NYC cabbies will / will not strike September 5-6 over mandatory GPS

It looks like the contentious issue of GPS-equipped cabs in New York City is still far from being resolved, with one advocacy group saying that the planned strike over the matter is still on, while another is now saying that "there will be no strike." In the latter camp, according to The New York Times, is the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, which now finds itself at odds with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, who are apparently still ready to walk off the job on September 5th and 6th. At the heart of this brouhaha are new GPS-equipped cabs that the Taxi and Limousine Commission are insisting become standard issue by the end of January. While the GPS apparently won't be used for navigation, it will be used to track the cabs, which the driver's say amounts to an invasion of privacy. The cabbies also say that the GPS could cause problems if it breaks down, as it would be tied to the meter. No word on a next move by either party, but that September 5th deadline sure is fast approaching.

[Dean @ Aug 24th 2007 1:41PM]

How does a strike work if you plan a stopping date?

[strider_mt2k @ Aug 24th 2007 1:45PM]

Why not make it user-selectable?

Shit, charge 'em a quarter for the "security" of being tracked, that's the AMERICAN way!

[Magallanes @ Aug 24th 2007 1:46PM]

Suck to live in NY.

[sornypanafonic @ Aug 24th 2007 3:25PM]

actually its the greatest. sucks to live where you are.

[Magallanes @ Aug 25th 2007 12:54PM]

No, it's just a justification (or you can say marketing) to keep high tax rates.

[Brian @ Aug 24th 2007 1:53PM]

Invasion of privacy? Now that's funny. Just where are you going and what are you doing in your cab that you don't want your boss to see?

We live in the 21st century. There is no privacy anymore.

Get over it people.

[Nick @ Aug 24th 2007 5:07PM]

"The cabbies also say that the GPS could cause problems if it breaks down, as it would be tied to the meter"

But I'm sure the meter is working perfectly all the time and has no possible way of breaking down? they are just pissed cuz then they cant totally take advantage of people with non regulation meters.

[Nick @ Aug 24th 2007 5:08PM]

The drivers dont want their boss to see them driving in circles for 20 minutes before arriving at a location 5 blocks away.

[Jason @ Aug 24th 2007 1:58PM]

I live in NYC and WANT them to strike. They clog up the streets and drive dangerously making it horrible to drive in the city. The are irrelevant.

There are many private taxi services you can call that pick you up, they drive better and offer a more comfortable ride.

Yellow cabs have outlived their usefulness in the city. They're all scum. Subways are faster anyways.

[ethana2 @ Aug 24th 2007 6:31PM]

I'm glad you can recognize when something is no longer useful. A few years perhaps, and we can put roads under that classification and make broadband available as a public service.

Home made open source segways, FTW!

[Matt @ Aug 24th 2007 2:14PM]

Don't make me laugh... Invasion of privacy? You idiots work for public transportation service - there's no privacy involved here. You want privacy??? Quit your job and go home where you can lock yourself up but when you show up to work - leave your issues on the floor mat before you enter the office (or get behind the wheel of your cab). The way I see it is if you're demanding privacy while driving a cab you probably want to take the unsuspecting tourist on a trip around Manhattan when all they want is to go from fifth to third ave.

Maciek
www.symbiosis60.com

[Paul @ Aug 24th 2007 4:16PM]

I agree completely. You're at work. You don't get privacy at work, especially when you're using it to rip off tourists.

[Johan S @ Aug 24th 2007 2:15PM]

Phones have GPS. Customers own phones. All phones would need is a program that shows the route to see if the cab drivers are taking them the long way.

Anyway, why not keep it so that people who feel more comfortable in a GPS equipped cab can choose to ride in them. If cab drivers see that the GPS equipped cab makes more money they will switch.

Why use force and laws to solve every problem? Have people never read Aesop's fable about the Wind and the Sun competing to get a man to remove his coat?

[Caleb @ Aug 24th 2007 2:20PM]

Cry me a river and then drown in it.

[daedalus @ Aug 24th 2007 2:29PM]

I agree with them on the fact that they shouldn't be forced to pay for the systems...

I disagree with the argument that they don't want them because then they'll have to report their tips to the IRS... srsly guys... don't use tax evasion as one of your prime motives.


As far as a strike goes? Whatever. Cabs are for tourists and rich people, both of which I am not. If I can't walk somewhere, I'll take the subway.

[Jaime @ Aug 24th 2007 2:33PM]

"I live in NYC and WANT them to strike. They clog up the streets and drive dangerously making it horrible to drive in the city. The are irrelevant."

That's right. Forget about congestion pricing. Just get rid of the cabs. It's so simple that none of theses politicians has the nuts to say it.

[Rob @ Aug 24th 2007 2:54PM]

They don't want the GPS installed because they don't want to get caught screwing the customers and taking them the longest route. Thieves. So typical.

Besides, like another post, "cabs are for tourists and the rich." I was raised in NYC and never took a yellow cab. They wouldn't even stop for me either. I leave their reasoning to your discretion.

[Audrey & Simon @ Aug 24th 2007 3:04PM]

"There are many private taxi services you can call that pick you up, they drive better and offer a more comfortable ride.

Yellow cabs have outlived their usefulness in the city."

Sounds like you life in Rochester. Cabs are essential to the city. The subways and buses are screwed enough. You think the MTA will make things better if there were no cabs? Funny. Plus, there are a lot of dead spots around the city where it's a nice long walk to a train, and it's still nicer than a crappy bus. Especially if it's raining. Then you have the benefit of getting to an outer borough late at night, rather than risk the true scum on the subway.

However the cabbies seem to forget the rates went up over 20% some years ago, part of the reason was to cover their expenses for tech upgrades, and that increase isn't going away after the upgrades are done.

As far as privacy, what private information is going to be given up with GPS? Oh yeah, how they choose to get from Point A to Point B. I wonder why some cabbies want to keep that secret?

[Isaac @ Aug 24th 2007 4:41PM]

Well since the dawn of time man has needed cabs to survive. They are essential to mankind's existence. Philosophers for centuries have debated this. In the early 19th century stage coaches went on strike in response to the city imposing GPS's on them as well. You can buy GPS's at any Toys-R-Us. They're not out of stock.

[NYC_native @ Aug 24th 2007 4:05PM]

"As far as a strike goes? Whatever. Cabs are for tourists and rich people, both of which I am not. If I can't walk somewhere, I'll take the subway."

Spoken like a true Brooklyn snob. Tourists, rich people AND WOMEN. I'd rather pay $7 for a cab then walk home at 4am. And taking a car service? No thanks, if I want some jackass to try to feel me up I'll take the subway at 4am. Yellow cabs have that partition and are almost always more interested in talking on their cellphones than trying to figure out if you're drunk enough to feel up without her fighting back.

[John B @ Aug 24th 2007 4:28PM]

Can we please learn the difference between plural and possessive with respect to "s" vs. "apostrophe s"? Good frickin' grief. A story about a 40 year old fan that causes a fire; a story about a leafblower recall; plural use of apostrophe s ... Endgadget is going downhill really quickly.

[Isaac @ Aug 24th 2007 4:51PM]

Arrogant snob, you probably take cabs. You're what's wrong with this country, and China. Go take a cab Mr. Rockefeller. Or did you get an English degree from Devry Institute and try to lord it over people on the blogosphere. Loddy freakin' DA!!!! Loser!

[John B @ Aug 24th 2007 7:17PM]

I would ask "What the f**k is your problem?" but quite frankly I couldn't care less. Oh, wait. You don't like grammar nazis, so I might as well use the language you apparently understand best.

*ahem* ...

I would ask "What the f**k is you're problem?" but quite frankly I could care less.

[Isaac @ Aug 24th 2007 7:27PM]

Hehe. You said *ahem*. That's great!

[Isaac @ Aug 24th 2007 4:50PM]

Did you get an English degree at Devry Institute and now lord it over others in the blogosphere. Loser!

[John B @ Aug 24th 2007 7:14PM]

Looks like someone is in desperate need of getting laid.

[Isaac @ Aug 24th 2007 7:28PM]

Indeed. However, we don't need to hear about your social problems here. This is a serious blog about serious issues. Please try to treat it as such.

[John B @ Aug 25th 2007 12:53PM]

That's actually a more intelligent response than I expected from you! Good job!

[Ted @ Aug 24th 2007 4:57PM]

I've ridden in one of the new cabs and the service is really cool. Interactive TV news, GPS map of your route, fare display, points of interest, etc. It's pretty neat! When I was talking to the cabbie he said he didn't care about the GPS, it was the advertising. The driver doesn't get a cut. The screen is constantly blaring ads and banner ads take up 1/4 of the screen. I work in advertising and running spots to a captive audience like that costs big bucks. The cab company has a new revenue stream and the driver gets nothing. Give the drivers a cut of the ad revenue from the new system and I guarantee their problem with GPS tracking will disappear.

[titanxboss @ Aug 24th 2007 5:34PM]

The real reason that no of you have mentioned is that the GPS will cost the cabbie $7000-$8000 per cab plus $1500 yearly service and cc processing fee.
Cabbie's dont whana have to pay for something that A. The don't need B. Will have tons of ad's targeted at customers that the get no revenue from but they have to pay for.
If the City or the TLC Commission would offer to pay for it or at least 1/2 for it then there wouldnt be any strike but with gas prices going thru the roof and now this Congstion toll pricing coming to NYC they basically have had enough.

[adam w @ Aug 24th 2007 9:34PM]

i've also ridden in a few of the new cabs.

it's really annoying. jim cramer mad money in your face.

turn jim cramer off and talk to the cabbie, they certainly have a more interesting story to tell.

[zeddy @ Aug 25th 2007 4:55AM]

Meanwhile the rest of the (developed) world welcomes NYC cabs to 2005! We hope you enjoy your stay.

[alex @ Aug 25th 2007 3:42PM]

They should make all the cabs THE CASH CAB!

[Tyson @ Aug 26th 2007 5:20PM]

I agree with Rob and some of the other people. I grew up in NYC and can count on one hand the number of taxisI've taken.

It took me a freaking hour to go a block in midtown because of the taxis one day and for that I will never forgive them. I wish they would strike. they aren't hurting anyone but themselves. People will realize how useless they are and stop using them period.

There are buses, trains and you have to know one guy that knows a guy with a car, come on.

They don't want the GPS because they like over charging people. Even better they need to put the GPS with traffic conditions so you know they are lying when they say oh I just came from the westside highway its crowded this way is much faster.

[James @ Aug 27th 2007 2:44PM]

To me the funniest part of the story is that they're threatening to strike when there's probably 10,000 people lined up to get their job. Any NYC "city" job is grossly overpaid thanks to union strong-arming, and my wife (a Manhattanite born and bred) tells me that to work e.g. for the MTA there's usually several _thousand_ applicants *per vacancy* advertised -- you get great pay and massive benefits on the city's dime. I suspect that the cabbie positions are probably similar, and I bet if they fired every last one of them and hired a whole new mess of scabs, the city would be back up and running just as smoothly as ever in a couple of days.

Just a thought.

[sdunn @ Aug 27th 2007 3:44PM]

I'm pretty sure GPS doesn't work in the high-rise canyons of Manhattan anyway, so what's all the fuss about?
Can anyone get a GPS fix on these streets? Mine only seems to work along the Hudson, and even then it's spotty.

[Evy @ Sep 10th 2007 9:46PM]

First of all,
The cab drivers jobs are NOTHING LIKE the MTA. They don't get benefits, sick days, tax breaks etc. They work for themselves. They have to either but a medallion (the number of the taxi) plus a car or rent from someone that owns a taxi medallion already. The taxi cabs range from $35,000-$50,000 for the car and the medallion is twice as much, if I'm not mistaken. They drive cabs as a means of providing for their families and as a SERVICE to New Yorkers. And no there are NOT thousands not even hundreds or people that want to drive a Cab all day. [So James your wife is incredibly mistaken]

Second,
I forgot who said it but yea they are mad because the GPS is going to cost them a few thousand a year ($2,900 to $7,200 for use of the units over a three-year period). They also shout annoying Advertisements which you have no control over. This GPS does not allow you to set a route, it just lets you see where you are [but I guarantee if you look out of your window you will see where you are going anyways). This system does not certify that all credit transactions will go through. Sure you get a free ride but, the cab drivers don't get paid and there is no way of finding which customer did not pay. Not to mention that cab drivers pay 5% credit card transaction fee; why charge them for something that is REQUIRED?

[Evy @ Sep 10th 2007 9:47PM]

First of all,
The cab drivers jobs are NOTHING LIKE the MTA. They don't get benefits, sick days, tax breaks etc. They work for themselves. They have to either but a medallion (the number of the taxi) plus a car or rent from someone that owns a taxi medallion already. The taxi cabs range from $35,000-$50,000 for the car and the medallion is twice as much, if I'm not mistaken. They drive cabs as a means of providing for their families and as a SERVICE to New Yorkers. And no there are NOT thousands not even hundreds or people that want to drive a Cab all day. [So James your wife is incredibly mistaken]

Second,
I forgot who said it but yea they are mad because the GPS is going to cost them a few thousand a year ($2,900 to $7,200 for use of the units over a three-year period). They also shout annoying Advertisements which you have no control over. This GPS does not allow you to set a route, it just lets you see where you are [but I guarantee if you look out of your window you will see where you are going anyways). This system does not certify that all credit transactions will go through. Sure you get a free ride but, the cab drivers don't get paid and there is no way of finding which customer did not pay. Not to mention that cab drivers pay 5% credit card transaction fee; why charge them for something that is REQUIRED?

Third,
As someone already stated there are a whole mess of ads that are displayed on the screen which Cab drivers share no glory in. They are very loud which is distracting to the customers and the driver. Also, they get no share of the profit. As stated by Ted these ads are pricey why not cut them in on it?

Lastly whoever claims that subways are better must not be taking one. 90% of all subway lines are packed between the hours of 9am and 10pm. Now I ride a various amount of trains a week including the LIRR and by far it has gotten worse over the years. I especially like when I take the supposed “express” line trains and end up arriving 10 after the local trains, Marvelous isn’t it. If you were a true New Yorker then you would know that cabs are almost essential and that they most of they are not ripping you off. Pay attention next time you are in a cab, at least 80% of them listen to 1010 WINS AM which gives them traffic updates every 10 minutes. Why? So they can take the best route for YOU! Trains are disgusting most times, humid and you have a great risk of becoming a victim (molestation, assault, robbery, getting groped or flashed etc.).
And to those who say you don’t have privacy where you work. I would really like to know just where it is you work. EVEN HOOKERS AND PROSTITUTES HAVE PRIVACY AT WORK. I doubt that your boss has put a tracker on you so that he knows your exact move. So that they know when you shit, eat, work, type, talk on your cell phone, or look out the window. Give me a fucking break, stop being inconsiderate assholes. Cab driver often also run personal affairs (like paying their bills, go to the bank or pick up their children from school etc.) during the course of their day. In one sense part of their personal lives is being tracked. I highly doubt that your boss knows what you do on your lunch break right? Well they shouldn’t know what cab drivers are doing on theirs either. I know that someone will say, well then they shouldn’t use their taxis for anything other then giving rides and don’t dare even say that a taxi cab is like a company car. For some drivers, it is their only car and I highly doubt that everyone has more than one car. I sure as heck do not.

Why do they need GPS on top of the daily forms which cab drivers fill out, in which they write did where they picked up the passenger and dropped them off, at what time, and if they had any luggage with them, and an Approx description of the customer (race, gender, age); Sounds like they are doing enough tracking to me.

My final point maybe they should do what strider_mt2k said and charge the customer for it, since TLC said they are doing it for the “customers”.