NYC TAXI NEWS/EDITORIALS

6/5/16
Greetings, Fellow Drivers !!

Once again, there's big news emanating from the World Famous (?)
Falchi Building - where most of the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission
big shots now call home....

It seems that TLC has decide to start enforcing the 12-hour shift rule
for NYC cabbies, which means the end of the much-beloved 'double shift'
for many career drivers. Now, I've never really been a big fan of
the 'traditional' 12-hour shift because ... you know.. it's a twelve hour shift !! (- or as on cabbie put it, 'Dat's some f-in' tradition !!')

But THAT was how our industry was created and maintained for years.
Within that 'tradition' emerged the new double-shift cabbie - who HATED
working six and seven shifts a week, and preferred to drive like a banshee
on a few days a week. In fact, many double-shift drivers said they had
better lives and were actually more rested maxing-out on a few big days...
versus the exhausting and grossly unproductive practice of
schlepping over to - and back from - their friendly neighborhood taxi garage.... - every... single... day.

Which brings us to our living in the moment... moment.

Sadly, there's apparently been a glut of 'rookie' cabbies who've tried
the double shift thing lately - and have failed miserably.
The Taxi Commission even stated that about 24% of recent big taxi accidents have involved double-shift cabbies.
- And one need only look at the recent horror story of an experienced,
80-year old double-shift cabbie who tragically hit a 90 year-old granny
in Manhattan at 1 o'clock n the morning.- and THAT allegedly happened in the 15th hour of his 'usual' double shift. Yikes.

Another EXTREMELY important aspect of this 'new way' is there's
very little acknowledgement about WHY cabbies feel forced to work
long hours in the FIRST place - HELLO ?!?

What should have been done at the exact same moment the new rule was discussed would have been to IMMEDIATELY approve a fare increase for the drivers ...and THEN say the reason is to get them back to a more human existence when it comes to cab driving.
There should have ALSO been an IMMEDIATE vehicle 'cap' on non-medallioned TLC vehicles
so that ALL drivers wouldn't have to scrape crumbs off the table for twelve hours - every day !!
(This web site as even designed an extensive fare adjustment package that would provide economic relief for the drivers... AND keep quality drivers on the road for less hours WITHOUT clipping our steady customers...)

So... on the one hand we applaud the Taxi Commission for taking tired cabbies off the road and trying to have an intelligent conversation about working conditions for the industry - AND public safety. But what we ALL have to emphasize is that we live in the real world... with REAL living expenses.
We cannot afford to keep chiseling career drivers into the poor house and expectto get quality transportation and safe streets in the process !!

Note: A 'taxi fare' site noted that NYC is now #143 on the list
of average cab ride costs in the USA.
THAT is disgusting - and explains a LOT has to be done to bring back
the quality of NYC's taxi service - for EVERYONE !!

this is just ONE cabbie's opinion.
But I've been 'connecting the dots' lately
and THUSLY have created MY personal list of observations...

Just curious if anyone can CONFIRM OR DENY
the blazing-hot rumor that TLC's Chairperson will soon to be replaced.

The reasons for her possible
ramped-up departure schedule may include ...

* 'Too nice' to stand up to the constant barrage
of aggressive Uber 'meeting' requests ??

* Just 'there' as phase-in/phase-out Bloomberg left-over ??

* Scored an industry 'gig' AFTER her TLC days are over ??

* Lacking the 'intangibles' needed
to oversee NYC's HUGE taxi & limo business ??

* NOT an 'aggressive' person by nature -
which let too many 'sharks' and 'vendors' take advantage ??

** too much of a CAREER 'bureaucrat' ??

Look... Did she ever offer a REAL resignation
as a courtesy to new Mayor de Blasio ??
(FYI - The TLC gig is a VERY high-profile appointment..
and political 'left-overs' are HISTORICALLY soon replaced !!)

Or,simply put - is she just not that 'into' running the TLC 24/7 ....
...as demonstrated by the agency's bizarre,
LOW profile 'DISAPPEARING ACT' during the WORST snow storm
in the City's history.

Where was she ??
Where was the great EXISTING, EMERGENCY group-riding plan
for yellow & green cabs THAT IS ALREADY ON FILE ??
(...from 'Hurricane Sandy' )

Was she duped by lobbyist 'moles' who wanted to AVOID
an 'emergency' plan for yellows & green cabs ??
Did that eventually pump 'SURGE' prices for desperate New Yorkers ??

We shall see.
In MY opinion - I think she's 99% outta here
...within the month.

And now - the search may be on for a NEW TLC Chairperson...
The industry AND their riders will REJOICE at a new direction
for the Taxi & "FAKE LIMO" Commission !!
So, let's get started looking for a NEW TLC 'Chair'
so we can FINALLY get back to work !!

Mayor de Blasio -
New Yorkers deserve BETTER... RIGHT NOW !!

Dec 27, 2015
Finally - Some GOOD news for the New Year
By Mike H.

It was a real battle to save our industry in 2015 -
Let's take a look at what happened...

First - we have a relatively 'new' Mayor in Bill de Blasio.
That was part of the problem... and helped IMMENSELY for the Uber 'sneak attack'.
Uber strategists waited for the transitional phase from 12-year Mayor Mike Bloomberg (..SHOULD have been 8 years !)
to the new Mayor's administration.
And - between new appointments, resignations, moving furniture.. it took a LOT of attention
away from running the City.

I've always said that - in MY opinion - the Uber folks were VERY slick in choosing 2015 as the time to drastically ramp-up their
operations. NYC's elected officials were safely tucked away for their new terms, and many elected officials could get back to what
they do best - sucking in Uber campaign 'donations.'
They had EVERY opportunity to swoop in and ATTACK the yellow cab business. There were MANY 'rookies' in City Hall,
and they were waaay too trusting in the beginning.
They had to see for THEMSELVES the reckless - and often dangerous ! -
construct of the Uber app plan in it's present form...

What HAS happened now is that many Uber DRIVERS are coming back to the yellows,
with horror stories about low earnings and customer 'star' suspensions from wacko passengers.
They also like the FREEDOM of the yellow cab - without being saddled with HUGE monthly car notes,
REAL insurance and OTHER daily expenses (like a 30% cut off the top of EVERY fare !!)
And let's not forget the Uber PASSENGERS are coming back as well - with THEIR own version of 'horror stories.'
Reckless drivers, surge pricing 'rip-offs', getting 'stalker' PHONE CALLS from Uber drivers AFTER the trip is over,
security issues... To them we say - WELCOME HOME !! ;D

I think - moving forward - what WE now have to do is start telling the riding public how wonderful WE are !!
All I've been hearing lately are a few industry fat cats droning on about 'We need mo' DROYvahh.'
What SHOULD be done for that is to recruit from WITHIN our existing cab driving community !!
(NOTE : There are currently 53,000 hack licenses for only 14,000 yellow cabs ! )
Let the passengers know that WE are drug tested, checked for suspicious records
and that most of the so-called 'app only' drivers are not !!
WE have been successful for over 75 YEARS (1937)
and people LOVE our quality YELLOW CAB service - propaganda be damned !!
That is also OUR problem- WAAAAY too much emphasis for fleet owners
just to get the cars out --That's IT !!
What about DRIVER earnings ?? What about PASSENGER service and concerns ??
Why isn't the industry & their so-called 'leadership' being pro-active on THOSE fronts ??
Drivers come back when they make MORE money and have MORE fares ... HELLO ?!?

Anyway - it is time to move on. I honestly feel that Uber is goin' down the TUBE-er, and THEIR real problems will be starting in the New Year.
Not only from an older-and-wiser yellow cab business,
but from the onslaught of NEW apps that will expose the 'Uber-ians' as being 'F.O.S' on many fronts -
not only to the riding public, but to their nervous 'seed money' investors as well !!

PS - HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! *<;D

The following is not necessarily the opinion of NYC Taxi News
December 22,2015
EDITORIAL ...
by Mike H.

WRONG !! WRONG !! WRONG !!

A few drivers (...like ME !! ) are a little irked about FLOODING the industry
with 30,000 NEW GYPSIE CAB DRIVERS versus getting the EXISTING INVENTORY
of current taxi drivers back on t he road.

Currently - there are 53,000 taxi drivers for a mere 14,000 cabs.
And about 30,000 of THEM don't want to drive !!

..and we're going to BAIL OUT the 'Taxi and FAKE LIMO Commission'
with 'rookie' , inexperienced GYPSIE CAB DRIVERS
because TLC is finally feeling the heat
over the REAL TAXI DRIVER SHORTAGE ?!?

...and we're going to LOWER our industry standards
during the so-called 'Vision Zero' safety hoopla
...for the SHORT-TERM !!
THAT is what UBER WANTS - because the yellow cab drivers are now
MUCH BETTER than THEIR small army of WACKOS !
! ...And many so-called industry 'leaders' are falling for it !!

Do you want 53,000+ EXPERIENCED DRIVERS for yellow cabs on the road
- or do you want untrained Uber REJECTS flooding in and destroying the last shred of 'street cred' that we have left ?!?

That is wrong and even worse.. that is misguided !!

Dec 1, 2015

Hey TLC !!
Raise THEIR Driver Standards !!

Please DO NOT lower the YELLOW CAB DRIVER licensing standards !!
RAISE the standards for the OTHER T&LC segments to meet OUR standards!

Passengers are finally going BACK to the yellow cabs
because they actually think we are BETTER now !!
DO NOT listen to the IDIOTS who constantly whine about
'We need moh DROYvahhs !!'

WE HAVE 53,000 licensed yellow cab drivers already
for only 14,000 yellow cabs !! WTF ?!?!
RAISE the taxi fare and put two way radio dispatch - and REAL taxi APPS !!
into the yellow cabs !!
Because - OTHERWISE !! - you'll be turning the yellow cabs
into a freggin SH-T SHOW !!

Is that what you want ??
Or - is that REALLY what 'Uber' wants ?!?!
Hmmm...

AGAIN... PLEASE !! - don't frack-up this business any more
by diluting the existing pool of GREAT yellow cab drivers
with a dangerous flood of 'rookies' and rejected Uber drivers !!

October 27,2015
Is The 'Charade' Finally Over ?!?! Uber's Matthew Wing Named By Cuomo For....

"Matthew Wing has been recommended to Empire State Development Corporation for appointment as Director of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation.
Mr. Wing is currently the Northeast Communications Lead for Uber
where he runs communications for its New Jersey, New York and Connecticut Markets.

Prior to joining Uber, Wing served as Governor Cuomo's Press Secretary in his first term and as communications director for his re-election campaign in 2014. Prior to that he served as Communications Director and Deputy Advocate for Communications to then Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. He also briefly worked in the City Council, for the national labor federation Change to Win in support of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, in the New York Attorney General's Office under then Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and was a Roth Fellow in the New York State Senate. He has a B.A. from Bard College."

PS - National LABOR Federation ?!?! AHHHAAAHAA !!!
OH - BTW ... great 'intel' from our army of self-annointed, so-called 'LEADERS'
for telling us practically NOTHING about ALL those guys - until now... SHEEEESH !!

We ALL could have saved a lot of time, effort and MONEY by not dealing
with a few people who probably NEVER wanted to EVER help us in the first place !!

What were you thinking WHY did you lead us down the wrong road ??
At what point did YOU realize you were being played for a fool, then try to
'drag it out of the fire' with a few press releases and / or demonstrations ?!?!
What ELSE is there to know that is not being revealed to the industry ??

So, please.... GET OFF THE STAGE !!! GO AWAY !!!
YOU HAD YOUR BIG CHANCE AND YOU BLEW IT !!
WE HAVE TO SAVE THIS INDUSTRY ... NOW !!

PS - ...and a BIG thumbs up to the REAL leaders
who are now ACTIVELY trying to turn this mess around !!

Cabbie Gets "Robbed" In Times Square By Heartless TLC During Mets Big Win....

Oct 22, 2015

It was about 11 pm, and the Mets were just about to finish their sweep
of the sad-sack Chicago Cubs.
I didn't want to pick up a passenger while my beloved Mets were about to do the impossible;
go to the World Series for the first time in FIFTEEN YEARS !!
So... I pulled over and watched the big finish.

As I was pulling over to an open-air bar on Seventh Avenue and 53rd street...
there was the sight of people whooping it up in the bar and, of course,
the new standard for bars everywhere in this City...
a crackhead hustling change at the door while 'cheering' for the home team.

I pulled over, put the cab in park and waited for the end of the game.
Ironically, directly across from me on Seventh Avenue,
I noticed a lonely yellow cab driver getting a ticket from two TLC Inspectors
sitting like 'Kings' in their infamous, silver Ford Focus car.
I was immediately struck by the jubilation taking place in the bar on my left,
millionaire ballplayers spraying champagne on the field,
and the look of sadness on the face of the poor cabbie
getting a chickenshit summons on my right.

Now - I began to ask myself....
There was NO ONE on the City streets (everyone was watching the end of the game)...
There was no accident at the scene ...
No drunk and / or complaining passenger...
So - what EXACTLY did this cabbie do to get pulled over ??
I also imagined that WHATEVER he did, it was going to be about a $1,000 rip-off
to his wallet (fine, lost time, legal costs, hack license suspension, etc.).
There was also one of MY pet peeves... the 'FAKE POLICE' once again acting like
some undercover NYPD detectives with the flashing 'undercover' lights,
angry 'cop face', and an unmarked 'fake' police car...
- with ALL the passers-by looking at the humiliated cabbie
and thinking he must have just robbed a bank !!

This is why WE have to get things going again - to DEFEND OUR RIGHTS !!
The disgusting spectacle of a low-wage cabbie - doing his job - being harassed
on a slow night and then being fined by two 'fake' cops who NEVER drove a cab...
then being tried-and-convicted by TLC judges who will be gone in a few years.
In fact - ALL the people who have created the current TLC mess are looooong gone,
with their dopey, UNCONSTITUTIONAL rules left in their wake !!

So - Let's Go Mets...
and let's get rid of the bogus TAXI COMISSION and their heartless flunkies (I.M.O.)
who make a living out of fining poor, defenseless cabbies THOUSANDS of dollars
for no reason at all.

PS - Hey! Chairperson Joshi !!! Are you listening ???
You USED TO be with the Human Right Commission...
WHAT HAPPENED ?!?!

Oct 8, 2015

Common Sense... for ALL !! What about... THE DRIVERS ?!?!

As a REAL cab driver, I've been fortunate enough to work for
MANY great private medallion owners... and taxi garages !!

However... what will happen when the business comes back..
and Uber is destroyed by THEIR app competition..
and the yellow cab drivers start flooding into their garages again for 'shape up' ?!?!
...and dealing with shitty cabs... and corruption... and over-charging

THIS has been the problem ALL along;
coordinating ALL segments of the industry for a prolonged fight
AND defense of OUR industry !!

Many medallion owners respect good drivers and WANT good drivers.
Unfortunately, there are 'more than a few' f-ing 'PIGS' in this business
who could give a SH-T about professional drivers AND quality service.

..and lately, I've seen WAAAY too many UNQUALIFIED 'rookie' drivers
THROUGHOUT the industry...
Is that the plan ?? Flood the streets with bogus, untrained and DANGEROUS drivers ??
FARK YOU, A--HOLE(S) !! The LAST thing we need at THIS time
are for a few sleazy slave-pimps to take the low road - again !!

THAT is why we're in this mess in the FIRST PLACE !!
We have a GOLDEN opportunity to seize the day with QUALITY service
and PROFESSIONAL drivers..
We have to stop chiseling the CAREER taxi drivers - AND stop making fake sob stories
to screw retired medallion owners out of their money that they were TOLD they'd be getting
in their retirement.. until the so-called 'crisis' ..

Yeah... right.
Never let a good crisis go to waste, right ??

Hey - THAT door swings both ways !!

This in-house mess is something to consider... RIGHT NOW !!
Will THAT be addressed at the owner-driver march ??
I am worried for my fellow DRIVERS now that the latest 'fake taxi union'
has - in MY opinion - been overrun by a collection of self-righteous, NON-DRIVING wackos !!
...and I am ALSO worried that the righteous medallion owners and fleet garage owners
will listen to some stupid advice being belched up by the few PIGS in our industry...
...and THAT idiocy will screw EVERYONE - drivers and medallion owners alike !!

There has to be common sense.. for ALL !! NOW !!

Let's see if THAT'S on the agenda at Monday's demonstration !!

...and let's ALL tell the 'pigs' to get BACK in their slop holes
and SHUT THE F--K UP !!

Sept 18, 2015

September 16th, members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA)
held a professionally run demonstration with their members - and 'friends of the cause' -
in front of Governor Mario Cuomo's office on 41st Street & 3rd Avenue in Manhattan.

The drivers' enthusiasm at the rally was a glaring contrast to the grey,
bleak eye-sore of a skyscraper that the Governor has apparently decided
to call his political home.

The demo addressed many of the talking points that drivers are concerned with today
in regards to the assault by the multi-billion dollar corporate Death Star known as 'Uber.'
Many speakers voiced their opinions about how the Uber fuzzy math
is lowering ALL driver wages and creating a global, part-time 'gig' economy -
and destroying REAL jobs.

However, one of the things that IMMEDIATELY struck me
was the pointed attempt by the NYTWA leadership
to address the problems of 'yellow cab drivers, green car drivers,
black car drivers ...and Uber drivers !!!'

Wha ?!?! Huh ?? Screeeeeech !!!

Uh... ya kinda lost me on that last part, gang !!

I was there as a YELLOW CAB DRIVER to support the cause
of helping exploited YELLOW CAB DRIVERS !!
Isn't it a bit early in the game to start singing KUMBAYAH
with EVERY driver in the City?
And, speaking frankly... I'm not exactly in 'hug therapy' mode
to help 'drivers' who have been RIPPING ME OFF every day
and are now in the financial jack pot because their little scheme
is apparently going down the tubes.
Where was THEIR support... for ME ?? For US ?!?!
On Fifth Avenue during the rush hour stealing street hails ?
At Terminal 4 @ JFK hustling tourists ?!! Puhleeeeze !!

I think THAT is another reason there were only about
1,000 drivers at the rally out of 55,000 valid hack licenses.
They WANT TO support a just cause; they WANT TO support solid leadership.
But - with ALL due respect to the great people who ARE trying to help -
there have to be some basic distinctions
between representing folks who are being driven out of business
versus trying to bring them into ONE TENT
with people who are putting them out of business....
(...in my opinion.)

Where was THAT in the dialogue ??

In ANY event... it's just another example of just how far we have to go
and how lazy we - yes... WE !! - have ALL been in addressing these issues.

So - to those tireless organizers who TRULY want to help, please...
let's get back to basics and support the YELLOW CAB DRIVERS FIRST,
then we can deal with the 'Workers of the World.'

Sept 8,2015

Attention all INTELLIGENT taxi industry members....

THIS little bit of SHOCKING news
has been trickling down the pike lately...

Apparently we now have a few medallion owners
who have leased their medallion to a broker -
THEN bought a Black Car...
THEN went to work for for Uber...
...and are NOW complaining about the lower medallion price and the lower medallion lease check coming in from the broker..

Tell me ... oh wise Uber-ians / former cabbies....

How f-ing STUPID do you have to be
to work for a company that has sucked away about 20%
of your yellow cab street hails and has FREQUENTLY announced
their goal is... 'DIRECT COMPETITION' ??

How f-ing STUPID do you have to be
to complain about the price of the medallion
going down about 30% within TWO YEARS -
while you're driving your new 'Uber Car'
and putting YOUR lost medallion equity into THEIR pockets...
....FOR FREE ?!?!

Tell me, Professor Uber-Einstein(s) ...
Did you make an extra
TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR
driving your new Uber car...
while your medallion went into the tank...
and your monthly check went DOWN by 30%...
thanks to guys like YOU
driving down YOUR business with the yellows ?!?!

WE the people ( with an I.Q. above 55 )
have to start looking at the IDIOTS within our ranks
and circle the wagons to save OUR business...
from the usual suspects... AND the idiots among us.
Everyone from P/T fleet cabbies, to REAL fleet owners
- to the City of New York !! -
have HISTORICALLY made a very good living
from this medallion taxi business... until now.
And, after a while... you can only blame outside forces so much
before you have to look in YOUR mirror - and address the good,
the bad, the ugly... and the idiots.

September 2, 2015
The Uber PARKING LOT
at the U.S. Open & the " leadership " void...

Just HOW the fark did Uber get a PARKING LOT - shared with YELLOW CABS -
at the f-ing U.S. OPEN in FLUSHING ?!?! (I PERSONALLY saw this tonight !!)

There are also ZERO 'pings' on the yellow cab INFORMATION MONITOR
telling LEGITIMATE taxi drivers that yellow cabs are needed at the Open - and for THAT fact... SHEA STADIUM.... ...and for THAT
fact... YANKEE STADIUM !!!

All we ever get are dopey 'pings' about
cruise ships on Saturday mornings in Brooklyn....
Javits Center five dollars rides....
Barclay Center 'concerts' that end on a busy night...

What about 'pings' that say
GROUP RIDING IS NOW IN EFFECT
at those locations !!!

Ten dollars per person ??
Twenty dollars per person ??
Paid in ADVANCE, of course !!

The hotels are getting
FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS PER NIGHT, fer crissakes !!

Stop chiseling the cabbies and let them earn a decent living
where EVERYBODY WINS !!!
..and please ... let's IGNORE the crackpots who whine and fuss about
ten dollar cab rides - while wearing three hundred dollar sneakers !!
(....usually made by child-labor slaves 'overseas' !!)

I am also getting VERY pissed off at the SILENCE
from a few 'big shots' in our industry about all this crap !!

Granted... a FEW of the Big Boys have stepped up and are ready for battle - and have even invented a new APP for YELLOW cabs.... But what about the rest of those over-glorified taxi 'leaders' ??
Are they too busy sending out 'Dear Valued Medallion Owner' letters to give a sh-t about FIGHTING for their RIGHTS - and THEIR customers ??

...and WHY on EARTH do cabbies and MEDALLION OWNERS doing business with people who are doing NOTHING- while others are doing EVERYTHING THEY CAN

Unbelievable....

PS - Hmmm maybe THEY know something WE don't - or are just spoiled wussies who only know how to scream.... 'We need mo' DROYvaaahs.' Right now - there are 55,000 active hack licenses for a mere 14,000 yellow cabs...
and less than HALF of those cabbies are now on the road !!

July 31, 2015

Well, well, well... what have we here...

I've recently seen MANY Uber 'cheerleaders' sneaking back into my taxi garage to get back on the road - and make some REAL money for a change.

Aw... what happened, guys ?!?! All that BULLSH-T
didn't make the flowers grow ?!?! ;(

I guess your so-called 'friend' who SUCKED YOU IN to the Uber Death Star was BULLSH-TTING you aaaall along.

Did your 'friend' tell you he got three hundred bucks
to drag you in ??

Did your 'friend' tell you the USED CAR DEALER gave him five hundred bucks when you bought the car ??

Did your 'friend' tell you that Crain's Business said you'll be making about 30% of the gross - AFTER expenses ?!?!

Hmmm... guess not. A-hole.

Instead, you tricked your 'brother' from back home (...who trusted you !!) into putting a $50,000 car loan on his back just so you could make your $ 800.00 'commission.' Hey - are you a 'broker' ?? Are you a registered 'CAR DEALER' ?? Are you a DEGENERATE GAMBLER who need $800 to keep your arms & legs in one piece ?!?!

One cabbie told me that - in the 'old country' - they would take a guy like that and drag him by the neck into the village square and 'teach him a LESSON !!'

Maybe that's what your 'brothers' (...VICTIMS ?!?!) from back home should do ....you PIECE OF SH-T !!!

Anyway - I just got home after taking advantage of a GREAT deal (too low to print !!) and am now going to bed.

Oh, and remember... "Aye Laff OOPER !!" ESPECIALLY since I'm driving a YELLOW CAB !!! AHHAAAAHHAAAAAA !!!

July 21, 2015

I'd like to take this time to PERSONALLY thank the REAL leaders of the taxi industry
for fighting the good fight in their WAR against the disgusting 'disrupt' geeks at Uber.

The Uber gang has FINALLY been exposed for what they are - a collection of
'millennial' fast-buck artists, being propped up by 'seed money' from the Goldman Sachs DEATH STAR !!!
(Note: Uber's ALLEGED five billion dollars in start-up capital, THREE billion was ponied up by Goldman !! WOW !! )

Ironicaly - NOT !! - the Uber hysteria is compounded by the FACT that new tenets of the 'Volker Rule'
kick in TODAY, which may force Goldman-Sachs to lay off the fast-and-loose seed money contributions !!!
(In layman's terms - the Volker rules put a severe crimp in bank and investment house 'blending' practices - AND force investment houses to PREVENT their in-house clients from unknowingly bidding against THEMSELVES with their 'trusted' broker !!)

TWO other things came out within the last few days...

Uber had gross revenues of $456 million in 2014 (as per Bloomberg News...)
THAT doesn't add up to a $40 BILLION company value !!
You mean to tell us there is an allowable 100-to-1 revenue to VALUE ?!?!
AHHHAAAHA !!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyah. ;P

...and from my PERSONAL 'hobby hut'
I remember back in January there was an ONSLAUGHT of articles containing the phrase
'Uber wildly popular'
I kept seeing those THREE WORDS contained in MANY on-line postings, and THAT came up a total of
about SIX MILLION TIMES on the Google search !!

After writing about that, I checked that number again within the last few days, and - apparently - the phrase
'Uber wildly popular' only came up THREE HUNDRED THOUSANDS times !!

If all-things-being-equal holds up, over FIVE MILLION POSTINGS containing the phrase
'Uber wildly popular' were SCRUBBED !!
There is also a VERY good chance those postings were UTTER AND COMPLETE BULLSH-T -
created by ringers to hype the now-floundering paper tiger !!

FARK UBER !! HURRAY De Blasio & the righteous members of the New York City Council !!

Uber... shmoober...
July 7, 2015

The recent media HATCHET JOB launched against innocent cabbies
is just ANOTHER example of what famous TV sewer worker ED NORTON means when he says...

'Down in da sewer, we have an old sayin'...
All that glitters isn't GOLD !!'

INDEED !!

Apparently, a few calls were made - and a few golf games were played -
to basically get SIMULTANEOUS editorials into allegedly COMPETING newspapers -
on a HOLIDAY weekend !!

UBER IS FINALLY FEELING THE HEAT, AND THEY'RE NEXT FINANCING 'ROUND'
HAS THEIR INVESTORS ASKING A FEW SERIOUS QUESTIONS.... LIKE...
WTF IS GOING ON ?!?!
WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING, AND WHY ARE THERE RIOTS IN THE STREETS ?!?!
UBER IS EVEN SEEKING OUT CHINESE INVESTORS
BECAUSE THEIR AMERICAN INVESTORS AIN'T THAT KEEN ON THE DEAL ANY MORE !!

Anyway - we wish the News and the Post would use SOFTER PAPER (..if ya get my drift !! ).
They have sadly degenerated into worthless shill-rags,
and even have the NERVE to charge a DOLLAR for a so-called "NEWSPAPER"
that my CATS won't even wipe their asses with !! ~:O

I've also noticed how these two 'editorials' came AFTER the great City Council hearing...
and ON THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND ?!?
What about AMERICA ?!? The TROOPS ?!?! American HISTORY ?!?!

No - it's all Uber... all the time. That's the playbook.

Uber is just hyped-up globalist crap.
Their 'work' is drying up., their drivers are going broke,
and their 'executives' are being arrested (...in France, for now !!) .
Their drivers /slaves have bloated CAR NOTES with only a rapidly-depreciating vehicle
and dinky 'phone app' to show for their sweat equity.
Also - what about Gett ?? What about Lyfte
Why didn't THEIR company names get into the so-called editorials
Why wasn't the CONCEPT of share-riding the main focus,
instead of defending poor, little '$40 billion Uber ?? ;(..

The first-generation 'immigrants' AND people of color
have ALWAYS made a great living - and FUTURE !! -
in the 75-year-old New York City yellow cab business.
We also have TRIP SHEET RECORDS that PROVE we serve ALL New Yorkers
and ALL areas of the City -- 24-hours per Day !! -
often for LESS than the subways and buses (...based on a four-passenger ride !!)

Don't let a few West Coast yuppie shills DESTROY our City... AND our industry !! -
with their GLOBALIST, ELITIST and ... yes... APARTHEID SHARE-RIDE SCAM !!

TAXI DRIVER RANT
July 6, 2015

I'm now grinding a hack in the SUMMER at full speed
because of this Uber 'share-ride' nonsense !!

I HISTORICALLY have been able to run through the 'taxi season'
between Labor Day And July Fourth, then just pay the bills
during the the Dog Days of July & August ... with a little R & R thrown in.

NOW - and pardon the whining - I have to DOUBLE TIME through AUGUST
just to get back to normal.

I've EASILY lost a good two months of my '2015' life - AND my Summer vacation !! -
due to the horsesh-t that's going on with that bogus 'share-ride' crap !!
(.. the NIGHT taxi drivers have been hammered financially during this mess -
and OUR business is off by at LEAST 20% !!! )
We're also dealing with the 'high-tech gypsie cabs' crawling through the streets,
trolling for calls in Midtown Manhattan and weaving through traffic -
while desperately looking DOWN at their 'hand-held phones' for their dispatch 'ping' !!
Then, they FLOOR it to get to their 'surge' fares to meet their eight-minute, pick-up deadlines !

That idiocy should have been dealt with YEARS ago, and now the streets are FLOODED with illegal,
high-tech 'gypsie cab' STREET HAILS (I.M.O.) and wackos who drive like sh-t ---
and are 'dispatched' using VERY dangerous methods via hand-held phones !!

Hey Mayor de Blasio !!
Vision Zero 'safety plans' versus THOUSANDS of distracted drivers
looking down at their phones in traffic,
looking for app fares??
Are you f-ing KIDDING ME ?!?

UNFAIR !! OUTRAGEOUS !! ILLEGAL ?!?!
...and find out who the co-conspirators are at the so-called TAXI Commission
- who've let that tumor metastasize - then FIRE them A.S.A.P. !!!
And while we're at it, let's VOTE the remaining, double-crossing political 'phonies' OUT OF OFFICE !!!

PS 1 - ..and what ever happened to the City Charter-mandated
two-year FARE INCREASE REVIEW for yellow cab drivers
What about DUMPING the God-awful FLAT RATE from JFK ??
What about INCREASING the metered WAITING TIME because of that asinine 'Vision Zero' scam
that LOWERED our beloved City Speed limit from 30 MPH to an insane 25 MPH -
FOR NO VALID REASON(s) AT ALL !!!

PS 2 - ...and SHOW us the propaganda 'STUDY' that 'proves' the accident death rate doubles
when driving 30 mph versus 25 mph ??
WHO says that ??
WHERE is the proof ??
WHAT is the name of the company or individual(s) who administered that so-called test ??
WHY are yellow cab drivers always getting a GROSSLY disproportionate bulk of enforcement summonses ??

PS 3 - ...and what about the OUT-OF-STATE 'SPEED CAM' and 'TRAFFIC CAM' VENDOR$ who are
ILLEGALLY (..I.M.O.) privatizing LAW ENFORCEMENT with low-wage CIVILIANS
writing and mailing-out tickets to NEW YORK CITY drivers
WHO ARE THOSE 'INVISIBLE' PEOPLE !!!
Do the out-of-state crews and/or their 'people' have they have suspicious RECORDS ??
Are they 'friend$' of the new wave of politician$
who are currently 'pimping-out' NYC's working class ??

HOW DID THEY GET THAT CONTRACT ??
WHY IS THE CITY OF NEW YORK ONLY GETTING ABOUT 30% OF THAT REVENUE ??

(Some of those video cameras are grossing about ten grand PER DAY !!
How much does it cost to bolt a video camera onto a lamppost ??
AGAIN - WHERE IS ALL THAT EXTRA 70% going AFTER the CITY'S CUT ?!? )

NEWS FLASH !! - The RESIDENTS of Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn
are petitioning their elected representatives
to RAISE the O.P. speed limit BACK to what it was - or even higher !!
They are SICK AND TIRED of getting THOUSANDS of camera tickets after working all day !!
AGAIN - DO THE 'WACKOS' RUNNING AND APPROVING TRAFFIC CAMERAS
EVEN HAVE CARS AND / OR NEW YORK STATE DRIVER LICENSES ?!?!
DO THEY LIVE IN THIS CITY ??
ARE THEY 'IMMUNE' TO GETTING TICKETS THEMSELVES ??

And... Do any of the OUT OF STATE 'people' HARVESTING your traffic
personal information have sketchy 'RECORDS' ??

I HOPE AND PRAY that Judge Butler can get the ball rolling for ANSWERS.... RIGHT NOW !!

GOD BLESS AMERICA GOD BLESS THE CABBIES !!!

IT'S ABOUT TIME
June 29, 2015

The Credit Union law suit against the BOGUS lack of TLC enforcement reminds us of ONE major point -- We should have been at this stage TWO YEARS ago !!

And believe us - there was a LOT of stalling and cowardice from ALL sides of the issue !!!!

NOTHING of real substance happened during that time until the word got out about the Spring '15 Credit Union's lawsuit against the BOGUS T.L.C. enforcement scam (..or should we say - LACK of enforcement !!)

You see, class... - TLC has NEVER done very well in a REAL court of law - in front of a REAL Judge !! They've been spoiled by the years of bullying unsuspecting - and TRUSTING !! - immigrant cabbies who do not know many of the laws - and the basic human RIGHTS !! - of the American legal system !!

Now, people are actually dying in the streets. This writer believes this is because of TLC's dangerous rules - AND their LACK of 'gypsie cab' enforcement !!

CBS reporter Sam Simon - Dead. A young school child in uptown Manhattan - dead. A jogger on East 79th street - dead. (Citizen Bloomberg's own block !!) ...and about a dozen more where THAT came from !!

Good, hard-working, HONEST yellow cab drivers have been SHAMEFULLY harassed out of the business ....and for what ?? A few crackpots who hate cabbies?? A few fly-by-night app companies and their obnoxious 'Disrupt' minions ?!?!

Or - as ONE cabbie once put it in an activist flyer..... W.I.T.N.I.S. !! ...which stands for - 'Wasn't I Trusting Now I'm Sorry !!'

A hearing by the NYC Council will commence Tuesday June 30,10 AM in relation of the excessive unnecessary growth of these (over UBERED) FHVs.

Credit Unions v. TLC lawsuit
June 16, 2015

* We've seen the Port Authority cleaning out Terminal 4 @ JFK - which has become a NEST of bogus 'Uber' drivers hustling taxi fares - with the help of (In OUR opinion !! ) a few corrupt dispatchers AND security guards !! Those drivers also CRAWL through both airports - driving REAL slow and CONSTANTLY looking at their their hand-held "PHONE" (...oh - WE mean 'dispatching' device. Ha.)

* A little street patrolling by TLC & TLC 'silver' cars in Manhattan's West Village - ....FINALLY looking for ILLEGAL street hails...

* ...and We've HEARD about the so-called vehicle seizures being brought to the local 'dog' pound after illegal street hails.

This NEW wave of so-called 'enforcement' comes on the heels of the C.U.'s TLC lawsuit - and it's as like TLC is cramming to stuff the books with a FAKE NARRATIVE for Judge Butler about what a 'wonderful' job they're doing cracking down on the new, high-tech GYPSIE CABS !!

ONLY yellows should be allowed to get streets hails - AND to use app devices. Wanna do that ?? BUY A MEDALLION AND/OR DRIVE A CAB !! THAT is why there are BLACK CAR and LIMO COMPANIES with adequate insurance AND professional (..and SAFE !!) dispatching methodology !! 'Nuff Said !!!

FARK Uber and their '32% driver net profit' (...as per CRAIN'S BUSINESS !! )

Good Luck JUDGE BUTLER out in QUEENS, N.Y. !! It should be a VERY revealing day for ALL !!

Daily News Editorial Wants UBER to Pay Fifty Cents Per Trip !!!
June 15, 2015

To be able to collect fifty cents per trip, the City - AND Uber - would finally have to admit that UIber is a TRANSPORTATION company !! Also - Uber and their drivers avoid the two, uh.... 'areas' - of the bill sponsors turf like the freggin' PLAGUE !!

*** Seriously - I can't remember the LAST time I actually saw a 'person of color' riding in the back of an Uber car as a paying customer... ...not to mention a 'disabled' person being helped into an Uber car with a wheelchair !

Is that also part of the new 'apartheid' taxi system that the 'REGRESSIVES' are creating ?!?!

PS - I also noted the News editorial writer threw in a quick, glowing review about Uber - in the middle of an editorial !!

A really disgusting moment in journalism , and a full-on 'shill alert !!'

PS - Oh - and that fifty-cents-per-trip from the LEGAL street hails - Will the MTA ever audit the Second Avenue subway expenses - let alone FINISH IT ?!?!

Time To Register AND Insure NYC Bicycles... NOW !!
June 12, 2015

I'm beginning to think that when someone is released from a mental institution, they are handed a bicycle and given a job delivering fast food at the height of the rush hour !!

That said, it is high time for Mayor de Blasio's Administration to REGISTER AND INSURE.... BICYCLES !!

That's right... BICYCLES !!

While there are thousands of great bike riders (like me !!) riding on the City streets, there are - as always - a few bad apples that are a threat to public safety. Whether they are delivering food, packages or just riding for fun, the MOVING VEHICLES known as bicycles have been ignored by the various agencies within the City. Why ??

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a so-called bike accident 'victims' on the streets who have been 'doored' by a car door being flung open. What is NOT reported are the thousands of traffic 'accidents' where the bike rider PURPOSELY causes an accident with a cab just to shake-down the law-abiding public. And God forbid you dare say that the bike rider is the one who caused the accident and that he/she should pay for the door - AND the passenger injuries !!

Pre-Mayor de Blasio called for registering and insuring bicycles before he got elected. He then GOT elected, and was slammed by the on-line 'fake narrative' brigade who say that law-abiding citizens don't want this. WRONG!!!

We have to protect the law abiding public who have a Right TO SAFE STREETS !!! REGISTERING AND INSURING BICYCLES on City streets would not only help weed out the wackos, but also provides compensation for VICTIMS of bicycle 'abuse.' There should be a fund set up to cover health & accident costs - and basic coverage AND registration could probably be done for about one hundred bucks per year.

Again, not great - but it would provide protection for the walking and driving public against the wackos - who lately seem to be running this town.

Hey guys...
June 3,2015

Did anyone hear that BULLSH-T so-called 'traffic survey' by some geek / twerp 'professor at Hunter "College" ?!? (...A.K.A. 'The Thirteenth Grade' )

It was airing on 1010 WINS about TWENTY TIMES today !!
In essence - it said that the 'students found that taxi drivers don't stop for 15% of all red lights . AND - they added that the survey involved a TOTAL of 4200 cars over 6 weeks... in four boroughs (not including Staten Island) and was taken during the day..

WHAT A BUNCH OF BULLSH-T !! FIFTEEN PERCENT ??! About ONE out of every SEVEN RED LIGHT ?!?! DURING THE DAY ?!?! YOU CANNOT BE F-ING SERIOUS !!!

I immediately called the news room at 1010 WINS and said that it was a BOGUS, agenda-driven story and there should have been at LEAST a counter-point perspective from a CITY official, industry leader, etc. (....and there was NONE !! )

The guy answering the phone said... 'It's a story that came in and we're just airing it because it's news.'

WTF DOES THAT MEAN ????!!?!

It also comes on the heels of the disgusting SPY WARE gadgets being tested in taxis... Not CITY OWNED cars being driven by CITY WORKERS mind you - but TAXIS !!

Did anyone else hear that crap ?? I'm gonna get to the bottom of it and see what's cooking.

Ps - 'College students' at Hunter College... Eeeeeeyah. I wonder if they can even SPELL S.A.T. !!!

Is 'Uber' Finally Going Down The Tuber ???
May 15,2015

Well, well, well...

The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission is FINALLY requiring strict new rules for share-ride operators and their drivers.

It seems that the recent DEATHS and INJURIES by reckless NON-YELLOWS finally have forced their hand !!

ANOTHER little bit of news that came down the pike is that Craine's New York - ....not Abe's... not Mike's... not Dave's.. but CRAINE'S New York !!... has started asking questions about WHERE ARE THE NUMBER$$ for Uber's ALLEGED wealth ?!?

First - their Chief Financial Officer resigns. RED FLAG !! Then, they get an infusion of $1.6 billion NEW dollars from the Goldman-Sachs 'Death Star' ... and their $40 billion dollar ALLEGED value doesn't budge. HUH ?!?!

Now - their internet minions / slaves start posting Uber's so-called 'wealth' at $50 billion. WHY ?!? Because Uber says so... Where's the math ?? Where are the numbers ?? When do they open their books ??

Listen... I've driven cabs in New York City off-and-on for damn near twenty years. You're gonna Bullsh-t ME ?!?! I INVENTED BULLSH-T !! ..and I know bullsh-t when I see it AND smell it !!

...and it probably smells EXACTLY like an Uber driver who's now LIVING in his $65,000 SUV with VERY LITTLE BUSINESS... with the stink of 18-hour shift clothes on his back and a buffet of fast-food crumbs on the floor. How do I know this ?? Well - the Uber passengers tell me this while they're explaining why they DO NOT take Uber any more !! DUH !! ...not to mention WOMEN passengers telling me that they've had too many Uber drivers who are 'creepy.'

WELCOME HOME, GIRLS !!

So now - ANOTHER little diddy is some farkakta group says they want The City of New York to give Uber a 'pass' on regulations because they are apparently one of their corporate 'homies.' FARK YOU !! G.T.F.O. of NYC, Mo' Fo's ..and I hope Comrade de Blasio FINALLY takes a stand for the LEGITIMATE working drivers and gets ALL this straightened out - STARTING with the HEROIC yellow cab drivers & medallion owners who have finally weathered the storm !!!

WOO HOO !!

PS ...and don't think we haven't noticed that Lyft and Gett weren't as upset at the TLC reg.'s as their 'friends' at Uber. Hmmmm.... ;/

The 'TAXI PANIC BUTTON' Sham !! ~:O
May 11, 2015,

The Taxi Panic Button (TPB) is just another overpriced piece of crap that will annoy drivers & passengers - AND burden the police with stupid, unnecessary calls from drunks & other wackos ...and will accomplish NOTHING !!

The 'T.P.B.' apparently will instantly notify police and / or TLC of any 'problem' in the back seat of a cab. Hey - where's OUR panic button ?!?! Why do the drugged-out, trust-fund wackos always seems to get new harassment 'toys' - and then waste everyone's time ???

In fact - last I checked - almost EVERY passenger in NEW YORK CITY is glued to a CELL PHONE !!! HELLO ?!?!?

WHO are the lobbyists 'championing' some needless crap like that THIS time ??

Forget that dopey 'Panic Button.' Here are some quick tips to REALLY secure taxi safety...

1) KEEP CAREER DRIVERS IN THE BUSINESS !!

There are WAAY too many 'rookie' cabbies on the road.. and the GOOD drivers are making shamefully low shift pay and be TICKETED TO DEATH on the streets !! Also - put a sticker in the front window OR the taxi driver's license stating HOW LONG the taxi driver has been driving !! ...and why isn't there a TLC commercial road test for new drivers to see if they .... CAN DRIVE !!

2) Get rid of the solid partition in FORMER Mayor Bloomberg's 'Cab OF The Future.'

If there is a SOLID partition and the driver keels over from a health problem.. what happens then ?? Oh I know.. PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON !! Got it. Eeeeeeyah.

3) ELIMINATE HAND-HELD DISPATCHING !!!

The hand-held dispatch phones (like those used in 'Uber' cars) are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS !! The drivers are usually looking down for their dispatches, and then have all of EIGHT MINUTES to get to the job - or lose the call.

4) Make Taxi and Limousine Commission officials GET A TAXI AND / OR LIMO LICENSE !! ..and THEY should be forced to take a yearly drug test, too (...THAT might actually explain a lot of their dopey rules !!)

And - OH - whiles we're at it... let them agree to use the six point / ten point driver suspended / driver revoked (FIRED!) plan !! They drive City cars too, right ??

TLC's Taxi Safety... Common Sense vs. 'Vision Zero'
4-20-15

Out of ALL the 'Vision Zero' agenda that is being implemented today, the one thing that concerns MANY career taxi drivers is the Taxi Commission's 6-point / 10-point driver enforcement policy. (i.e. Six DMV points within 15 months - taxi driver license is suspended. Ten DMV points within 15 months - taxi driver license is revoked). Right now, we're very concerned about the future of our New York City taxi industry; not just for the career drivers, but for all of our fellow New Yorkers.

Here are a few topics that we hope can be addressed for drivers AND the general public...

1) The same 6-point / 10 point DMV-points threshold is given to ALL TLC licensed taxi drivers, whether they are working six days a week - or six days a YEAR ! That is an outrage and should be corrected immediately.

2) To renew a two-year hack license, the driver MUST take a mandatory DMV 'Defensive Driving' course, even if that driver has ZERO points on their hack license ! What THAT does is eliminate the ability for a SAFE driver (...with ZERO points on their DMV license ) to get a DMV 'points reduction' in the future, while a driver with existing DMV points on their license is - in essence - REWARDED with a points reduction benefit after the mandatory DMV class !!

3) There is no commercial road test for new taxi drivers to see if new taxi drivers.... CAN DRIVE A CAB IN CITY TRAFFIC !!! There are hours and hours of classroom training, but... what about an actual taxi ROAD TEST ?!?! HELLO ?!?!?

4) There are ZERO officially designated places to pick up our wheelchair passengers for the new fleet of WAV's (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles). We are ready to put THOUSANDS of these new W.A.V.'s on the road, and it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to safely transport passengers with disabilities WITHOUT a 'safety zone' of ANY kind !

Hey - They found space for THOUSANDS of bicycles and their bicycle lanes, but there has been little or no effort to find spaces to pick up and drop off the handicapped. WHY ?!?!

5) TLC Rule 54-14 Why isn't the Taxi Commission and The New York City Police Department cracking down on the DANGEROUS practice of hand-held, share-ride dispatching ?? There have been numerous accidents.. and possibly a few deaths - due to the lack of enforcement of the TLC's own rule AGAINST using a hand-held dispatching device while driving !! If a driver is looking down and waiting for a call to 'ping' into a cell phone, how can that driver possibly be a safe driver ?? It is in EVERYONE'S best interest to keep full-time, career taxi drivers on the road, and REWARD those good drivers with a proper enforcement structure. Furthermore, we owe it to ALL New Yorkers to modify and / or fix any flaws in the current enforcement and traffic planning to ensure that safety and common sense prevail for all !!

The TLC Is Wrong! This Has To Be Fixed !!

Change is inevitable; it happens all around us.

Many of us remember when there was no such thing as an answering machine. If your phone rang at home or office, this is where all the phones were. If you weren’t there to answer, you'd never know that someone was trying to reach you. Today we have smart phones; a cell phone that is always with you. Not only can you get all your calls wherever you are, you can do other things - like use your phone to locate a taxi and send a signal to that taxi for service. Amazing! It's called.... “Innovation”.

“Innovation” in our world is welcome when it makes chores easier to do, or our needs a little easier to obtain. Prior to the smart phone app for taxi service, one looking for this 'on demand' service would simply walk out onto the street and hail a cab. This basic concept has been and is still practiced in many places around the world - as has been the historical case for taxi service in New York City. (It is noted that New York City is the world leader in this style of taxi service.) The official - and many unofficial - rules and regulations regarding this service were written long ago. This unique service for 'street hail' transportation is so profitable that exclusive rights for providing this service were sold - by the City of New York and with the approval of the State - and limited to a specific number of vehicles with authorization and guarantees of exclusivity. The reason for these limits - stated simply - is a limited amount of demand for the service and a maximum amount of cars that can be on the streets without causing excessive traffic, pollution and chaos. Only with approval from both New York City and New York State has this taxi 'cap' been increased to accommodate higher demand for our preferred service.

It was only a short time ago that the Smart Phone App for obtaining “Street Hail” taxi service was introduced. That TLC administration recognized that this innovation' would be a very positive tool to help those in need of 'on demand' service find available taxis in locations that were difficult, and even in places that were usually not difficult. Even though taxis in the Central Business District are generally easy to find, there are times that App service could make it easier for passengers to connect with available taxis. For example: If it’s cold out and you’re about to leave a restaurant, why wait on the street if you can signal with your phone for a taxi that’s available and just down the block. This taxi can now drive up before you walk out the door.

As mentioned earlier, it's no secret that 'on demand' street hail privileges in New York City - now referred to as 'E-Hails' - are the exclusive property of yellow 'medallion' taxicabs anywhere in the five boroughs of the city and the NYC airports along with Street Hail Liveries (SHL) in territories outside the Central Business District . The TLC neither hides or denies this. What the Taxi and Limousine Commission seems not to recognize is the blatant violations of these exclusive property rights by the App service UBER and other share-ride vendors. When questioned of this, they just say they welcome 'innovation', without addressing the questionable violations of TLC rules by the start-ups who are providing this new service.

When the App 'innovation' was first introduced in NYC, it was defined by the TLC as an 'E-Hail,' meaning an 'on demand' street hail by electronic means. The service was placed with Medallion and SHL taxis along with a set of rules and regulations that were specific for these taxis (i.e. TLC Rule 54-14). But since that time one of the providers of this service decided (for reasons unclear) to opt out. Uber, having been another one of those providers, remained in the game. However, UBER decided to move this service to vehicles that were not authorized to provide street hail service. They decided without authorization that the E-Hail could be done with their Black Car vehicles. They decided on their own that the exclusive taxi rules for E-Hails should not apply to these vehicles. In essence - Uber intentionally ignored the rules! Doing so enabled them to charge their own prices and collect fees that couldn’t be done with taxis. They could now take a large portion of these charges for themselves, rather than the small fees they were allowed to take for service in Medallion Cabs and Street Hail Liveries (Green Cabs). They left their App in some of these taxis, but it's been reported that they have turned off most of the contact for these taxis to respond. The TLC then turned a blind eye and did nothing to stop this!

It was never intended when this E-Hail 'innovation' came to be that a new, unnecessary fleet of vehicles should come in and use this 'innovation' to undermine the exclusive, paid-for rights of Medallion taxi owners and drivers. UBER has grown it’s fleet to numbers that no one could have imagined - simply by handing out cell phones and Apps versus complying with the rules and regulations that have been mandated - for yellow cabs! - by the City of New York. This UBER 'business plan' is law breaking, and continues to recklessly drive down driver wages for all segments of the industry! The UBER hand-held dispatching system also threatens public safety and creates massive traffic jams. And, for the TLC to ignore all this is just wrong!

This current mess should never have been allowed to escalate to this level - but it has! The only thing that is not known is: Why was this allowed? Why haven’t taxis been provided with an E-Hail App as of yet? Why were laws not enforced? Those who let this happen should be held accountable. It’s not too late to fix this injustice, but it must be done - now !!

The TLC's Rate Of Fare Increase Review
For The New York City Taxi Industry
(The TLC is reviewing the current rate of fare for yellow cabs in New York City. Here are just a few suggestions that have been discussed by the NYTN staff...)

1) THE METERED WAITING TIME...
Due to the new 'Vision Zero' rules, the City's speed limit has been reduced from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. Therefore, the NEW rate for metered waiting time should be directly proportionate to that reduced speed limit - i.e. change the existing waiting time of $30.00 per hour to approx. $36.00 per hour. The calibration should run at a rate of sixty cents (.60) per minute, and 'minutes' should include all 'partial' minutes that add up to FULL minutes of stopped or slow traffic. NOTE: THE RATIO BETWEEN THE METERED WAITING TIME & THE METERED ROLLING TIME DRASTICALLY AFFECTS TAXI DRIVER & PASSENGER SAFETY !!

2) ELIMINATE THE JFK FLAT RATE...
We should return to the metered rate for ALL fares within the borders of New York City. The 'security' advantages of the JFK 'Flat Rate' is now obsolete due to the advent of new GPS & trip sheet technology. Drivers - AND passengers - deserve the proper rate of fare, and the flat rate often results in DRASTIC fluctuations in taxi driver earnings & passenger expenses . 3) Increase the 'Rush Hour' Surcharge -

The current 'rush hour' surcharge of $1.00 per trip should be increased to $1.50 per trip and shall be in effect Mon. thru Friday - INCLUDING all legal holidays - between 6 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 8 pm

3) CHARGE FOR TRUNK & OTHER ITEMS...

There should be a minimum charge for luggage and other items that involve an 'extra step' in the street hailing process. The trunk and/or luggage charge should be a minimum of $3.00
4) THE METERED ROLLING TIME...

The metered rolling time should be raised from fifty cents (.50) per 1/5 mile to fifty cents (.50) per 1/6 mile.

5) THE INITIAL DROP...

The initial metered 'drop' should only be raised from $2.50 to $2.75 This 'drop' should always be equal to NYC-MTA fares - and should be kept low to incentivize ridership.

6) ADDITIONAL STOPS....

The metered fare shall allow two (2) passenger stops. Any fare continuing on after the second stop shall allow the driver to completely reset the meter.

7) Newark Airport...

The fare shall be the standard New York City rate, with an initial 'drop' charge of $25.00 - plus tolls.

8) Nassau County ...

The fare shall ALSO be the standard New York City rate, with an initial 'drop' charge of $25.00 - plus any tolls.

9) Lease Cap Provisions..

. There should be a fair and equitable distribution of the fare increase between taxi owners & drivers. Driver retention, quality vehicles and public safety depend on it !!

A Message to the NYC Council -
Save Our City -
Put a 'Cap' On For-Hire Vehicles !!

In 1937 the Hass Act was passed in New York City, limiting the number of taxis on the City streets. Why? Simple - because there were too many taxis on the streets. The glut of taxis were competing with each other every day, making it virtually impossible for the drivers to make a decent living. Traffic on the streets became a nightmare, and the Mayor worked with that City Council to come to an agreement and 'cap' the number of cabs in the City. So, the number of taxis was scaled down and eventually limited to a reasonable number, and licensed accordingly. This is how the 'Medallion System' started. It worked just fine for almost 80 years! The Haas Act is alive and well because it is the best way to defend a living wage for the drivers AND a logical solution to public safety on the streets.

That said, it now appears there was a flaw in the law. It did not limit the number of cars that were allowed to be For Hire Vehicles (FHV). Today, the same dilemma is unfolding for the drivers, passengers and pedestrians all over again! No one knows the exact number of so-called UBER cars (an APP FHV service). But, it is reported to be around the same number of taxis, with just over 13,000 on the City streets. Now a new service - 'Gett' - has unveiled a similar FHV App service on the streets, and is reporting that its goal is to reach the same number as UBER by the end of the year. This is not to mention the APP service 'LYFT,' with having several thousand cars of their own. Yikes !

There's not an infinite number of people who need these services! The streets are now clogged with APP traffic, auto pollution has spiked and making a living is becoming impossible for all involved with the taxi, limousine and Black Car business. There are many who think it’s within the TLC’s control to stop this madness. But it’s not. They are only there to enforce the laws on the books. Repeat - The Hass Act does not cover FHV's - it only covers medallion taxis. So, the TLC actually has its hands tied. They can only make rules for these services, but can’t limit the number of vehicles they can add.

The City Council can help. They must pass a bill that limits the FHV numbers, just as the City Council did in 1937 for the yellow cabs. If not, our city will be strangled with thousands of these vehicles, and making a living driving any FHV or taxi will be impossible. The air pollution will be unbearable, and there will be chaos in the streets as thousands of desperate drivers plow through the streets searching for a crust of bread. It is time for Vision; It is time to 'Act.'

Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it!