Discount Taxi Dispatch St Pete Service

St Pete's Discount Taxi Dispatch 

 

Discount Taxi Dispatch is a taxi cab company in St Petersburg, FL, we are providing our services to St Pete's local residents as well as tourists and visitors to St Pete's greater area.

Our services include: Grocery shopping in St Pete and Pinellas Park, doctor's appointments, taxi errands with multiple stops, transportation from St Pete and nearby areas of Pinellas County to local airports at flat rates, transportation ......

 ... please read more about Discount Taxi Dispatch

 

Alden Resort St Pete Beach, FL

Forget shoveling snow, shiver from the cold OR listen to your boss that you missed another day from work, plz come to St Pete Beach ASAP and enjoy Florida State of Mind at Alden Resort
....and while you here, Plz use only licensed and insured taxi cab services like Discount Taxi
We proudly service St Pete Beach, St Petersburg, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, Gulfport and surrounding areas.
.....To book Taxi to Airport, plz go to our website: Discount Taxi to Airport Reservations

The truth about UBER,- video

Four Myth’s That Uber is Spreading

Myth #1 – Uber is a Tech company

Uber is nothing more than a new way to dispatch taxi cabs. All of the “ride sharing” propaganda is just that;the fact is when you order a ride for an agreed upon price to a specific destination, you are acting as a taxi cab. Simply calling your taxi service a “ride sharing service” does not make it  a new and revolutionary product. As the classical wisdom says “ If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck” then it is most likely a duck. Uber’s claim to be a tech company providing a software service is just a very transparent attempt by the billion dollar company to avoid acting like a responsible business instead of a shifty, fly by night outfit. Uber is using this flimsy excuse to bilk local governments out of millions of dollars in revenue while lining their own pockets with Billions of dollars in ill-gotten profits. One day soon the hand of fate will deal the crushing blow to Uber, and I for one think it will be fitting and proper when it does finally happen! Uber has been making profit at the expense of honest, hard workibg people long enough and it is high time that it stops.

Myth#2- Uber and it’s drivers carry adequate insurance

Time and time again Uber drivers have been involved in accidents, including accidents that involve serious injuries and deaths, and Uber has consistently denied any responsibility or liability in these cases. Their claim of fully insured cars and drivers have been proven false time and time again as Uber drivers are involved in accidents and left to fend for themselves when it is time to appear in court. More than one Uber driver has had their lives ruined because of the company’s refusal to stand behind their drivers when the chips are down. A drivers personal insurance will not cover any injury or damage that occurs to the driver, his car, or the other party’s car or occupants because their personal policy specifically excludes any situations where the car is being used for commercial purposes. This has been the unanimous opinon of every sing insurance company involved in such a case, and has also been unanimously upheld by every court these cases have come before. Once again, it is the driver, and sometimes the other party’s in the accident, that end up paying the sometimes heavy price for Uber’s total disregard for decent and responsible corporate behavior. If you drive for, or ride in, an Uber car you are taking a very serious risk that could result in millions of dollars of debt as well as serious personal injury or even death. Do not be mislead by the outright falsification Uber presents regard the insurance issue, they have proven over and over again that they do not stand behind anyone and are only out to make a quick , and dishonest dollar.

Myth#3- Taxi laws do not apply to Uber ?

 – Despite Ubers claims of “not being in the transportation business” , and thus exempt to the rules and regulations governing the taxi industry, lawmakers across the country are realizing exactly what Uber is up to and are enacting laws to force Uber to play fairly.The fact is that Abe Lincoln was right when he said “ You can fool all of the people some of the time, or you can fool some of the people all of the time, but YOU CAN’T FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THER TIME. Uber has been playing their little game of legal cat and mouse for too long and in too many places and their house of cards is begging to rapidly fall. In the end of course it will be the drivers who suffer for Uber’s reprehensible tactics, just as it always has been their drivers who bear the brunt of the punishment for Uber’s transgressions. This abhorable, cheating organization will get what it deserves in the end, of that we can be certain.

Myth#4-  Uber drivers are thoroughly screened ?

- Murders, rapists, and undesirables of every description have been able to find employment with Uber. Apparently Uber’s “thorough screening” process is just like their “adequate insurance coverage”, a deliberate and brazen lie concocted to allow them to take unfair advantage of the legitimate, established taxi and limo companies by usurping the spirit, and the letter, of  local laws and regulations. Little, if any, screening of applicant is done, and certainly nothing even close to the rigorous and thorough legal screening required for taxi companies in virtually every municipality in America. If you are a shady character with a long criminal history, you need look no farther than Uber for your next job. Uber drivers have been accused, and convicted, of every crime you can think of, including sexual offenses, assault, and even murder. The shame of it is that it is Uber’s unsuspecting customers that ultimately pay the price for Uber’s disregard for their safety.

Uber safety concerns becoming more serious and more frequent

picture by foxnews.com

Uber safety concerns becoming more serious and more frequent

Traditional taxi cab companies have opposed the shady, corner cutting practices of ride-sharing operations like Uber since the San Francisco based software company began operating cut-rate transportation services to the northern California city. Now that companies like Uber and Lyft and Sidecar, the three giants in the billion dollar ride sharing business, are openly defying both the law and the establish ride for hire industry, legislators and lawmakers are beginning to see the importance of making these new kids in town pay the piper like their traditional transportation industry counterparts have been doing for many years.
District attorneys from both Los Angeles and San Francisco to the app-based transportation companies with stern warnings about their misleading statements to their customers and the public in general concerning what many see as serious safety issues. The letters to the three largest ride-share companies also contained accusations that the ride-sharing organizations are guilty of refusing to follow state laws and of incorporating illegal practices and the corresponding fines and penalties as a normal cost of doing business. In many cities Uber actually pays the fines imposed on their drivers by local police and courts.
San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascón has stated that Uber, Lyft and Sidecar need to correct multiple civil violations of state and local laws. He promised that if the app-based companies continue to disregard the law prosecutors will begin filing restraining orders as well as begin to assess the companies heavy fines.
The prosecutors' letters are the just  latest salvo by local governments in the ongoing war over how these Johnny-come-latelies to the transportation business attempt to undermine the existing structure of the industry by circumventing safety and permitting procedures that are designed to protect both the customers and drivers of these scofflaw companies. The companies allow customers to summon rides using smartphones and mobile devices based apps, and drivers transport passengers in their personal vehicles rather than licensed and inspected vehicles like traditional taxi companies are required to use. The services are often deceptively marketed as a safer, and The prosecutors' letters are the just  latest salvo by local governments in the ongoing war over how these Johnny-come-latelies to the transportation business attempt to undermine the existing structure of the industry by circumventing safety and permitting procedures that are designed to protect both the customers and drivers of these scofflaw companies. The companies allow customers to summon rides using smartphones and mobile devices based apps, and drivers transport passengers in their personal vehicles rather than licensed and inspected vehicles like traditional taxi companies are required to use. The services are often deceptively marketed as a safer, and cheaper alternative to taxis. These companies have been rapidly gaining popularity in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as all around the world.
The latest investigations began in response to "a multitude of very serious complaints from both customers and legitimate taxi and limousine companies." Gascón said. The charges leveled by lawmakers include allegations  that the firms have failed to comply with multiple laws and local regulations that govern airport pickups and fare pricing. A recurring concern expressed both in California and nationwide is the fact that the ride-share have falsely told consumers that they perform background checks that  ensure their passengers that the drivers have no criminal record or previous driving violations.
Uber and Sidecar representatives said their firms' background checks comply with state law although they did not provide specific details regarding either the statutes they refer to or the exact background check process they claim to be employing. Echoing the vague defense the companies have been using in other cities, the reps for these companies claim that the charges are a result of misunderstandings. Their standard line is always something along the lines of this recent quote from Sunil Paul, the chief executive and founder of Sidecar:"We have a common interest," Paul said before a meeting with prosecutors "They have a high priority on safety, and our No. 1 concern is safety for riders, drivers and the public." Most experts agree that there is little truth to this claim and that the ride-share companies have historically shown little or no concern for the safety of either their passengers or their drivers. I think it is painfully obvious that their “No. 1 concern” is the billions of dollars of revenue at stake. Another commonly used, but inherently flawed defense used by the scofflaw companies is that they are merely ‘software providers’ and thus they are not really in the transportation business at all. Their flawed logic wears mighty thin under even the most casual scrutiny. It is no surprise that again, virtually all of the legal experts that have spoken out on the issue consider this line of reasoning unfounded and without any legal merit whatsoever.
What has become increasingly clear is that these companies are getting what they deserve and their time of making billions of dollars at the expense of legitimate transportation providers and local governments is quickly drawing to a close. If  California, the most supportive and lenient entity in terms of trying to work with these companies, has finally had enough of the lying and circular legal arguments Uber and their ilk employ, the rest of the country, and the world, can’t be far behind. I guess that is what happens when you bite the hand that feeds you, isn’t it?

Can You Make Money with Uber ?

picture by i.ytimg.com

Uber is not all it is Cracked up to be

If you are a professional driver who is considering a job driving with Uber, there are some things you need to know. Do not be fooled by their deceptive and sometimes downright dishonest, claims about the benefits of joining Uber.  Ads in most major cities are claiming incomes of $1000 per week, while in reality Uber drivers are earning less than half that amount even working 50-60 hrs. per week. The Uber concept is good for the consumer, great for Uber, and horrible for the driver.
In an article that appeared recently in Business Insider , the author interviewed several Uber drivers and they uniformly stated that they have never come close to earning what Uber ads claim, and that earnings have been steadily decreasing for some time now because  Uber has flooded the market in most major cities resulting in less than 50% occupancy for most  Uber drivers.  Not a single driver reported making anywhere near $1000 a week after subtracting gas cost and fees paid by the driver, and of course after Uber takes their 20% right off the top. Add to this the wear and tear on your vehicle and it turns out the driving for Uber pays significantly less than driving for a conventional cab company.

Uber also employs a bait and switch tactic when trying to attract new drivers;  In LA, for instance Ubert started out with a $2.50/mile rate that attracted many new drivers, since at $2.50/ mile the drivers could earn a living without working  a ridiculous number of hours. Once the needed drivers were hired, Uber dropped the rate to a measly $1.10 per mile, not enough to make a living no matter how many hours the driver works. The chart below shows how Uber empoloyed the same tactic in NJ:

NEW JERSEY:
Original Price          Summer 2014 Price              Fall 2014 Price
$2.25/mile                 $1.90/mile                    $1.64/mile
$0.30/minute               $0.20/minute                  $0.20/minute
$3.00 base                 $3.00 base                    $2.00
$7.00 minimum              $7.00 minimum                 $6.00 minimum

As this chart shows, Uber started out advertising reasonable rates that would provide a full time driver with a reasonable living, and within the space of a few months dropped the rates so that the same driver working the same hours would make 28% less; Thus a driver making $50,000/yr gross to begin with would make only $36,000/yr after the rates were lowered.

Another move by Uber to attract more business was to cut rates in major markets to well below -market levels, attracting new traffic (which Uber profits from) while forcing  drivers  to drive longer hours at the reduced fares to make the same amount of money.  Once again, Uber wins, the consumer wins, and the drivers lose.

It is also worth noting that Uber discourages tipping, and didn’t even include the tipping option in the app until very recently. That is because tipping doesn’t benefit Uber, and by not encouraging tipping the service appears more economical to the consumer.

Probably the best indicator of how Uber views their drivers is the fact that they try to convince their drivers that all of their sleight of hand concerning rates, fares, and commissions is actually in the driver’s best interests. Not only do they brazenly exploit the very drivers who have made them rich, but they treat them as if they are ignorant fools who will believe the wild claims that Uber has been making a standard component of their business model. Compare this shady way of doing things with the legal, moral, and business philosophy of the traditional cab company or limo service, and I think you will agree that there really is no comparison at all.

This is also true when it comes to vehicle maintenance and replacement costs since with the legal cab company the driver does not incur any repair or replacement bills like the Uber driver will encounter as his car ages rapidly from the grueling regimen a commercial car endures. The expense of having to purchase a replacement vehicle is enough to put most single car Uber drivers out of business, or at best deeply in the red for a considerable time.

After taking all of these  factors into consideration, it becomes clear that driving for Uber has absolutely no advantages over driving for a traditional, legal, cab company. The cab company’s rate ( currently around $2.40/mile in most urban markets) is not going to fluctuate wildly. This provides the driver with a stable income allowing them to make future financial plans with a reasonable amount of confidence that their incomes will remain stable moving forward. The cab company is unlikely to flood the market with excessive cars/drivers as has been the case with UBer in several locations. The bottom line is that Uber does not live up to it’s claims and there is more money and more security driving for a legitimate, legal cab company.

Request your local Uber drivers in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota, Jacksonville, Ocala, Naples, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Coral  and ask how much money they really make......

Uber Plays Stupid in Tampa Bay

Uber Plays Stupid in Tampa court hearing. "we don't use taxi meters, we just use "stupid" phones, which computes distance, time and price somewhere on servers in California and that's how drivers get paid and customers get charged" ..................IS THIS FOR REAL?  ..........DO UBER THINK, THAT PEOPLE IN FLORIDA ARE STUPID?

picture by techcrunch.com

Uber-and-Ptc-square-off-before-hearing-officer-over-tickets

"...............Much of Monday's hearing centered around determining if a smartphone app can be considered a meter. If so, regulators argued Uber's drivers are operating in the same fashion as cab drivers, and thus subject to the same rules. But Uber representative Matthew Gore, general manager in Florida, said the rate is calculated by an algorithm on the their servers in California, not in the app.

"The vehicles are not taxicabs, and there is no meter installed," Gore said after Monday's hearing. "It's a new category of service that the regulators never wrote into their laws."............"

>>>Read More

What I hate about UBER Idiots?

Their lack of understanding and unwillingness to research social issues related to Uber,
 association of their own stupidity and ignorance with "PROGRESS",
Constantly miscategorizing Uber as a Godsend instead ROBBER BARONS,
refusal to understand dynamics surrounding UBER expantion and how Uber treats their drivers, communities, competition, customers, and local laws...........

picture by blindgossip.com/

"You-hate-uber-then-you-hate-america

.by (head in the butt) Lewis Krell / huffingtonpost

Portland, Ore., is a charming place with plenty of green trees, street names that inspired Simpson's characters, and people who still claim that drafting Greg Oden over Kevin Durant was the right move. Business took me to Portland last week, and despite all the wonderful things about the city, there is one major flaw: Portland hates progress. More specifically, Portland hates the taxi app Uber. The municipal government has caved to the taxi unions, and Uber is not allowed to operate in the city at all.
I looked down on these poor Portlanders, and I pitied how they lived quaint lives in a land that time seemed to have forgotten. These people still call dispatchers or, even worse, stand on street corners attempting in vain to hail cabs that they pray will happen to drive by and rescue them. Their own government has forsaken the population and forced them to live in a city filled with inconvenience rather than its much, much more popular counterpart, convenience. I couldn't wait to get back to Seattle, where I currently reside, so I could re-enter a world that embraces innovation and the disruption of broken, legacy systems. Surely, I thought to myself, Seattle would never make a mistake of that magnitude.
Last Monday Seattle made a mistake of this exact magnitude. My worst fears came true when the city council of Seattle passed a resolution that drastically reduces the number of Uber drivers who are allowed on the road at any given time. Living for a few days through the traditional taxi-cab system of Portland made me realize two things, the first being that I really, really love Uber, and the second being that I could not stay silent as these cities stifle innovation and ingenuity in a country that is supposed to admire and promote these attributes.
Companies and industries fail when they stagnate from an innovation perspective, and when they stop listening to, and caring about, the end consumer. At its best, capitalism solves a problem by disrupting an old and broken system and creating in its place something new and useful and better. The taxi system is the very definition of an old and broken system. Instead of continuing to rant like a lunatic who sounds like he must have worked as a speechwriter for the Romney campaign, let's go into some analysis of the best- and worst-case scenarios for an intoxicated person needing a ride home on a cold, winter night.
Best-case scenario using the current taxi cartel: Call a taxi. Wait on hold for 10 to 20 minutes. Finally talk to a human being. This human being hates you. This human being hangs up on you before you place an order. Call again. Wait on hold for 20 to 30 minutes. Finally talk to a human being again. This human really hates you. Eventually order a cab. You are........."

>>> Read More

Taxi vs Uber in NYC by Haitian Times / Opinion

Haitian Taxi drivers in NYC are getting brain washed about Uber advantages over  Yellow Taxis by Haitian Times news portal


"Haitian Taxi Drivers kick Uber's tires

picture by thirteen.org

By Vania Andre / Haitian Times

Gregory Mellon is used to the taxi and livery industry. Since his mid-20s, he’s navigated the landscape, dealing with some of the common pitfalls that cab drivers go through in the competitive, and at times, harsh driving industry. Unscrupulous cab dispatchers are prevalent, often bartering calls for cuts of the driver’s earnings, he says, and favoritism is rampant. Pay schedules are regularly ignored and unprofessionalism is “common.” “There’s a culture of unprofessionalism that exists in the black car service industry,” the 29-year-old Brooklyn native says. Now he splits his time between his car service and driving for Uber. “Uber is reliable. They pay when they say they’re going to pay; if there’s an issue, they notify you and most importantly, it’s fair across the board…no favoritism. ” For decades, large fleet companies such as Taxi Club Management have been a leading employer for those looking to drive for extra cash. The holding corporation has several companies that specialize in the NYC cab industry with 850 yellow taxis and 3,000 drivers—many of them Haitian immigrants. In fact, Haiti is listed in the top 5 countries of birth of taxi drivers, according to the Taxicab Fact Book. However, with the introduction of Uber, a ride sharing service that allows passengers to schedule pickups through an app, money and drivers are shifting from the old taxi model to one Mellon describes as “revolutionary.” Uber is displacing the old taxi business, Dr. Francois Pierre-Louis, author of “Haitians in New York City: Transnationalism and Hometown Associations,” says. It’s breaking up the monopoly and changing the business model to make it even more profitable for the drivers. Uber is driven by demand, and the demand is high. Regular taxi drivers make about $1,500 a week, while Uber drivers make about $3000 without having to deal with the “tyranny of TLC.” In the 1970s and 1980s there was an overwhelming number of Haitian immigrants joining the industry and buying up taxi medallions. The taxi business is an “ethnically-driven” industry, where a lot of people use it as a transitional job, he says. “Often times, recent immigrants had careers in Haiti, but once they immigrate to the states, they have to redo their education here; a move that can take years to complete and is expensive, despite having gone through it before. The cab industry offers stable income........”

FL
>>>>Read More

Uber and Lyft drivers are being charged with misdemeanor

Taxi Owner Goes Undercover, Files Papers Against Lyft and Uber Citations seem to be part of doing business, and breaking into a new market, for the app-based ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft. They're finding out that elbowing their way into Houston's livery space for the past month doesn't come cheap. (Remember, Lyft is the one with the pink mustache on the grill, and Uber is the other one.) Neither organization is allowed to operate like it wants to in this city, just yet. There's this little thing called Chapter 46 and an amendment to for-hire requirements that's working its way through city council. An Uber spokesperson tells us that they're looking to eliminate a 30-minute wait requirement, as well as a minimum fair requirement for catching rides. Right now, both services operate without charging riders. But that might not really be the case according to testimony heard in city hall. The issue came up at yesterday's council meeting and Mayor Annise Parker said that undercover Houston police sting operations have resulted in 26 citations for Uber and Lyft drivers. They were likely, misdemeanor violations for operating an illegal taxi. See this: Houston Threatens Uber With Some Legalese Over Email Campaign The mayor's remark was in reply to testimony from Duane Kamins, a partner, along with his brothers in Houston's second largest cab company, Houston Transportation Services. He's also a lawyer and filed an affidavit with the state revealing his findings during his own undercover operation where he was charged some dollars for trips to the pharmacy and thereabouts. "We clearly have two rogue operators in the city of houston today, uber and lyft who are operating in clear violation of Chapeter 46 of the [city] code," he said......... .>>>Read More

Taxi Driving in Downtown St Petersburg, FL

picture by TampaBay.com

St Petersburg's thriving bar scene fuels cabbie wars

By Claire Wiseman,  Tampa Bay Times

It's a warm Friday night, a few minutes after 8, and Douglas Osterman-Burgess is maneuvering his cab around Red Mesa Cantina. He pulls up out front, on Third Street N, where a red and white sign says "Taxi Stand."

"Look at this," he exclaims. "I've been asking for this!"

The spot looks unremarkable but for him represents a victory. He says he has been "agitating" for this kind of change for three years. With extended bar hours and the ever-increasing lure of downtown, the city's entertainment district has turned into a taxicab battleground.

As patrons spill out at closing time, those who need a ride home might have to wait 45 minutes for a cab. Despite the demand, fights for fares often erupt.

"It gets very competitive," said St. Petersburg police Lt. Gary Dukeman, who oversees the downtown entertainment district at night.

Osterman-Burgess, 55, deals with it in part by reporting his fellow cabbies if they don't follow the rules.

From the driver's seat of his white and orange van, he sips from his 7-Eleven Big Gulp and points out the many ways cabbies break the rules. They don't bother to register. They steal fares. They park illegally.

"There are rules, people," he says. "If you don't like the rules, fight to get them changed.

The city extended bar hours until 3 a.m. in 2010, setting off an expansion of the downtown bar and club scene.

The city doesn't have taxi records back to that year, but in 2011, 573 taxicabs were registered to pick up and drop off within the city. So far this year, 549 have registered.

>>>Read More

Marco Rubio (R): Screw Florida cab drivers, I Like UBER

(R) Marco Rubio: screw Florida cab and limo drivers, let the big corporations like Uber or Lyft  with heavy backing from venture capital take over personal transportation market in US, Europe, Australia, Mars, etc, and make all the transactions go through ONE company...........isn't this a corporate monopoly at birth?
.......something like all those small mom and pop hardware stores were put out of business by Home Depot few decades ago or like Walmart put out of business small manufacturing companies around US in name of "lowering customer prices"...!!?? yeah, right.

Decades later, we know results, China and Walton family are getting richer, employees at Walmart are collecting all kind of governmental support (at cost to tax payers) because they can not afford to live on $8.00 an hour and we as customers are forced to buy cheap Sh^%$ made in China, which falls apart after 2 weeks of using it..........

picture by UsNews.com

"Why Marco Rubio's Embracing Uber

The hip-hop listening, Netflix-watching Florida GOPer aligns himself with another hip, tech-driven company.

Sen. Marco Rubio was looking to score a quick ride in Miami, but when he tapped his white Uber button on his smartphone, the Florida Republican came up empty.

“I was bragging to someone about this service in Washington and I clicked onto my app … and up comes a message saying, ‘Sorry we can’t pick you up in Miami because the county commission won’t allow it,’” he recalled. 

That incident was the impetus for Rubio's Monday visit to Uber’s Washington headquarters, where he used the struggle of a growing and fashionable tech company to underscore his case concerning overburdensome regulations.

“We should never allow government power and government regulations to be used to protect an establishment incumbent industry at the expense of an innovative competitor,” he said.


Operating in 37 U.S. cities, Uber is a transportation company that allows a customer to order a taxi, town car or SUV to a specific location with just a click of a phone app. All transactions are paperless and tips are included in the fee. The service quickly gained popularity in Washington due to frustration with the lack of available cabs in certain parts of the city and the inability to pay with credit or debit cards......."

>>>Read More

Everyday Taxi Business / Bribery Part

Picture by RedBubble.com

DA: 16 Kennedy Airport taxi dispatchers arrested in bribery scheme

from Newsday.com

Sixteen taxi dispatchers have been arrested and charged in a bribery scheme in which they solicited kickbacks from cab drivers who were then allowed to cut lines at Kennedy Airport, bypassing long waits for fares, authorities said Wednesday.
The arrests were announced by Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown and Port Authority Inspector General Robert E. Van Etten, who said the dispatchers were all employed by subcontractor Gateway Group One Frontline Services.
The scam allegedly allowed drivers to "cut the line" -- moving them ahead of honest drivers, who were forced to wait in holding lots where they were queued for passenger pickups -- by paying dispatchers bribes of a few dollars, Brown said in a statement Wednesday.
With thousands of cabs servicing airport terminals on a daily basis, dispatchers raked in hundreds of dollars each during an eight-hour shift, Brown said. It also allowed drivers paying bribes to make many additional trips during a shift, authorities said. Authorities said the scam was in effect from December 2012 until February.
Van Etten said that Gateway and the Taxi and Limousine Commission cooperated with the criminal investigation.
In a statement released Wednesday, Gateway Group One said:

>>> Read More

Round trip St Petersburg - Tallahassee for $1.5 K

Picture by Tampa Bay.com

Charlie's Luck and round trip to Tallahassee

"A few weeks before Thanksgiving, staff at the Loving Care assisted living facility in St Petersburg realized something had changed in Malcolm Ramsey's life.

Relatives who had never paid much attention to Ramsey, 55 and mentally incompetent, suddenly started showing up in droves. Bulging bags from T.J. Maxx and Bealls filled his half of a tiny, shared bedroom. Boxes of new athletic shoes — Nike, New Balance, K-Swiss — towered against the wall.

Then there were the rumors that Ramsey had hit it big in the Florida Lottery.

Ramsey's legal guardian got involved. So did St Petersburg police, an adult protective services worker and, eventually, a judge. And slowly, the story came out.

Sometime in October, Ramsey had won "$500 a week for life" on a scratch-off Florida Lottery ticket. With the help of a cab driver, he had gotten an ID, a copy of his birth certificate and a ride to Tallahassee to claim the prize. He took it as a lump-sum payout — $403,288........."

>>>Read More

Why Complain About Uber When They Are Doing Their Best!

Written by JC

If you’ve never hear about the Uber on-demand car service before, I’ll let you into a little secret. This company makes being able to get from A to B as easy as possible. No more waiting for buses that don’t turn up on time, heading down into less than savory subway stations or standing in the rain trying to hail a taxi that speeds by leaving a trail of wet spray in its path.

In recent years the Uber on-demand car service has gone high tech like a lot of other companies, and it’s now even easier to get a ride wherever you are, and whatever time of day it is.

How Uber Works

The first thing you need to do is pay a visit to their website and sign-up for an account. This couldn’t be easier and once done, you can download the app to your mobile device. Incidentally, if you think you need to reach for your wallet at this stage, thing again! This app is available for free from Google Play Store, the Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World.

When you’re ready to use the service, there are several different types of taxi you can opt for and these include, black car, UberX, SUV, LUX and of course your everyday taxi. However, do bear in mind it depends on what city you’re in so you may not get all the options.

Once you’ve selected the type of car you want, simply enter your location and the app will do the rest. Using GPS detection, Uber will find the nearest driver to your location and you don’t have to worry about staring at your phone because they will send you a text when your ride is on its way.

Pricing

Uber couldn’t be more transparent about the way they fix the pricing. If you know your destination, you can easily get a quote for the cab ride before you even book anything. You also don’t need

24/7 DIScount Taxi Cab Service in St Petersburg, Florida

  Please CLICK BELOW TO CALL 4 DISCOUNT TAXI 24/7 FROM YOUR MOBILE  PHONE, OR Please DIAL THE Phone NUMBER 727-490-5100

OR Pre-Book your Taxi cab Online with Diacount Taxi Reservation form.

"Discount Taxi is a division of AL's Taxi Inc. of St Petersburg, FL- We pride ourselves in being the best Taxi service in Saint Petersburg, if not in all of Pinellas County...Our very low rates are a reflection of  the tough competition in the St Petersburg transportation market these days. This competitive environment is also part of what motivates us to provide our customer with high quality service and courteous, professional drivers. Our commitment to these practices is even more important to us now than ever before.

ALL OUR TAXIS ARE FULLY INSURED AND LICENSED FOR YOUR SAFETY.
All of our Drivers have undergone extensive background checks with State authorities as well as with the FBI. These background investigations   include finger printing , screenings for felonies, DUI's, violent crimes, drug testing. Each of our drivers has also been determined by the local PD to be safe taxi drivers before issuing  them a Taxi Driver Hack License with a picture.
All our taximeters are approved by the State of Florida and our taxi rates have been acknowledged and approved by City of St Petersburg......."

For more information,  please visit our website at:

>> Discount Taxi Cab service in St Petersburg, FL

 We service these areas within Pinellas County:
St Petersburg, Downtown Saint Pete, Shore Acres, Gandy, Pinellas Park, Kenneth City, Gulfport, South Pasadena FL, Treasure Island, Tierra Verde, Madeira Beach, Bay Pines, Disston Heights, Seminole, Redington Shores, Indian Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, South Largo, Feather Sound and zip codes in St Petersburg, FL

 33703, 33707, 33708. 33710, 33712, 33705, 33711, 33713, 33716, 33701, 33702, 33714, 33704, 33705, 33706, 33709, 33781, 33782, 33777, 33772, 33776   Discount Taxi Metered Rates and Airport Taxi flat rates. $2.00 FIRST 1/7 MILE OR FRACTION THEREOF $0.30 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL 1/7 Mile OR FRACTION THEREOF = $2.10 a Mile $0.30 For Each 36 Seconds Waiting Time or Slow Traffic = 0.50 Cents a Minute  

2015 Discount Taxi Intercity Taxi flat rates, example fares, costs and rates :

Saint Petersburg to Tampa Airport $30-$45
St Petersburg to South Tampa $30-$45
St Petersburg to Downtown Tampa $45-$60
St Petersburg to North Tampa  $55-$75
St Petersburg   to Sarasota  $85-$120
                     to Orlando  $175-$210
                    to Naples, FL $275
                    to Miami Airport $495
                    to Ocala $225
                    to Jacksonville $435
                    to Tallahassee, FL $475
                    to Orlando Airport $195
                    to Ft Myers       $210
St Pete Beach to Tampa Airport   $45
St Pete Beach to Orlando Airport $185
St Pete Beach to Amtrak Tampa  $55
St Pete Beach to Busch Gardens, Tampa  $70
St Pete Beach to Port of Tampa  $60
Treasure Island to HardRock Casino in Tampa $65
St Petersburg to Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa $50-$70
Sarasota to Hard Rock Casino in Tampa $105-$125 (trip must be pre-paid with CC)

* Please feel free to negotiate above prices and you might be able to save another 5 to 10%
off your final estimate, if we are not too busy.
* We also gladly take our customers from any place in south Pinellas County to cities listed below:
Brandon, Palmetto, Ellenton.Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Venice, North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres, Arcadia, Myakka City, Sebring, Parrish, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Riverview, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Holiday, New Port Richey, Hudson, Spring Hill, Crystal River, Seffner, Inverness, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Lakeland, Plant City, Wesley Chapel, Brandon, Kissimmee, Titusville, Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St Lucie, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Hialeah and many more within State of Florida.
* For intercity / long distance rates, please call our dispatch center for an estimate at : 727-490-5100
or if you are not in the hurry, you can request estimate via our online booking and reservation system at:


Discount Taxi To Tampa Airport, Booking and Reservations Online

Three Large suitcases Packed in a trunk of "tiny" Toyota Prius Taxi are ready to be taken with 3 passengers to Tampa Airport

For your convenience at Discount Taxi. we gladly accept all major credit / debit cards.

When ordering a taxi cab, please let dispatcher know about your intention of paying with credit card, 

We don't charge any fees on credit card transactions.

We service listed below hotels in Downtown area of St Petersburg, FL 
Hollander Hotel - 421 4th Ave. N,  St Petersburg, FL 33701                                                  Hollander Hotel
Hampton Inn & Suites / Downtown - 80 Beach Dr. NE, St Petersburg, FL 33701                                                               Hampton INN
Ponce De Leon Hotel - 95 Central Ave., St Petersburg, FL 33701                                                 Ponce De Leon Hotel

We also proudly serve :

Derby Lane Poker Room and Greyhound Race Track since 1925

• at 10490 Gandy Blvd N, St Petersburg, FL 33702

picture by http://commons.wikimedia.org/

picture by derbylane.com 1950

A "Winning Tradition" at Derby Lane - Click Here

Free Taxi Hailing Apps

PCWorld: Taxi! Five free apps for hailing a legit cab

The ride-sharing movement is bustling in some cities, yet still emerging in others, which is why good old yellow cabs are still the most trusted way to find a ride home at the end of a night out. Sure, Lyft’s pink mustaches are a welcome sight, and taking a fancy Uber black car has its perks, but having a regular taxi app on hand is a smart move—especially since hailing a cab on New Year’s Eve can be nearly impossible without planning ahead. Here are five reputable taxi apps for worry-free transportation.

Taxi Magic
Although you can find tons of apps specific to different cities, Taxi Magic (free for iOS and Android) is the most widespread—it's compatible with more than 60 major U.S. cities and their surrounding areas. Taxi Magic maintains partnerships with several major taxi fleets, and the app will locate available taxis nearby via your phone’s location services.
Tab on a cab in the app’s map to see which fleet it belongs to and what the driver’s name is, and tap “Come get me!” to order cab service. From there, the taxi-dispatch center is notified, and a driver is sent to pick you up. You can track the arrival of your taxi, send a message to your driver with further instructions, and even save a credit card to your account to pay for your ride all through Taxi Magic. Taxi Magic charges standard cab rates, plus a convenience fee of between $1.50 and $2..........

>>>Read More

Advertising on Taxi Cabs in Florida

Own a Taxi Firm in Florida? Think About Third Party Advertising

picture by flaoutdoor.com

By JC

Florida is a pretty big State so you would think there is plenty of business to go around if you own a taxi company. However, for those of you that don’t know, this is a highly competitive market! Cities like Orlando, Tampa, Miami and a host of others are all massive tourist attractions and many thousands of people pass through each year.
You might be forgiven for thinking that tourists alone will be able to sustain a cab firms business but this isn’t the case. You need to make sure you have regular custom from the locals as well. Perhaps you’ve managed to land a contract with a hotel (or two) which means you get “first go” on anyone who is staying there and doesn’t have transport of their own. They might need a friendly face to ferry them about the city so they can go to business meetings, or take in the sights. It could also be that your cab drivers are the first in line for airport runs as well.
This is just one example of how you can ensure you get regular business all year round however; if you intend to expand your taxi business there is always going to be the question of advertising. After all, you won’t get extra business if prospective clients don’t know you’re there! This is where third party advertising can really help.

What Is Third Party Advertising?

This is actually a very clever idea. We’ve all seen cabs rushing about the city with stickers on their bumpers, plastic type billboards on top of the taxi and even signs that are illuminated from inside. All of these are what’s known as third party advertising and it can really help not just your business but others as well.
For instance, you can contact various businesses in your local area like restaurants, hotels, tour operating companies and a whole host of others that will benefit from having their name on your cab. If you think this is going to need the hard sell, think again! You have a very strong argument when talking to various other business owners in the area.
Think about it? The average taxi driver across the State of Florida who operates in the major cities is passing by an ever growing population each and every day. In an average month a cab driver

Taxi Driving in New York

Night-Shifting for the Hip Fleet

“…It’s Hooverville, honey, so anyone outside the military-industrial complex is likely to turn up driving for Dover…”

By Mark Jacobson

From the September 22, 1975 issue of New York Magazine.

It has been a year since I drove a cab, but the old garage still looks the same. The generator is still clanging in the corner. The crashed cars are still in the shop. The weirdos are still sweeping the cigarette butts of the cement floor. The friendly old “YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for all front-end accidents” is as comforting as ever. Danny the dispatcher still hasn’t lost any weight. And all the working stiffs are still standing around, grimy and gummy, sweating and regretting, waiting for a cab at shape-up.

Shape-up time at Dover Taxi Garage #2 still happens every afternoon, rain or shine, winter or summer, from two to six. That’s when the night-line drivers stumble into the red-brick garage on Hudson Street in Greenwich Village and wait for the day liners, old-timers with backsides contoured to the crease in the seat of a Checker cab, to bring in the taxis. The day guys are supposed to have the cabs in by four, but if the streets are hopping they cheat a little bit, maybe by two hours. That gives the night liners plenty of time to stand around in the puddles on the floor, inhale the carbon monoxide, and listen to the cab stories.

Cab stories are tales of survived disasters. They are the major source of conversation during shape-up. The flat-tire-with-no-spare-on-Eighth-Avenue-and-135th-Street is a good cab story. The no-brakes-on-the-park-transverse-at-50-miles-an-hour is a good cab story. The stopped-for-a-red-light-with-teen-agers-crawling-on-the-windshield is not too bad. They’re all good cab stories if you live to tell about them. But a year later the cab stories at Dover sound just a little bit more foreboding, not quite so funny. Sometimes they don’t even have happy endings. A year later the mood at shape-up is just a little bit more desperate. They gray faces and burnt-out eyes look just a little bit more worried. And the most popular cab story at Dover these days is the what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here? story.

Dover has been called the “hippie garage” ever since the New York

Why would I visit Saint Petersburg ? dream vacation

By Angela Doherty 
If  you are like me and looking to escape the rain, winter, or find a white sand beach to stretch out on, your search might quite naturally lead you to the warm climes of Florida, the Sunshine State. I was looking for a sunny, warm slice of heaven, with a great mix of outdoor recreation, culture, dining and shopping and I think I have found it in St. Petersburg. Here’s what I've found out about this great city.

With on average 361 sunshine days per year, St. Petersburg is not called “The Sunshine City” for nothing. Situated on the west side of Tampa Bay, a trip to St Pete could not be complete without a day on the beach. And with over 240 miles of shoreline including a number of keys, islands, bayous and some of the best beaches in the country (including Fort De Soto beach, twice ranked number one in the country in 2005 and 2008) you are spoiled for choice in St. Pete.   I think a day on the beach, lazing under the palms or swimming in the crystal waters of the Gulf of Mexico on the beaches of Treasure Island is the first order of business for any visitor to the city. However, if it is action you are after, diving, snorkeling, fishing and canoeing are just some of the choices available to you in, on and around the waters of the city.

When you are sick of the beaches, it’s time to head across town and Beach Dr and the waterfront where you can find amazing dining, overlooking the marina and the gorgeous Tampa Bay. I think I’ll start with drinks at the famous Fresco’s and head down Central Ave and the surrounding streets to find some great food, live music and dance spots to enjoy the long, hot nights of St. Pete. The city is also home to over 2 dozen art galleries, and if you time your visit right, on the second Saturday of each month, the Downtown Arts Association hosts a Gallery Walk around a number of downtown galleries and studios. St. Pete also plays host to a series of festivals and cultural celebrations all year round, for everyone from the foodies at the “A Taste of Pinellas” festival in May, to the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in April and every March, downtown is transformed into an Indy Car track for the Honda Grad Prix! And of course, if you are looking for sport, Tropicana field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is also within easy reach of downtown.

Shopping in St. Pete, like the rest of the city’s activities, is also all about choice. Check out the Saturday Morning Market, down by the Marina, for fresh local produce and goods. Or, if you are looking for something a little more up market, the BayWalk shopping complex is located downtown, along with a host of artisan shops and studios.

Now where to stay… Well. Let’s be honest, there are so many choices from the 5-star resorts of Clearwater and downtown to the hostels and camping grounds at Fort De Soto Park, there is something for every budget. And one of the best things about St Pete is that it is compact, making travel around it easy either through the public system, or by cab, where your friendly cabbie can suggest more things for you to do in the Sunshine City. I’m looking forward to my trip to St. Petersburg, time to stop dreaming about it!

Tampa Bay Taxi Business History / part "Tampa"

How taxi companies Yellow Cab, United rose to dominance in Hillsborough

TAMPA — In 1967, the manager of the only cab company in town told the Tampa Taxicab Commission his drivers made about $112 per week. Adjusted for inflation, that's $742 in today's dollars.

Taxi drivers were employees then, with health insurance, vacations and bonuses, city records show. But in 1975, the Yellow Cab Co. jumped on a national trend and made its drivers independent contractors. The agreement cost cabbies their benefits but let them keep whatever they made.

At the time, Yellow Cab manager Nick Cambas told the Tampa Times: "This should be the answer to those squawking about the little man not having a chance to make it in business."

Thirty-six years later, the little man still awaits his chance.

Drivers today say the system leaves them poor and at risk. Their predicament is compounded by a lack of choices: Two companies control 87 percent of the county's permits..............

>>> Read More