Met a dude from Portland last weekend. He said he is working 2-4 night a week and clearing $1200.00/12 hr shifts. I was thinking about returning to cabbin in 'da big "O"...anybody want me besides Safeway? Screwyathen.

I am proud to say that I was right about the last post. You all know that I LOVE tooting my own horn. But...

I am sad to say that I have way too much to do and not enough time to keep up on the Omaha taxi business, form an opinion, and publish to the blog anymore. I have other blogs, and to publish opinions based on heresay, reading betweenthe lines in the Omaha Weird Heralds newspaper, and being "out of the loop" is not conductive to good amatuer journalism. That is what blogging is all about, right?

However, (and you knew this was coming) I do have a couple of observations based on personal and private accounts of taxi situations.

Safeway has the new Owner-Operator system in place and for the people I have talked to that are involved, its working well. Needs a little tweaking but it's a wonderful arangement. If they had the flexibility to be able to dispatch to the O/Operators, at a resonable cost, Safeway could become a force they once were. Omaha is changing fast, gas prices will be staying around todays range or going up and the drivers will have to adjust. Flexibility in leasing arangement for Happy/Cornhusker/Yellow/Checker could improve their drivers moral. It's tough enough out there, besides the safety issue of having to drive so many hours, to have to worry about the "too many cabs for the size of this city" issue. However, it would cost more money for administration and record keeping, but in the long run, they would have a better buisness model and happier drivers.

Of course, since I have the administrator password, I will keep a wary eye on things and post if needed, ever if it's not wanted. The first ammendment is very, very, cool...run with it someone!

Drive safe, be careful, and dammit, have some FUN out there too.
Peace and Properity to all
*Rosie

How ARE the taxi company's working these days? Are they leasing companies...or are they "real" cab companies? The PSC (I know..the Nebraska Public Service Commision should be out of the loop and juristiction bound over to the individual cites, counties, or whatever...but that is yet another bitch session) is actually listening to "The People" (taxi drivers and a few polititions) that are the foundation of taxi protocol in Omaha at least. How do I know this, and KNOW this to be true you ask? I have friends in high (and low..of course) places...and there is a BIG change coming that will change the face of the taxi business in the future...You'all may not see it but it is definitely on the horizon. Those of you that folllow this know what is going on already...and it is not all "cab rumors" Keep the peace brothers and sisters...you know who you are.

Wow, Blogger has become a "real" blog site. When Colleen and I first started this venture a few years (wow...almost4) it was a pain in the rump to get "posts" to "STAY"...(I believe that C. posted a few times her frustrations about that snafu). Colleen is out of the cabs and the company she works for has a "Real Gem" for her to be dispatching...she actually cares and (Surprise!) WAS A REAL CABBIE FOR MANY, MANY, YEARS (sorry Coleen, everyone thought you were only 23 years old) Well, my main reason to post is that I have a great love for the taxi industry (especially in Omaha/Council Bluffs/Lincoln metroplex but across our great nation as well) and I find the current conditions around here appaling.

NOW, I have opened up this "Blog" to EVERYONE across the world to write and keep us posted on rate hikes (yuk, but I believe necassary), SAFETY, humorous antedotes, and just about anything else they need to get off their chest. (Or to educate the Omaha Taxi industry HOW to manage and increase their businesses (and of course, the cabbies) without hiking rates or surcharging for fuel (RIGHT! how many drivers do this...c'mon REALLY?... We are all not all, "Stuck on Stoopid" people). I have a lot of time on my hands now, so I believe that you will see me here quite often as I am semi-retired and do NOT have ANYTHING to do with ANY taxi company in Omaha/CB/Lincoln. (Contrary to several rumors (aren't cabbie rumors fun?) My question to the drivers, dispatchers, owners, and of course, our STATE (not city) governing body, "The Public Service Commision" (What the heck is the PSC doing in City Transportation when they know little, if nothing about the cabbie business...rate setting beauracrats is my perception of the PSC concerning our industry (Comment: To be fair to that Government organization, they have an awful lot on their plates, and have a huge job across this large state to worry or care about cabs) WOW, can I ramble or what? No wonder my fares wanted out of my taxi so quickly. Question: (in case you lost track as I almost did:) Promotion of our city and the education of new and existing cabbies can only help increase fares, increase profits for the companies, and help our growing metro area florish. The "good" cabbies know how to do it, you COMMUNICATE to your customers and educate them about Omaha/CB. (The Ambassador Concept ....are you listening, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and other promoting bodies?) The resturauants and nite spots of course, but also the quaint nighborhoods, the future developments that are pending, the midwestern freindliness (which they SHOULD pick up on as you are "Promoting" the city) and finially, the Fortune 500 companies that "live" here and "why" they do. And the companies that are planning on relocating here. Talk to 20 drivers about those concepts and questions and you will find that the majority are clueless. WHY?

Well thanks for the Kudos a few posts back Colleen...but you had me thinking "What makes a good taxi driver? ...and especially what the company wants out of a cab driver....we all know what...but..I believe the city needs cab drivers that are as competant as Colleen, Gary, Bob H, Duffy, and the other of dozens of cab drivers that know how to BE cab drivers not just pay their lease on time and drive....we are the ambassadors to the visitors to our fine city (are you listening Anne Boyle....when you are on the city council in a few months I am going to start lobbying to make the taxi companies start caring about this city...and dont give me the standard BS line how you have safety meeting (joke) and do all these things for the customers. You wont even stand behind your own drivers sometrimes...politics...for sure...politiks....DA!

Well this is "Rosie " and his first grandson...ain't he cute 

Talked to Jennie today and asked if they could get me into a Happy Cab...I do not want to drive for Cornhusker...wish me luck all. I think with 4 years experience, I have a good shot. If not, a dispatchers position would suit me nicely. Even part time.
Peace and Love
Rosie

Dan...I sent this to you too...I called but you were on a business meeting.

Hello...
After seeing the last post I sort of figured I should write at least something for the blog. It's just been so uneventful in Omaha lately. School has finally started, and besides being a huge relief to parents it also means that some cab drivers will be busy running the kids back and forth to school. This of course means that the rest of us will be able to get back to the business of driving a cab to make some money. After a l-o-o-o-ng, boring, and financially horrible summer all I can say is it's about time. I've posted this sentiment before, but trying to make money in the summer by driving a cab in Omaha is nearly impossible. For several different reasons, there's just not enough business to go around. There are too many cabs in Omaha as it is, and when business gets tight it gets ugly out here. Of course more and more I'm hearing in the cab how a customer had a problem with a driver and so they're using a cab less than before. I can understand that. Customers want to be treated right and drivers do, too. When business gets bad and a driver has run too many short orders in a day, they get grumpy, or maybe they attempt to run the fare up. Not that any of our guys are guilty of this, it must be the other company. But at any rate, I've heard it happens. Actually I think one of the biggest problems is getting a driver with enough experience so a customer can feel confident that they will be getting a ride, not being taken for one. The last thing we need is losing anymore business for any reason. Omaha has a large number of shuttle services, most of which (unless they're free) are a huge rip-off to the customer. If more customers knew the value of a cab compared to a shuttle they wouldn't mess with them. Another problem we're having is not enough business accounts. What with every joe out there starting a delivery service we can't compete. It's not economical to run one delivery at a time. Delivery services load up and make stops as needed. That's something most cabs can't and won't do. Just the other day I had a bread delivery, tho. If nothing else it was a good smelling delivery...mmmm...Rotella's....yummy. But I don't think we can count on bread deliveries to increase our business. The future of cabs is not all that rosey in Omaha. I don't know what the next step is, but I know there will be a next step. Meanwhile we'll just keep cabbin'.

nobody writes anymore??

It's been awhile since I've had time to write, but at the moment I have an imposed bit of time off. I managed to contract some kind of stomach bug. One of the problems of our job is probably more deadly than some of the other more obvious hazards. We're in close proximity every day to sick people and gods only know how many germs. A couple of years ago I was not a bit pleased to find out that my fare in the cab had tuberculosis. He was obviously a very sick man and he was not under a doctor's care anymore. He told me he was probably dying, that he had been in a hospital in Illinois for 5 weeks and should still be there. He had walked away, caught a bus and then hitchhiked here to see his sister. I asked him if he should at least be wearing a face mask and he said he didn't give a damn what happened to anyone else anymore. At the time I didn't know anything about the disease. I do now. As soon as I could I looked it up on the internet and I also talked to a retired doctor that was a regular customer of mine. Dr. Moore has since passed away, but he had been an internist for years starting with his training in the Army in WWII. He told me that you could be exposed to active TB and not have symptoms for as long as nine months. You could also have the disease in a latent form. That didn't exactly ease my mind. So for the next nine months I paid attention to every cough, every headache, the slightest sign of a fever. He told me to look out for backache, but of course I have a permanently screwed up back so that wasn't going to be obvious. I didn't catch it, but it brought home the severity of the germs rolling around in the cab. My best defense is to drive with my window open. It's not perfect, but I don't get sick often so it must have some merit. I figure most days if I can stomach the smell of the people in the cab I must have a strong enough immune system to fight off the little bugs too. But this stomach bug bit me anyway.
I'll have to be done being sick today, whether I like it or not. The College World Series is in town, and as every good Omaha cab driver knows, if you miss this party you might as well turn in your keys. Some of our favorite teams have returned this year. My personal favorite is LSU. Louisiana fans have always been the nicest, the funniest, the best tipping fares a driver could hope for. I've had several of the players in my cab in years past and they are fine young gentlemen, hats off to their ball program. May they last long in the series. Some of the other favorites are here as well. We have Cal State-Fullerton, also very nice people and courteous players. We have Texas, always a big fan favorite here, and Miami another big favorite. Arizona, another local favorite has returned this year. We don't have Rice, the champs from last year, and Stanford isn't here either. I'll miss them. I've never had a rude Stanford or Rice fan in the cab. Last year I had several Rice players in the cab on several occasions, they're really good kids. Rounding out the team list for 2004 is South Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas. I don't have any personal experiences with these teams or their fans, but in general the CWS attendees are such fun that I'm really looking forward to it again this year. It's nice to be busy and to be making money, but it's the people attending the CWS that really make it special. I grew up in the neighborhood just south of the stadium and I can remember not always being so pleased that the Series was in town. Now it's a much larger event, but they have also solved some of the problems such as re-routing the traffic in the area. Of course now I live a few miles away, and last I looked nobody is going to park on my lawn, so it's easy for me to be happy about it.
The other day I was sitting at the cab stand by the new Hilton at the Qwest Center. The big blue letters proclaiming QWEST CENTER O AHA. Obviously the "M" was not glowing. It reminded me of Omaha's new logo/tagline "O!". So of course in my mind I inserted the exclamation point, changing the Qwest Center sign to QWEST CENTER O!AHA. Now that reminded me of a book. Has anyone else ever read "The Story Of O"? More things that make you go hmmm...I'm not entirely sure that the city of Omaha planned on being mentally associated with "The Story Of O", but I'm fairly confident I'm not the only one out here that makes that connection. Of course, the Dr. John's billboard that stood at 132 and F probably brought that home, too. The sign is gone and that's too bad. I can just imagine how some Omahans fumed as they saw the scantily dressed model proclaiming to the world about the "Big O". Hehe. I like Dr. John and I like his store. It's that kind of real life stuff that keeps the straights from taking over Omaha completely. If some people here had their way we could just rename the place "Stepford". I enjoy Omaha's seedy past. Remember, for all the rewriting of history that keeps getting put out there, Omaha was a town started on gambling, prostitution and debauchery. Anyone that says otherwise is lying. We had a fine reputation as a haven for all things sinful back in the mid-late 1800's, even as recently as the 1970's. Since that time the do-gooders of the city have tried to make us into a little, what? a hub for mundane suburbia? That seems to be what the city fathers want us to be. Next month we have the 150th birthday party for the city. I think we should appreciate our REAL heritage. We could call it ...The REAL Story Of O!

Hello. I hope the meter course went well for everyone. I would like to respond to Gary's blog about the dispatcher doing call outs. We looked over our records and the message that was sent out read that he wouldn't do call outs at BARS unless the customer specified they needed a CWT. This is common practice. We generally do not do call outs at houses or places of business unless the customer requests. We feel that the drivers should be customer service friendly and this is just one small way to show that you gals/guys care. The only exceptions I can think of is the Old Market Bars - everyone knows you guys/gals can't get in there most of the time in the summer when they block off the roads. The other is way north like the "3-5-7", or "Click, we all know these are bad neighborhoods and don't expect you to leave your cabs unmanned there. If you find problems with dispatch please let Chip or myself know so we can rectify the situation. Thank You ... ::One more month before College World Series $$$::

And I'm back again. I've spent the morning so far rummaging around cab sites instead of doing my planting and pruning, but this is the last post for the morning. I found this story, and by my calculations, I believe our "study-rate" to be about $12.25, plus the gas surcharge, which puts us in the near bottom-middle. Of course that estimate changes if you take out the wait time, and since they are talking about bigger cities, most of which have live meters and we don't, so that estimate comes down to something like...well, that brings it down to $8.25, plus the surcharge...really not good. Granted, like I said, the study included bigger cities with significantly more cabs on the street. But then, too, ridership is much higher in those cities where people are use to riding, where other public transportation is reliable. The reason I'm thinking that they are using live meters for this study is because they say "estimating the U.S. average fare to be five miles with five minutes waiting time", now why would there be five minutes waiting time? Most trips involve no waiting time, but they are estimating that their "average" trip does. So I believe they used live meters, which charge for standing in traffic and such. Here's the study...
http://chicagodispatcher.com
As stated in the rest of the article, once again we have a correlation between driver experience and company costs. It makes sense to keep experienced drivers.
Here's another quote from the Taxi List,
"As others have suggested, if fares were increased once or twice a year in
line with inflation and other factors the public would barely know. But, to
wait 8 years and then slam on 26% and release more cabs at the same time is
obviously absurd." ~ Peer Lindholdt. Well-said.

Just a quick note. I ran across this on another taxi driver site, and I use to work with this guy. He would play that trumpet in downtown Denver at all hours, I mean ALL hours, too. I would go down to the 16th Street Mall at around 3 or 4 am just to hear him play. I would meet up with a former dentist, and another guy that use to teach at a seminary, and of course my two best driving buddies, both of which were Iranian. So many truly diverse people choose to drive a cab. Check it out. http://www.denverdispatch.com/pages/447683/index.htm

Friday night a message came across from Dispatch that said if the caller did not specifically request a "call when there" no call-outs would be done. This is very troubling to me, especially based on incidents described in previous posts.....

From the standpoint of safety (yes, folks, he's on his soap box again...) the cab companies do not want their equipment sitting un-attended (even for just a minute or two) in some areas of town in the middle of the night. And although drivers are "independent contractors" and therefore not of major concern to the cab companies, a reasonably good case could be made involving at least partial liability if a driver is robbed, raped, beaten or killed while out of the cab because dispatch refused to do callouts.

What makes pizza delivery guys so vulnerable to robbery is that they get out of their vehicle at a known address, kinda what the cab companies want us, the independent contractors, to do. Since a phone number is required before a cab will be sent it is so easy to limit this window of vulnerability by calling them and having them come out to the cab.

The amount of time involved by dispatch in this task is negligible when compared to the returns from a safety standpoint. And callouts are of value to the driver not only in bad areas of town but also when the cab would have to be left in the middle of the street while a driver fights his or her way to the bouncer to bartender at a crowded bar or restaurant. Parking is not always readily available, and so many problems can be resolved through the simple expediency of the dispatcher or operator making a telephone call.

Hi everyone, and hey Rosie, I had to change the archive settings. I had to, because, well...it finally happened. Tonight while I was working I picked up some folks to take them to the Qwest Center for the Eagles show (I have trouble figuring out how these guys still sell tickets???!!! They've been around the block and then some. I think I've seen them, or some version of them 6 or 8 times, usually for near-to-free, back when they were good, and tonight, 25-30 years later, they wanted REAL money!). But anyway, I digress. So I picked up these people to take them to the show, and on the way there I was talking to them (cuz that's what I do here...) and the guy asks me my name. Then he says "I know you! I've been reading your stuff today!" Yep, our blog has been discovered. He did a search on the 'net, wanted the phone number for a taxi, and found us here at the blog. Our secrets are out in the general public...frightening...Anyway, they were really nice people...the guy that had read the blog was explaining his beaver problem, (quit giggling back there, I can hear you...the ANIMAL, you know, a rodent...) and how he had hired a trapper to get the beavers. All I could do to keep a straight face during that ride. Taken out of context the story was hilarious. I don't generally repeat the stories I hear in the cab, bad form, ya know, but sometimes, usually when I'm trying really hard to NOT listen or butt in, these people crack me up. Besides the things they actually TELL us, things they probably shouldn't but feel compelled to, some of the things they say to each other are enough to get me going. And the beaver story was right up there. Anyway, he has a professional trapper on the job, and it will all be better soon....heeheehee...
So Tom, why I changed the archive setting...turns out we had lotsa days we didn't write...who knew??? So going through the archives on a daily basis was a bit, um, boring. "No Page to Display"...over and over...I set it on weekly and that might be more than enough.
Cab business continues on. I heard about a driver at Safeway that got cut 3 weeks ago. Guy held a knife up to his throat and slashed him a few times. He's okay, he's a tough old bird. There does seem to be an increase in violence against drivers lately. Nearly every week or two there's something else. This is a bad thing. We're out here doing our job, trying not to piss off too many people, and some idiot wants to take advantage. So very not cool. Drivers that follow basic safety rules have a much better chance out here, but that's not all that's needed. Dispatch has to watch our backs, too. A good dispatcher can't forsee all the trouble, but they can make some decisions that protect the driver. When I was the overnight dispatcher at Safeway I had a driver get robbed. I know I wrote about it on here somewhere. I guess I should consider myself lucky that that was the only violent robbery I had on the air. As a driver I've looked down a gun three times, felt a knife blade against my skin a few times and been threatened with beer bottles, fists, and even talk of rape, but those things never came to pass and I didn't get robbed. Luck and brass got me through. And some damn good dispatchers. (I could only hope that our dispatchers were up to the task if anything like that should happen.) When I needed help, I got it, no questions, no "standby". They saved my life at least twice that I can absolutely count. The other times I had trouble there were other circumstances and I could ease my way out of the problem. But at least twice, if I hadn't had a top-notch dispatcher being aware, I don't know that I would be here. (Interestingly, those two dispatchers were named Howard and Alice, both names of two dispatchers I worked with when I first started driving here in Omaha after so many years. Kizmet.)Back then I was a night driver in Denver, my daughters were very young, 2&1/2, and 3&1/2 y/o at the time. It mattered that Mommy came home. Shortly after I started driving a cab my ex lost his job (this was the bad economy of the early-mid 80's) and for a time I was the sole supporter of our family. I drove a cab at first to fight boredom (and did it ever!), then I drove a cab to make the kind of money we needed to stay afloat. For a woman to make that kind of money doing anything was very tough, but driving the cab did it. So I drove nights. I learned a lot, too much for any 24 y/o married young woman at the time. Too much for most 50 y/o men...but I learned. And took it all in, all the good and the bad. There was lots of good, too many really fuuny stories...(I should have written that book), but also some damn depressing and dangerous things, too. Domestic violence calls always stick out. Nothing like sneaking a woman and her kids out of a house while her drunken husband snores, or worse, the times they were awake and tried to stop us. Or the hooker that's just been raped and beaten, but won't go to the cops. The drugs...so many drug calls in those days (cocaine was still the drug of choice). The regular customer that routinely armed me with a Glock 9 mm while I sat in the cab to wait for him for sometimes hours at a time and always in the worst parts of town. Nothing ever happened, but I never fell asleep, either. And that boy was BIG money. The things we do, the things we've done...yep, drivers have stories.
We know what safety has to be, but getting everyone on the same page is the most important part of keeping a driver safe and alive. Procedure, procedure, procedure! No skipping a beat, know procedure, stick to it, do it everytime. With more incidents lately, I don't want to drive nights. I will sometimes, because the money is there. I have to trust my instincts and hope my dispatcher has my back, too.
I've rambled enough, but I did want to mention one thing, speaking of procedure. Last week I was on the radio waiting to clear my school load when I heard a driver griping about not wanting to do a wait and return order because he had a persoanl to pick up in a little bit. After giving the dispatcher lots of grief, the driver was becoming angry when Dan got on the air and told him to go get the order. The driver had accepted the order, now it was his job to go get it. The driver continued to argue, but Dan was firm. And Dan was right. The only way this business works is sticking to certain policies (procedure!) and following through with them each time. Leeway can be granted in certain areas, (drivers are people, too!) but not areas that directly affect customer service, among other things. If the driver was trying to squeeze in one last order before his personal he had to know the possibility for something like that to happen. With my school loads I know I have to quit taking orders at certain times. That's the trade off for contract work. Guaranteed income = time constraints.
Anyway, it is bedtime, long day tomorrow, planting, pruning and other yard work. I'll try to stay out of the damn cab. We'll see.

Hello everyone- another beautiful day in the Big "O". It is so cold today- hard to believe I got sunburnt two days ago, and the temps were in the 90's. Anyhow- I wanted to thank everyone for the hardwork for the Berkshire Hathaway Event. It went very smooth and I didn't see any problems arise on our end. I did witness one on the Berkshire end on Friday night at Borshiems- but that was a gentleman who had obviously had to much to drink and decided to use his wife as a punching bag. So thanks again and hopefully we will have more cashflow like that with the new convention center here. Have a great week!

Tom, I learned a lot reading from the links provided on the site you listed. Since I haven't worked a lot this week I spent some time reading. Educational stuff they have on that site. Worth thinking about.
Anyway, my blog today is going to be about the Berkshires, Hathaways that is, wealthy folks. And cab stuff in general, too. I still have just one word for those people...cheap. They are the cheapest people I have ever had in the cab. Not that I ordinarily expect a tip just for showing up and doing my job, but these guys as a generalization, are by far, the worst tippers you can get into a cab. If the meter reads $4.95 ("I get a senior discount honey, are you going the shortest way?") these guys will wait for their nickel in change. I had a guy ask for his quarter back after a $15.75 fare, no waiting time charged while he and his friends spent 10 minutes trying to figure out where they were going. . And I didn't charge him the gas surcharge. That's the stuff they're made of. But, once again as before, business was good over the Berkshire-Hathaway weekend. I always miss it when it goes.
I did have one highlight in the weekend. I picked a lady up at Nebraska Furniture Mart with her teenage son. They were here for the meeting, obviously very wealthy, but also very normal, too. She wanted to stop at the Doubletree downtown for her luggage and then off to the airport. In the course of doing that she was asking me this and that about Omaha. Turns out she and her son had been here for four days, ridden in several cabs, and noone had told her about Omaha. She had lots of questions, had been asking others the same things she asked me, and yet none of the drivers had talked to her like an intelligent human being. I just don't get that. These people are our guests. Cheap though they may be, they are still visitors to our home. It's just common decency to be nice to them. She really liked Omaha, liked it more as we were talking. As Tom said earlier today, we ARE the ambassadors to the city (in Denver, that was part of our training, and also part of our job title, the mayor's office said so) and we need to know enough about Omaha, and be confident enough to talk to people about what we know. Anyway, after finding out our population, our economy, our lifestyle, this lady was even more impressed with Omaha. She owns houses in Chicago, Miami, and a flat in New York. She's looking to buy a place somewhere like Omaha so she, her kids and grandkids have a place "away from it all" where they can be normal and relax. She thinks midwesterners (that would be US) have the best values...hmmmm.....She showed her appreciation by giving me $40 for a $20.55 cab fare. It pays to be gracious. Now, the flip side of that is that her nearly $20 tip was about equal to all my combined tips for Berkshire. Oh well. They're still good money. This lady told me about two interesting things that have happened to her in cabs. One of them was that a couple of years ago she left $30,000 worth of jewelry in a cab, and never got it back. I know some people would say "Well, of course not", but I disagree. If it were me, yes she would have gotten it back. It's not mine, so plain and simple I would have returned it, ---I can't afford the karma. The other thing was that the same very month that happened her husband also left $30,000 in cash and jewelry in a cab. He never got it back, either. Really sad. I like to think that wouldn't happen here. The only comparison I have is when a guy that lived at the Park Avenue Towers named Bill Domino, left about $600 in blank money orders in my cab. Granted, it wasn't $30,000, but given that this guy lived on about $750 a month, this $600 was pretty important. Of course I returned it. And Bill gave me $2. There ya go. I've heard that he's dead now. Glad I did the right thing.
I haven't worked a lot this week. Luckily, last weekend was very profitable so I could afford a little time off. Also since I put in so many hours over the weekend I really needed to slack off a bit. I've been having a lot of pain lately...old back injury, ancient history, but when it fires up, and I get one more grocery order...like the lady the other day with, not one, not two...but count them 12, yes, 12 cases of beer. And of course all the regular gorceries, too. And of course she lives on the second floor of an apartment building, and of course she's extremely disabled. Ah, the life of a cabbie. Now, who the hell needs 12 cases of beer???
That's all for now, kids. Be good and I'll be back.
Colleen

http://hometown.aol.com/jonihansen/myhomepage/business


This is a GREAT read for all cab drivers, dispatchers, cab company owners, independent operators, and customers in general.

Also...

Sorry to be so long without input here on 'da blog...there are reasons...just not very good ones.

Welcome to Heather

You guys are GREAT...keep on bloggin...ask your self, what do others think about our business...then write some shit right here..

Also...some NEWS! (from the above website)

Alameda Times-Star
(Alameda, California)
May 4, 2004

Cabbies permitted to unionize
By Heather MacDonald, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- Oakland's 200 cab drivers will be allowed to
unionize after the National Labor Relations Board on Monday
affirmed an earlier decision classifying the cabbies as
employees, not independent contractors, of the five big Oakland
firms.

The drivers' petition charged that a closely aligned network of
cab companies systematically takes advantage of drivers who
lease taxis. Drivers for Friendly Cab, Yellow Cab of the East
Bay, California Cab, Greyline Cab and Metro Cab are covered
by the decision.

"This is great news for all cabbies," said Makhan Dabb, a taxi
driver and representative. "I'm really happy."

Some drivers were overcome by emotion when told of the
board's decision, said Don Jelinek, their attorney.

"It was nothing short of screaming and crying when we got it in
the mail," Jelinek said. "It has been a very emotional day."

Eighteen months ago, the five cab companies appealed a
decision by the Oakland office of the National Labor Relations
Board to allow the drivers to unionize. The Washington, D.C.,
branch of the board unanimously rejected the appeal.

Representatives of the cab companies were not available for
comment Monday afternoon.

Drivers have already voted in an election that will decide
whether they will form a union. Jelinek said he expects the vote
to be overwhelmingly in favor of starting a union.

"Then they will begin negotiations for a proper contract," Jelinek
said.

In a separate action, the drivers are suing for back pay in
Alameda County Superior Court. The NLRB decision gives their
arguments in that case a boost, Jelinek said.

That claim alleges the drivers -- mostly immigrants from
Afghanistan, Nigeria and East India -- are made to sign blank
contracts that allow operators to arbitrarily change lease rates
and other terms.

"Many of these drivers send money back home," Jelinek said.
"This decision will have a massive impact."

In addition, drivers are forced to pay for "imaginary classes" and
foot the bill for repairs, even if the damage is covered by the
companies' insurance. The taxis are often in serious need of
maintenance, and drivers are punished for speaking out, Dabb
said.

"If something happens to me, what will happen to my family?"
Dabb said. "The cars should be safe, and we should be charged
a fair rate for the cabs."

E-mail Heather MacDonald at
hmacdonald@angnewspapers.com

So Heather has joined the crowd. Hello Heather! I hope you aren't afraid to jump in with any opinions and advice. We know we aren't! We're cabbies, and yes, we've had enough time sitting in a cab to solve most of the world's problems, just ask us! Anyway, welcome! And remember, we write here what we want to write, no holds barred...and you are encouraged to do the same.

Another one of my pet peeves was touched on in the Yahoo group today and I had to add to the discussion. This is what I posted...

"Here in Omaha the two cab companies both say you can't turn on the
timer while doing a trip. They both say a trip should be paid on
distance alone. I first drove in Denver where we always had the timer
on...unless we chose not to. I believe, from talking to others here
that the only reason they don't run time on a trip is because they
didn't understand the electronic meters v. the old mechanical ones,
back when they first switched out. The old meters ALWAYS had the
timer on, unless you turned it off. Anyway, this not running time is
really bugging me. It's just not right. If a customer wants to take a
route that I, as a driver, know will involve more traffic and
sitting, is it fair that they don't get charged? Or because they need
a cab when the weather is awful and we'll be barely moving at times,
is it fair that I'm working for near-free? I've spent a half hour
trying to get a customer a mile to their destination for $3.75. Does
everyone else run time? We are supposed to run the timer for waiting
only. (And even then, lots of cabbies here let the customer have 5
minutes or more for free, just because...of course I don't...I don't
believe in it.)"

When I first started driving here I thought they were kidding when they told me not to run the timer. I've ridden in cabs in many major cities, and I can tell you we're the only city I've EVER come across that turns off the timer. Does anyone have any idea how much money we're losing???!!! It's nuts! And as mentioned in the post at the group, most cities charge for things like bad weather, peak times, rush hour calls, etc. I'm not saying we should do that, but the idea that somehow my time is not valuable is appalling to me. Why would we not get paid for time involved in a trip? If the weather is bad, and a trip takes longer, the customer should pay for that. Why? Because they were the ones that wanted to go somewhere, knowing the weather was bad. I didn't choose for them to need a cab, it's just my job. If they were driving their own car they would burn more gas (as I do) costing them more in that way. If they had to pay a friend for the ride, don't you think dragging their friend out in bad weather would force them to pay more for the ride? It all costs more, no matter how you would choose to do it, and there's some damn good reasons for that. Just to list a few...time involved (no matter how short or long a trip), wear and tear (on nerves and vehicle), demand (everyone knows we're busier when the weather is bad, so taking those small orders really DOESN'T pay), waiting for just in-and-out of the vehicle time (sometimes this is the longest part of the trip), and also the extra cleaning needed to keep up the interior of the cab (meaning extra time, extra supplies = extra money taken right out of my pocket, for doing my job). I do believe the ONLY reason we don't charge time is because there was a lack of understanding the electronic meters compared to the old mechanical type back in the day. ALL mechanical meters had time automatically turned ON. And there was never a good reason for turning it off. I have asked the PSC about this, and at the time I was told that they have NO requirement for time v. distance. It's a company policy that cuts right to the pocketbooks of all Omaha cab drivers.
As drivers I know we like being busier, and there's not always a profit involved. Sometimes I've come home from a day knowing I didn't make as much money as I could have, but also knowing that I did good work that day. I took my time with a senior citizen, I encouraged someone to make a change they've been wanting, I helped an otherwise helpless individual, or I just acted friendly to a person with no friends. But really, we HAVE to be compensated for certain aspects of our job. Especially these days with fuel sky high and going higher, with so many shuttle and van services that work can be slim, and also with the fact we haven't had a rate increase in...I believe it's six years now. Anyone else know of anything that hasn't gone up in six years? I can't think of anything. Our work needs to be valued as the important job it is, just like all work. Without competent drivers, lots of people would themselves, be out of a job. And that kind of dependability has a price tag.

The danger of the industry

The last report on workplace violence and homicide places TAXI DRIVERS in the unenviable spot of #1 most dangerous occupation in North America at the present time, and this danger is rising. There are 20 homicides where taxi drivers are victims to every 100,000 drivers. Convenience store clerks are #2. In contrast, the police ratio is only 7 homicides to each 100,000 officers. This alone should tell you something.

The reasons for this is simple:
~you work alone
~you work all types of long, 8-12 hour shifts
~you work in isolated areas
~you always have ready cash
~you are always dealing with strangers
~very often, you have a language barrier, which is difficult to deal with
~your own peers often cheat the public, causing disrespect and contempt

We (Taxi Management & Staff) want you guys/gals to be safe and educated out there. We'll be looking into useful tips for you to utilize in the field that will hopefully be of help and interest to all of you. Feedback from you and what you feel would be useful would be great.

I read Colleen's suggestion of the driver meeting and that may be a possibility I will check on it.

Hello everyone, I just wanted to say I am sorry you feel that you didn't gain anything from the safety meeting. We have been looking into "taxi driver" safety and will be getting back to you shortly. Thank you for your opinion, and I will be reading and writing back regularly. heather

Since Gary and Tom have put in their two cents I might as well add my thoughts on our safety meeting as well. This was the first safety meeting I have attended here in Omaha, and like Gary said it was pretty obvious that the "safety" we were talking about was the safety of our cabs, our customers, and liability of the cab company. Driver safety was barely touched upon, and was also treated as if it's every driver for themselves, the company doesn't have a role in it. I understand the need for the information that was discussed at the meeting, the company needs to let drivers know about their issues with us as drivers and issues that pertain to the laws governing cabs. That just makes sense. But what needs to happen now is a meeting to discuss the drivers' issues with the company, with the state, and with our customers. This town has gone far too long with the drivers not having a voice, and it really needs to be corrected. I can't believe that in the job that has been deemed, as Tom said, the most dangerous job there is (depending on the poll and the year) that we have let any and all cab corporations decide the best policies, when the people making those decision have almost without exception, never driven a cab. Most have never even ridden in a cab. The idea that as drivers, we somehow don't know what we're talking about when we are the front line in the money-making process is ludicrous. I would think it would be in the companies' best interest to listen to drivers' concerns. Granted, there would be a lot of b.s. to get to anything a manager could actually use to help the drivers, many drivers just like the sound of their own voice and want to whine about any and all affronts, real or imagined. But there are drivers that know what they're talking about and see the bigger picture. And having that kind of input in any organization has been proven to create a better product. As a former dispatcher and as a driver, and also as a cab customer, I can tell you that quite often there is confusion, distrust and miscommunication. Add management, phone operators and third party clients to the mix and it's a wonder anything gets done properly at all.
All in all, I would say the safety meeting was just about what I expected, but not what I had hoped it would be.

Safety....

Who does it concern, what it is and isn't, when is it the most important, where would you find out about safety related issues, why it IS so important in, statistically, "the most dangerous job in the free (and not so free) world, and of course, HOW can we as "Independent Contractors"use wisdom, technology, communication, and experience to be as safe as we can be every single day.

I was a victim of an armed robbery and I have been reflecting on the incident for the last few weeks.

I would like to hear your views on Taxi Safety before I write the tale of a typical taxi robbery that occurred a few weeks ago. This was not a news worthy robbery but it did involve someone very dear to me. ME!

In other news- www.omahagasprices.com
is self explanatory.

Another "Safety Meeting" comes and goes. A little more than an hour of listening to what they (the management of Happy Cab) want us to hear while being told that our (the drivers') concerns about saftey are not part of the agenda.

Also the facility in which it was held, while much nicer than sitting around the garage, was a long way to walk from the parking lot for those of us who are even remotely mobility impaired.

This hilights one difference between management and drivers (independent contractors). Safety to management involves only keeping the equipment in good shape. Safety to an independent contractor means taking all steps to protect us from being robbed, killed, or car-jacked.

One item suggested is to remain in radio contact with the dispatcher if we feel a situation may happen. This will help only if the dispatcher cares enough and is smart enough to handle the problem, and assumes that you can get thru to the dispatcher on the radio, which is not always true.

The simple truth is that I, as an independent contractor, must have the ability to say who gets into my cab and who doesn't, and to put anyone I deem dangerous out of my cab at any time. In the inteerest of safety, management at Happy Cab should not only support me in this, but encourage me to do so.

I would like to thank and welcome our new member "Gary". He is a cabdriver for Happy, Yellow, Checker, Cornhusker, and Metro Express (damn, can anyone think of an acronym for this company?...HYCCME just doesn't make it) with a great mind, a good heart, and a fairly good disposition.

Be sure to read his post below. Common HorseShit sense if I do say so myself.

The Public Service Commisions hearing on the Safeway Cab proposal for a Rate increase was cancelled. Probably due to a foot of snow an wind chill of -30 degrees. ...anyone got that beat??

BTW:...Join the Taxi Drivers of America Yahoo Group below





Click to subscribe to taxidriversofamerica



...OR

To quell any rumors about a hearing on a rate increase, I have posted the following from the Nebraska PSC (Public Service Commision). Does anyone besides myself want to attend? 402.813.5826 We should carpool!

NEBRASKA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Schedule of Proceedings Before the Commission
January 27, 2004, to February 2, 2004
Tuesday, January 27, 2004:
TR-132 Commission Hearing Room, Lincoln.
1:00 Safeway Cabs, Omaha, seeking authority to adjust its rates and
charges.
1:30 Commission Hearing Room, Lincoln.
Paging Services Workshop

Taxicab 'Lease' Racket
How The Taxicab Industry Was Junked
Mr. Burton Wolfe

HOW THE TAXICAB INDUSTRY WAS JUNKED

The Independent Contractor Racket (Taxi Drivers)

Significant Taxi Related Documents

All of the links above and below were taken from the excellent website Taxi-l.org by Mr. Burton Wolfe

Taxicabs on the InterNet

Of all the comments about the "taxi industry" (from cab drivers) this one has to be right up there with the best

Washington Free Press
Seattle, Washington, USA
December 1999
Letter to the Editor


Making Cabbies Truly Independent
Dear Editor,
This is a note to Mr. Burton Wolfe. In response to your August 1999 article “The Independent Contractor Racket” (WFP issue 40), let me say that I agree with your assessment, but not your remedy.

There is no question that most taxi drivers are employees who have been swindled out of their rights as employees. I would like someone to explain how a person can be an independent contractor when they have no right or authority to negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract they are being asked to agree to. This is the result of the NLRB, the IRS, and other agencies completely falling down on the job. In all of these cases, so-called independent contractor drivers are refused licenses of their own by the regulating authorities. Licenses to operate taxis are issued to companies, or a limited number of individuals, setting up a situation requiring that the rest of the taxi drivers must be employed by license holders.

This scheme was crafted in the 1920's and 1930's when communism and fascism were viewed as the saviors of mankind, and forceful government involvement was seen as the only remedy for the failure of capitalism. So, government regulation of taxi markets was designed to run small or independent operators out of business, and concentrate the market into the hands of a few large operators, who then could be more easily controlled by government. This scheme also forced independent operators to either become employees of larger concerns, or leave the industry completely.

Taxi Regulation is Outdated

Fascism failed. So did communism. But their ghosts live on in the modern American taxi regulatory racket. And a racket it truly is. Think about it. What other industry is regulated this way? What other industry requires employees to pay for the privilege of working, without any voice whatsoever in the operation or conduct of the business, with nothing more than a take it (in the shorts) or leave it relationship, with obviously fraudulent contracts?

Would lawyers tolerate being treated this way? Forced to pay for the privilege of working with no power whatsoever to negotiate the terms of their contracts? The thought of thousands of lawyers rioting in the streets almost brings tears to my eyes. But you know that they would never allow such a scheme to be perpetrated on themselves. So why is this considered by management and government to be the best way to control taxi drivers? ~o reasons: Greed and bigotry, the same two vices propelling slavery on the North American continent for four hundred years.

The fact that greed motivates the taxi regulatory racket cannot be disputed. By greed I mean not just the normal desire to make a good living in your chosen profession. What I mean is the evil intent to take away from other people what is rightfully theirs, even if the consequences are negative for both parties. The primary motivation of the taxi industry and regulators is to cheat the system, not just to make money. Cheating is at the heart of the regulatory nightmare that afflicts the industry today. The drivers cheat on their trip sheets. The companies cheat the drivers out of their rights, and thereby their property. Both of them cheat the tax collector.

System Designed for Swindling

Bigotry is a little harder to pin down. But look at what the taxi industry has become. As late as the 1970's, most taxi drivers were indigenous to their market, and largely middle class. Today, large numbers of taxi drivers are either black, Hispanic, or alien, almost all are either poor, lower class or lower middle class. In the case of American taxi drivers, they tend to be poor, poorly educated, and generally not well suited to deal with the complexities of the relationship they find themselves in with the taxi companies. They, like the alien drivers, have no real understanding of the meaning of employment versus independent contractor status, or how any of this is decided, and whether their employment designation is in their best interest. In short, they don't have a clue. All they want is a job. What they get is a swindle.

My experience in the industry is that the management of the taxi companies have gone out of their way to force educated drivers out of the industry completely, in favor of gullible poor and foreign labor. The reason the blacks and Hispanics show up more frequently now than they did twenty years ago is that there is still a large enough percentage of those populations available to occupy the, less than desirable jobs. Plus, taxi driving is a no-skill, entry-level job as far as rookie drivers are concerned. Veteran drivers know how much skill is involved. But most companies just want warm bodies who pay up on time.

One more point on bigotry. The bigotry I mention is not necessarily racial bigotry. It is the way that affluent people traditionally despise those less successful or well off than themselves. This contempt for the poor is as old as history. The traditional method of dealing with the poor has been to blame them for their plight. This gives the non-poor a convenient way of excusing themselves from any complicity in the situation. While poor people are not poor because rich people are rich, as communism presumes, in the case of taxi drivers, poor cab drivers are poor because rich managers, legislators and regulators have made them that way. People who manipulate and abuse their victims often despise them as well. It is a sort of sadism. Cruelty, really.

This is also an element of laziness in all of this. In the case of greed, they think to themselves, “Why should I work for mine when I can just steal yours?” Bigotry excuses the bigots from the hard work of thinking and caring.

Let Contractors Be Independent

The remedies to this situation actually start by getting government out of the industry, not more involved. There is still a need for a legitimate independent contractor designation. But ultimately, the market will decide the future of employment in America, not the NLRB. If people accept the swindles companies like Xerox perpetrate, then that's their choice. Companies that abuse the independent contractor status do so primarily to evade laws and regulations that effectively mandate expenses, and restrictions on their activities. They have found it to be cheaper to twist the law out of all recognition than to challenge the law directly. Their actions are understandable, not ethical.

The other remedy is to give taxi drivers the choice of signing up with a company or going independent. Most drivers will stay with their companies because of dispatch services. If the abuses grow too severe, or lease fees go too high, then significant numbers of drivers can leave the plantation and strike out on their own. This will help keep the industry honest. As it is, the drivers' only option is to give up their livelihoods. This is not a reasonable alternative, and demonstrates the viciousness of the entire system. It is similar to saying that every slave who didn't want to be a slave any more could always kill himself. Therefore, one would conclude (wrongly) that any slave who was not dead was happy to be a slave.

Independent drivers and operators will not destroy the industry. Some industrious outsiders will eventually offer serious competition to the existing companies. And that would eat into profits. That's exactly why they all want to be so heavily regulated. They prefer to trade liberty for profit.

Guy L. Evans
Aurora, Colorado

Guy Evans was a taxi driver in Denver from 1979 to 1998 and has been fighting the independent contractor battle since 1984.



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My background is in business, specifically the computer end of business, so my opinions may not have a lot of bearing on the cab industry. However, I was invited to contribute, and I never pass up a chance to voice an opinion.

A metropolitan area the size of Omaha should support 300 cabs. Everyone I talk to has an opinion as to why we can’t keep 50 busy on most days, but I think to answer that question you need to look at who is riding cabs.

This breaks down into 4 groups of people:

1). Folks who have lost their driving privileges or never had them. With this group they are forced to take cabs and nothing you can do, positive or negative, is likely to cause more than a temporary shift from one cab company to the other.

2). Folks who ride cabs because agencies pay for their ride (i.e. Share advantage, Magellan, school loads, etc.) These will continue to ride cabs, unless the agencies find a more cost efficient method of handling the transportation. It is vital that all drivers travel only reasonable distances and use only reasonable waiting time on these charges. A temporary gain of a few bucks may end up equating to a huge loss of business to a van service, and we don’t want that.

3). Folks who ride home after drinking too much. If these sit around too long after the order they may decide they have sobered up and drive home. This isn’t good for us, and it isn’t good for them.

4). Folks who ride cabs for special events. This would include the safe ride home program, New years eve, St. Patrick’s day, office holiday parties, and events at the Qwest center. Of the 4 groups, this is the only one in which we may be able to encourage people to become more active riders.

If every fare in the 4th group could be picked up 15 minutes after the order was called in, was provided a ride without taking the scenic route and running up the fare, in a reasonably clean cab driven by a friendly, courteous driver, some of these people would move from the 4th group to the 3rd, and become regular customers.

So, why can’t we do this?

Very seldom do we not have enough cabs on the road to handle the orders. Frequently, there are cabs logged into zones with no orders while orders wait in other zones. While we are all independent contractors and can choose which zones we wish to work, perhaps a way could be devised to keep track of the times a driver takes an order out of the zone he is in, with perhaps a small incentive to encourage this practice. This will reward the drivers willing to move orders without penalizing those who don’t want to leave their zone.

More frequently, however, at peak times, drivers and customers on the phone hear the dreaded words, “The computer is down”. This infuriates the drivers, and quite frankly our customers really don’t care. All they want is their cab in a timely fashion.

Until the computer can handle the problem, a procedure needs to be in place so that voice dispatching starts IMMEDIATELY when a computer problem is encountered. Since most of our dispatchers are not real good at voice dispatching, they need to be trained how to do it. Drivers also need to be trained to keep radio traffic to a minimum when voice dispatching.

If anything can be done to fix the computer problem, do it. If nothing can be done to fix the problem, replace the computers. No matter what the cost. The alternative is allowing the general public to continue to think that cabs are not dependable in the city.

If the general public realizes that cabs are dependable, even at peak times, more and more people will start to take cabs and everyone will make more money.

Gary

Tom, I was reading through your post about the rates, and I think something like that would be good here in Omaha, too. We need to increase the flag drop rate due to the fact that we have just too many small orders. It's just not cost effective to run six or eight miles for a $2.50 order, and with the type of dispatching we use a driver has no hope of getting the next order that will be coming out of the same area to help pay the cost. If our dispatchers looked out for us and gave us the next order that would be one thing, but with the automated system you can't count on it. I keep hearing rumors about a rate increase, but I have no idea if there's any truth to it. Of course, like has been said before, if the rate increase does happen, you can bet our lease rates will go up. It always seems to be that the guys with the deep pockets keep those pockets lined pretty well. And when summer rolls around and there's damn little work, will our lease go down? Fat chance. It just doesn't work that way. As much as I like this job, like every long time cabbie, I hate it too.

Taxicab rates and fares, San Francisco October 2002
Three proposals, discussion and suggestions

San Francisco's taxicab rate of fare is under review at the Board of Supervisors. The current rate became effective in Fall 2000.

The current rate is:

$2.50 for the first 1/5 mile or 60 seconds of waiting time, and

$0.40 for each additional 1/5 mile ($2.00 per mile)or 60 seconds of waiting time ($24.00 per hour).

Some trips over 15 miles may be charged at 150% of the amount showing on the meter. The 50% off-meter charge may cause an abrupt steep increase in the fare between 15 miles and 15.01 miles.

Due to a mathematical quirk in the rate ordinance of 2002, the current initial distance is 1/5 mile, not 1/6 mile as indicated on the rate cards. It means that customers get a little extra distance for the current $2.50 initial charge. In practice, one trip in six is currently undercharged by $0.40.

December 2002 update: the rates adopted in November are the same as the SFTA proposal below, except that the flagfall is $2.85, not $2.75.



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The SFTA proposal:
A 12% increase

The San Francisco Taxicab Association has proposed an increase in the current rate of fare.

The new rate would be:

$2.75 for the first 1/5 mile or 60 seconds of waiting time, and

$0.45 for each additional 1/5 mile ($2.25 per mile) or 60 seconds of waiting time($27.00 per hour).

The following charts illustrate the effect of the SFTA proposed rate change. The first and second charts show the effect on fares over short and long distances. The third chart shows the percentage change between the current and proposed fares.

Observe that the lines in the two fare charts grow steadily further apart. The longer the trip, the larger the amount of the fare increase.

A ride to the airport that now costs $31.30 would go up $3.85 to $35.15, a 12.3% increase.

A 3 mile trip that now costs $9.30 would go up $1.10 to $10.40, an 11.8% increase.



Discussion of the SFTA proposal

The new rate would be, roughly, an across the board 12% increase. Long trip customers would see the largest fare increases.

If there is no decline in business following the rate increase, a driver who currently brings in $170 in fares (not including tips) would get $190, and a driver who currently brings in $200 in fares would get $224. Allowing for additional tips, drivers might see an extra $25-30 per shift. However, this is very unlikely because there is almost certain to be a decline in business following a 12% fare increase.

If New York City's closely studied 1996 fare increase is a reliable indicator, a 12% increase in fares should result in a 9.6% increase in revenue per mile. In that case, a driver currently bringing in $170 in fares would get $186, and a driver bringing in $200 in fares would get $219. Drivers might see an additional $20-25 per shift.

More likely, in my opinion, increased revenues would be less than expected, maybe just 6%. In that case drivers might see a revenue increase of just $12-15 per shift.

The reasons for predicting lower than expected revnues include BART, which begins service to the airport in a few months. A 12% fare increase on trips to and from the airport will give customers even more reason to choose BART. Between a $35 fare, an airport fee and a tip, customers will be paying $40 or more for an airport ride.

More generally, the Bay Area economy is experiencing its steepest downturn in many years. A large rate increase in the face of a severe recession may backfire, even if previous rate increases have always been advantageous.

The SFTA proposal envisions sufficient new fare revenue to more than make up for a proposed increase of $8 in the lease fees charged to drivers, which are currently pegged by regulation to $83.50 per shift. If new revenues are well below what might be expected in better times, then drivers may realize very little from the proposed increase.

An undesireable side effect of the SFTA proposed rate formula is that nickels begin appearing on the meter. Currently, all fares have a cents amount that is either 10, 30, 50, 70 or 90 cents. With five-cents in the picture, there will be 20 different cents amounts that may appear as part of the fare. The meter will show amounts such as $9.95. Why give customers such a blatant invitation to tip the driver a nickel?




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An alternate proposal:
A fifty-cent increase

If the current rate is increased to $3.00 for the initial charge, but everything else stays the same, the effect is a fifty-cent increase on all fares regardless of long or short distance.

The new rate of fare would be:

$3.00 for the first 1/5 mile or 60 seconds of waiting time, and

$0.40 for each additional 1/5 mile ($2.00 per mile) or 60 seconds of waiting time ($24.00 per hour).

The amount of expected new revenue would be linked to the number of trips, not the mileage as in the SFTA proposal. A driver who works the airport exclusively might see as little as $3 extra per shift because he has few trips. A driver with many short trips in the city might get an additional $10-15.

Since the increased price is small on any one trip, just fifty cents higher, customers may not perceive it as a significant increase. In that case, there is reason for optimism that most of the fare increase may actually materialize as additional revenues.



A fifty-cent increase to the initial charge may be better than a 12% fare increase. It will be seen as a small increase and will be less likely to drive customers to competing transport services. A fifty-cent increase will reward radio players for concentrating on short trips in the City. It will not increase mileage and waiting time charges, nor will it cause nickel amounts to appear on the meter.




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A third proposal:
Increase the flag by 90 cents and double the distance

A better way to accomplish a fifty-cent increase is to increase the initial distance to 2/5 of a mile, and increase the initial charge to $3.40.

The new rate would be:

$3.40 for the first 2/5 mile or 120 seconds of wait time, and

$0.40 for each additional 1/5 mile ($2.00 per mile) or 60 seconds of waiting time ($24.00 per hour).

The charts reveal that there is almost no difference bewteen this proposal and the previous one. Its advantage is that a customer may perceive additional value in the increased initial mileage. Our current initial distance is too short at 1/5 mile because very few trips are that short. It's better to merge the first "tick" into the initial charge and point to the increased initial distance as a selling point.



A less immediately obvious benefit of using this approach is that it gets SF on track for a more sophisticated fare structure utilizing multiple intervals of time and distance. There is a tendency to shy away from the slightly more complex arithmetic involved, but it has been put to good use in other places, notably London. SF should abandon the very restricted rate formulas of the past, which have used just a single intervals of distance such as the current 1/5 mile.

After increasing the initial distance to 2/5 mile, our next step ought to be adding a third interval, 1/10 mile that would apply after 15 miles. It would substitute a London-style "clock and a half" rate for our current "meter and a half" surcharge. The long distance surcharge would appear on the meter instead of off-meter as happens now. It would increase the number of long trips by removing the current large sticker shock that happens at 15.01 miles.




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This was SF fare talks of last year...Comments??? e-mail me at trose@cox.net

WHEW! I made it!
One big whew! now that the holidays are over. I have to say that I am always glad to see the holiday season end. Not that I'm such a Grinch, it's just the extra work involved, both at home and at work. Driving a cab during this time of year can be very profitable. It can also be a big fat headache.
During the last month we've been spending a good part of our time hauling around revelers and drunks. There is a difference. Revelers tip better.
Now that the holidays are over, and I have had a few months at my new cabdriving job, I think I can sit back and give a better opinion on working for this company. On the one hand, certain pros are a given. With this company there is more independence, more flexibility, more payoff for doing a good job. On the other hand, there's the stress of paying a lease, the fear of not knowing where or if you will make any money, and the biggest problem, the computer system used to dispatch cabs.
Any of our drivers here in Omaha know what a headache the computer can be. It works quite good most of the time. It's the REST of the time when you have to scratch your head and say "hmmm?".
On New Years Eve..THE big night of the year, of course the system failed. For about 5 1/2 hours we were SOL. Ok, not entirely. The guy that handles the system, I think his title is manager of something or another (operations, perhaps?), took over and did a fine job dispatching. The real problem was the lack of skill on the part of the real dispatchers that evening, and the lack of radio etiquette by the drivers.
As a dispatcher I can tell you that the drivers behavior that night would have prompted me to get them to shape up quickly or I would have thrown them off the air. Noone likes having problems with the system, but it happens, and when it happens, that's when good training comes in. Something the biggest share of these drivers are void of.
As I was listening to the chaos on the air that night, and attempting to be heard myself, I noticed one very important detail. The drivers that work here that came over from the other cab company like I did, a company entirely voice dispatched, these drivers performed nicely. No screaming, no fits of rage, no rudeness. The other drivers, the bulk of the company, acted like a bunch of spoiled children.."Me, me, me"...all clammering for attention. And in several instances they had nothing to report, nothing to contribute, just eating up air time on a very busy radio with problems and situations that they should have been able to handle on their own. Whiners.
One note should be made here, that even though the voice dispatching came together after the boss took over, the fact is it never should have come to that. The computer should not have fouled up on such a busy night, and when it did, the dispatchers that were working should have known what to do and how to handle the drivers. On both those points the company failed miserably. I have dispatched through some very busy times, and although I was working with a lot less cabs, busy is relative and mayhem was not allowed. When chaos threatens, that's when you line up your ducks sytematically and thoroughly to get the job done.
The one word that shines through from that night is "standby". How many times did we have to hear that word? When the lame dispatchers were doing whatever it is they were doing (it wasn't dispatching, that's for sure) they said it over and over and over. Would it have been so hard to listen to what the driver had to say, even if you couldn't do anything about it at that time? When you dispatch, everything that the driver is confronting is on your shoulders. Most drivers are considerate enough to deal with a lot of their own problems, some are not. Either way, it all goes to dispatch. And that's where organization and leadership come into play. If these drivers are not radio trained, train them right then and there. Get their attention and keep it. Let them know someone is in charge and that someone is you. Think of them as a bunch of errant children in need of guidance. While that sounds severe, it isn't too far off the mark. When all hell breaks loose of any kind anywhere, people look to leaders. That's the dispatchers job. Be the leader, be the boss. Take control. And yes, drivers respect that.
We have a computer system that needs work. I don't know if it's outdated software, hardware or what, but something needs to be done. Period. I'm tired of hearing the drivers bitch, tired of hearing the customers bitch. Fix it. It's a machine...fix it! If we don't have the right people to fix it, find them, replace the system, whatever it takes. Money..lots of it, is riding on this system and the excuses are running thin and sounding lame. FIX IT.
Enough of my rant (and I've been relatively mild in my opinion here, I believe), if you really want to know how I feel about some of the problems I'm facing here, just wait till my next post. Business has been so awful lately that I have to go out and drive in the evenings, against all that is right and proper, just to make sure I make some amount of money to pay my bills. When a full time day driver can't get enough work to earn a living, someone should be looking at the cab industry here.
Houston, (Omaha) we have a problem.

--- In taxidriversofamerica@yahoogroups.com, "edwarddenaut"
wrote:

Why do they kill cab drivers?

In the August 2001 trial of a man accused of murdering a
taxicab driver, Assistant County Prosecutor George Rukovena told a
Cleveland jury:

"He killed David Link because he wanted to brag about it."

How often does this happen, that the motive in a taxi
homicide is not really robbery, but rather to act out a tough-guy role? The driver
is just as dead whether it is robbery or something else, so does the motive
even matter?

I think that motive does matter. It makes a difference if the
person is after your money, or if he is working on his self-esteem.

Based on a close reading of hundreds of news articles, I
believe that easily half of all taxicab driver homicides are motivated by
something other than robbery. Compelling evidence is seen in the fact that
most cab homicides are "senseless murders" and on the unpleasant fact that
grossly excessive violence is a characteristic feature of taxi homicides.

Senseless murders have a pattern to them. According to UCLA
sociologist Jack Katz, many violent criminals are acting out a
role.

They don't really care about the victim or the money, and they are only
dimly aware (if at all) of the predictable scripts that they are
following.

The sociologist argues that robbing the victim is almost an
afterthought, helping the criminal make sense out of his own actions in
committing the murder.

In my opinion, cab drivers are absolutely barking up the
wrong tree to approach driver safety as an exercise in robbery prevention. It
is about preventing people from using our taxicabs as a theater or stage for
acting out specific patterns of behavior.

One pattern in behavior associated with senseless murder has
to do with defilement of the victim. I'll skip the detailed argument
here, noting that scores of examples are readily at hand, and ask instead: how
many times does an assailant have to shoot a man in the head if his
purpose is simply to get the driver's money?

A second pattern associated with senseless murder has to do
with chaos. The assailant is unconsciously driven to create a chaotic situation.

If it is true that many violent criminals are acting out a
definable role, then it should be possible to recognize when the script
begins to unfold in a taxicab. We should be able to get an early warning when
extremely dangerous patterns of behavior begin.

I do not claim to have the answers, but here are some of the
questions.

How, for instance, should a cab driver regard a difficult
customer who spits or who deliberately dumps a beverage in the cab? Are
those acts of defilement? What is the appropriate response, and is the response
different if you know that acts of defilement are associated with
acts of senseless murder?

How important is it for a driver to maintain order in the
cab?

Where is the boundary between a boisterous or unruly situation and a
chaotic situation? Is there a line between customer service and driver
safety, and does "chaos" define that line?

Maybe the solutions that work to prevent robberies are also
the same solutions that work to prevent senseless murders. But maybe not,
especially the standard advice to be a compliant victim in an assault. If the
antagonist seems more intent on playing a role than getting the money, a
driver might be better off fighting back or trying to get away even if
attempting to do so is a high risk move.

My strategy is to laugh and smile a lot with my customers,
and to share many good words, and also to keep a bullet-resistant partition
between us whenever possible. The shield is a minor inconvenience
most of the time, but when the one-in-a-thousand, or the one-in-ten-
thousand, starts spitting or trashing the place or causing me to think the
word "chaos," I will have some time and space to consider what's next in
this script!

-
Charles
Rathbone



(Charles Rathbone currently drives a cab in San Francisco. His
interest in taxicab driver safety dates from 1992 when he attended the
funeral of a coworker, the second driver slain in less than a year. Since then
he has played a lead role in organizing a campaign that led to ten public
hearings and passage of the 1994 taxi safety law in San Francisco, performed
an analysis of the information available on hundreds of fatal assaults,
testified as an expert witness in the trial of a taxicab driver accused of
murder, and prepared articles on safety issues which have been
printed in many taxi publications. )



Pattern in taxi homicides

The typical fatal scenario is a night time shooting from inside
the cab.

Most of the deaths are due to head or neck injuries, and most of the
assailants are in their teens. The following are the main findings
from my report "606 Taxicab Driver Homicides, United States and Canada,
1980- 1994"



94% of the attacks occur when the driver is inside the cab.

85% of the fatal injuries are gunshot wounds.

82% of the assaults occur at night.

74% of the deaths are due to head and neck injuries.

64% of the deaths are from gunshots to the head.

66% of the assailants are under age twenty.

47% of the assailants act alone.

25% of the assailants are outside the cab.



________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2
Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2004 03:00:35 -0000
From: bassmaster_65321
Subject: Ottawa Taxi Dispatchers go out on strike

Bringin' in the New Year on the picket line - Ottawa taxi
dispatchers on strike
[January 1, 2004] OTTAWA - Moments before the clock struck twelve,
taxi dispatchers, members of CUPE 4266, filed out of work and
gathered at the picket line. Last minute talks broke off between the
union and Coventry Connections' ZipTrack as the central demands for
a wage increase and a benefit plan were not met by the company. The
47 taxi dispatchers take calls for BlueLine, Capital, Veterans and
DJ Taxi in Ottawa.

"Before negotiations these were low-waged workers with no benefits.
After negotiations, they remain low-waged workers with no benefits.
This is why we are on strike," said Andy Mele, CUPE National
Representative and chief negotiator. "ZipTrack has given us no
choice but to fight for what is fair." Mele characterized the
negotiations as "slow and like pulling teeth."

"It's a slap in the face," said Donna Reaney, a dispatcher and Chief
Steward, CUPE 4266. Reaney has been with the company for over 15
years. "We've waited a long time for a fair wage and benefit plan
and can't wait any longer. It's time ZipTrack learned to respect the
work that we do." The dispatchers take between 500 and 1000 calls a
night.

Over 100 people brought in the New Year on the picket line outside
ZipTrack offices at 455 Coventry Road. BlueLine and Capital Taxi
cabs lined both sides of the street in support of the dispatchers
and were greeted with load cheers as they pulled in. Families
brought their children and together they braved the cold in support
of this fight for a fair contract.

The taxi dispatchers make on average $9 an hour and have no benefit
plan. A leaflet distributed on the picket line urges supporters not
to call a cab, but to flag them down or use alternate means of
transportation for the duration of the strike.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) represents over half a
million workers.




________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________




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EYE-OPENING FOR SURE

Maybe NOW is the time to call for an "Omaha Taxi Drivers Association"or OTDA and citizens of Omaha should call for an "Omaha TaxiCab Commission"before something happens and the public asks...WHY DIDN'T WE DO SOMETHING YESTERDAY?.

Whatcha Think?
Email Us

Very interesting report from Dallas. All should read.
http://www.dallascityhall.com/dallas/eng/council_briefings/briefings/20031015_dallas_taxicab_review.pdf

Watch out Omaha....Omaha Taxi View (the magazine) could become THE taxi newspaper for Omaha,,,whatcha think Colleen? Could we pull this off? Not enough cabs you say? Right...and with me promoting less cabs with higher leases...ha!

--------------------
Fare coverage
--------------------

Newspaper caters to local taxi drivers

By James M. Flammang
Special to the Tribune

November 2, 2003

Sitting behind the wheel of a cab for long stretches at the O'Hare International Airport staging area gave George Lutfallah time to think. He'd driven a cab before, while in college. After receiving an MBA and doing a stint at an accounting/consulting firm, he wanted to strike out on his own.

While struggling to get a company off the ground, he needed to make a living. So, he returned to taxi driving.

"It was Friday night" at O'Hare, Lutfallah recalls, and he was thinking, "What am I doing here?" Soon, his thoughts began to focus on his cabbie colleagues. "There were a lot of issues that drivers were talking about," Lutfallah said. "There were a lot of rumors going around.

"At the same time, I saw that people were handing out fliers," urging drivers to visit a certain restaurant or have their oil changed at a specific garage. With so many potential advertisers, the idea for a drivers publication began to germinate.

And there was the possible circulation with about 6,750 cabs and 17,000 active drivers in Chicago, plus thousands more in the suburbs.

In his research, Lutfallah discovered an article about the Chicago Taxi Times, a similar publication founded a decade earlier. "I didn't know if it was still around," he recalls. "I didn't want to step on anyone's toes."

He found Kenneth Cooper, editor of the Chicago Taxi Times from 1992 until the paper folded in mid-decade. Back issues and Cooper helped Lutfallah envision his venture.

Even now, "he's always giving me great advice and support, "Lutfallah said.

The first issue of Lutfallah's paper, the Chicago Dispatcher, was published in February 2002. It's free to cabdrivers and $1 to others. Some 15 people contribute to each month's issue, working independently.

About 10,000 copies of each issue go to 80 or 90 distribution points, including every cab company. Distribution reaches as far west as Elgin.

"I'll find that a lot of drivers want to tell me some things," Lutfallah said. "It gives me a chance to stay in touch with them."

"It's good," said Aurimas Palaitis as he sat in a taxi line at O'Hare. Besides doing a good job of providing practical information on conventions and business spots, the Chicago Dispatcher delivers details on "crime scenes" that affect taxi drivers.

"There are a lot of problems that we have," Palaitis said, which need to be publicized beyond the driver group. Because the Dispatcher is distributed mainly to cab drivers, though, the general public does not usually learn about them. In addition to coverage in the Dispatcher, Palaitis said, "some articles should be in other papers, including the Chicago Tribune."

Rafi E. Mohammed says the Dispatcher is "nice for the cab drivers."

Vladimir Golomb, a 12-year veteran behind the wheel, agrees. "I like the articles, the interviews," Golomb said, as well as the "taxi news." He appreciates the Dispatcher's focus on drivers, showing "what happens to them, and the experiences they have."

Issue No. 1 contained 12 pages, but lately the size has grown to 24 or 28 pages. "We want to be sure to get it in the drivers' hands before the 1st" of each month, Lutfallah said, so they can benefit from the calendar. Lutfallah believes that "within the next couple of months," it will further increase in size. He also foresees increasing the publishing frequency, to twice a month if not weekly.

In soliciting advertising, Lutfallah started with the Chicago Taxi Times. O'Brien's Restaurant on Wells Street committed to advertising since the first issue. "We don't have much attrition in terms of our advertisers," Lutfallah said. "They tend to stick with us."

Columns such as Dear Cabbie and Cabbie of the Month were modeled on the old paper. Some cabbies contribute to the paper. Submissions also come from people who don't necessarily drive but "have a fondness for cabdrivers," Lutfallah said. He cites the example of a man who wrote to inform drivers he felt their talking on cell phones was "highly unprofessional."

Quite a few contributors are anonymous or use pen names, often because they fear retribution.

Like his 1990s predecessors at the Chicago Taxi Times, Lutfallah likes to take on serious issues that affect drivers--and their passengers. Illegitimate cabs rank high on that list.

Late in 2002, Lutfallah investigated illegitimate cabs at O'Hare. "We actually followed this particular driver," he recalls. A traveler had arrived from Nigeria. "He walked out, saw this guy there, not a licensed Chicago cabbie. He got in this cab, and we followed. [The cabbie] was parked out in the terminals for about 15 minutes, so we knew there was something going on. He obviously didn't get a call."

Lutfallah talked to the passenger afterward. He'd wanted to go to the Blue Line train (which has a station in an O'Hare terminal), with a final destination of Chicago Heights. "This guy charged him [nearly] $70 and dropped him off ... nowhere near his [destination]. That stuff just goes on all the time."

A picture story in the Dispatcher asked "Can you spot the real cab?" Taxis driven by hustlers don't necessarily look much different. "We were called by some cabdrivers who said, you've got to go down there and expose this."

Chicago Dispatcher also helps drivers. One former cab driver had caught a rapist. But he ran into personal problems and wound up sleeping in a hotel lobby. After Lutfallah wrote about him, the hotel threw him out. But American Taxi gave the man a job, answering phones.

"George has that integrity," said former editor Cooper. He cited a case in which a cabbie had been murdered. In addition to publicizing the incident, Lutfallah was instrumental in establishing a fund for the driver's family.

"When I started driving a cab" as a 21-year-old student, Lutfallah said, "I didn't realize how difficult it was. ... You're pretty much forced to work a lot of hours. ... If I had a cab for 24 hours, I was working 14 hours straight. And having the [protective] shield ...forces you to sit more upright. It really takes its toll after a while."

Even so, "I enjoy driving a cab," said Lutfallah. "Every once in a while I have to, at the very least, just to keep in touch."

Early in 2003, Lutfallah started a radio program to complement the paper. Co-hosted by Daniel Dorame, the talk show may be heard on Fridays from 11 p.m. to midnight on WSBC-AM 1240 AM and WCFJ-AM 1470.

"Friday night's a time when all the drivers are out," Lutfallah said, and the radio show gives drivers "an opportunity to express their opinions." If the driver is tuned it, "passengers will be forced to listen," Lutfallah said with a laugh. And they just might learn something about the man or woman behind the wheel.

In the Dispatcher

Taxi drivers need to know where customers are likely to be at a given time.

So, a Calendar of Events is the centerpiece of each issue of the monthly Chicago Dispatcher.

The calendar lists all significant events taking place in the city in the coming month. Cabbies can find out about "something going on at Navy Pier, at a hotel, any kind of convention," Lutfallah said. "The calendar's grown up quite a bit" since the first issue.

The Dispatcher names Chicago's top cabbies and periodically describes new services or products, such as the London Taxis that Yellow Cab Co. hopes to bring to Chicago.

Each issue contains Tales From the Rear View Mirror, written by a long-time driver. And fiction and poetry. Drivers also get an opportunity to express their opinions on taxi-related issues.

In addition to a taxi-focused crossword and a comic strip, the storyline of "Hack," a TV series about a cabbie who solves crimes when not taking passengers to the airport, also is published.

- - -

Predecessor driven by desire to have forum

Kenneth Cooper had been president of the Chicago City Service Taxi Association when he decided to start a newspaper for taxi drivers. Cometas Dilanjian, the association's secretary-treasurer, joined Cooper in the effort that began in 1992.

"We decided that the industry needed some sort of communication," Cooper said. In a newspaper devoted to taxi drivers, everybody "could say what they thought." Early advertisers included the now-defunct Golden Ox restaurant and O'Brien's on Wells Street.

Cooper obtained press credentials from City Hall, not only to attend news conferences but also as an information source for events of importance to drivers: when the opera let out, for instance. But a calendar was only part of the paper's appeal.

"We wrote about corruption," he said.

As an example, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority had issued stamps that cost $2 each. Taxi "starters were steaming off the tickets and reselling to drivers for $1 apiece," Cooper recalls. Good drivers said, "this was wrong." Cooper took a camera to the site at O'Hare International Airport and led an investigation. Still, he said, it "was like getting a kite in the air."

Circulation rose to 18,000 a month from 3,000. The Chicago Taxi Times even had a Commissioner's Corner column by Caroline Shoenberger, who still heads Chicago's Department of Consumer Services.

Taxi papers have been published in San Francisco and New York. "Florida was sending us stuff," Cooper said. He received articles from Paris, and details of a taxi strike in Italy.

After 3 1/2 years, when his father had a stroke that left him with three months to live, Cooper gave up the association presidency and the paper, which ceased publication.

So a report on my first full week as a driver for the "other company" here in Omaha. I like it! It's not a perfect system and as a former dispatcher I can see lots of things that could use work, but it's good. I've been having fun again. Fun? Driving a cab!!?? Oh yeah, that's why I started doing this in the first place, I remember now. Turns out it's still fun (and after all these years!) and there are lots worse ways to make a living. I could be an accountant. After all, that's what I went to college for....oh boy...I don't think so. Took me a while, but I figured out I hate accounting. So in the grand scheme of life, being a cab driver is still fun. Do I miss dispatch? A little. Especially when I hear a less than helpful dispatcher being a smart ass to a driver in need of help. There's no call for the way some dispatchers act, and that's why I became a dispatcher, to stop the crap. But overall, like I said before, worrying about just me, my customers and my cab is a little easier on the brain than worrying about all the cabs on the street.
The computer system that this company uses is a bit different for me, and some of the rules are different. But I'll learn it. I'm not as blonde as I use to be, and I've got half an idea what I'm supposed to be doing out here. I'll start making money at this just any day now ;)
Thanks Tom for making me think really hard about it so that I left dispatch. Now, as for knowing the business...heheh

Thank God...Welcome Colleen. You don't know how happy I am to work with a cab driver that knows the business as well as you...and speaks English too. You have to be happy to escape from the rathole you worked in. Good Luck and the only thing that I can tell you is "Leave us some fares" We need to eat too!

A little excerp from a story I found on the web: (truthfulness could be probable)


DIARY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN TAXI DRIVER............

Togetherness Tshabalala weaves his High Impact African Culling Equipment
(Hi-Ace for short) through the rush-hour traffic occasionally using the
pavement to increase productivity. The rising sun shines brightly off
Togetherness' gleaming, stolen BMW hubcaps. Togetherness is a confident
man with high spirits, as evidenced by the stickers on his rear window;
'God loves taxi drivers' and 'avoid constipation - travel by taxi'.

On the front of his taxi, between a large dent which, ominously, is in
the shape of a traffic cop and the holes from a small spray of bullets, is a
lurid notice reading: 'Jukskei Park Express Inaugural Flight'. Using the
word 'flight' is Togetherness' own little personal joke. What we are
witnessing is the inaugural leg of what is hopefully to become a daily
service between Jukskei Park and Johannesburg; a twenty-five kilometre
journey which takes ten minutes - less if the pavements are open.

The percussion waves from Togetherness' powerful radio (taken from a BMW
Z3) pushes back the early mist. He is playing Boom Shaka's latest low
frequency, 120 dB hit, 'How low can we go'. He hoots as he drives.
Togetherness hoots at anything he sees, including trees, as is the
custom of his people.

On board the taxi are a dozen white people. They do not come whiter than
this. They are Omo white. But they were not born white. No, their pallor
is due to fear and stark terror. Take John Mleka. Never is his life has
he done 0 to 100 km/h in six seconds - especially not in heavy traffic.
Denise Mthaba's colour has changed from green-black to a sort of waxen
ivory as quickly as the last traffic light had changed to red (a colour
which traditionally prompts taxi drivers to make even more haste).

Togetherness regularly looks over his shoulder while driving (even for a
full minute) asking passengers their destinations. Elizabeth Mkize,
sitting right at the back, has the opportunity to say 'Rendbeg Centa'
even though she works in Johannesburg. Randburg was coming up fast and it
suddenly seemed near enough for her. She worries about how she will make
her way to the front; but only fleetingly because the taxi has now
reached Randburg and Togetherness has stopped. He has stopped as suddenly as
a
plane might stop up against a mountain. Now everybody is at the front in
a warm, intimate heap. Elizabeth alights as gracefully as anybody can with
one knee locked behind the other. She is vaguely aware of passers-by
loosening her clothing and shouting, 'Give her air!'
Togetherness bowls happily along Jan Smuts Avenue, overtaking a police
BMW which is chasing a getaway car. Then he overtakes the getaway car too,
exchanging boisterous greetings with the driver whom he knows.
Togetherness is steering with his elbows because he needs his hands
free to check the morning's takings and to wave to girls on the pavement.
What is even more remarkable is that Togetherness is doing this despite the
fact that his taxi does not have a steering wheel. When Togetherness'
friend, Sipho, stole this vehicle, it was fitted with a steering lock,
so Sipho had to remove the steering wheel. The spanner that Sipho has
attached to the steering bolt in its place is quite adequate though.

Togetherness smiles and turns to his passengers as he accelerates past a
truck on a blind rise. He announces: 'Ladies and gentlemen, thees ees
your Ceptain. We will shortly be lending in Johennesbeg. Plis make sure your
seatbelts are in the upright position, end your seats are fastened.
Thank you for flying with us today. We hope to see you soon again.'

John Mleka is gripping the seat in front of him so tightly, that he
notices his finger tips have gone transparent, as a passing taxi fires a
brief burst from an automatic weapon in his direction. Togetherness now
reaches the city and merges with the in-bound traffic like his ancestors
merged with the British at Isandlwana. He stops at his usual
disembarkation point in the middle of an intersection and picks his
teeth patiently while people sort out their legs and teeth, before groping
their way towards a pole around which they can throw their arms. By the time
his passengers' eyeballs have settled back in their parent sockets,
Togetherness is already halfway back to Jukskei Park with another load
of passengers.

Eeiisshhh!!!

Breaking news...a cab was carjacked tonight. Some guy that first stole a Bellevue cop car and led police on a wild chase managed to hide out while the cops were looking for him. When they finally went away the scoundrel called for a cab. The cab pulled up, neighbors saw the guy getting in and ran to alert the driver. The guy pulled a gun, and in the end he made off with the cab. As far as I know, it's still missing. I believe the driver is safe, though. The news was not real clear on the fate of the cab driver. More to come. Rosie, any input? The driver worked for you guys. The crap ya gotta deal with just to drive a cab. Sad.

Well, the vote is taken, the tide has turned. I'm joining "the other guys". I'm leaving the cab company I work for and going to work for the company where TOm works. I've never wanted to be a lease driver in Omaha, it's just not the best town for that. But I'm going to. I'm giving up my dispatch job (again) to go work the streets for the winter. Of course today the high temp here in Omaha was something like 84 so I don't know what kind of winter we're looking at. I hope it's an old fashioned blowing snow in your face type of winter. The kind of winter that makes cab drivers exceptionally wealthy. I have a dream...I have a dream to leave Omaha next spring. If the winter is cold enough I'll be able to do it. A mild winter would slow down my dream. Pray for snow.
I'll start my new job next week. I think I will miss dispatching (I did before) but then it's also a big relief to not have to look out for 20 drivers and all the customers, and just look out for myself and my customer. I need my life back, and the stress of not making enough money has really cut into who I am and how I feel about life. I try not to let it get to me, but it's not easy trying to support myself and my son on what I've been making. (Not to mention helping my two daughters and their families when they have their emergencies.) I've never been afraid of hard work, but hard work and no money, THAT I'm afraid of. Right now, I'm behind on my bills and I'm stretched to the limit. Like I said, pray for snow. For ALL the cabbies.

Colleen is right....Omaha sucks in the summertime. (I am glad that I am almost 50 rather than almost 20) ...When I was almost 20, I escaped....to Colorado

BUT ..HALLAULUAH! NO need to escape anymore...I have found a local escape that will keep me here another summer.....River boating. I cannot believe that I have not owned a boat in my life. I have been out on the river several times in the last month and it is one of the coolest things that a silly cabdriver can do. Hell, we really don't have jobs, do we? What is to say that we can't buy a boat (reasonable size) with a full cabin and a queen bed ... rent a slip and live on that damn boat during the summer? Nothing that I can think of should stop any of us from doing this.

Added stability: I have an apartment that I can stay in during the Winter...and rent out the rest of my house during the year...Bingo! A very sensible idea for once. See, this single life makes me reflect on thoughts in a clear and uncluttered vision.

Later on the Streets
"Rosie"

Welcome to Omaha!

1. You must learn to pronounce the city name.
It is: "oh - ma - ha."

2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere.
Omaha has its own version of traffic rules...the truck with the
loudest exhaust goes next at a 4-way stop. The truck with the
biggest tires goes after that. (Note: Blue haired ladies driving
anything have right of way anytime.)

3. To find anything in Omaha it is required that you know
where 72nd & Dodge is... which is the Alpha and Omega.
The Beginning and the End.

4. The morning rush hour is from 6:00 to 10:00. The evening
rush hour is from 3:00 to 7:00. Friday's rush hour starts on
Thursday morning.

5. If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear ended,
cussed out and possibly shot.

6. You must know that "JFK Freeway, MLK Freeway, I-480
and U.S. 75" are the same road.

7. Construction is a permanent fixture in Omaha. The barrels
are moved around in the middle of the night to make the next
days driving a bit more exciting.

8. Watch very carefully for road hazards such as deer, skunks,
dogs, barrels, cones, cows, horses, pot holes, cats, pieces
of other cars, opossum, truck tires, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits,
and crows or vultures feeding on any of these items.

9 . If someone actually has their turn signal on, wave them to the
shoulder immediately to let them know it has been "accidentally
activated".

10. The minimum acceptable speed on "JFK, MLK, I-480, & U.S. 75
(see above) is 85 mph. Anything less is considered downright sissy.
This is Nebraska's version of NASCAR.

11. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously.

12. If you are in the left lane, and only going 70 in a 55-65 zone ...
you are considered a road hazard, and will be "flipped off" accordingly.

13. Ground clearance of at least 12 inches is recommended for
city driving.

14. If it's 10 degrees, Thanksgiving must be next weekend.

15. If it's 10 to 20 degrees and sleeting/snowing, then watch out.
Omaha residents consider this "demolition derby day" and will be all over
the roads (front ways, back ways, etc). Please proceed with caution as
you could be their next target.

Again we say, WELCOME TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA. Enjoy your stay.

I haven't written in a while, probably because the summer has been fairly uneventful, as it usually is here in Omaha. Oh there were things to do I suppose, just nothing really new, nothing exciting. The cab business suffers in Omaha in the summer. It's either so hot people don't want to go anywhere, or they only want to go to the local store, and it's so hot they take a cab. You can spend the whole day running $3 orders. Not fun.
I'm trying to think of any one cab story that is worth repeating...nope, nothin'.
I've been doing more dispatching than driving this summer. I just don't feel like getting out on the streets at 3:00 in the afternoon, in the heat of the day, when I've already been putting up with so many people for eight hours. Of course, dispatching is not like cab driving. It's much worse. When you're driving you've got a few decisions to make, you start and stop when you want (sort of..) and you only have to put up with one customer at a time. Dispatching, well it can make grown men cry if they let it. Bitchy customers, whiney drivers, phones that don't stop ringing, and somedays it seems like every single order is nothing but a headache. Lately we've been fighting a problem of not having enough available cabs in the mid afternoon. By then the early day drivers are done, and most of the night drivers don't want to start yet, mostly because of the heat. So every day I'm fighting a losing battle to keep cabs on the streets, right when we're the busiest that we will be all day. And while that is happening what do I tell the customer that keeps calling back, waiting for the cab to show up? (You know, the one that isn't coming yet) I don't lie to the customers, but you would think I did. Just when I think I have a difficult customer covered, something happens. A flat tire, a broke cab, an order that isn't what I thought it was...it's always something. It's character building stuff, alright. Some people in this business say you have to be a professional liar. I like to think I can do this honestly, but...well...it just isn't that easy. I really do want to provide good service, but it's just not always possible. When you have eight time orders all due at the same time, plus 12 orders that have been phoned in, and add to that the fact that so-and-so has changed their mind and decided they are keeping their cab a little longer. Keep in mind that I have to make this all happen with sometimes only 4 (!) or, if I'm lucky 10-12 working cabs. It gets pretty tricky. And yes, I have to stretch the truth at times, if just to placate people. It's all a game.

Omaha Taxi View: Views of Omaha through the eyes of cabdrivers and dispatchers

After 17 years on 34th Street, "Max the Dog" went on to his "separate reality". His reputation of moodiness and volatility carried widely in the Gifford Park area. Most neighbors knew "where" the unpredictable Max lived, but not many knew him by name. Even if they did, usually it did not quell his insistent barking.

His dog-soul had been embedded with a wisp of wolf-wiring that made him always a little "too suspicious", "too uneasy", and definitely a little "too psycho". I admired his global disdain of neighbors out a-walking, homeys on the way to JNJ's for beer or smokes, or the occasional "hippy-want-to-be" that tripped down 34th. He disliked them all. His canine wariness made me proud to be his friend.

Never one to play with Frisbees, balls or other silly people-games, his mission was one of intimidation, visibility, and uneven temperament. Even those who knew him well were never "totally" comfortable when he nudged their groins and cleaned the matter out of his eyeballs on everyone's crotch. I will admit that neither was I....

...(But the dog NEVER had "shit" in the corners of his eyes. Heck no, it was on your crotch. Or mine.)

His "watch-dog" presence may have saved us countless times and his omnipresence was a comfort, but we could never know or be fully aware of his power over the "dark-side of the hood".

But brave till the end, his woofing to the wind was an indication of his dog-bravery and the uneasiness of age.
But it was time to go, way over time maybe...

...the last few days, he slowed down greatly...pain was a daily game that sapped his strength... he sometimes slept in the rain.... I knew...he knew...I knew he knew I knew...

Dogs are spiritual beings that help us on our journeys. They are our friends.

I was proud to call MAX my dog-friend.

FYI:

Nebraska's most dangerous intersections

City Location State Farm Danger Index*
1. Omaha 120th Street & Center Road 927
2. Omaha 132nd Street & Center Road 792
3. Omaha 90th Street & Maple Street 745
4. Omaha 114th Street & Dodge Road 741
5. Omaha 90th Street & Dodge Road 737

* The State Farm Danger Index is determined by the number of crashes at various intersections, how many of those crashes involved injury and the severity of those crashes. It is adjusted to account for the percentage of vehicles insured by State Farm in areas where the intersections are located.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Press Release
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
Kellom Heights Field Service Office
P.O. Box 96
Omaha, NE 68102
Contact: Farris Smith (402) 930-2250
statefarm.com®

Omaha Intersections Dominates State Farm List of Most Dangerous in Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb., June 27, 2001 -- All five intersections on a new list of most dangerous intersections in Nebraska are in Omaha. The list was compiled by State Farm Insurance, the largest auto insurer in the state and in the nation.

No. 1 on the list is the corner of 120th Street and Center Road.

State Farm put together the new list based on crashes resulting in claims by its policyholders in 1999 and 2000.

Like the initial list, based on 1998 data, this one takes into account the number of crashes at various intersections and the percentage of vehicles insured by State Farm in areas where the intersections are located. The new list also takes into account how many crashes involved injury and the severity of those crashes.

State Farm, a longtime advocate of auto and highway safety, conducts these analyses to focus attention on a new way of evaluating intersection design by analyzing driver behavior and placing greater emphasis on safety-driven solutions to intersection problems. This year the company will make $5 million available to communities to study and, in some cases, make physical changes to enhance safety at specific intersections.

The junction of 132nd Street and Center Road in Omaha ranks as the second-most dangerous in Nebraska. The intersection of 90th Street and Maple Street is No. 3. Rounding out the list of five are 114th Street and Dodge Road, and 90th Street and Dodge Road.

"Many intersection crashes could be prevented," said State Farm Regional Vice President Dave Harris. "Just as we did two years ago, we’ll offer communities with an intersection on our Nebraska list up to $20,000 for an in-depth safety study that could lead to actual improvements."

The 90th Street and Maple Street intersection ranked third on State Farm’s initial list of dangerous Nebraska intersections.

"We believe virtually all intersections where many serious crashes occur can be made safer, sometimes through relatively minor, inexpensive adjustments," Harris said. "We’re ready to help communities make that happen, and we hope more local governments will start taking a look at how their own intersection safety can be improved."

Well, it's almost over...the invasion in Omaha by Warren Buffet and his Berkshire-Hathaway minions. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful when ANY kind of extra business shows up on the streets, but a large percentange of this crowd is CHEAP! Yesterday I made twice as much in tips from the locals as I did from the rich folks that are here to gaze upon their idol. I understand that Mr. Buffet had written in his book that to come up with the capital for early investing one of the things a person could cut back on was tipping. He never implied that once a person has "made it" financially that they should continue the practice. In fact, Mr. Buffet is a very good tipper. In our company's limited occassions of having him in the cabs he has been most generous. Warren, buddy, talk to your people. They're fanatical about their penny pinching. When a $20,000/yr. waitress can tip me a couple of bucks for a short ride, the B-Hers could quit embarrassing themselves and fork out a little for a job well done (provided the job WAS well done, of course). Some of these people are quite flush, and to be cheap this way makes the group look bad. All in all tho, the extra work on the street is a blessing to Omaha. We have so few big events here, and we all need this one. The extra money will help keep taxis functioning for another week. And to those investors that tip accordingly, my apologies if I offended...consider yourself rare and wonderful.
Soon the College World Series will be in town. Now, there's some money! A fun bunch of people (mostly from out of town) looking to have fun, spend money, support their team. A perfect combination for taxis.

Now that I have become a daytime dispatcher, life is nearly dull...yes, DULL in the cab industry here in Omaha. It's a bad time of the year to be a cab driver. Trips are few and far between, no really bad weather (maybe a little rain now and then) and since we've lost so much of our business to shuttle services (ie: Prince of the Road et al) it's a very bad time to drive a cab. In fact, business is so bad lately that I'm beginning to think that any sane person would go do something else to make a living. But yet, here we are. I wonder if the Gods are just trying to tell all of us something. Maybe we should aspire to real jobs...NAH!!! That can't be right. The world needs transportation services...I don't know for certain that Omaha does right now....but we can hope. And yes, as Rosie has written, Warren Buffet and the gang are here for "THE MEETING". A little light in our darkness...however these people are infamous for being cheap. I wonder if that's the difference between the rich and the rest of us? Hmmm...worth thinking about. Someday I hope to know.
Be Good,
Colleen

Well, Omaha is putting on the party for Warren Buffets crew again this year. Many parties, food, sales and oh, of course, one big stock holders meeting. For those of you not native to this area, or have been watching "Mr. Personality a little too many times, its Uncle Warren Buffets annual stockholders meeting for Berkshire Hathaway. Those of you wanting to pick up a couple of shares to go, your cost would be $69800.00/share as of 4:03pm...wow!

...sorry uncle Warren. but here is a link to Berkshire Hathaways site: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/

In other news...If you go to "The NATIONAL DIRECTORY of On-Line Taxicab Reservation Services" http://taxicabreservations.com/national.htm

and scroll down to NEBRASKA...you will find a link to this site. Go to the Upper Right hand corner to put in your Reservations.

And...We will be trying to contact every cab driver in the Omaha area to see about forming a Taxi Drivers Association in order to have a voice in some things that go on around this great city of ours..... And in my opinion this is WAY long overdue. Watch out City HAll because I smell a TaxiCab Commission here in the very near future. We need this with all the conventions coming in the future.
Peace**

Below is an email to Andy Pollack (PSC Tranportation Department Director) by myself

As a cab driver in the Omaha area, I would like to know the parameters in which a business called "Prince of the Road Transport Service", operates.

They have been a consistent pain in our "fares" all over the Omaha area with them picking up cash orders off the street and delivering them anywhere in town. To me, that sounds like a cab-company without the meters installed or just another "Jitney Service"

Questions:
How do they determine the price of the fare? How often are they inspected? What type of "Professional License or Permit requirements do the drivers have to possess? Are they Drug/Alcohol tested? At what time intervals? Have they been Background Checked? All of the above are requirements to be a taxi driver for the company I work for (Which is consolidated with 4 other cab companies and totals about 100 drivers). All of the above (EXCEPT drug and alcohol testing) are requirements to be a taxi driver/company in the Omaha area.

Also:
Some of the "elderly or disabled" that they pick up do not know where to complain i.e. Late Pick-Ups...Rude drivers...or Dirty and Broken-Down vehicles.

This really deserves some further investigation as I believe they should...

1. Have road worthy vehicles
2. Have sufficient insurance in place (not just "Filed" but 'IN FORCE INSURANCE')...
3. Have to Maintain some sort of License Requirements
4. Be Background Tested at the State Level (Not just at the company level
5. Be Drug and Alcohol Tested

Plus:
I have heard that they are not allowed in the Lincoln area. Why invade our city when the capital city is protected? When? Where and How did this happen without our knowledge?

A few of us would love to start a "Transport Service" to gather lucrative State contracts. Please send me the rule book, if there is one.

Thank you for your ear:

Questions, Comments, Answers?
Tom Rose

Again, below is YOUR PSC (Tranportation Department) people in which to contact if you have questions:

Andy Pollock Director apollock@mail.state.ne.us
John Schmidt Rate Analyst jschmidt@mail.state.ne.us
Susan Lamborn Court Reporter/Secretary slamborn@mail.state.ne.us
Robert Harrison Investigator

Bravo...Bravo...Bravisimo...Keep it up and everyone should ask the questions that weren't asked in 1991. As soon as I can think clearly, I will be asking some questions myself.

Please e-mail Colleen or myself with any questions...and thanks for all the support...keep it coming

What follows is the email I sent to several members of the Ne. PSC regarding Prince of the Road:
Hello,
My name is Colleen Smith. I am a dispatcher/driver for Safeway Cabs Inc. of Omaha. Recently, it has become apparent that an outfit by the name of Prince of the Road has been seriously hurting our business. I would like to point out a couple of things regarding Prince of the Road.


1. They are licensed out of RAVENNA, NE. Does this give them authority to work exclusively in the Omaha area? Are they allowed to pick up and drop off passengers within Omaha, without ever having gone beyond the city limits? Under the same rules can I take my Omaha licensed taxi, along with my Omaha cab permit and work the city streets of Lincoln, disregarding the Lincoln cab company?

2. Are their drivers licensed as commercial carriers? Do they possess cab permits?
Is their insurance up to the same standards as registered, licensed cab companies. Do they hold passenger liability insurance that is as inclusive and expensive as the insurance we must carry?

3. Does the company have meters installed in the vehicles? Are they charging their passengers the current meter rate that we must adhere to?

4. Because the drivers provide their own vehicles, are they being licensed by the PSC, and must they pass the meter inspection course that our vehicles must pass?

You might think that Prince of the Road is working under some guise of being a shuttle service, but I have seen with my own eyes a Prince of the Road van load up a grocery order from my local store and charge the customer cash for the ride.
Did you know that recently I have found out that Family Services, a state funded organization, has given a contract to Prince of the Road to handle the transportation needs of their clients. Is the insurance up to par for something like that? Or will the state once again have to pick up the tab if there is an accident?

Obviously, I feel there has been some oversight in allowing Prince of the Road to function as a cab service, while not incurring the cost that taxi drivers and taxi companies must pay. Can just anyone slap a magnetic sign on their vehicle and consider themselves a cab company? And at the same time, can that person pursue state and/or other commercial contracts? Can I choose to be licensed in one town, but work where I please? As a tax payer and a taxi driver I would appreciate an explanation.

Thank you,
Colleen Smith


This is the response email I received today from a legal rep for the PSC:

Ms. Smith,

1. Prince of the Road currently holds authority as a commercial carrier throughout the state with the exception of point to point in Lancaster County and origination in Lancaster County. So they can operate throughout the Omaha metro area and throughout the state. They are permitted to take a passenger from Omaha and drop them off anywhere in the state. Their headquarters are just out of Ravenna, Nebraska. They have held authority since 1991 and have been operating in the same fashion since that time.

2. Their drivers are all independent contractors much like the drivers for Happy Cab and Cornhusker Cab in Omaha. However, Prince of the Road is not technically a taxicab operation they have open class authority which means their insurance is a little higher than a taxicab company's would be as they can fit more people in their vans.

3. They are not required to have meters in their vehicles because they are an open class provider and not a taxi company They have a different Commission approved rate on file. Most of their passengers are clients of the Nebraska Health and Human Services Department or subcontractors of governmentally financed departments. Their rate is to be no higher than the reimbursement rate in statute at Neb. Rev. Stat. sec. 75-303.01 (3 times the state employee reimbursement rate).


4. Their vehicles are inspected by our state inspector and are subject to the Commission's maintenance requirements (with the exception of the meters as provided above).


With respect to your remaining comments, Prince of the Road is permitted to pick up a private customer and take him or her to the grocery store and are allowed to contract with state agencies. They are required to use vans in their authority, however, in most places. They have the required commercial insurance on file with the Commission to compensate for any accidents and injured passengers.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Shana Knutson
Legal Counsel



NOW....
All I want to say is "HUH??" What, you mean to tell me that Lincoln (state capital, and home of the PSC...wink, wink, nudge, nudge) got itself exempted from Prince of the Road, but Omaha is fair game? And this business about being allowed to pick up a private individual and take him to the store...as a shuttle? Or what??? I think I must be confused as to what their purpose is here. Or for that matter, why would we need cab companies when this license is obviously so much more entitling? And where were the cab companies when it came to protest time for this little gem of a license? And honestly, I still don't see what PotR is licensed to do. Soak up the government contracts? And they're licensed "just outside Ravenna" as if that justifies everything. Or is the "they must have vans" that justifies it all? Whose little bit of political fluff was this? This business, the way it's described, reeks of impropriety. Legal or not, someone got a hell of a deal. Wonder who?

Hello again!
Tom had nearly given up on me, but here I am! After a couple of months of driving a cab full time, I am now back to full time dispatching/part time driving. At least I'm getting a steady check...the difference being that the daytime dispatch position opened up, and while at times I would prefer to be a driver, I need the security of steady pay. That, and I just can't devote the kind of time it takes to being a good full time driver. As it is now, I drive a little when I want to (when there's business and money to be made!) and dispatch days 7-3. It pays the bills...almost!
My current pet pieve is an outfit that goes by the name of Prince of the Road. Now I think we're all use to the shuttle services cutting into our business (that's been going on for years) but this is a shuttle that calls itself as a cab company. They're picking up cash customers, charging for the ride, competing for contract business, and all the while paying NONE of the expense of a real taxi company. Their drivers DO NOT have cab permits, the company DOES NOT have commercial carrier's insurance, and to make matters worse, they're licensed out of a little town 150 miles from here. And yes, all that is true. I checked. So what we're dealing with is a jittney service that the state not only overlooks, but condones, by granting them some of the highly prized government contracts. I'm sure it's a case of stupidity. The people in charge of making these decisions don't know what questions to ask. Because the service says it is a cab company, and nobody questions, then it is a cab company, WRONG!!! Pay for it MF!!!
Interested parties should know the following:

PSC Addresses
Nebraska Public Service Commission
1200 N Street, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE
68508
attn:Commissioner Lowell C. Johnson
District 3 (our district...no email addy given)
attn:Robert Harrison Investigator (no email addy given)
attn:Andy Pollock Director (email apollock@mail.state.ne.u)
attn:John Burvainis Deputy Director (email johnb@mail.state.ne.us)

Even if you aren't from the local area...a diluge of emails/mail could help stop the trend. If you ARE from the Omaha Metro, then you owe it to yourself and the rest of the public to be concerned. I'll step down from my soapbox now...

I've found out that there are those cab drivers that KNOW that as a dispatcher I'm on the take...they KNOW it, implying that they have paid me to give them the better orders....yeah, well, where's the cash, dickhead? I've yet to see it, and by the way, the line forms at the door...as if anyone of them could AFFORD me!!! HAH!! Sorry boys, it ain't that easy...you wanna make money with me? Learn your job better than the next guy. Period! I only wanna deal with WORKING cab drivers! Get it? Whoever said this business was easy was an idiot.

BTW, Safeway Cabs has reportedly been sold to a guy that has an Avis franchise here in Omaha. Something new, something different. I'll report as I find out what's up.

Well, now that I'm back, you'll hear from me more, (since Tom and his amazing abilities fixed my 'puter...thank you, thank you!!!) but for now, I better put the muzzle back on or Tom'll kick me out...hee, hee....
Love ya!!
Colleen

I have been taking customers information via e-mail. The whole system works out good for both the consumer and, of course, myself. I would recommend this system to supplement radio/computer dispatch, personal cell calls, and word-of-mouth bookings. The best thing about this e-mail system is that I have a hard copy of the customers requests and if there is ever a discrepancy in an orders time, place or date, it is very easy to figure out just where the breakdown in communications occurred. And...anyone that would like to e-mail me with an order, please include your name, address, time you want me there, and (VERY IMPORTANT) a call-back number. This number is my insurance against prank and bogus orders. To put in your time order via my e-mail address: Click on TAXI RESERVATIONS in the right hand column....OR email me here:
trose@cox.net

Well, well...nice to find my way back. It is not that I don't like to write about the Omaha Taxi scene, it's just that I have a stubborness in that I llike to have something interesting to say. Unfortunatly, no fun stuff has really been going on. Except for the Happy-Yellow-Checker-Metro-Cohnhusker "operations merger", NOTHING has really been going on worth writing about. OK...maybe it's just me that is boring...Fer Christs Sake...The cab business NEVER is...

My opinion on the merger is that it was/is the best thing that has happened to the taxi industry in the Omaha area in a very long time. Fewer customer complaints and a real sense of comradry among drivers. (At least in MHO) One area that could be addressed is an upgrade to the computer dispatch system. Or maybe just put me in charge of the servers. I believe that they are not running up to par....or else they need a system wide upgrade...software/hardwsare/dispatchers...the whole ball of crap...maybe? I would love the chance to do an honest evualuation and report my findings...give me a month, I will tell them honestly what needs to be done. Maybe all that is needed is to throw money at it....that is usually the case with these computer things....he-he

Two cab companies in the Omaha Metro have merged their dispatch and taxi operations centers in a surprise announcement on Tuesday. Opinions vary and tensions are high. The Happy/Yellow/Checker and the Cornhusker/Metro Express entities have made arrangements to consolidate their cab maintenance and repair and to set up a shared dispatch center. Is everyone happy? No. Are the drivers accepting this move? Some, but for the most part, but there is talk of a petition among the HYC group.

...my opinion?

Now is the perfect time to set up both an Omaha Taxicab Commission AND to start a Drivers Association. Both of these ideas are timely due to the Convention Center/Arena construction projects and the future of the cab industry in the Metro area.

Like it or not, Omaha is becoming more cosmopolitan each year and to keep up with our "little changing world", our city transportation needs should be addressed ASAP.

More on this soon...stay tuned folks.....

Here is a site that I found very interesting. It is from the Taxi-l.org site and I suggest that all taxi drivers go there and register to become a member. AND ...its free guys and girls.

This is about about the Taxicab murder rates around the world...watch your asses!
http://www.taxi-l.org/murdrate.htm

Go to this site to become a member of Taxi-l
http://www.taxi-l.org

Some people have asked about my other sites...well here they are, for better or worse!

http://geeksnfreaks.homestead.com

http://members.cox.net/trose

All of the archives from September went to "Byte-Heaven" when I did some house cleaning. They weren't too interesting anyway. Such is life in the world of computers. Two new and interesting "Taxi Tales" are being edited as we speak. I will post them as soon as I find some time away from the taxi.

I have been working some real odd hours. I have a couple of "Personals" that are late at night, and I love morning orders before the sun comes up. There is something about having your $90.00/lease paid before the sun comes up. ...but, I believe I am going to have to go fight the daytime traffic and make some cash. If anyone has any legal ways to work more and stay awake, write me at mailto:trose@cox.net

Well October is here and the taxi community is making money again. From what I hear the airport is up and down but, in our company, we have a fair amount of street orders. No amusing stories lately but I will write as soon as I hear some .

I am trying some new skins here. We had a death in the Omaha Taxi community last week. Everyone that knew Bill Sweigart will miss his kind heart and playful nature. I hope that cabbin in the afterlife is less frustrating Bill.

Had a fare out of the Airport last earlier this week that had a few of us scratching our heads.

Here is the scenerio: We had a flight that was delayed for some reason and the family that was just moving here only had an address that said 33Downtown. We figured out that they had reservations at a hotel that they did not make and only had this address. After calling several hotels that were approximently 33 blocks south of Dodge street and trying the only hotel around 33rd and Dodge (The Holiday Inn Express on 30th and Chicago) we finally figured out that the "address" wasn't an address at all but the name of a hotel. Figure it out?

It was the Doubletree Downtown.....(DOUBLE THREE DOWNTOWN) The man was from India and his wife was from Australia so they assumed that the friend that made the reservation said "double 3" which they wrote down ...33 Downtown ....(assuming that it was an address)...well a sharp airport gaurd and I figured it out after 20 minutes or so. One less helpful cab driver left saying he would return but apparently didn't want any more to do with it so I was the only cabbie there. They were just moving to the area and needed some helpful people (which they luckily found!) I hate to toot my own horn...(but I am so good at it,,,,haha) but this was a doctor that will be spending some time with the Omaha people and their first encounter with the locals turned out to be me. Cab drivers ARE the ambassadors of their repected cities (If they like it or not) and they should reflect the areas mentality. I am proud that we went the extra mile to prove once again that Omaha IS a great city in which to live, work, play, and grow.

The Omaha Chamber of Commerce should give a lot of credit to the local cabbies that work the airport on a daily basis and tell the visitors that Omaha is a fantastic City. Too bad the weather isn't the best...Oh well...

I truly believe that cab drivers have the greatest job in the world. Where else can you always have money in your pocket, except for a few hours (sometimes) on lease day because your money management schemes truly SUCK!, meet at least 2 interesting people a day, (Unless you are having a REAL bad day), and have free entertainment to boot.

This is an old article but worth seeing (AGAIN)...

Acts of Kindness Earn Missouri Driver Jack Kitchen TLPA 2001 Paratransit & Contracting Driver of the Year Award

Atlanta, Georgia

Jack Kitchen, veteran driver for Kelley Transportation Company, Inc., Cape Girardeau, Missouri, accepted the 2001 TLPA Paratransit & Contracting Driver of the Year Award at the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association¹s 83rd Annual Convention & Trade Show in Atlanta on Friday, November 2.

In their letter nominating Jack Kitchen for this award, Terry and Kim Kelley, owners of Kelley Transportation, wrote, "Jack Kitchen has been driving and caring for our elderly and handicapped passengers for the past 12 years. Jack¹s attention to detail, genuine concern for his passengers, and fun personality make him a great asset to our company as well as an always in-demand driver for those he transports. When listening to Jack speak of his passengers, it¹s like listening to family stories. In a day and time where people are always in a rush, and simply courtesy is almost a thing of the past, Jack is a great example for all drivers (and people) not to mention being the person we would want transporting our own mothers and fathers.

In 1996, Jack Kitchen was chosen as one of the recipients during Random Acts of Kindness Week. An article in the Southeast Missourian referred to Jack as the "Cabbie with a Heart." The article states, "The people Jack Kitchen drive in his cab become more like family than faces. The kindnesses he bestows on others are just part of the job for Kitchen, who drives the wheelchair-lift van for Kelley Transportation Co. But Pat Glueck, area administrator for Renal Treatment Center, Inc., in Cape Girardeau, says Kitchen goes above and beyond what most expect of a cab driver. Kitchen is a regular at the Center, bringing patients for dialysis treatments. He has time for everyone and makes them feel special in their own way, Glueck said. He cares and you can tell. He treats these people almost like they are his family."

Jack Kitchen began driving a lift-equipped van for Kelley Transportation in 1989. He says he enjoys driving people with disabilities because they appreciate the service. "You make good friends with so many of these people," he says. "I think to be a good driver for the elderly and disabled, you have to be calm, patient, not high-tempered and kind. Kind is a must. You have to be levelheaded, and don't get in too big of a hurry. You need to have a good heart and be willing to get out and help people. A good sense of humor doesn¹t hurt."

Jack was born, raised, and still resides in Cape Girardeau. He and his wife Jeanie have been married for 37 years. They have a daughter and two grandsons. When he¹s not working, Jack enjoys gardening, watching his grandsons play baseball and soccer, and hunting with his squirrel and coon dogs.

For his dedication to his profession and family, and the kindness he has shown to each of his clients, the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association is proud to name "the cabbie with a heart," Jack Kitchen, as the TLPA 2001 Paratransit & Contracting Driver of the Year.

http://www.tlpa.org/
The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association is the international trade association that represents taxicab, limousine, sedan, airport shuttle, paratransit, and nonemergency medical fleets worldwide. TLPA Driver of the Year Awards are presented annually to taxicab, limousine & sedan, and paratransit fleet drivers judged to be outstanding by a committee of professional transportation fleet operators.

Here is a document about Portland taxicab problems

THE TAXICAB INDUSTRY IN "CRISIS"
An Overview of taxicab regulations in Portland, Oregon
By: Sean F. Ghassemi, President PMDA
There is a "crisis" in the taxicab industry in Portland. This crisis was not created overnight. It is an ongoing process that has been ignored for a long time by the authorities and people in charge of this industry. When, almost ten years ago, Broadway Cab Company, the largest and the oldest cab company in town filed for bankruptcy and caused all it's drivers to lose their lifetime investments. Nobody in the City of Portland paid any attention. That, itself, was enough to City officials to raise the red flag and question the management style of Broadway Cab. But, they didn't. All they did was to allow a single company, "Trax" (owned by Broadway Cab) to jump in and acquire Broadway Cab Company in its entireties. Whatever connection and 'behind closed doors' activity caused that, is history today. But, that itself was a starting point in igniting the early flames of anger, frustration of so many drivers who lost all their stocks and investments. A majority of long-term drivers were either fired by the new management or quit in exasperation, or had to "shut-up" in reaction to the tyrannical management style with an iron fist to avoid retaliation which resulted in "termination of lease contracts" or simply said, to be terminated from driving.
The changes to Portland Taxicab regulations in 1998 and City's apparent willingness to allow two new taxicab companies to enter the market unfortunately did not address more structural problems within the industry. The structural problems and City's "hands-off" policy in monitoring the cab companies and reluctance to address the real issues, lack of enforcement of rules and regulation, has turned the taxicab industry into a real "crisis".
Taxicabs are an integral part of a city's image. Taxicab industry by far, with a good administration, has the potential to be a key part of the urban transportation system. A well-functioning taxi system also is a valuable resource for visitors, business people, the community at large, the elderly, and the disabled. Taxi system increases the mobility of the population, taxis can offer a viable alternative to the private automobile and a supplement to the public transit system. A good administered and functional taxi system in any city and its use can contribute to economic development and quality of life.
The purpose section of the taxicab regulations of the city of Portland (16.40.001) clearly indicated that: "The purpose of this chapter is to provide for safe, fair, and efficient operation of taxicab. The taxicab industry should be allowed to operate without unnecessary restraint. However, taxicabs constitutes an essential part of the City's transportation system and because transportation so fundamentally effects the City's well-being and that of its citizens, some restriction is necessary to ensure that public safety is protected, the public need provided and the public convenience promoted. It is not the purpose of this chapter to displace competition with regulation of a monopoly public service." On the contrary, the business conduct and performance of the taxicab companies and the overall City regulations and conduct of City authorities toward this purpose does not support the goal of the regulation.
City of Portland has created highly concentrated industry with no incentive or opportunity to compete. Ordinance 16.40.215.d.2 is to ensure that only companies serious about providing quantitative and qualitative services to consumer can obtain permits or maintain the permits they have. In reality, the City and taxicab regulations, along with lack of monitoring and enforcement have created the problems that give rise to more and more regulations, without any solution offered. Because of extra regulations that resulted in monopoly public service, cost of driving taxicab is on the rise. The major cost to the drivers, which in turn impacts the total cost of taxi rides to the public and the taxpayer. (Taxi companies contracting with public school systems and Tri-Met for Tri-Met Lift system.), includes the "kitty". The "kitty" or the weekly fee in fact is the price of monopoly permit that drivers pay to the companies. These monopolies are created by the taxi regulation that are being imposed upon the total cost of taxi rider-ship. The cost of driving a taxicab includes "kitty", add to that cost of gasoline, which the driver must purchase and if the driver owns his/her vehicle, add to that the cost of maintenance and repair of the vehicle. By adding al these, one finds that a driver faces a daily $120.00 deficit before leaving the company parking lot to begin a work shift.
All of these are provided as a platform by the city regulations, to the taxicab companies to freely abuse the system and take full advantage of the drivers. Due to these vague and inconsistent regulations in the major part of the taxicab industry, a taxi company is not longer in the business of being a taxicab and transporting the public. Instead, it is a "leasing company" in the business not to serve the public, rather to "leases" or to "sell spots", the monopoly permits to the drivers. A licensed driver is no longer an employee, working for the cab company, instead a "self-employed lessee" or "independent contractor". A work contract is now a "lease agreement". When a driver is discharged from work, he or she is not fired, rather his or her "driver's agreement" is terminated.
Under the brand of "independent contractor" or "self-employed lessee", drivers are not entitled to unionize (for their own protection against this type of company abuse) or to obtain any statutory employee benefits such as: contribution by employers into the social security fund, payment of unemployment insurance, disability, worker's compensation, let alone any retirement or health benefits. City of Portland requires the cab drivers to obtain a business license for a business they don't own or operate and ironically the business name indicate "Taxicab Driver".
The city officials (Bureau of Licensing which oversees the taxi industry) is in the assumption that these serious companies will not risk their permits by operating their services in a manner contrary to the public interest. City of Portland treats these permits to the companies as a type of a contract, between the companies and the city. By managing supply through the companies rather than issuing permits to individuals [with business licenses], the city is avoiding micro-managing and fragmenting of the taxi industry.
This makes it easier and less expansive to administer the taxi industry. In other words, this mess is called a lazy municipal bureaucracy. In reality, the prohibition of independent operators not only decreased the economic efficiency, it has declined customer service. In this system, drivers have no rights and nobody cares. City only recognizes the companies as legitimate owners of the cabs and have all the rights.
In most cities here in the United States, drivers own their permit for the taxicabs they drive. The taxicabs are being treated as an entity. The cab drivers are truly business people which should have a business license for their business as cab owner, not a cab driver. For driving a taxicab, there are rigid tests that must meet before anyone can obtain a license to operate a vehicle for hire. In Portland, cab companies hire anyone who has a "good driving record", and this is because their insurance company requires that, otherwise that wouldn't even be an issue. The drivers hired enter to driving unable to deal with increasingly higher "kitty", they have to pay every week. They quit before they learn how to be professional cabbies. In comparison, turnover at Radio Cab where a large number of drivers also owners, is approximately 10% to 20% per year, compared to 80% at Broadway Cab where all licenses are owned by the company. Taxicab operations for drivers have become like revolving door. Drivers enter the trade with little or no training or requirements and no knowledge of routes to various destinations. They exit due to high cost of "kitty" without taking the profession seriously.
This is hurting the customers. If the purpose of taxicab regulation was to create a safe, fair and efficient operation of taxicab industry in city of Portland, instead the action of these companies which were supposed to provide service to customers and the public at large have become monopoly "car leasing" and money grabbing companies. If the purpose of taxicab regulation were to promote innovation and adaptation to changing needs and… allow competing. Lack of effective competition and inconsistency of the number of permits amongst the companies have created shortage of certain type of services and have stifled innovation. Except Radio Cab, none of the existing cab companies have any motivation to invest in advertising and customer service [and marketing], let alone innovations. As a result, they have reduced the industry employment, created sweatshop conditions of work for the drivers.
In the driver agreement to lease a vehicle (to be able to work for a company), or "the taxicab lease agreement", there are paragraphs in artificial legal language devoted to a denial that an employee-employer relationship between the cab companies and the drivers exist, this accompanied by a declaration that the person signing the "agreement" is not entitled to any statutory employee benefits and will not ask for them. Furthermore, in the "lease agreement", the driver is assigned to work a shift, ordered to follow certain rules and regulations of the "leasing company", and committed to follow a variety of company policies. Surprisingly, no policy books ever exist and most of the policies are spontaneous.
If one asks why work relationship and conditions are contained in a contract that is suppose to be nothing more than a lease (the term that should essentially deal with rental period and price). The answer is that the "lease agreement is unmitigated fraud, a cover to disguise the true status of the employed driver forced to sign it as a condition of work, backed by the city rules and regulations.
While the City of Portland practicing easier and less expansive method of administering the taxicab system, these companies by paying only a minimal amount of $100.00 per number of permits annually are cashing in millions of dollars in net profit. While the drivers are making $6.00 to 11.50 per hour, according to the Oregon Employment Department, and working long hours of 16-18 hours a day, these companies at the mercy of the City regulations and their buddies in the city Hal are looking for ways to maximize profit at any cost, but cutting services to the public and cutting the drivers share of the market [stealing from drivers].
The situation will change if there were only one category of cab drivers: INDEPENDENT PERMIT OWNER DRIVER. Driver who own their cabs and permits tend to keep them in good shape, take care of business in the city, cultivate passengers by treating them with politeness and adopt the trade at their life's work. [getting personals]. Freed from pressure of high cost of paying for monopoly permits system of cab companies, called "kitty", drivers do not feel compelled to work long hours of 16-18 hours, which creates danger to the drivers, their passengers and the community [other drivers], and they avoid accidents.
In order to address the problems and the crisis created in the taxicab industry, the City of Portland needs to act decisively [and immediate]. The current taxicab Board of Review is out of touch with realities and difficulties of the taxicab industry in Portland. The current crisis needs to be addressed through an unbiased Task Force. The Task Force's goal should be to increase the level of overall service to the community and to improve working conditions for drivers. Through a process of debate, this Task Force can develop many well-reasoned recommendations to these crisis.


Really Helpful Internet Taxi Links

http://www.taxi-l.org -- Comprehensive site on taxis, taxi safety, Independent Contractor info, and much more.

http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/taxidriversofamerica -- Yahoo interactive club where you can post messages regarding taxi issues

http://www.taxicab.co.uk -- United Kingdom Taxi Site which links you to taxi sites in countries other than US

http://209.86.243.205/page1.html -- Atlanta Georgia Website -- Welcome to Atlanta's best driving resource. It is a collection of the finest drivers who offer their driving services and also a collection of resources useful to anyone who drives in the Atlanta area. We are constantly updating the site and encourage your input and feedback. Since 1997 we have searched hundreds of thousands of webpages and bookmarked 550+ of the best links which make up this website.

http://www.taxicabusa.com -- Part of CoachUSA site. 18 states have taxicabusa service.

http://www.licenses.ci.portland.or.us/Regulatory/Taxi/taxi.htm -- For taxi regulations in Portland

http://195.92.250.96/pco/taxi4.htm -- London Taxi Website

http://www.portofportland.com -- In case you need something from the Port of Portland, here is their site.

http://www.linkupalaska.com/usa -- Lots of governmental information on all states in US

http://www.sfgov.org/taxicommission/agendas.htm -- San Francisco's Taxicab Commission Agendas

http://www.cityofseattle.net/finance/consumer/fstaxi.htm -- Start here for Seattle's taxicab inspection program. Search "taxicab" for more taxi information in Seattle, WA.

http://www.taxidriversafety.org -- taxi site on safety in US.

http://www.taxi-l.org/portland01.htm -- Check out this 1998 paper: "An Economic Analysis of
Taxicab Regulation in Portland, Oregon"

O.k...so Rosey has been busy while I've been missing. I didn't mean to be missing, just one 'puter problem after the next. It's always something... As a dispatcher, I've been having problems of my own. Recently the company has hired a whole new flock of drivers. Most have NO experience.
The fun part of all that is giving directions on rudimentary procedures to new drivers. Or helping them find hospitals, bars, etc. Of course while this is happpening I also have to keep the rest of the force working. And answer the phones. I am now working 3-11 which is the prime time shift for drivers as far as I am concerned. I have most recently been, and am strill a day time driver, but my heart lies with the evening drivers. That's where the money is. I have always worked the evening hours as a driver and appreciate what they go through. When I was an overnight driver I heard the best stories from my customers. And found myself in the most interesting scenerios. Now, as a dispatcher, I find that all that is true...the public has demands, and then some! What I am having difficulty with as a dispatcher now is the fact that I have so many new drivers, coddled old drivers, and drivers that want to make a difference and are finding that they can't get through the "old boy" network. So many old drivers won't accept them, no matter how hard they try. It's really unfair, especially when I have to make people wait for their cab because they won't ride with one of the old boys. So many people want nothing to do with them, as opposed to our new drivers. I get requests all the time for one of the new drivers, or another. They add a "spark" to the business, a liveliness, and bloodlust that is missing from the old boys attitudes. The old boys could learn a couple of things from the new drivers. And the new drivers had better learn a couple of things from the old drivers!

FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
INTERESTING FACTS AND AT THE VERY LEAST ...A GOOD READ....WEBSITE http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos245.htm
ENJOY*

Significant Points

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs can work all schedules, including full-time, part-time, night, evening, and weekend work.
Job opportunities will be good because replacement needs are high(many people work in these jobs for short periods.
Many taxi drivers and chauffeurs like the independent, unsupervised work of driving their automobile.


Nature of the Work [About this section] Top

Anyone who has been in a large city knows the importance of taxi and limousine service. Taxi drivers, also known as cab drivers, help passengers get to and from their homes, workplaces, and recreational pursuits such as dining, entertainment, and shopping. They also help out-of-town business people and tourists get around in new surroundings.
At the start of their driving shift, taxi drivers usually report to a taxicab service or garage where they are assigned a vehicle, most frequently a large, conventional automobile modified for commercial passenger transport. They record their name, work date, and cab identification number on a trip sheet. Drivers check the cab's fuel and oil levels, and make sure the lights, brakes, and windshield wipers are in good working order. Drivers adjust rear and side mirrors and their seat for comfort. Any equipment or part not in good working order is reported to the dispatcher or company mechanic.

Taxi drivers pick up passengers in one of three ways: cruising the streets to pick up random passengers; prearranged pickups; and pickups from taxi stands established in highly trafficked areas. In urban areas, the majority of passengers hail or "wave down" drivers cruising the streets. Customers may also prearrange a pickup by calling a cab company and giving a location, approximate pick up time, and destination. The cab company dispatcher then relays the information to a driver by two-way radio, cellular telephone, or on-board computer. Outside of urban areas, the majority of trips are dispatched in this manner. Drivers also pick up passengers waiting at cabstands or in taxi lines at airports, train stations, hotels, and other places where people frequently seek taxis.

Some drivers transport individuals with special needs, such as those with disabilities and the elderly. These drivers, also known as paratransit drivers, operate specially equipped vehicles designed to accommodate a variety of needs in nonemergency situations. Although special certification is not necessary, some additional training on the equipment and passenger needs may be required.

Drivers should be familiar with streets in the areas they serve so they can use the most efficient route to destinations. They should know the locations of frequently requested destinations, such as airports, bus and railroad terminals, convention centers, hotels, and other points of interest. In case of emergency, the driver should also know the location of fire and police stations and hospitals.

Upon reaching the destination, drivers determine the fare and announce it to the rider. Fares often consist of many parts. In many cabs, a taximeter measures the fare based on the length of the trip and the amount of time the trip took. Drivers turn the taximeter on when passengers enter the cab and turn it off when they reach the final destination. The fare also may include a surcharge for additional passengers, a fee for handling luggage, or a drop charge—an additional flat fee added for the use of the cab. In some cases, fares are determined by a system of zones through which the taxi passes during a trip. Each jurisdiction determines the rate and structure of the fare system covering licensed taxis. Passengers generally add a tip or gratuity to the fare. The amount of the gratuity depends on the passengers' satisfaction with the quality and efficiency of the ride and courtesy of the driver. Drivers issue receipts upon request from the passenger. They enter onto the trip sheet all information regarding the trip, including the place and time of pick-up and drop-off and the total fee. These logs help check the driver's activity and efficiency. Drivers also must fill out accident reports when necessary.

Chauffeurs operate limousines, vans, and private cars for limousine companies, private businesses, government agencies, and wealthy individuals. This service differs from taxi service in that all trips are prearranged. Many chauffeurs transport customers in large vans between hotels and airports, bus, or train terminals. Others drive luxury automobiles, such as limousines, to business events, entertainment venues, and social events. Still others provide full-time personal transportation for wealthy families and private companies.

At the start of the workday, chauffeurs ready their automobiles or vans for use. They inspect the vehicle for cleanliness and, when needed, vacuum the interior and wash the exterior body, windows, and mirrors. They check fuel and oil levels and make sure the lights, tires, brakes, and windshield wipers work. Chauffeurs may perform routine maintenance and make minor repairs, such as changing tires or adding oil and other fluids when needed. If a vehicle requires more complicated repair, they take it to a professional mechanic.

Chauffeurs cater to passengers with attentive customer service and a special regard for detail. They help riders into the car by holding open doors, holding umbrellas when raining, and loading packages and luggage into the trunk of the car. They may perform errands for their employers such as delivering packages or picking up clients arriving at airports. Many chauffeurs offer conveniences and luxuries in their limousines to insure a pleasurable ride, such as newspapers, magazines, music, drinks, televisions, and telephones. A growing number of chauffeurs work as full-service executive assistants, simultaneously acting as driver, secretary, and itinerary-planner.



Working Conditions [About this section] Top

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs occasionally have to load and unload heavy luggage and packages. Driving for long periods can be tiring and uncomfortable, especially in densely populated urban areas. Drivers must be alert to conditions on the road, especially in heavy and congested traffic or in bad weather. They must take precautions to prevent accidents and avoid sudden stops, turns, and other driving maneuvers that would jar passengers. Taxi drivers also risk robbery because they work alone and often carry large amounts of cash.
Work hours of taxi drivers and chauffeurs vary greatly. Some jobs offer full-time or part-time employment with work hours that can change from day to day or remain the same every day. It is often necessary for drivers to report to work on short notice. Chauffeurs who work for a single employer may be on call much of the time. Evening and weekend work are common for limousine and taxicab services.

The needs of the client or employer dictate the work schedule for chauffeurs. The work of taxi drivers is much less structured. Working free from supervision, they may break for a meal or a rest whenever their vehicle is unoccupied. This occupation is attractive to individuals seeking flexible work schedules, such as college and postgraduate students. Similarly, other service workers such as ambulance drivers and police officers often consider moonlighting as taxi drivers and chauffeurs.

Full-time taxi drivers usually work one shift a day, which may last from 8 to 12 hours. Part-time drivers may work half a shift each day, or work a full shift once or twice a week. Drivers may work shifts at all times of the day and night, because most taxi companies offer services 24 hours a day. Early morning and late night shifts are common. Drivers work long hours during holidays, weekends, and other special events that support heavier demand for their services. Independent drivers, however, often set their own hours and schedules.

Design improvements in newer cabs have reduced stress and increased the comfort and efficiency of drivers. Many regulators require standard amenities such as air conditioning and general upkeep of the vehicles. Modern taxicabs also are sometimes equipped with sophisticated tracking devices, fare meters, and dispatching equipment. Satellites and tracking systems link many of these state-of-the-art vehicles with company headquarters. In a matter of seconds, dispatchers can deliver directions, traffic advisories, weather reports, and other important communications to drivers anywhere in the transporting area. The satellite link-up also allows dispatchers to track vehicle location, fuel consumption, and engine performance. Drivers can easily communicate with dispatchers to discuss delivery schedules and courses of action should there be mechanical problems. For instance, automated dispatch systems help dispatchers locate the closest driver to a customer in order to maximize efficiency and quality of service. When threatened with crime or violence, drivers may have special "trouble lights" to alert authorities of emergencies and guarantee that help arrives quickly.

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs meet many different types of people. Dealing with rude customers and waiting for passengers requires patience. Many municipalities and taxicab and chauffeur companies require taxi drivers to wear clean and neat clothes. Many chauffeurs wear formal attire such as a tuxedo, a coat and tie, a dress, or a uniform and cap.


Employment [About this section] Top

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs held about 176,000 jobs in 2000. Almost one-third worked for local and suburban passenger transportation and taxicab companies. Others worked for service oriented companies such as automotive dealers, automotive rental agencies, hotels, healthcare facilities, and social services agencies. About 27 percent were self-employed.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement [About this section] Top

Local governments set license standards and requirements for taxi drivers and chauffeurs that include minimum qualifications for driving experience and training. Many taxi and limousine companies set higher standards than required by law. It is common for companies to review applicants' medical, credit, criminal, and driving records. In addition, many companies require a higher minimum age and prefer that drivers be high school graduates.
Persons interested in driving a limousine or taxicab must first have a regular automobile driver's license. They also must acquire a chauffeur or taxi driver's license, commonly called a "hack" license. Local authorities generally require applicants for a hack license to pass a written exam or complete a training program that may include up to 80 hours of classroom instruction. To qualify through either an exam or a training program, applicants must know local geography, motor vehicle laws, safe driving practices, regulations governing taxicabs, and display some aptitude for customer service. Many training programs include a test on English proficiency, usually in the form of listening comprehension; applicants who do not pass the English exam must take an English course along with the formal driving program. In addition, some classroom instruction includes route management, map reading, and service for passengers with disabilities. Many taxicab or limousine companies sponsor applicants and give them a temporary permit that allows them to drive, although they may not yet have finished the training program or passed the test. However, some jurisdictions, such as New York City, have discontinued this practice and now require driver applicants to complete the licensing process before operating a taxi or limousine.

Some taxi and limousine companies give new drivers on-the-job training. They show drivers how to operate the taximeter and communications equipment, and how to complete paperwork. Other topics covered may include driver safety and popular sightseeing and entertainment destinations. Many companies have contracts with social service agencies and transportation services to transport elderly and disabled citizens in non-emergency situations. To support these services, new drivers may get special training on how to handle wheelchair lifts and other mechanical devices.

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs should be able to get along with many different types of people. They must be patient when waiting for passengers or when dealing with rude customers. It is also helpful for drivers to be tolerant and have even tempers when driving in heavy and congested traffic. Drivers should be dependable because passengers rely on them to be picked up at a prearranged time and taken to the correct destination. To be successful, drivers must be responsible and self-motivated because they work with little supervision. Increasingly, companies encourage drivers to develop their own loyal customer base to improve their businesses.

The majority of taxi drivers and chauffeurs are called "lease drivers." Lease drivers pay a daily, weekly, or monthly fee to the company allowing them to lease their vehicle. In the case of limousines, leasing also allows the driver access to the company's dispatch system. The fee may also include a charge for vehicle maintenance, insurance, and a deposit on the vehicle. Lease drivers may take their cars home with them when they are not on duty.

Opportunities for advancement are limited for taxi drivers and chauffeurs. Experienced drivers may obtain preferred routes or shifts. Some advance to dispatcher or manager jobs; others may start their own limousine company. On the other hand, many drivers like the independent, unsupervised work of driving their automobile.

In small and medium-size communities, drivers are sometimes able to buy their taxi, limousine, or other type of automobile and go into business for themselves. These independent owner-drivers require an additional permit allowing them to operate their vehicle as a company. Some big cities limit the number of operating permits. In these cities, drivers become owner-drivers by buying permits from owner-drivers who leave the business. Although many owner-drivers are successful, some fail to cover expenses and eventually lose their permit and automobile. Good business sense and courses in accounting, business, and business arithmetic can help an owner-driver become successful. Knowledge of mechanics enables owner-drivers to perform routine maintenance and minor repairs to cut expenses.


Job Outlook [About this section] Top

Persons seeking jobs as taxi drivers and chauffeurs should encounter good opportunities. Many job openings will occur each year as drivers transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. However, opportunities for drivers vary greatly in terms of earnings, work hours, and working conditions, depending on economic and regulatory conditions. Opportunities should be best for persons with good driving records and the ability to work flexible schedules.
Employment of taxi drivers and chauffeurs is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010, as local and suburban travel increases with population growth. Employment growth will also stem from Federal legislation requiring increased services for persons with disabilities. Opportunities should be best in rapidly growing metropolitan areas.

Job opportunities can fluctuate from season to season and from month to month. Extra drivers may be hired during holiday seasons and peak travel and tourist times. During economic slowdowns, drivers are seldom laid off but they may have to increase their working hours, and earnings may decline somewhat. In economic upturns, job openings are numerous as drivers leave the occupation for other opportunities.


Earnings [About this section] Top

Earnings of taxi drivers and chauffeurs vary greatly, depending on the number of hours worked, customers' tips, and other factors. Median hourly earnings of salaried taxi drivers and chauffeurs, including tips, were $8.19 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $6.68 and $10.46 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $5.86, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $13.47 an hour. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of taxi drivers and chauffeurs in 2000 were as follows:

Local and suburban transportation $8.58
Taxicabs 8.34 S
Automotive rentals, no drivers 7.93
Hotels and motels 7.51
Personnel supply services 6.63


According to limited information available, the majority of self-employed taxi owner-drivers earned from about $20,000 to $30,000 annually, including tips. However, professional drivers with a regular clientele often earn more. Many chauffeurs who worked full time earned from about $25,000 to $50,000, including tips. Earnings were generally higher in urban areas.

Related Occupations [About this section] Top

Other workers who have similar jobs include ambulance drivers, except emergency medical technicians; busdrivers; and truckdrivers and driver/sales workers.

Sources of Additional Information [About this section] Top

Disclaimer: Links to non-BLS Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Information on licensing and registration of taxi drivers and chauffeurs is available from offices of local governments regulating taxicabs. For information about work opportunities as a taxi driver or chauffeur, contact local taxi or limousine companies or State employment service offices.
For general information about the work of taxi drivers and the taxi industry, contact:

Taxi, Limousine, and Paratransit Association, 3849 Farragut Ave., Kensington, MD 20895.
For general information about the work of limousine drivers, contact:

National Limousine Association, 2365 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite A325, Lexington, KY 40504. Telephone (tollfree): 800-652-7007.


Selected industries employing taxi drivers and chauffeurs that appear in the 2002-03 Career Guide to Industries:

Health services
Hotels and other lodging places
Personnel supply services
Social services, except child care

How is it that some days/nights never get started til late? I mean, how is it that a cabbie is so far out of sync that the first decent fare comes 1-2 hours after starting? This is what I was going through tonight. For one, I am WAY to nice of a cab driver. I believe people and I expect them to believe me....case in point: A Spanish dude comes up to me at Cubbies in the Market...says he needs to go to the Airport..but not til 10:30 (It is 9:00)...I sezs..OK...I vil be Baacckk in my best Arnold S voice...he don't get it...maybe that is why he screwed me good...I come back (leaving the feeder at the Port when I was 3rd up...*dumb in anybodys book*...but I wanted to treat the dude right...after all I said that I vill be baaacckkk...) at 10:30 and he sez his partner isn't there...I am pissed but gave him a card with instructions to call...he seemed like a good guy......I go back to the port and get up to 3rd at the canopy...WHOOEEE Prime Time mama....and I see Spanish prick riding not only in another cab but in a Happy cab...Godddammiiittt. Live and frickin learn (I am a sloooowwww learner I guess) Well shit, I am gonna start publishing this rag more now that we are on some search engines and on the www.taxidriversofamerica.org site. Check it out...we are one of the few good links on that second page where it says Taxi Links...Gotta go do the Sunday morning pickups to the port...1 at 3:45...the 4:15, 4:30, 5:00, and 5:30...pretty good platefull this morning...maybe I can make my lease before the sun comes up over the big "O"

E-Mail addresses

Colleen stargoddess61@msn.com
Rosie trose@cox.net

We need more posters...If you know someone that drives a taxi in the Omaha area...or just drives a taxi ANYWHERE...drop me or Colleen a line and we will set you up to publish...(Of course, we have editorial power to censor any shit we don't like...haha (Just Kidding!))

Things have been very boring for me..Thats the Airport fares,,,,non-exciting, but good cash flow...I am not making much more than I did at Safeway, but I have MUCH more freedom and flexibility in my life. The only problem that I encounter is "working WAY too many hours...and that will change here shortly as I am going to set up a schedule for my working days/hours. AND, have to be very disciplined in doing so. My eyes are getting terrible and I don't know what to do about it. Any suggestions?? Some people say that wearing glasses TOO much will cause your eyes to weaken and I feel that it is very possibe that this is true because if I wear my glasses for long periods, and take them off for a while, my eyesight is shit! Like I asked, ....suggestions?

I lost two very good "Personals" this week that accounted for 1/3 of my weekly lease payments. SHIT.. SHIT! but life goes on, and I will get more...I only wish that I would have taken more business with me from Safewwaaayyyyyy. Just kiddinjg!

I have been picking up booze for a "personal" but I have had to put a stop to it because he was not getting any sunshine or even coming out of his apartment building (that I knew of)...I have been delivering and making it easy for him to drink everyday without having to go to the store, getting properly dressed, or even associating with ANY humans other than me....bad deal there....I like the guy, but he is looking terrible and I am starting to feel guilty for letting him get so run down...I hope this helps him...It is no good on my wallet, but I DO have some ethics and morals left....not many ...but some...hehe

C'mon Colleen...Happy Ma's day and please write more...I love your dispatcher tales...(tell us about the new radios....)
Peace to ALL
Rosie*

Haven't blogged lately, but I saw Rosie on the streets today (in that OTHER cab company's taxi) :) and I had to admit I was having a lousy day that got a little better just running into him. There is a certain camraderie that exists between most of the drivers no matter who you work for. And while I'd be the first to admit I have not always felt "love" for my fellow taxi drivers, I would never want to see them injured in the line of duty, nor do I like hearing how they've been mistreated by the public. I know the stories all to well.
Last night one of our guys was thoroughly abused and I wish I had been dispatching when it all started. This guy is very nice to everyone, so I guess he also needs to learn when to say "enough" , but in the course of his evening he was given several calls that included helping people move very many (some heavy) objects. It seemed to be like that for him on several calls in a row to the point that the dispatcher started calling him "one guy and a taxi" as a play on the moving company Two Guys and a Truck. People should realize that while we will help with some items we are NOT a moving company. Get a truck.
Also last night we had an all too familiar story when one of our guys had a run out in North O. I hate to stereotype here, but that's the problem with servicing North Omaha...then people who live there say we're racist..not just us but all the cab companies here in town. The reality of it is we keep servicing the area and our drivers keep having run outs. In this case tho I had told the customer money up front and I had also told the driver. Then I made sure I said it over the air when the driver had the customer in the cab. But the driver didn't collect, instead he trusted the customer. His trust was obviously misguided. As soon as he stopped the cab the guy bolted. Sometimes drivers should learn to trust their dispatchers a little. I try hard to make these guys money but I can't help a driver that won't let me. And then again customers should ALWAYS pay their bill, it shouldn't be an issue.

I picked up a man from the airport that was traveling with a cockapoo named *******. With my quick wit and un-dying love for all dogs, both 2 and 4 legged, the hound and I became quick buddies. During our travels to West Maple Street, the owner informed me that dog disliked all strangers and that I was the only one who could pet this dog...my god, it was sleeping on my lap! So now, I have A DOGGY personal to go get its hair done this week. Will this job ever be boring? I hope not.

FYI:
Three weeks ago...
A well dressed young man leaves Citywalk, located in Universal
Studios - Orlando, Florida.

Goes to the Universal Studios Taxi Stand and is loaded by the Taxicab
Starter to the upper-scale neighborhood of Metro West.

Driver takes customer to Metro West.

Customer pulls gun...robs driver...lets him keep the cab.

----------------
Although robberies of Orlando area based taxicab drivers and the
temporary theft of their vehicles is not uncommon, drivers do not
expect to be robbed when their customers have just exited a
claimed "safe environment".

Kinda' scary to think that the guy was in a major attraction while
carrying a concealed firearm.

http://www.OrlandoTaxicabs.com

An out of towner, several people signed on as regulars, and cabbin' at the Port (Eppley)...More to come

I'm going to try this again...been having a lot of trouble trying to blog lately. The thing just doesn't like me. I've written some good stuff, and I'll probably write some more sometime. (This might not be that time)

Business has really been off lately. The end of the month always hurts. And now the weather is getting nice. Don't know if that'll help or hurt. Lately there have been lots of wars over the way orders are dispatched now that we've got a former dispatcher driving for us that is stirring up the drivers on how things get done. I like this guy (in fact I use to date him) but I don't like the constant on-air battle he brings to the job. I think MOST of our dispatchers are fair. And the way our dispatch works there is a lot of room for the dispatcher to move cabs the way he or she wants to. On the other hand we do have a few hard and fast rules. With every driver constantly questioning dispatch ALL the time, it limits my ability to be fair...not to mention it is shortening even MY temper, and I'm not easily pissed off. I have no problem with a procedural question. What I'm having trouble with is the fact that some of these guys tell me they "know" a call came off this or that stand, when they've been driving a cab for all of a week, a month, possibly even two whole months, and can barely find their way from one call to the next, let alone know the city well enough to determine all the lines of the stands and how the default stands work. I try to be even tempered, fair and flexible, but if there's too much shit while I'm trying to do my job, just like anyone else, eventually I'll have to get very hard core with the rules and procedures. Drivers should realize that there's a lot more going on in dispatch then what they hear over the air. I have a lot of other responsibilities and don't have the time to constantly explain my job to them. I know cab driving is stressful, dangerous, and can make a sane person crazy, after all that's part of the appeal, right? And I know that when I'm out there driving I can get less than enchanted with my dispatcher, but I also know that driving a cab is a crap shoot. Some days you're on, and some days you're not. We're all out there trying to make a buck or two, and sometimes it's good, sometimes it's REAL bad. As a dispatcher I try to spread the good calls around as best I can. But I can't predict what people do. A fare can tell me on the phone that they're going 15 miles then tell the driver they just want to go get beer. I can't force them to go where they said they were going. And I can't take a bad cab driver and force him to be better. This industry can be tough. But a driver either gets better, and resourceful...or he gets out.

Well, the new life is here...(everyone said I would starve...I just lost a few pounds the first day...yuk.yuk) ...its the same as the "Other company...."The eternal Cabbie Hustle"....Someone smarter than me has said...."It's a different kind 'o cabbin"...it sure is....Well off for my second (AND first complete day)...seeya

Playing hooky from work tonight. I have been perplexed....Quiting a company that I like... to go become a lease driver for a company that does not have the business that my company has,... sounds like a REAL dumb ass idea. Bu...ttt (there is ALWAYS a "BUT"....) the flexibility of leasing a cab is just too appealing. AND...(There is often an ..."AND"...) with my personality and vast knowledge (O, GOD...Here I go again.....) of people, I feel that I can make it on my own. ...anyway.. Here is the bottom line...I want to try because, In my opinion, it is better to try and fail than to have NEVER tried at all. End of story. Now...
the highlights of last night...I lost 2 "ladies of the evening" (Crackwhores, I believe...) in a dead cell phone incident...another driver got real screwed up on some dope that the fares were smoking in the back seat of his cab....20 people get off at Amtrack and NOT one wanted a cab...story of my life....To Be continued...

I know if you're seeing a psychiatrist, the name of your doctor, if you're lonely, a pervert, where you shop, where you eat, where you go to church, whether you're gay or straight, where you work, where you get your hair done, what kind of liquor you drink, where you drink it, whether you play the stock market. I know if you're single, married, divorced, having an affair, play the lottery skipping school, running away. I know if you take drugs; where you buy them. I know if you're on your way to jail, getting out, visiting someone. I know your political affiliation, where you vote, where your church is, I know if your agnostic, heathen, the perfume you wear, if you smoke, quit,or hate smoking. I know if you have pets, their medical history, the condition of your property, if you're getting a tax refund, whether you pay or don't file. I know if you're a sportsman, a racist, a loner, a lover, a professional, a laborer or a bum. I know what you think of your boss, what you boss thinks of you. I know if you're cheating on your wife, or husband, how large your family is, where you were born, your nationality. I know if you are on disability, unemployment, pensioned, on welfare, retired military, won at the racetrack or bingo. I know if you're rich, poor, sad, or happy. I know your hospital, pharmacist, medications; whether you party or stay at home, your favorite music, the name of your pet, your mannerisms, your secret recipes, if you cook, are meek, mild, weak or strong. I know if you're a phony, a giver or taker and hundreds of other things we will keep between ourselves. I am the taxi driver. I see it all, especially when picking up at emergency rooms and police stations. I know what to expect beforehand: dope addicts, accident victims, rape victims, domestic disputes, barroom fighters, drug dealers, vagrants with no money, and those who just finally collapsed. I get more information than the doctors, paramedics, or the police about what happened. Before they get out of my taxicab I know their whole medical history and all their family problems. I know what lies they told to whom. Sometimes you feel like your vocation should have been that of a priest or a minister. But no, you're just a cabbie and
you know what you need to do.
So, get out there, and LET'S ROLL!!!

This was taken (without permission*) from the highlighted website below..Good Stuff...Please read the whole "Atlanta Let's Roll Program" before forming opinion..Peace

http://www.atlantadriver.com/cops.html ...

I have played hookey from work the last few days so I have nothing to write...I was so sick of Saturday night, that I just was burnt out. So I took off Sunday AND Monday (The first time I have taken off two days in a row for months)...so... I am refreshed and ready to start a new week starting tonight. *Peace*

Happy St. Patricks Day. Alcohol should be outlawed for the ignorant. A busy night on the eve of the big day brought out the worst in people. Or maybe it was just the fares I had in MY cab. But, with a new dispatcher, (whom by the way did a fairly good job considering the rush of orders between 10-2), and semi-concious customers, most drivers ended up with a good pocketful of cash. There were a few serious flaws in the system that left a couple of "old timers" picking up the crap, stale orders that provided them with a ton of VOIDS (personally, I had 6), or them being temporarily forgotton about. (I still didn't hear "The rest of the Story", as it happened. More details later) All in all, it was a safe night. One of our drivers (he always has the weird stuff happen to him) picked up a few cases of free candy that a kind movie-theater manager gave him. This provided the city with free samples of Peppermint Skittles in the early morning, which were generously passed out to drivers and customers alike...It was a good thing..(and something I am going to have to consider doing in the future) and a real ice-breaker with customers. Everyone seems to like candy and very few turned it down. My tips increased, everyone had a few sweet morsels, and in general, we all had a good time. (and he left a case in the drivers "lounge" Thanks Charlie).
Off to work...hi-ho...I hope no-one gets sick in my cab tonight...(I have to shake these negative thoughts!) haha

Last night was a fairly busy night, I think most of the drivers made some money. With this weekend being a holiday it should put a much needed boost into the pockets of all the drivers from all the cab companies. The only downfall of the night is the fact that I have to deal with so many new drivers on the radio. What that means is they do not know how to follow radio procedure very well at all, they have trouble finding things and need extra directions, and they don't have the answers their customers might need so they have to ask dispatch. On any regular night the amount of traffic on the air is not so bad so I have time to deal with all these things for my drivers. But on a busy night with lots of cabs on the road, there just isn't that kind of time and the airwaves get crowded. Last night several of the drivers got a crash course on proper radio procedure. One of my drivers actually put a couple out of the cab that he had picked up at the bus station because he couldn't clear it through dispatch. He had previously broken procedure when he had accidently stolen a trip that had been given to another driver. What he failed to understand was the difference between an assigned order and a pick up from a common area. I guess he was smarter to err on the side of procedure, but still it cost him money by not having the knowledge he needed to do his job the way it should be done. Just like so many other examples last night I was dealing with typical new driver mistakes. I felt like a mother hen presiding over the roost.
The flip side of that kind of night is how much better it is to stay busy and moving many cabs. Typically the middle of the night is not usually so busy and it's a rush to have a very busy night. This morning showed no signs of slowing down and I kept everyone busy until the end of my shift. Since it was busy so early this morning I decided to grab a cab and go drive. Through happenstance I got an out of town order as my first order of the morning. Just Glenwood Iowa, but it's a quick $46. Which brings me to another interesting point. The fact that some drivers are "fed" good orders. I can tell you I'm NOT one of those drivers, so it doesn't bother me to talk about it. I work for my money when I'm out driving. I run for orders, I log with my dispatcher, and I don't turn down any order, no matter what it is. That's the key to making money, especially in a city as small as Omaha. And as a dispatcher I don't feed any driver more than any other. I would like to think that every driver that works with me gets a few of the good orders of the night. That's what I try to do. It's not always easy to do since different drivers have different quirks, but it's good to be able to spread the good calls around. Which brings up something else. In this industry it's very common to have dispatchers on the take. I know, it's shocking...but yes, drivers have been know to pay off dispatchers. No one pays me to give them good orders. I wouldn't know how I would deal with this if I ran into it. When I was trained as a driver 18 years ago, the company I worked for had strict policies concerning bribes. The penalties were enforced and severe. I wish Omaha had such guidelines. The NPSC probably does, but I don't know how much they enforce them. And there are times you can "smell" the fix. It's just too ugly. Keep life simple and play by the big rules.
Well, that's it for me tonight. I had planned to go out and celebrate with the rest of the town, but turned out I was in staying home mode. One thing I've noticed about this job, you spend so much time being out with the public and socializing as part of the job, that when you get a chance to be home for a bit it feels good. I just wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

Yep, one of our own is leaving to drive for another company. With Omaha being only as big as it is and having three cab companies, it happens. Some very good friends of mine work for the "competition". It's all a matter of what you want to do, and how you want to do it. I wish Rosie much success in his move and hope to hear from him often.
In other recent news, I turned down an offer to move from the 11-7 shift to the 3-11 time slot yesterday. I intend to make that move sometime in the future, but I really do prefer working the late shift. I've always preferred being up all night and sleeping in the day. Some of us are just like that. The only thing that I would like more is to be as busy 11-7 as they are 3-11. I really like moving cabs and knowing my drivers are making money. But ALL the interesting stuff happens in the middle of the night. And I get to hear about it first.
Speaking of interesting stuff, last night there was a riot in the streets at midnight right here in Omaha. At one of the local hip-hop dj clubs apparently two girls started fighting and the next thing you know we've got a full fledged riot, tear gas toting cops and the whole works. Too wild! Haven't heard about it on the news to figure out exactly what the whole story was and how it finished playing out, but I'm sure we will at some point.
Also last night one of our drivers did something that is hardly ever done. He re-couped on a run out. He took a girl from a nice hotel in downtown to a nearby hospital not thinking to get money up front. She tells him she has to go inside to see her mom and get the money. After waiting a while he decides to go track her down. With the help of hospital security they found the girl (not with her mother but with her little gang banger boyfriend) and held her until the police showed up. She must have known someone there or something because it was a nurse that coughed up the money. I thought it was rather unique.
Reminds me of the story Rosie told me the other night. He had one of our regulars in the cab, a local hooker who is always short on the cab fare and had shorted Rosie in the past. She's shorted every driver that's ever hauled her, I think, including me. Well Rosie decides to not let her get away with it this time, and tells her about the money from before. As she's screaming what a dick he is, he accelerates instead of stopping at her destination and tells her either she pays him or the cab is not stopping till they get to the police station. She's furious at this point telling him how he can't do this and of course calling him the typical names. Meanwhile she's digging around for change and throwing it at the front windshield. By the time it was all over Rosie had his money, stopped the cab and she had to walk back to her destination. Makes you think there's just no money in being a crack whore in Omaha. Not when you have to scrounge change for cab fare. Not a good career choice.
Well, it's off to bed for a few hours then back to do it all again. I've only driven the cab once this week. Been trying to have a life outside of cabbin'. Still, I think I'll drive tomorrow for a while. I don't have to dispatch tomorrow so I think I'll try to soak up some of the money that should be available for this St. Patty's Day weekend. Then, after I work a bit, I'll go out and see what trouble I can find for the weekend!

Due to unforseen circumstances, I must become a lease driver for another cab company in the Metro area. But hey, cabbin is cabbin..hehe. You won't be disappointed in the future of this BLOG. In fact, I believe it will add a new dimension to our little enterprise here. Well, I have had 1 hour of sleep and tonight is the "MONEY" night. AND, Sunday is St. Pattys Day...Its gonna be a GREAT cabbin weekend. Goodnight.*Peace*

If the taxi customers of Omaha knew the business better, they probably would use Safeway a whole lot more. At our company, the business is family owned and operated. We have been in business for 43 years and take great pride in our cabbing history. Hundreds of past employees have (mostly) fond memories of their employment and the stories of Omaha past. We would love to find some of these past cabbies and dispatchers and get them to publish to this Blog. They don't even have to know how to type, we'll transcribe the stories. Our webpage here should undergo some changes in the next few weeks. Links to resturants, Omaha gossip and politics, The history of Omaha, and several other ideas have been discussed for the future. Please e-mail either of the founding fathers/mothers with your ideas. Oh yea: I did forget the stories of last Sunday night...maybe Colleen will post them...if not, I will try to querry the database of my brain for them....But, ....but

Armed Robbery is such a chickenshit crime. One of our drivers was held up on his Sunday night shift. Not big news if a cab driver is robbed. Only big news if he/she is murdered or seriously hurt. It part of the game and always in the back of the drivers minds. How to prevent? You cannot totally prevent robberies....but you can be aware of your surroundings, trust your instincts, and use a BUTTFULL of common sense...thats all. Humans have senses that are seldom understood, honed, or exercised. Good cabbies will feel this "Sixth Sense", and more important, use and TRUST IT! Mondays are historically good for me, (although I will be EXTRA cautious this evening and super-scrutinize every fare) and I expect tonight to be no different.

A couple of really good events happened last evening, and if I can remember to post them before I forget, readers will be quaintly amused (I hope!) *Peace*

Friday night we had some of the worse driving conditioners a cabbie could hope for :) Our guys came through it with flying colors! Only one broken down cab, no wrecks. Something to be said for the skill level of these guys at night. And of course the phone was ringing off the hook. Orders everywhere most of the night and well into the morning. Had to start telling people it was going to be an hour to an hour and a half before they could get a cab. Omahans were not amused. The night guys did another great night, some of the early morning day drivers were whining pretty hard about conditions, but they did what they had to do. One thing you can say about any driver that does this for very long is they're tough. These drivers get the job done. Saw on America's Most Wanted Saturday night how they said cabdriving is still the most dangerous profession out there. Cabbies are twice as likely to be killed in the line of duty as a police officer. And don't doubt it for a minute. The bad guys are out there. But Friday night our only culprit was the weather.
Most amusing thing that happened all night was about 5 am. One of the drivers dropped a passenger in Council Bluffs. I told him to go to Bluffs Run Casino to pick up. He was on the other side of CB, and asked for directions to the casino. I gave him precise directions, and considering this guy is not new to the area, or to driving a cab, I figured this was easy. Hehe. Half hour later he asks for directions again. He's managed to go in a big circle and found himself back where he started. The people he was to pick up are calling back..oh-oh. More directions. Half hour later he's completely over-shot the casino and is in no-man's land. People calling back (persistent, aren't they?) I try to smooth this over. After some discussion on the radio we decided he should probably hang it up for the night. Now he needs to know how to get back home. By this time the sun is rising. I tell him, "Sun is East, Nebraska is West, and you have to find a bridge to get across the river". Our hero takes a bit of time, but managed to find his way back. I re-sent the order for those poor folks waiting at the casino. If conditions hadn't been what they were, I would have had to re-send it much sooner while he bounced around Iowa. This job still amazes and amuses me.
One other note from Friday night. Got an angry call from a driver for another cab company. She's screaming at me about how one of our cabs just stole her fare at a hotel. We had calls there, they had calls there. May the best driver win! Oh yeah, that would be OUR driver. Tough luck, girly. Welcome to the ever competitive world of cab driving.

Sundays are historicaly slow...By ariving early (with special permission) I can ususally get out of there early. Time to catch up on my reading.

I dig my job. Driving at night is akin to therepy for the soul. The vast diversity of fares keeps it fresh and with an influx of andreneline at just the right moments to keep us safe, it's truly a yin/yang experience. Freezing drizzle thunderboomers kept everyone on their best driving behavior and I even got to do an out of towner during the storm. (If only I could have driven MY cab, the trip would have been perfect.) Such is the unexpected in this business. Took a night off tonight for reflection and mental stimulation...I need it!

I'll never do that again. After spending the last 30 minutes writing for this blog, the damned thing tells me I'm not signed in. Huh? Excuse me, yes I was. What did I do? I wrote the whole thing. I hit publish, and POOF! it's gone. Gone, gone. Did I save it? No. Did I even read it enough to re-write it the way I had? No. It's just gone. So here are the highlights...drivers work WAY too many hours, naked woman throwing shoes at cabby, it's dangerous on the streets at night, driver and hotel clerk tackle teens and shake them down for the owed cab fare while curious public watches, and one slip of what you're saying over the air and the whole night takes on humorous connotations. There, that pretty much does it. Till next time (and I won't make the same mistake again, these were GREAT stories!)

Why? When? How? What? Who? Back to the Why?...Why do I blog? Sanity... or the lack of it... or to keep me sane, I know not which. Sleep? I dislike it. I do not do speed or any keep awake drugs because I am goofy enough without those. Sleep is physically and mentally necessary but I don't enjoy it often due to my health (real, imagined, mental or physical)...I have finally accepted my insomnia and I know there are millions who have done the same. But I need more info...Loves? My children..step and natural...my beautiful wife...wonderful sense of humor, caring, sensitive, loving and complex...I will stay with her as long as she will have me...Love comes often, true love comes once..THAT I believe...Work...A totally bizarre and beautiful way to make a living...am going to have a hard time giving it up...if I do at all...I love all types of people and their stories...Cabbies that don't talk to their passengers are missing the beauty of the "WHY". I believe those poor cabbies once had that magic, or felt the magic, but lost it...very sad indeed. Some "rational, normal" humans seem to de-moralize, demean, and decry any career that is service orientated such as clerks, waitresses, hookers, strippers, cabdrivers, cooks, (are you seeing a pattern here?), and bartenders. Money? Money can make people evil....and I wish we could devise a way around it... in another place, we may not need any sort of monentary means...Think of all the misery and happiness that money brings...BUT, does money really bring happiness?...I would be fibbing if I said no...but I sincerely deplore the bullshit concept of money...it's power segregates, kills, and worries people endlessly...BUT, think of all the good that a "humanangel" could do...WOW!...To be able to help the needy and not the greedy would be a wonderful way to spend a day. I hope I do it soon. Sleep is approaching rapidly...a few hours 'o sleep and a great Tuesday night on the streets ...new fares, stories, people, and fun!....Thanks for listening*
Peace*

Life is good. Wonderous things sometimes happen in the taxi-universe world. The perfect number of cabs on the streets divided by the amount of orders the public demands can be a mathamatical and statistical heaven. (Or nightmare if the numbers are out of kilter!) Tonight we achieved the Tao of cabbiedom. Ommmmm. It really was a sight to behold with all the hacks booking some real cash, none loggged for hours at one or more cab-stands and none of the "vulture-circling over the carion" so prevelent in the weeks of past. Now ...keep it like that oh omipinent owners. Ommmmmm... *Sigh*

My face will change in the next few weeks as little tiny hairs develops on my double chins...(I have several) I will be growing a "Goat" and I don't give a rats ass what it looks like...I am sick to death of shaving...What goofball thought up this shaving business for men anyway? More to come on that later...Promise!

OH SHIT RANT:
A speeding, full size bus apeared out of nowhere at, what I think is, one of the most dangerous intersections in the metro area. Drivers of all vehicles should pay special attention to a certain wee-hour hot spot in the heart of mid-town (Or what I call midtown) That intersection is at Park Avenue and Woolworth when the traffic signals are flashing red (on South/Northbound Park Ave.) and flashing yellow (on the BLIND UPHILL East/West Woolworth Street). What "genius" street engineer figured this one out. Now I am no "Einstein", but common sense (again, oh..so uncommon) dictates that the "BLIND" UPHILL approach should be the one street that had the flashing red lights (which means ...STOP) But NOOOOOOOOO...The flashing red is on the Park Ave way and the Woolworth way is the "rush through" flashing yellow....Huh? DUH!

The thing that troubled me the most about the "almost" demise of Rosie and cab #30 is that, "I was expecting it" Yes, I pay special attention there and when that HUGE speeding bus appeared, I almost shit myself. After locking up my brakes (which thankfully were overhauled within the week) I missed the bus by a few inches. All I remember seeing was a HUGE vehicle zipping in front of me. Mark my words here..."Someone will be seriously hurt at that intersection until they change it to a more logical traffic control.

I plan on contacting Omaha Traffic Engineers this morning (If I can stay awake until they show up to work)...which is NOW!

Peace...and keep your hands on the wheel and for God's sake...quit daydreaming...driving is some serious stuff! And Remember...leave ALL the driving to us if you plan on drinking alcohol. You can get hurt or die very easy when driving SOBER....I know!

Dateline: Monday Afternoon
Off to work. New day, new week, new drivers, new fares, and a new (for the better) attitude.
Anyone that has ever taken a taxi knows that it is customary to tell the driver your destination. Most drivers that have an IQ of over 75 will grunt something like "Where To?". Understanding where you want to go is NOT part of our profession and we are not mind readers. I am always amazed that people assume we know where the fare is going and get fairely angry that they have to tell us. Mind reading will cost extra!

RULES OF THE TAXI RIDE:
Relax, Sit Down, Hold on, Shutup, and Enjoy the ride! (Just kidding.. as I LOVE conversation that is halfway intellegent...or else adhere to the 4th "Rule Of The Taxi Ride".

Please have your money ready, tip the driver if you've had a safe ride and you didn't doodle on yourself in the process and please have a nice day. *Peace*

Well, I can say that as a dispatcher, nothing went right Friday night. Called in early to do a 12 hour shift, instead of getting some sleep and doing my usual 11p.m.-7a.m shift. Oh well, I'll sleep when I'm dead, right? Anyway, Friday had all the signs of being a money maker for the drivers. First of the month, on a Friday, and it snowed. But...things started badly and got worse. Broken down cabs, a wreck, and too many drunks not knowing where they were, or where they were going. Also too many people wanting to go to the corner store for smokes and beer. Hardly any great trips, tho there was one that in the end was worth over $90 on the meter. Not bad. And several that were worth $40. Considering it's $1.95 flop, and $1.80 a mile, that'll work. But just getting people to order a cab when they call is like pulling teeth sometimes. The questions they ask me are sometimes too bizarre to even begin to answer. "What is the cost?" is normal. But then there's always, "Will the driver go the long way? I'm not from around here" to "Do your drivers smell, ummm, funny?" Yes, someone asked that Friday. Then a smart-ass driver's wife calls in to bitch at me...if I really want her husband, she says, I can have him...hmmm. All these long hours, doing special favors for the dispatcher, etc, etc. It was all a joke, but the sad thing is, it's happened (for real) before. And I never even knew the driver. But his wife thought I did. Being the female dispatcher to a host of men in the middle of the night leads to all kinds of problems. If I weren't also a driver, and willing to acknowledge what some of them are going through sitting out there alone in the night, I might think they've all just lost their minds, talking to me like they do. They tell me the strangest things over the air.
Well, I had my day off, tonight it's back to work to dispatch for 8 hours, then drive for a few hours tomorrow. Once Sunday night rolls around, I know I'll be busy until Saturday. That's what you ask for when you get into this industry.

NEVER have I seen it SOOOO drunk in the big "O". Had to kick 2 fares (total 5 people) out of the cab tonight because they were too drunk to ride. That is drunk! One poor soul could not for the life of him remember what his address was. He couldn't tell me where he lived...or did he have ID on him to freshen his memory....well back to the Happy Bar (North 16th Skid Row) with him...hmmmm...he paid $20.00 up front...fare wasn't more than $12.00...See, drinking isn't for everyone.

After trying to talk me into letting 6 people ride for the price of one (company and insurance rules state that we can only carry 4, the ringleader (although I use the word "leader" VERY liberally)..gets smart mouthed with me about smoking...then says in a WASP-ie sort of way that really burned my gizzard..."I'll buy you out, you're just a cabdriver, How much do YOU make"...well, lets see WHO rides tonight...zoom-zoom-zoom ..back to the place I picked up the little pukes...then they were all apologetic...Too late assholes...buy me out, eh? Bye-bye and learn some freakin street manners assholes, you sure forgot yours tonight, and you didn't learn anything from your mother...(after all I taught her...hehe)..Good night, money wise...but..I have to take a day off...starting to SMELL like a cab (or my fares..don't know which is worse!)

Pretzel Bar trash screames at me after I waited for her for 10 minutes....zoom...bye-bye...To all: Never yell at the cabdriver before you get to where you want to go. We may be stoopid...have less than PHD's..and are missing a few teeth here and there,... BUT we have the key to the cab AND we dictate who rides or not...common sense people! (Truly I love you all...just bring cash) haha

Well, the streets of Omaha were full of snow but the pockets of the poor cabbies of Omaha were not lined with gold. Friday night highlights were wrapped in wrecks, projects (the ghetto kind) and mediocre tips. (Oh well*) such is the life of cabbing. more to come tonight---maybe a good night--maybe not*