Thanks to all of the Diamond Cab Co. drivers who participated in the meeting with the commissioner at the DC Taxicab Commission this past Wednesday. Even though those strike happy drivers group wouldn't cooperate with us, we still got it made and got the eliminated $1.50 per extra passenger surcharge back.
They still insist that there is going to be $19.00 fare celling for fares traveling with in the District of Columbia, the last time I checked we don't live in a communist society where the independent private business is forced to subsidize part of the driving public. I have some lawyers telling me that we can legally challenge that and stay tuned to watch Mayor Fenty and Mad Cabbie in front of "Judge Judy".
The extra passenger surcharge is no picnic in the park, for the average driver it could translate in to $3000-$6000 of extra income per year. You need to understand we are still the cheapest cab ride comparing to the surrounding counties so I don't need to hear anymore crying from you guys.
Special thanks to Mr. Essayas and Mr Abebe, fine Ethiopian drivers from Diamond Cab Co. for sticking up for the cause, and this fight is not over yet! We want the meters but it has to be with livable wages and we are looking forward to have our meters ready by April 6th.
I got to go now, I have every hooker in town calling me wanting to go somewhere and it's going to be a busy Saturday! Washingtonians are HORNY tonight!!!
Please don't forget the homeless,
Mad Cabbie.
18 comments:
Congrats, Cabbie.
I'm glad you got your extra passenger charge returned to you!
The economy must be picking up if the working girls are busy!
As a person who never takes cabs I was cabbing it in and out of DC on Friday and that topic came up with the DC cabbie.
Congrats on your win.
I love your blog, but I have to disagree on this topic. If you want to have a free and fair market (that is, the ability to charge what you like), then lets stop limiting the number of medallions in the district. I have a license, I have a car (a hypothetical actually), how about I start picking up fares? I'm just saying this already a very regulated market, in many ways to your favor, so its a bit choosy to complain about this.
All I'm saying is, 19.00 to get across the district (a small town mind you) is a lot of money. And to people who depend upon cabs for transportation that can add up to 1000, 2000, 3000 a year. Remember how it looks from the other side too.
Thanks Joe, I am glad you're on my side.
Peggy, it had to be something in the air last night! Lot of guys needed some action but it was all good!
Thanks Red, what were you doing in and out of DC? I know you don't come down here a lot!
Hi Anonymous, #1 the number of cabs is not regulated in DC! my medallion is worth a whopping $33.50! and #2 the public wanted meter and they got it! so why cherry pick now? distance and meter means distance and meter, Why shouldn't I be compensated for the long trips the same way I run the short fares? Isn't why we got rid of the flat fee based zone system in first place?
In the perfect world everyone should have affordable housing and health care too! but unfortunately things don't work out that way! How about if I ask you to cough up a percentage of your pay check so someone can afford to ride a cab to get to work? You'll probably laugh your ass of and tell me to get lost, that's exactly what are we asked to do! but I do appreciate you that you enjoy reading my blog!
Hi Mad,
I'm happy for you and the other cabbies in D.C. that you got the extra passenger surcharge back. An extra body could've been an extra fare and is certainly extra wear and tear on the cab, not to mention the driver.
A funny thing happened to me the other day with a cab driver. He was a foreign guy and sometimes -I know this shows my prejudice but-they can argue like nobody's business. My destination was across a park and then to some streets that were alternating one-ways such that the only way to get to the address was to go around the block, it's hard to explain, just trust me. Well, the cab driver starts arguing with me that he could have gotten there much quicker without going around. He really gave me a heated argument and I just sat back and thought to myself, as soon as he's done yelling, yes, yelling at me I'll never see him again. But I said nothing. I even gave him a tip and he gave me his business card which had the number of his cab on it. And said to call him for a ride back. I thought that was pretty funny.
Its a shame to see this happen. Hopefully it was going to start cabs not charging extra everywhere in the area. The wear and tear is very minimal and 1.50 is higher than anyone else in the area.
Its a shame fenty caved to the cab drivers.
Thanks Claire, Probably the driver wanted to drive you through an alley which you never knew that existed!
Hi Nats, Trains, Buses and Planes charge the full fare for each person in a group! Why does it bother you to pay $1.50 per extra passenger? Group rides are plenty during weekend bar hours, If people can afford to pay $7 a drink at a night club why not pay the cabbie $1.50 who drops them home safe! The wear and tear is not minimal for a vehicle on the road 12 hours or more on the road continuously! And it takes an elementary physics to figure out the more work done by having extra load, the extra demand of power source...and have you checked the price of gasoline lately?
I was out with Da Boys Friday night and holding my own, I might add.
Good luck! There's a lot of opposition on this. I can't really speak to it since I really don't ever take cabs but considering there were four of us the price was good, and it was easier than taking the metro.
To top it off the cabbie seemed to enjoy my banter with these guys and everyone got home safe.
I was going to read your posts today MC, but I'm so sad and was crying and all I saw was that you don't want to hear me crying anymore so I'm going to go sit in the corner and cry.
How did you even knew I was crying today? It's the cameras, isn't it. You're watching me. I can tell!
Comparing it to a bus is illogical. Buses and trains go to a single point and cost far far less than a taxi compared to the distance traveled. Taxis take you from a specific point to point. The cost to the cab drivers for carrying one or two people is meaningless.
Also DC cab driver are notoriously bad for keeping there cabs in decent shape. If we actually thought the money would be used to maintain the cabs, it would be understandable (to a degree) but as corrupt as most cab drivers are, this is just going into their pocket.
Whats next are you going to start charging more for fat people? Two 100 pound girls would be cheaper for you take than a overweight man.
DC cab drivers feel like they are entitled to rip people off now just because you have gotten to do that for so many years.
Play time is over. Time to operate like a real job, get regulated and pay your taxes like the rest of us.
Okay, Mad, time to fess up: Are you the one beating up suburban cabdrivers?
just chuck them out when the fare reaches $19....... simple
I'm not on your blog roll get yer ass in gear mate!
I am not watching you at all DCCR, I can't even get you to respond to me via email! I wasn't trying to be fresh with you young lady, I was trying to pass on a message from a reporter without revealing her identity and info on your comment board. No more crying DCCR, We are one big happy family!
Nat, We are not subsidized like trains and buses either and you like it or not it's a done deal my friend! You have to cough up the $1.50 per! Don't like it? You and your fat ass friends should be on the metro bus!
Lug, you better watch out whenever you drop in DC bro! Even though no Virgina driver had been confronted yet! I think that nut case is going to kill someone. Lug, they are telling us it's going to take only 45 minutes to get meters installed, is it true? I am having a hard time believing that! 8000 meters in one month!!!
Roy I am sorry for not linking your blog but it's up and running now. Roy, I might take your advice and let you know what happened. Cheers!
Thanks!
But MC, I did respond to your email! I watched it leave my computer even. Where did it go?
45 minutes to install a meter seems awfully optimistic to me. With our meter shop it generally takes several hours. Then again, that time also includes a dispatch terminal & additional antennas.
Also, they'll have to take the car out & drive the car for several miles in order to calibrate the meters. At least with the ones we use, they can't simply punch in the numbers. The car has to be driven exactly one mile, and THEN they push something on the meter to mark the one mile spot.
Then the technician takes the car downtown, picks up a hooker, and by the time you get the car back six hours later, there are funny stains on the backseat.
I don;t mind the 1.50 extra person fare, as long as you guys can't screw us any more on picking someone up and charging an entirely separate fare, or dropping someone off on the way home and charging an entirely separate fare. That is robbery. You guys must make an absolute killing and Im glad DC will finally be on a level playing field with the rest of the country, you guys have had it too good for too long.
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