying to pay with a $20, then made the woman in the back seat pay for her trip in change, but still didn't have enough to make the right change for the trip. First told her the charge was $14 when it was $12, then told her if she wanted change she had to go to a nearby bar (it was 10am) and get change and yelled at her when she said she was late & didn't have time.

Apparently quite an interesting run.

No, I Really Don't Want to Hear it

2008-03-04T18:46:00.002-05:00

It's an election year, DC is about to add meters to cabs. I'm not that talkative in cabs, usually looking over stuff for a meeting. But I will chat if drivers are chatty. And hard not to be between politics and meters these days.

But as this morning's driver was going on and on and on about gas prices and how many hours he is going to have to work this week to make up for the gas prices, my brain rebelled. Gas prices are high, but I don't own a car, so my discussion points on this are limited. "Yes, that is high" is about it. But at some level, I'm not sure I want to listen to recitation of how long or hard you have to work to make up for gas prices. I know, let's trade off. I'll listen to this, but then you have to listen to how I haven't had a weekend off in 3 months because we're working all out to get work done for a deadline so the organization will hire us for a second, even bigger project down the road. I don't own a car, but I do have a school loan that will take me another 10 years to pay off, and a salary that barely lets me cover rent, school loan and some basics (new shoes? what is that concept, new shoes?). I haven't had a social life in ages because I don't have time for it "right now" and keep telling myself I will soon again. When? Uhh.. haven't figured that out yet.

Do we have a deal yet? Oh wait, I forgot to mention the 2 hour brain dead meeting my boss makes me go to so she doesn't have to. Which means I'll have the choice tonight of taking work home with me again, or staying for a few more hours to finish it up so I can meet this week's third of four deadlines. Yes, that's the meeting you were driving me to this morning. Any wonder I was such a cheerful and chatty passenger?

Gender and Taxi Companies

2008-03-04T10:36:00.001-05:00

Something I've noticed with at least Yellow & Diamond (the two companies I've called to get a cab when I've needed one) is that the people who take the calls are always women. When I'm in a cab, the dispatcher is always a guy. The drivers I've had have been (with 2 lonely exceptions in all these years) all guys.

Are there gender lines in the cab business?

Say Wha Again There?

2008-03-03T12:15:00.002-05:00

Actually had a driver this weekend who is in favor of meters. Very vocally. I'd mention the cab company, but I have a feeling the poor guy doesn't need his co-workers beating him up ;). It has been interesting riding cabs in DC in past month or so. I haven't yet been the one to bring up the topic of meters, but it comes up almost every ride now. Twice I was told during slow traffic that "this is going to cost you when the meters come in." And both times I've responded bait with bait, as it were - with, "so I bet you can't wait to get them and make some real money"

Like meters or hate them - fine by me, just make sure if you're going to argue against them that you've got an argument that can carry some weight. If your argument is that it will cost me more money - then that should be MY reason for not wanting meters - not the driver's.

I'm absolutely neutral on the issue of meters. But I have never been neutral on the issue of poorly made arguments!

Taxi Wars?

2008-03-03T12:08:00.002-05:00

Six Maryland cab drivers have been attached in the last month or so. All in DC. Is there an avenging DC cab driver out there taking out frustrations on his neighbors from Maryland? Background for non area readers - Maryland and Virginia cab drivers can bring people into the district, but they're not allowed to pick up passengers here. But some do (I had a Maryland cab pick me up just south of Chevy Chase circle years and years ago, and didn't realize it until I noticed there was a meter in the cab). And those that poach DC riders have possibly pissed off somebody in particular? Anyhow, here's the story from the WaPost.

Jermal Ali, a Prince George's County cabdriver who had just dropped off a passenger, was driving on New Hampshire Avenue NW about midnight Feb. 22 when a big white sedan with black lettering on the side zoomed behind him and rammed the rear of his vehicle.
When Ali scrambled to get out of the cab, the other man deliberately steered in his direction, striking the driver's door, then drove off in the latest in a series of attacks against cabdrivers.
Since Jan. 27, six cabbies, all from Maryland, have been attacked in seven incidents in the city. According to police reports, the assailant has made remarks suggesting he targeted the drivers because he believes they illegally picked up passengers in the District, which is generally not permitted for cabdrivers not licensed by the city. The assaults have occurred on some of the District's major streets -- including two on Connecticut Avenue NW -- between 11 p.m. and 4:30 a.m., police said.
Police are still searching for the assailant, who they said has slashed vehicles' tires, broken mirrors and windows, and, in at least one case, physically harmed a driver.
In the first incident, at Phelps Place and California Street NW, the attacker slashed a cabdriver's tires and drove a half-block away, police said. He then put his vehicle in reverse and hit the driver "at a high rate of speed," causing him to be "lifted into the air," according to the police report. The cabbie suffered broken ribs, police said.
Montgomery County cabdriver Medhanie Weldegerish said that on Feb. 9, he was dropping off a customer in the 1300 block of Connecticut Avenue NW when a man pulled up in a car next to him and slashed two of his tires and put a knife with a three-inch blade against his chest.
"He never said a word to me. . . . Nothing," said Weldegerish, who has been driving a cab for 10 months. "I'm not scared, but maybe he's got a gun."
Later that night, another Prince George's cabdriver was sitting at a red light at 15th and L streets NW when a white Ford Crown Victoria pulled up behind him. A man jumped out and slashed the cab's right rear tire with a knife and then drove off, according to the police report. After the driver pulled over and began changing the tire, the attacker returned -- this time, slashing the left front tire.
"Why are you working here?" he asked the driver, who didn't respond.
D.C. police Cmdr. Andy Solberg said authorities have not determined whether the suspect is a vigilante D.C. taxi driver, as some victims suspect. But Solberg said the man's actions suggest he is not merely bearing a grudge but is "out of control."
"This is obviously very, very serious stuff," he said.
D.C. cabdrivers have a history of disputes with Maryland and Virginia drivers over the right to pick up passengers. By law, cabs from outside the city are allowed only to make prearranged trips into the District and are not supposed to pick up fares.
Victims have described the suspect's white Crown Victoria as having the numbers "2057" or "2042" on the rear and possibly the name "Roper" on the side. The general description of the attacker is a man in his 30s. He seems to concentrate on the Dupont Circle area, Solberg said.
"We're calling him 'the Rogue Cabdriver,' " said D.C. Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes. "It appears that he wants his competition out of the city."
D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Leon J. Swain Jr. said he has been working closely with police, cross-checking records of registered taxis to determine whether the attacker is driving a D.C. cab. But, he said, "we have not found anybody that matches the description" of the man in the white Ford.
"The thing about it is nobody is sure if it is a cabdriver," Swain said. "All it is is a vehicle with writing on it."
Tensions have been building in recent months over the planned April 6 switch from zones to meters for calculating fares, and D.C. cabdrivers staged several strikes in protest of the change. During strikes Feb. 4 and Feb. 14, D.C. drivers said out-of-town cabs were streaming into the city to take advantage of the absence of local taxis.
Even during a strike, the law restricts Maryland and Virginia cabbies' operations in the city.
"If you bring somebody in from your jurisdiction, you can return," Swain said. "What you can't do is drop somebody off and drive around the streets of D.C. and get customers."
Violators are considered unlicensed cabdrivers, Swain said. They can be fined $500 and their vehicles can be impounded.
Cabdriver Nathan Price, chairman of the D.C. Coalition of Cab Drivers, Companies and Associations, which staged the strikes, said District drivers have been complaining about the issue with Virginia and Maryland cabs for years. He said he does not know who is behind the attacks and shares concern about them.
Three of the victims said they are convinced that the attacker targeted them because they were driving Maryland cabs.
"He thinks I was stealing the fares from D.C.," said Ali, a cabdriver for two years, adding that he would never break the rules.
The Feb. 22 attack on Ali was the second he had suffered in less than two weeks. On Feb. 10, he told police that his rear windshield was broken and two tires slashed when his cab was parked on U Street NW.
The cabdrivers know they don't want to run into the attacker again.
"I fear for my life next time," Ali said.

I Have Great Timing

2008-03-01T19:28:00.002-05:00

Was waiting with a friend for a cab last night - heading up Wisc. for dinner. We ran into a friend of hers and while we were talking a good dozen nice big really nice looking cabs passed on by. You know the ones, really nice comfortable seats, lots of leg room, just immaculate, and a driver who's cool and knows the best & fastest way to get there. Ok. well maybe I'm just assuming about the inside, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it. Once we finally got rid of the friend, we were 20 minutes late and cabs were suddenly history. We started walking under the theory that one would come along at some point. One did finally show up - it was a small, nice compact car. Looked like it had been in at least two accidents (or one really tricky one) and the inside was ... not pleasant.

Yup. Timing.

New Poll - The DC Cab Strike

2008-02-26T18:09:00.004-05:00

Is it working? Is it just pissing people off? Or do you even know that cabbies have been striking once and a while now? (Last one was Valentine's Day). A cabbie told me yesterday that the new methodology is not to tell people in advance that there is a strike, this way hotels and restaurants can't prepare themselves.

Ok, but on the other hand, people who need a cab won't know until it's too late for them, which probably won't make them great supporters of cabbies' issues. Nor will people who just need a cab that day, and who will probably just move into metro after not waving anyone down in a few minutes. In other words - if you call a cab strike but don't announce it, does anybody notice?

p.s., with the new poll, you can leave a comment, if you like.

In other topics - the final result of the last poll - Thoughts on DC Meter Rates. Results by votes:

I'm happy and looking forward to it - 27
Should dump the $1 for fuel charge - 22
Love dumping rush hour surcharge - 21
Drivers will make more money - 16
Passengers will save money - 15
Will be about the same as now - 11
I'm a driver who is going to strike in protest - 8
Rate should increase over 1/6 mile - 5
Rate should increase in less than 1/6 mile - 2

Apparently There's Another Strike Today

2008-02-14T14:45:00.001-05:00

Someone at work said he thought the strike was today (I had thought it was Tuesday this week). It's quite confusing. So I checked WaPo online and got this:

A group of D.C. taxi drivers staged their second strike in as many weeks today, in a continuing effort to force Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) to reconsider his decision to switch from zones to meters in determining fares.

The strike, called by the Coalition of Cab Drivers, Companies and Associations of Washington, D.C., began at 6 a.m. today and is to end at 6 a.m. Friday, coalition chairman Nathan Price said. It was unclear how many drivers were participating in the work stoppage.

The coalition had launched what some said would be a series of weekly strikes on Feb. 4. Initially, some members of the coalition had called for another strike to be held this past Tuesday. But coalition leaders decided to postpone that action when they realized Tuesday was primary election day, saying they did not want D.C. residents to have a hard time getting to the polls.

The strike today was not publicized beforehand. Price said that "the media will not give us the proper coverage on the truth."

"This is not about jobs and money," he said. "It's all about the service, how it's going to be impacted when we go to meters. Nobody's listening to this story."

Price said that in other large U.S. cities, where there are far fewer taxis working for a few large companies, taxi service does not extend to neighborhoods, as it does in the District. He and other coalition leaders say that moving to meters will eliminate the independent-business aspect of D.C.'s cab service and will run many current drivers out of business.

"In other cities, taxis serve only train stations, downtown and the airport," he said. "We're trying to maintain a level of service in the neighborhoods of the District of Columbia."

At mid-morning, some cabs were picking up and depositing passengers in the downtown area, but the usual cab lines at big hotels were diminished or missing. Still, hotel managers said they were coping.

Ammar Samad, director of guest services at the Westin Grand Hotel at 24th and M streetsNW, said limousines and other hired cars were serving the hotel guests--the usual alternative when cabbies strike.

"It's not something that we haven't been through before," Samad said this morning, acknowledging that it is "an inconvenience." "Our guests are wondering why there are no taxis around, but we explain, 'We'll still take care of you.' "

Taxi Strike

2008-02-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

From today's Post:

District taxicab drivers this morning launched the first of what organizers said would be weekly strikes to protest the looming April 6 switch from the city's long-standing zone system to time-and-distance meters.
William J. Wright, president of the Taxicab Industry Group said he could not predict how many drivers will participate in the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. work stoppage. He said he had not made calls or driven around the city during the morning rush hour to gauge the strike's effect, but would likely get some information during a meeting of cabdrivers scheduled for mid-morning.
Today's action will be followed by another next Tuesday, which will be followed the week after that on Wednesday, and so on, Wright said.
"Until we get some movement from the government, that's how long it's going to last," he said. "We've got to try to stay alive. We've got to try to get the mayor's attention."
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) recently announced the final new rules for the D.C. taxi industry, including the changeover to meters, a $3 base rate for trips and a maximum fare of $18.90 for rides within the city.
Taxi drivers have said the changes could put them out of business and discourage poorer residents from taking cabs because they will not be able to predict their fares.
Wright said drivers will mobilize at today's meeting, during which they will also discuss a plan to strike during the opening of the new ballpark for the Washington Nationals next month and during any major conventions.

How Will Meters Affect Your Ride?

2008-01-20T12:49:00.000-05:00

Wondering just what it might cost you to ride in a DC cab after April 6? Check out the Washington Post's Taxi Fare Estimator. According to the TFE, if I wanted a cab from work to my apartment, it would be about $1.25 more under the meter than zone. But if I took one from work to one of our main clients (which is my most common route), the zone fare would be $2.00 cheaper!

Now I would assume it would be more expensive for the long ride (capital hill area to upper NW), but to be $2 more expensive from capital hill area to downtown K Street?

According to the Estimator, I lose and drivers win both times.

So why do drivers hate the meters again?

New Poll - Meters in DC

2008-01-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

April 6 is the date the mayor picked for meters in DC cabs. I've added a poll for input on the meters from passengers and drivers. Multiple answers are permitted in this poll.

Base rate to be $3, then 25 cents for each 1/6 of a mile, as well as 25 cents for each minute the cab is either stopped in traffic or moving slower than 10mph. Some drivers are talking strike again (they did one back over Halloween when the proposal was being chatted about). This time it'll be in early February.

William J. Wright, president of the Taxicab Industry Group, which organized the Halloween strike said drivers will be encouraged to strike one day a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Monday, Feb. 4 to protest the change. The strike will rotate through the days of the week -- the next week drivers will strike on a Tuesday, then a Wednesday, and so on -- until at least the start of baseball season, Wright said. The goal, he said, is to get the city to change its plan.

There are about 6,000 cabs in DC, and the drivers will all need to buy their own meters. It will be an interesting few months.

Last Poll

2008-01-19T14:46:00.001-05:00

I asked what cabbies should be able to charge extra for - and the results were:
Waiting for passenger - 24
Snow - 12
More than 1 passenger - 11
Rush hour - 10
Ice - 8
Using the trunk - 7

Under the new meter rules, drivers won't be able to charge more for more passengers.

New Meters for DC - What They'll be Charging

2008-01-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

- $3 base rate, including first 1/6 -mile.

- 25 cents for each additional 1/6 -mile.

- 25 cents for each minute stopped or traveling at less than 10 mph.

- No additional passenger surcharge.

- No rush-hour surcharge.

- Other surcharges remain (50 cents per bag after first piece, $2 for radio dispatch, $1 for high fuel prices, etc.).

- 25 percent surcharge during snow emergencies.

- Maximum fare of $18.90 plus applicable surcharges for trips starting and ending in the District.

Sitting and Waiting - Forever?

2008-01-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

This just makes no sense to me. I had lunch today at Union Station (local train station). On the way out I noticed a huge line of cabs going up to the parking area. There were at least 20 that I could count. Now the line they're in goes to another part of the station, which means there were cabs lined up one after the other for the two blocks of the parking lot, plus the block on the other side, and half block waiting for riders.

I watched for 10 minutes and the line didn't move an inch.

Who sits and waits like that?

Have Fun All

2007-12-21T15:49:00.000-05:00

Hope everybody has a good holiday season - I may not be blogging again until the new year - so enjoy.

Feeling Gassy?

2007-12-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

I forgot to add one more choice to the poll - gas fees. In DC cabs are allowed to charge $1 more sometimes to make up for higher gas prices. These little tags appear on the window saying that from date A to date B cabs can charge $1 more per ride to offset gas costs.

Do other cities let drivers charge more when gas prices are high?

Random Notes - Dispatcher-Driver Fun

2007-12-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

I've got a piece of paper in my purse I use for random notes on cab rides. Now that I've pulled it out to write some of them up I have no idea what some meant. But here's some memories jogged by the ones that I do remember on dispatcher monologues heard while riding in cabs.

#1
Dispatcher: No, 410 [rest of address]. 410. four one zero. [pause] four ONE zero. [pause] ONE ONE ONE ONE ONE. Four ONE Zero! Are you deaf or just stupid?

#2
Dispatcher: Who is bidding on Lincoln? Nobody? The woman is waiting. [Pause] No that one is already taken. Where are you [cab number]? That's in Georgetown. You're not in Georgetown. Stop bidding on jobs unless you're there. Take the Lincoln job. [pause]. [unrelated dispatcher chatter for a few minutes] No [cab number] You're not in Gerogetown, stop bidding on that.

#3
Dispatcher: Use channel 2 [cab #], I can't hear you. Channel 2. [pause] Are you trying to talk to me [cab #]? I can't hear you. Use channel 2. [pause] Oh forget it. I'm done with you today.

Smokin' Hot, Not?

2007-12-09T11:09:00.000-05:00

I was in a cab last week that just reeked of smoke. That's pretty unusual anymore. So many cabs sport those red "No Smoking / Please Do Not Slam Door" signs. Got me asking myself - is smoking bad for business? Have drivers stopped smoking to keep passengers happy? (certainly not for the health benefits!) Or is that why one cab I was in had almost a dozen of those little green Christmas tree scent things plastered all over the sides and roof?

Drivers - do you let people smoke in your cabs? Did you stop smoking because it was stinking up your cab?

Passengers - do you jump out of a cab if it reeks of smoke?

Polls - Results and New Poll

2007-12-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

The results from the last poll - best and worst DC Cab Companies are:

Best Cab Company Votes
Yellow - 17
Diamond - 12
UCC - 4
Sun - 2
Dial - 1
Royal - 0

Worst Cab Company Votes
Diamond - 16
Yellow and UCC - 9
Dial - 6
Royal - 5
Sun - 1

Interesting - Diamond Cab got a lot of votes. At 16 it is the winner for worst, but at 12, it's in 2nd place for best. Go figure LOL. What I think is really telling is that more people voted in the worst cab poll (46) than in the best cab poll (36). I have a feeling that there's a lot of animus out there for DC cabs.

Was there a company that wasn't on the list that should have been? It was just DC cabs, not any of the suburban companies. If your favorite or worst cab company wasn't on the list - now's the chance to vent ;).

In the meantime - new poll. Extra fees. Should they be charged? And for what?

He's a poet and he knows it

2007-12-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

I just got an email from Susan. She just got home from a ride with the cab driver poet, she thinks the same one I wrote up back in April 2006. He had a couple books of poetry he was sharing (wanting to sell I'm sure) and recited some of them. She said it was an interesting ride - and more enjoyable than hearing non-ending complaints about traffic.

Shame Cab List - The Drive Bys

2007-12-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

Friends send me cab info for posting as a "shame on you" piece. So here are some of them. They all have one thing in common - driving right on by someone who is trying to hail them.

Columbia cab #5 - Black is a skin color, not a sign for no money in wallet. This person had money and tips well.

Grand cab #38 - People who wave madly at you are trying to hail you to stop. It's your job to do that.

Dial cab #786 - The woman you passed by the other night often tips very well. She was so annoyed at being passed by by you that she gave the driver who picked her up over double the fare.

Yellow #329 - If you're going to pretend you didn't see the woman trying to flag you down, you shouldn't make eye contact with her.

Empire #328 - Upper NW DC isn't on the moon - and it's illegal to refuse to take someone there.

What Would Jesus Drive?

2007-11-30T20:41:00.000-05:00

Not sure, but Jesus certainly has a fan in the driver I had this afternoon. Twenty minutes of rush hour traffic between downtown & Georgetown. All of which was filled with a non-stop recitation of biblical quotations and the word on an apparent world conspiracy of catholic churches to take over the world. Wasn't quite following all of it - but it was an interesting experience.

Forget Meters vs. Zones - How About IEDs?

2007-11-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

From today's Washington Post -

"BAGHDAD -- Haider Abbas, a 36-year-old taxi driver, had only a few moments to answer what is often a life-or-death question in this city: Would he drive a passenger home?

The home, on that scorching afternoon last month, happened to be in Adhamiyah, a notoriously dangerous neighborhood where several cabbies had been gunned down. Abbas hadn't been there in two years. But the fare pleaded that it had become safer, so the cabbie reluctantly agreed to go. "To tell you the truth, I thought I had just traded my life for 5,000 dinars," or $4, said Abbas. . . .

In a city where few residents believe official statements on declining violence, whether from the U.S. military or the Iraqi government, some of the most reliable figures on security improvements can be found on the odometers of Baghdad's taxi drivers.

After years of sectarian warfare whittled down the list of neighborhoods where they could safely work, cabbies are once again crisscrossing nearly all of Baghdad. Every day they assess the constantly shifting boundaries between danger and security, hoping that life will return to normal, but mindful that this is still a city where anyone could be killed at any moment for no particular reason."

Remembering Sean Taylor

2007-11-28T08:36:00.000-05:00

There are a couple of photographs of Sean and his baby girl floating around that I wanted to share, but can't find them online. His little girl is so lovely. And it is so sad that she is going to be growing up without a father.

Happy Thanksgiving All

2007-11-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

Whatever it is you have for dinner.

Huh?

2007-11-15T19:04:00.000-05:00

Just about every cab ride I've taken lately has involved the driver asking me what I think about the meter issue (ok, not every ride, only when I'm traveling alone. Drivers are usually nice enough not to interrupt when I'm chatting with friend/co-worker in cab).

My favorite conversations have been almost identical with two different drivers. Each asked me what I thought, and my answer was that I didn't really care one way or the other. Each then launched into a monologue about how it would cost me more money under the meter system (as one pointed out repeatedly - "see, we're stopped now. That's costing you money under meters.") and tell me I should work against them.

And each time I asked the driver - so if meters cost me more - they make more money for you, so you must love them. Why don't you?

No real response either time.

Best / Worst Cab Companies

2007-11-15T19:00:00.001-05:00

Well at this stage, Diamond has a pretty good lead as worst cab company and Yellow strong lead as best. But Diamond also has good best numbers.

Best Cab Company
Yellow (13)
Diamond (9)
UCC (3)
Sun (1)

Worst Cab Company
Diamond (12)
UCC (8)
Yellow (6)
Dial (5)
Royal (3)
Sun (1)

Something that's interesting to me is that of the six companies in the poll, every single one of them as at least 1 vote for worst company. But two of them (Dial/Royal) can't even manage one vote for best company. I'd love to hear from folks on why they've voted the way they have.

Dynasty cab #66 - an email from Susan

2007-11-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

I'm sharing the following email from Susan (who continues to refuse to become a co-poster on this board) about her ride to work this morning.

So I'm standing on the sidewalk, about to hail a cab when this yellow cab goes flying across two lanes of traffic for me - I decided if he was that determined for a fare, I'd put my hand up to say sure, I want a cab. Well his excitement at having a fare dropped the moment I gave my address, which was not directly downtown, but towards Capital Hill. So the guy starts moaning and groaning about this isn't his cab (isn't that illegal?) and he's got to get it back to the guy who owns it, and he doesn't have any gas, and he just thought he'd do me a favor (this is a favor? Listening to the guy bitch and moan for blocks?) and it'll take forever to get there and he doesn't have time. So what's he want from me? An apology for getting in the cab? Just a few blocks later he swerves into a busy lane, but not to see how many people would honk at him for it, but to pick up a woman who is trying to get a cab. She brushes him off and gets in one of the two empty cabs that he cut in front of. So then I get a lecture on the woman not getting in the cab (what happened to not enough gas or time? Now we've suddenly got both enough to stop for another fare? But it doesn't stop there. He stops for two other people along the way, neither of them want the cab or are going the right way.

Meter Rates

2007-11-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

As " DCTaxi@gmail.com" noted in a comment below, Mayor Fenty has set preliminary rates for meters in DC. The base amount ($4.00 for the first 1/6 of a mile) would make it the highest in the US. The reasoning seems to be a desire to keep downtown trip rates about the same as they are now ($6.50 for most trips around downtown center).

In addition to that, Fenty recommended keeping the rush-hour surcharge (morning & afternoon rush hours, cab rides cost $1 extra in DC). Fenty will hear public comments over the next 60 days. This page can be used for general comments to the Mayor to register your thoughts. The DC taxicab commission will meet on Wed., Dec. 19, 11am on rates & rules. Here is the general contact info page for the commission. Any and everyone with an opinion on meters - contact away!

The change is currently set to go into effect on April Fool's Day. (fun timing there) For those of you wondering what your cost might be, Washingtonian did some estimates:

19th and K sts., NW, to Cannon House Office Building (Independence and New Jersey aves., SE)—3.1 miles.
Meter, $8.75; zone, $6.50.

The Palm restaurant (19th and M sts., NW) to Georgetown (35th and O sts., NW)—1.6 miles.
Meter, $6.50; zone, $8.80.

Four Seasons Hotel (2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW) to the White House—1.4 miles.
Meter, $6.25; zone, $8.80.

Union Station to Dupont Circle (19th and P sts., NW)—3.8 miles.
Meter, $9.75; zone, $6.50.

Tenleytown (4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW) to 15th and K sts., NW—4.1 miles.
Meter, $10.25; zone, $11.

Logan Circle (11th and P sts., NW) to Reagan National Airport—6.6 miles.
Meter, $14; zone, $12.25.

Verizon Center (Sixth and F sts., NW) to Hay-Adams Hotel (16th and H sts., NW)—1.2 miles.
Meter, $6; zone, $6.50.

Adams Morgan (18th St. and Columbia Rd., NW) to RFK Stadium (2400 E. Capitol St., NE)—5 miles.
Meter, $11.75; zone, $11.

Cady’s Alley in Georgetown (3318 M St., NW) to Woodley Park (2800 block of Connecticut Ave., NW)—2.9 miles.
Meter, $8.50; zone, $6.50.

Trick, No Treat

2007-10-30T17:25:00.000-04:00

So, some of DC's cabbies have decided to strike on Halloween. This isn't exactly a unified group, so it's hard to say just how much of a strike this will be, but am looking forward to seeing what transpires tomorrow.

The strike, reported by the Washington Post, is to be from 6am tomorrow morning to 6am the following morning. That means that a lot of ghosts and goblins may be having to find their own ways home tomorrow night.

Then again, with Halloween during the week, those ghosts & goblins may not be looking for rides until Saturday night?

Taxi with a Capital T? Or a Little Flower Power?

2007-10-29T18:56:00.001-04:00

So there's a new design for the NYC cabs.

And more than just the large circled T in taxi, there are some that have been given a retro 60s look. New Yorkers are apparently abuzz with venom (too much of a mixed metaphor?) about the new look. The NY Times offered readers a chance to come up with their own design.

I can't resist sharing a couple of fun ones from the site.

Kudos to Super Cab #333

2007-10-27T19:04:00.000-04:00

Well, while Susan continues to share horror stories of life riding in (or, in her case, trying to ride in) DC cabs, I want to share a kudo to Super Cab #333.

Other cab drivers - look to Super Cab #333 carefully. This is what a cab should be. Clean, nice, lots of room in the back seat. Smooth ride, nice driver, just a wonderful experience all around.

NY Cabbies on Strike - Again

2007-10-22T08:36:00.000-04:00

The cabbies are striking again to "protest against new additions to their cabs that let customers watch TV and pay with credit cards, as well as allowing drivers' employers to track them with GPS. City officials say the devices help passengers by making payments more convenient and lost items easier to locate. But the Taxi Workers Alliance said they called the strike — the second in six weeks — because the technology is a costly invasion of cabbies' privacy and works erratically at best."

The rest of the story on AP here.

I'm confused. According to the story, passengers can find cabs, but "Payment was unusually complicated, however: passengers had to pay $10, plus $5 for each new "zone" they passed through in the city. Manhattan was divided into four zones, and each of the outer boroughs counted as another." So does that mean that as the DC cabs go from zones to meters, the NYC cabs are adding zones to their meters? It's all so confusing!

So the NYC cabbies have gone on strike twice, and the DC cabbies are threatening to strike because of the meters. So I ask the drivers who read this blog -- why aren't YOU striking? :)

Meters

2007-10-21T19:09:00.000-04:00

I've been asking every cab driver I've seen lately what he thinks about meters (and they're all he's. I've run into only 2 women cab drivers in my life - another blog for another time). The Post reports that cabbies will be striking because they don't want the meters. But my very informal and unscientific survey finds a number of drivers who think meters will be a good idea. I asked one if he was pro-meter because he'd be taking people from National Airport to downtown DC through Anacostia. But he assured me that he was pro meter simply because it's such a problem with tourists. Even when they're being charged correctly, they assume they're being ripped off because there's no meter.

On the other hand, I had one driver who was so mad about meters that I thought he was going to turn around and throw ME out of the cab! He was gesturing wildly in his rant against cabs - and thankfully the traffic wasn't too challenging - so we survived the trip!

And me? I'm a zone meter vet - I'm fine with zones. I understand them. Meters probably will save me money going from work to clients' offices. But meters are going to put cabs out of the reach of a lot of people who use them now to travel long distances in areas with little metro or bus access. You know, the poor.

More for Susan

2007-10-21T19:06:00.000-04:00

Wag of the finger of shame to Dove Cab #4 and Federal Cab #48 for refusing to pick up Susan. If I were her, I'd be reporting both of you to the commission. And at some point when I get tired of hearing about cabs passing her by, I might just start reporting you for her anyhow!

Meters Won't Help Susan

2007-10-18T07:18:00.000-04:00

If there is one person in DC who seems to have nothing but bad luck with cabs, it's my friend Susan. I've told her several times that she should be a co-contributor to this blog, but she won't do it. She does keep me up to date on her run of bad cab luck.

Last night - trying to get a cab to go home (for those who are joining this story in progress, Susan has very bad knees and can't go up & down bus stairs, and metro doesn't go to her house), she had two cabs pass her by without stopping, then no cabs for 10 minutes or so, then three cabs coming in a row. She knew her luck had changed! The first cab sped by without stopping (there was a passenger in it). The second cab sped by without stopping (no passenger), but the third cab stopped! There were three passengers. The door opened and one passenger got out. The other two stayed and the cab sped off.

Apparently she did finally get a cab a few minutes later - but only Susan could have three cabs in a row go by without stopping for her.

Meters are Coming

2007-10-18T07:13:00.000-04:00

Our Mayor has decided to go with Senator Levin's rule (a whole other topic is my personal distaste for senators & representatives from outside DC who think it's their job to make laws for people who LIVE in DC), and bring meters to dc cabs.

No timetable or fare info yet - that is to come. Part of the story below:

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced yesterday that he will require time-and-distance meters in the District's 6,000 taxicabs, abandoning a rare zone system that has been used for decades and heralding major changes in the way the local taxi industry operates.

No timetable was set for the switch, and it was uncertain whose wallets will benefit most. That depends, a study showed, on the length of the trip. A meter system tends to favor the customer on shorter trips and the driver on longer ones.

It remained unclear how much the meters will cost the taxi industry to buy and install. Under the executive order Fenty signed yesterday, the mayor's office and the chairman of the D.C. Taxicab Commission are supposed to devise a plan for the change as quickly as possible. Sources with the mayor and the commission said officials hoped to have meters running by spring.

The zone system has been treasured by many drivers, who reacted to yesterday's news with outrage. They warned of a strike within two weeks and vowed to lobby to have the decision reversed. . . .

In making his decision, Fenty said he was heavily influenced by an August survey of 611 D.C. residents, conducted by Zogby International for the taxi commission. According to the survey, 53 percent of cab riders find the zones difficult to use, up 12 percentage points from a survey in 1994, a fact that Fenty said he found "instructive." He also cited other findings: 69 percent wanted a visible fare; 73 percent thought that meters would make overcharging less likely; 68 percent wanted a clearer relationship between the fare and time and distance traveled. . . .

Some cabdrivers warned that the dispute is not over.

"Get ready for the strike, the big strike," said William Wright of the Taxicab Industry Group, one of several groups representing drivers. "We want him to reconsider."

Wright added: "We're going to find a way to get this overturned. If we have to go to every single member of the Senate and the House, we're going to do that."

The vast majority of the District's cabdrivers are independent contractors, and many fear the loss of the zone system will lead to a loss of independence. They point to other large cities, where the industry is run by a few large corporations. Many are disappointed that Fenty did not choose a much-talked-about hybrid system that would preserve zones and furnish receipts, using the Global Positioning System. . . .

Sherman Basil, a driver for almost 50 years, said Fenty made the wrong decision.

"With meters, you can do whatever you want," he said. "You can ride them all over the place. You can get in traffic jams."

Some cab riders provided a somewhat mixed reaction.

Rita Salamone, who lives in Southwest Washington, said the zone system seems more fair. "If you're just sitting, the meters just tick away," she said.

But Heather Alman of Cleveland Park said she has been charged several different fares to go from Foggy Bottom to Tenleytown, a common complaint.

"I don't like the zoning system," she said. "The maps are really hard to read. You're fully in the hands of the drivers and you have to trust them."

Best & Worst DC Cab Companies

2007-10-11T21:15:00.000-04:00

Got an opinion? Share it in the polls to the right. One poll for the best DC cab company and one for the worst.

No, not all DC cab companies are listed - just a couple of the bigger ones and ones that I notice more than others.

And it is just DC cabs, so those who want to vote on best or worst of Maryland or Virginia cabs - that's gonna have to be another blog :).

If you want to vent about one of the companies you voted for - or share a good experience, please do.

Shame on You - Presidential Cab 216

2007-10-10T20:27:00.001-04:00

Shame on you for driving right by my friend Susan tonight. You let a passenger out of your cab, and drove nice and slow by Susan standing with arm extended only a few feet in front of you. Since you could not have missed seeing her - is there a reason you decided to just drive right by?

Meter vs. Zone - in the news again

2007-10-09T20:46:00.000-04:00

The Post's article today focuses on the Ethiopian cabbies' reaction. While nobody knows if cabbies would be making more or less under meters (short rides no, long rides yes - but how it comes out in the wash is anybody's guess).

One of the fears that I hadn't even thought about is the fear of regulation - and where it might lead. This seems to me a bit, well over the top, but heck, who knows.

The concern about meters might seem an overreaction. But many see meters as the ultimate regulatory tool, the first in a series of bureaucratic demands that would strip them of their autonomy. Like many small-business owners, the drivers prefer less government meddling. They wonder, what's next? Limited work hours or caps on taxi licenses?

The vast majority of the city's 7,500 taxi drivers are independent contractors.

"This is the only place in the nation where you can really be an independent cabdriver," said Aklile Redie, Ethiopian-born vice president of the D.C. Professional Taxi Drivers Association.

Bits and Pieces

2007-09-26T12:10:00.001-04:00

Maybe when Mad Cabbie gets back he can tell me why that Diamond Cab driver has a silver skull piece on his cab passenger door lock. Nicely propped up on top of it - warning to passengers? Who knows :).

You never appreciate the nice, clean cabs as much as after you've been in traffic going nowhere fast while you're trapped in a cab that has cigarette smoke oozing from every pore, has pieces of the cab stapled to the roof so it doesn't fall down, has a door frame that separates from the door when you close it, or has a smell that just can't quite be identified, but is definitely NOT good. Fortunately I've not had to experience more than 2 of those things in any one cab. Unfortunately, I've experienced some of them several times over the years.

And don't you love it when your head is just barely hanging onto your shoulders with a migraine from hell and you luck into the driver who either 1) can't hear the radio unless the back speakers are on maximum; or 2) considers the car horn the driving equivalent to a valley girl's use of the word "like."

Meters vs. Zones. I was in a cab in heavy traffic a couple of days ago. The driver was railing against meters. He said at one point, "If we had meters, do you know how much this ride would cost you?" I don't think he liked my response - "not much, I would have gotten out by now and gotten onto the subway while you'd be still here stuck in traffic."

And to the driver who was speeding along on the parkway while turning back to look at me while making one of his several points on Bush & the war -- no, I wasn't terrified we were going to crash and die - I've had crazier rides. But yours was close.

From the Courageous Souls at the DC Taxi Commission

2007-09-12T17:21:00.000-04:00

When faced with the issue of making a recommendation to Mayor Fenty whether DC taxis should continue with the zone system or switch to meters, they took a courageous position of ... ok, so you know better. They took NO POSITION on either. "In a half-dozen votes, the commission declined to recommend time-and-distance meters, zone meters or any kind of meter at all. A motion to recommend that the mayor simply retain the zone system also failed."

Now you could say that they did this to say fuck you to Sen. Levin, who like other members of congress have found themselves unable to resist sticking their nose into DC matters (what, Detroit is fixed now? So Levin has time to work on DC?). THAT position I could get behind. But no, they just couldn't figure out which one would give them less heat, so they instead asked Fenty to make the decision, and tossed in option #3, the use of GPS equpment in the zone system. So now it's up to Fenty.

What WILL he do?

Meters vs. Zone in DC -- Are Zoned Meters the Answer?

2007-09-08T08:16:00.000-04:00

From today's WaPo -

For the first time in decades, the District is poised to change the way taxi fares are calculated. Armed with a survey showing widespread discontent with the system, the eight-member D.C. Taxicab Commission will vote Tuesday whether to recommend that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) stick with zones or switch to meters, which every other major U.S. city uses. But in interviews with commission members last week, it appears a third option is gaining momentum.

It's the "zone meter" or zone-fare calculator. With signals from a Global Positioning System, the device calculates fares based on existing zones. At the end of the journey, the device prints a detailed receipt, giving riders the reassurance they are not being cheated. Zone meters were installed in about 300 Yellow Cabs in the District over the past year.

It will be interesting to see what happens here. I've ridden in a couple of the Yellow cabs with the zone meters, but have yet to see it in action. Guess since most of my taxi rides are in zone 1, they don't break it out for us.

I'm sure the non DC folks are puzzled about the district's love for the zone system, but it's pretty wide spread (for good & bad reasons). According to a recent survey of drivers, "Of more than 600 cabdrivers surveyed, 183 said they liked the common time-and-distance meters and 177 did not want meters at all. But more than 300 favored the zone meter."

Background information from the story:

No other U.S. city has a taxi system quite like the District's. Its zone system dates to the 1930s, and about 90 percent of its 7,500 licensed cabdrivers are independent owners. . . .

Because of the setup, local cabdrivers historically have had a lot of power, Toney said. He thinks the commission, established in 1986 after Congress relinquished control, has failed to act in the past because of fears that drivers "would create a crisis." "Every time the issue comes up, drivers say, 'We're going to strike,' " he said, describing the response as "scare tactics." "From 1986 until today, the commission has been fiddling with this issue and has been unable to resolve what is at its base a common-sense issue." He does not have much faith that zone meters will solve the problem.

"It does nothing to address one of the largest failings of the zone system -- the fundamental unfairness of the system itself," he said of the zones, which were originally drawn to benefit Congress members and others on Capitol Hill. You can go from Constitution and Second to Foggy Bottom and consume a driver for 25 minutes and pay only $6.50 for a trip three miles or more -- and somebody else goes less than a third of a mile and has to pay twice that. The zone calculator does nothing to address that."

NY Cabbies on Strike

2007-09-05T09:56:00.000-04:00

Hey, actual news on this blog. I don't do that much LOL. Anyhow, apparently many of NYC's cabbies have started a two-day strike. Why? Well the CNN brief piece played it like this - Bloomburg gave the cabbies a raise a while back, and in exchange they were to upgrade their cabs technologically-speaking. Village Voice offers options for needy riders and Newsday gives us drivers' views about their strike against GPS technology and credit card machines:

"The group has met with the mayor's office and the taxi commission to voice concerns, including that the GPS technology unfairly tracks cabbies and includes credit card machines that will charge the drivers more than $1,000 yearly, Desai said. Some drivers also say the machines are unreliable and will cut into their income. Fare rates enacted in 2004 bumped the initial cost of a ride from $2 to $2.50 and added an extra $1 during the evening rush, among other increases. The TLC expected the rate hike to increase drivers' after-expenses salaries to at least $13 to $20 per hour, from between $9 and $17."

A site called David Havslaib's Jossip has an amusing piece, Taxi Strike Mainly Affects High Maintenance Women, Jerks On Wall Street:

"Can you survive two days without being able to stick up your hand and scream “TAXI!” in the dirty and overcrowded recesses of midtown? Most likely! Fortunately, however, you won’t really have to since the “strike” only seems to have moderately diminished (rather than eliminated) the presence of yellow cabs circling around Manhattan."

Still Here

2007-09-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

But been riding in very few cabs these days - summer in the city, fewer people around, fewer jobs, fewer meetings. Just taking it easy. A couple of long weekend trips out of town, to the beach, to the mountains. Just having a nice, relaxing summer.

Today - things are changing, right? It's Ugly Tuesday - the day after labor day when Congress & lobbyists & kids all come back into traffic at the same time. Fortunately, I don't have to go back to work until tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a good summer too.

Meters or Zones?

2007-08-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

District of Columbia is considering the old meter vs. zone fare question again. (actually Congress who likes every once & a while likes to flex its muscles by dictating policy TO the people who live here -- always popular with the population. Wouldn't you enjoy having people who are there for a few years telling your community how to live?)

"The legislation is the latest version of a measure that Sen. Carl Levin has backed since the 1980s. The Michigan Democrat opposes the District's zone fare system, which can be confusing to both residents and visitors. The rider usually was removed before passage of the budget bill, but this year, it survived votes in the House and Senate, and President George W. Bush is expected to sign it. Outgoing Mayor Anthony Williams has been studying meters, but Democratic mayoral nominee Adrian Fenty hasn't said whether he'd require them as mayor.Fenty -- who could take office in January -- is still awaiting the city's study on meter use, but sources have said he favors switching to meters as more simple and fair."

The majority of cab drivers seem to favor the zone system; with Congress, their hangers & tourists favoring meters. Personally I don't know that it would make much difference to me. Congress folk & friends move around downtown, where they get a flat rate of $7.50 whether they're going 3 blocks or 20. With a meter, those going only a few blocks would get a better deal. For our poorer population that mostly lives to the east & south of the center of town, the zone system lets them know exactly what they will pay, so they don't have to worry about running out of money before they get home.

As always, interesting to watch this develop.

Inspection?

2007-08-03T22:58:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know that there must be some underhanded dealings going on with at least a few DC cabs and vehicle inspections. (duh, right?) LOL - today we were in a cab that was falling apart bit by bit. We made the whole trip with the right blinker light on, a driver trying to avoid stopping because every time we stopped, the car almost needed us out pushing it to start it again. We went up a small "hill" and I thought the car was just going to die. And inside, yikes! My favorite was the covering on the roof above our heads was stapled to the side of the car above the windows on each side. And the AC was on, and it was ... well lukewarm would be a compliment.

As my boss observed, her car flunked an inspection because the passenger side windshield wiper didn't work as well as the other one!

New Poll

2007-07-26T09:27:00.001-04:00

By slight majority - people thought adding GPS system would be best improvement for taxi service.

Having just come off my beach vacation - the new poll asks - where do you like to go for vacation. You can choose more than one destination.

Back from the Beach

2007-07-26T09:04:00.000-04:00

Ah, a nice time was had by all. Now I'm back at work - although haven't been in a cab since I got back. No doubt that will change soon. Hope all are well.

Off to the shore!

2007-07-06T17:34:00.000-04:00

No taxis for a while now (although I do have stories to share - but perhaps upon returning). I'm heading off for 10 days of fun & sun in SC (so no hurricanes, please!). Happy summer to all.

The Golden Rule

2007-06-29T09:17:00.000-04:00

Too funny cab ride last night. Coming home from night in Georgetown. We're shooting up Wisconsin avenue and a car signals right in front of us, slows down, stops to let someone out. Cab driver goes ballistic, honking and yelling at the car, before pealing out around it and racing up the street. We're treated to a 10 minute lecture on stupid guy only thinking of himself, not of others. A few seconds later, our driver changes lanes without signaling in traffic, causing car behind us to slam on brakes and honk. What does our driver say?

1. Oh, shame on me, I just did the same thing to him.
2. %$#@ DAMN %$@@#$% SON OF A BITCH %#!@%@.
3. So, how are you two doing tonight?

Getting a Cab in Denver

2007-06-24T17:06:00.000-04:00

The only times I've hailed cabs in Denver, it's been from a hotel to a business, or from a business to a hotel. Never had to try and get one on a street. In DC, you stand on the curb, raise your hand and if you're downtown or near a 7-11, before you can blink, there's a cab. If you're in N.E., S.W. or S.E., then well, you're probably not trying to get one on the street anyhow.

But in Denver I guess it doesn't work like that. I recently saw a notice that in preparation for the Democratic Convention there in 2008, the city council is considering redoing the law that "prohibits taxi cabs from stopping in traffic lanes to pick up or drop off passengers. The proposed ordinance would allow cabs to stop for 90 seconds or a minute and a half to either pick up or drop off."

Gypsy Cabs

2007-06-13T17:34:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, I remember my mom or dad saying when we'd get out of a cab that it was a gypsy. I'm not sure what tipped it off for them, I really don't remember. Once and a while I wonder if I'm in a gypsy cab in DC. I've been in cabs that could not possibly have passed any vehicle inspection, is that a gypsy cab? Or a driver who has paid someone off? Who knows. And what makes a gypsy cab? One that has all the right markings by not a "H" car license plate? Or a real cab that is being driven by the driver's friend/relative for extra cash? Are there fewer of them around today than in the 80s?

Waiting Time

2007-06-13T17:26:00.000-04:00

Is there a correct amount of time to wait for your called-for cab before finding another way of getting there?

I asked this of a bunch of folks at lunch the other day. My poor friend Susan (she of the worst luck of cabs) had called for a cab. Thirty minutes later, it hadn't come yet, so she walked a few blocks to a larger street and finally hailed a cab. (According to her doorman, the called-for cab showed up about 30 minutes after she left.) I mentioned the 30 minutes, and got some interesting results.

A person from a poor area of NE Washington laughed at 30 minutes - that would have been a record. If he needs a cab, he calls 2 hours ahead of time and sometimes gets one. A woman who lives in Georgetown said that if it isn't there in 15 minutes, she calls another company. Most agreed that 20-30 minutes was as long as you should wait. Nobody agreed on whether it was good form to call the company back and tell them to forget the cab.

Meters vs. Zone

2007-06-09T09:09:00.000-04:00

I'm one of those who like the zone system in DC. I understand it, know where the lines are, and let's face it, in bad traffic, zone passengers come out ahead.

But when you taxi from DC into MD or VA - the zone cabs can be disasters. We took a DC cab into PG county a few nights ago. The driver said our fare was $30. Seemed large, but we had no idea how to really argue it. But the driver (yellow cab, btw) gave us that number without seeming to look at how many miles we'd traveled, for first, and wouldn't give an accounting for 2nd. But instead of taking it into hostility, we paid and got out.

We decided to take a cab back into DC later that evening, and to my friend's house, which was further away than we'd come. The cost? $25 - on the meter. So yeah, we got screwed on the first trip.

Coincidence?

2007-06-06T20:14:00.000-04:00

Oh probably. But a first for me. Took a cab with boss to Georgetown. Talked to the driver a little bit, nothing more than weather/traffic chat. I didn't see his face (I was behind him) but noticed he had a string of interesting looking beads hanging from the rear view.

Three hours later, we stepped out of our meeting and hailed a cab. First two passed by (one had someone in it, the other, probably just didn't like our face?) :) - anyhow, 3rd stops, we get in and - yup. It's the SAME DRIVER.

Contagious?

2007-06-03T11:49:00.000-04:00

What fun. I got to spend the last few days at home with contagious pink eye. That and the internationally traveling TB guy got me thinking.

Cabbies - ever catch something not so fun from all those passengers? And have you passed anything along? (Mad Cabbie, head out of gutter on this one) ;)

Don't Yell at Me!

2007-05-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

Got in a cab a couple of weeks ago, shut the door. I did NOT slam it, really. I can barely get them closed most of the time, slamming one is beyond my arm strength. Well the driver turned around after I shut the door and screamed at me: "Can't you read? The sign says don't slam the door!" I didn't slam it, I said, but I'm sorry if I pulled it too hard. "You slammed the door, just admit it." He yelled back. I sat there, wondering what his problem was, and started to give him the address. "You slammed the door!" he yelled again. We're still standing still - not going anywhere.

I didn't want a piece of his mental breakdown, so I got out of the cab and -- you can guess, I'm sure -- Slammed that door as hard as I could and went to flag down a different cab.

Bad Cabbie!

2007-05-22T20:04:00.000-04:00

I doubled with another woman going downtown the other morning. She was going a little further out of my way than I like, but it was a nice morning and I wasn't in that much of a rush so what the heck.

Driver got us near her spot, but on the wrong side of a couple of one way streets. Argued that she had told him the wrong address (I heard her too - she gave the right address, he screwed up). After he finally got turned around enough to get her to her job, and after she got out, he started ragging on her, then stopped and said, "but the customer is always right." I didn't say anything, at this point was just wanting to get to work. And then he almost hit a guy in a cross walk, right in front of a scooter cop, and got into a shouting match with the cop!

I guess the cop had better things to do, because he didn't arrest or ticket the driver, just told him to shut up before he would get arrested. So yes, got an earful of how horrible cops are after we started driving again.

In the end, what had started as a nice ride in good weather turned out to be a "just let me the hell out of here now" ride.

I am a bad blogger

2007-05-22T20:03:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot going on in life - including a break up that really hurt. But no excuse for not keeping up with the blog and I apologize. I am going to try and get things together and do a better job.

Real CabDrivers

2007-03-22T00:12:00.000-04:00

Apparently drive pink cabs. On the heels of my blog about taxi cab colors, I saw a pink cab today. Not the bright, flurescent pink that was on my walls as a kid, but a darker, somewhat less girlish pink.

But pink nevertheless.

And yes, a male driver.

I loved it! Men - stand up for your right to drive pink!