[logline]

Wow... I just started reading this thread for the first time. It's filled with a strange, quiet desperation mixed with rage... and rightfully so! I can't imagine doing the job you guys are doing. It sounds absolutely horrible! No wonder there is so much turnover. I wish the best for all of you, and I promise to tip well! :-)

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by logline

Wow... I just started reading this thread for the first time. It's filled with a strange, quiet desperation mixed with rage... and rightfully so! I can't imagine doing the job you guys are doing. It sounds absolutely horrible! No wonder there is so much turnover. I wish the best for all of you, and I promise to tip well! :-)

The cab companies are absolutely vicious. There is basically a monopoly and a good 'ole boys network still in play, and they take full advantage of their drivers and their customers.

Just when business starts to pick up, they ask for, and are granted, more medallions. More money for the company, screw the driver. They encourage long-hauling while publicly disclaiming it ( and they punish the drivers for not doing it, but throw them to the wolves for getting caught). They blocked the monorail's chances of ever becoming financially viable by pitching a fit (and campaign cash) blocking the monorail from going to the airport and extending to downtown.

An independent can't operate here, and it's actually illegal for one of our poor cabbies to pick up a fare that hails them on the street. It's total bull****.

[logline]

Reading these posts make me more determined. Now I want to push for a monorail extension to LAS more than ever. It's not like cabbies are making any money from it anyway.

[EA]

Well, going to the airport is typically the most lucrative fares we get, at least on dayshift.

They could maximize the shifts so we could work 10 hours and make the same amount.
Mandatory 6 12 hour days is bull****. I've yet to get a second day off. People who are off probation, bid on a 5 day shift, and get it, are still working 6 12s.
The unions require them to offer some 10 hours shifts, these *******s make a 10 hour shift BUT they just make you come in 2 hours early on that shift. 3 days ago I got the 10 hour shift, 7am-5pm. They scheduled me in at 5am...

If they hand me a restricted cab, which I am terrible at, I am walking out middle fingers in the air.

I was restricted Monday and Wednesday I booked 88 dollars Monday, and 110 Wednesday. I get a whopping 32% of that for 12 hours of work.
It's so slow that as soon as a call comes in over the radio the dispatcher has to figure out who called first to give them the call because so many people are calling in for it.

It is ridiculous.

[logline]

Originally Posted by extremeatheist

I was restricted Monday and Wednesday I booked 88 dollars Monday, and 110 Wednesday. I get a whopping 32% of that for 12 hours of work.
It's so slow that as soon as a call comes in over the radio the dispatcher has to figure out who called first to give them the call because so many people are calling in for it.

It is ridiculous.

It *IS* ridiculous. In fact, I would hardly even call that a job! Sounds like slavery to me. Get out of that nonsense ASAP.

[Cyborgt800]

FWIW the monorail will not hurt the cab companies and will be a waste of taxpayers money.

People don't want to lug their stuff onto a monorail and pay for the right to do so. The monorail would take passengers from the shuttles not the cabs.

If you really want to hurt the companies you need to change the way TA is funded.
As long as their budget is tied to booked mile of the cabs, they have no incentive to stop longhauling. If the cab companies got a $1000 or up ticket when their driver gets a longhauling ticket they would stop it overnight.

If there were only one union/union contract citywide covering all of the companies then maybe they would be effective...as it is they are a joke.

[BBMW]

In NYC, a cab from my apt to JFK is something like $60 all in one way. The built something called the Airtrain. It doesn't go all the way. It's a two subway trip out to a train station in Queens, where you can pick up the Airtrain. But the whole thing comes out to $15 round trip.

You want to guess how I've been getting to JFK lately?

And if you want to hurt the cab companies, revoke all the existing medallions, and licence only the drivers, not the cars. If you're a driver, and you have a car set up correctly, you can drive it. Cut out the companies completely.

Originally Posted by Cyborgt800

FWIW the monorail will not hurt the cab companies and will be a waste of taxpayers money.

People don't want to lug their stuff onto a monorail and pay for the right to do so. The monorail would take passengers from the shuttles not the cabs.

If you really want to hurt the companies you need to change the way TA is funded.
As long as their budget is tied to booked mile of the cabs, they have no incentive to stop longhauling. If the cab companies got a $1000 or up ticket when their driver gets a longhauling ticket they would stop it overnight.

If there were only one union/union contract citywide covering all of the companies then maybe they would be effective...as it is they are a joke.

[Sheriff1]

Originally Posted by Cyborgt800

FWIW the monorail will not hurt the cab companies and will be a waste of taxpayers money.

People don't want to lug their stuff onto a monorail and pay for the right to do so. The monorail would take passengers from the shuttles not the cabs.

If you really want to hurt the companies you need to change the way TA is funded.
As long as their budget is tied to booked mile of the cabs, they have no incentive to stop longhauling. If the cab companies got a $1000 or up ticket when their driver gets a longhauling ticket they would stop it overnight.

If there were only one union/union contract citywide covering all of the companies then maybe they would be effective...as it is they are a joke.

You are misinformed. The TA's funding has nothing to do with mileage----$0.20 of every trip is how TA is funded.

[Cyborgt800]

You want to guess how I've been getting to JFK lately?

...And people like you would most likely have also taken a shuttle when in LV so you are not a cab customer anyway...just as I said.

There are cheapos whom take the shuttles and there are people whom spend a bit to not have to wait and hour for everyone else to get dropped off first...the monorail would hurt the shuttle business the most...sure it might take a few cab customers but it wouldn't impact the cabs nearly as much as the shuttles.

[BBMW]

I've been flying out of JFK for decades. Until the Airtrain, I always took cabs.

Originally Posted by Cyborgt800

...And people like you would most likely have also taken a shuttle when in LV so you are not a cab customer anyway...just as I said.

There are cheapos whom take the shuttles and there are people whom spend a bit to not have to wait and hour for everyone else to get dropped off first...the monorail would hurt the shuttle business the most...sure it might take a few cab customers but it wouldn't impact the cabs nearly as much as the shuttles.