Taxi Driver on Uber and Lyft / Opinion

"The commission’s executives are continuing to negotiate with the ride-sharing businesses over ways to help them operate legitimately, and many of the key issues, including more thorough background checks, commercial insurance, vehicle inspections and whether the commission can impose pre-determined rates on rides, have been worked out."

Neither Uber nor Lyft want to communicate with PTC, why?
because 3-6 months from now, when they are going to be forced to accept conditions imposed on them by court, they also will be forced to raise the rates to compensate drivers for extra expenses like commercial insurance, city license, hack license, car inspections, etc.
............but,.......... by then , their market share in local personal transportation field will be substantially higher, build on $1.20 a mile rides they advertise now.
Needless to say, when they are going to rise rates, they also  will be blaming "bad" PTC for that, making uber look like "Robin Hood" company FORCED TO COMPLY WITH EVIL GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.
............a cinderella, fighting "corrupted taxi cartels"........?   

picture by TBO.com

"Fight-between-hillsborough-and-ride-sharing-services-goes-up-a-notch

By Keith Morelli | TBO.com

TAMPA — The simmering feud between the agency that regulates cab and limousine services in Hillsborough County and a handful of upstart ride-sharing companies escalated Thursday when a Lyft driver refused to take a plea on a misdemeanor of driving a taxi without a license and demanded a jury trial.

Farhad Kazemi, 42, rejected a misdemeanor intervention program that could have resulted in a dismissal of the charges and said he wanted his case heard by a jury. Hillsborough County Judge Lawrence Lefler set a trial date of Oct. 20.

Another Lyft driver, Darrell Rogers, was scheduled to appear in court Thursday on similar charges but failed to appear. Lefler issued a warrant for his arrest.

The two are the first of nearly two dozen cases made by local transportation inspectors over the past two weeks that now are wending their way through county court. The court cases began after the Public Transportation Commission, which has been locked in a dispute with Uber and Lyft over what level of regulation the ride-sharing services should be subject to, set up an operation to cite the drivers.

“I guess it was a sting,” Public Transportation Commission Executive Director Kyle Cockream said of the operation that netted Kazemi and other ride-sharing drivers. “That’s the closest thing to describe it.”............"

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Are All Taxi Drivers Crooks?

By JC

For some, thinking of taxi drivers will conjure up images of crooked swindlers and professional con artists.  People think of characters like Louie De Palma and Danny DeVito's Character from the TV show “Taxi” and, imagine that any person in this profession must be just like them; an opportunistic, greedy, and completely self-serving thief who has no issues with stealing the money off weary travelers.  A few trips through a big city like New York can easily make this stereotype seem like fact.  The problem is the stereotype fails when you ask a single question; if all taxi drivers are crooks, why do people still use their services?

The Scams

People who live in cities rarely have issues with local cabbies that tourists and business people do, simply because the locals know the layout of their home.  In New York for example, the use of cab drivers is practically a tradition; it’s hard to swindle someone who knows what the quickest route is and, knows when their driver has suddenly opted for a longer trip.

What visitors rarely realize is that they often stand out as a tourist.  This makes them attractive customers to the few drivers who are looking for an easy target.  It gives “cabbies” the option to take longer routes that eat the meter, or to “assume” that they were supposed to keep the change as a tip and drive off before the mistake can be corrected.

Do Some Research

With scams like these, it's no wonder that some people regard taxi drivers with such suspicion.  Many drivers, however, are friendly, honest, and forthright.  Often, the problem is that tourists and business professionals who use taxi services unknowingly communicate that they're easy marks.  Some research can go a long way in making sure you get honest cabbies and thwart the couple of sneaks you might come across.

In any area where you’ll be spending a lot of time, do research on the taxi licenses that drivers should have.  Know what they should look like and know where the important information should be displayed upon them.  If the Taxi doesn't have a license don't use their service, most of the more dangerous and threatening cons are pulled off by unlicensed cabs!  Once you determine your cab driver has the right papers and permits write down the name and license numbers, the simple act of recording this information will show any dishonest drivers you may be dealing with that you're paying careful attention to what is going on; many tricks require oblivious or unaware customers.

If you have a smart-phone, use a GPS application to track the route they're taking.  When the driver diverts from the most efficient route promptly ask why.  You don't need to be suspicious right away as there can be completely legitimate reasons (such as closed roads) to change routes.  While you can use a paper map for the same thing, a cell phone is less obtrusive and maps kind of defeat the object of not drawing attention to yourself.

These few steps will help you thwart the handful of dishonest drivers you may come across on your travels.  Just pay attention to any red flags that come up during

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit workers go on strike

BART strike a moneymaker for ride-sharing services and taxi apps

From MercuryNews.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- The BART strike that unleashed chaos on Bay Area highways Monday has become a business opportunity for ride-sharing and carpooling services and taxi-hailing apps, which have stepped in to help stranded commuters get to work.

Bay Area ride services Uber, Lyft and Sidecar jumped on social media networks over the weekend, as a strike began to look imminent, to recruit commuters who needed to get to work. Early Monday morning they filled the roads with their drivers, and the calls came in. By 9:30 a.m. Monday, Sidecar had seen a 40 percent increase in rides over the previous Monday, and had increased the number of drivers on the road by 50 percent to keep up with growing demand, said Margaret Ryan, vice president of communications.

Public transit strikes are a marketing opportunity for these ride-sharing companies. Uber, which uses an app to dispatch black town cars, taxis and low-cost rides in hybrids or small cars, said it planned to visit some BART stations during the strike to recruit commuters without a ride. The company offered free rides in Boston when one of the city's mostly highly used rail lines shut down for several weekends in late 2011 and early 2012.

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Credit Card Surcharge on Taxi Fares in Florida

By BR

It became legal for cab drivers in Florida and other 40 States to charge customers up to %4 extra of the meter if they decide to pay with credit card.
Great news for cab drivers and not so good for riders, but then again, some passengers pretend that they don't know how to use credit card applications and conveniently skip tipping procedures without asking a cab driver how to do it.
Sure guys, Tipping is a city in China, your grandpa was Kunta and I owe you until I die, even though we look alike and your skin is whiter.
.....Just because I came off the boat 25 years ago and I have an accent??!!
WTF?
I tip anybody and everybody who provides me with any kind of services in this country.
If I can not afford to tip, I either don't use their services or at least try to behave like human being and be thankful for helping me.
Next time you get your drunk ass in the cab to take you home, be thankful too and tip the driver, even if you pay with credit card, or even more so........


ABC News