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?