NYC cabbies strike over GPS units

As we reported back in July, and then in August, a large number of taxi drivers in New York City have been planning a strike over GPS systems which the city wants installed in yellow cabs. Well, the strike is officially on, with the New York Times reporting that nearly 90-percent of cabs are off the road today (at least according to a cabbie representative). If you'll recall, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a quasi-union, has been threatening the strike over GPS / entertainment units the city demands be put into taxis. The new units have a number of functions -- not the least of which is tracking the cab's pickup and drop-off points -- and the drivers aren't having it. Currently, reports have come in concerning extended waits on airport pickups, and a new pricing scheme for cabs that are working, though from what we can tell, the strike hasn't put the hurt on commuters too badly. Of course, the litmus-test of a New York evening rush hour has yet to happen, so don't get too excited.

[Ben @ Sep 5th 2007 12:47PM]

GET OFF THE STREETS AND GET A JOB

[shakman @ Sep 5th 2007 12:53PM]

I second that, get back to work you bums or we'll have to get all DeNiro on your asses!

[brokenkeyboard @ Sep 5th 2007 1:17PM]

get off engadget and do YOUR job.

seriously though, why do you have a problem with this? If the cab drivers want to strike to maintain their working conditions (basically what this is about) why is that a problem?

If more people would strike in this country when they have disputes, instead of just taking it, maybe we wouldn't have a working-year thats a month longer than most of Europe.

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 2:13PM]

They have a job. The working conditions/arrangements of said job are being changed against their will. Therefore, they're using the only means of retaliation at their disposal.

Would YOU like it if your boss implanted an RFID chip in your ass to monitor where you are at all times?

[West Hubbard @ Oct 4th 2007 5:35PM]

1) what is wrong in tracking the cab drivers...that is unless they are doing something illegal.

2) Living in the city it would make many women, and people afraid of being ripped off fell much safer with the GPS.

3) I'm pretty sure the GPS units were meant to be installed as part of a deal the city made with the union the last time they striked. The city would make wages higher...the cabbies would put in GPS. So the fact that they are striking over this is insane. The city kept there side of the deal, but guess who didn't keep theirs...

[VZ Insider @ Sep 5th 2007 12:47PM]

And the huff and haw is over what? GPS is an awesome feature unless they are not to keen about being 'tracked' (especially if they are going to the doughnut shops instead of on the road).

[Steve @ Sep 5th 2007 12:47PM]

I still don't under stand why they are so upset about the GPS units , if I was a cab driver , I whould love them!

[Jeff @ Sep 5th 2007 12:48PM]

Plenty of cabs on the street in midtown. "90%" my ass.

I don't notice any difference from a normal day.

[Rickie @ Sep 5th 2007 12:49PM]

I call BS. I still saw quite a few cabs gettung to work this morning so I think the 90% figure is misleading. The contingency plans in place today have made it pretty easy to catch a cab. They are picking up multiple people at a time now.

[portwineboy @ Sep 5th 2007 12:55PM]

My friend Melissa drives a NYC cab. Here is her NY Times op-ed piece on why the cabbies don't want GPS.

http://tinyurl.com/2wsurn

[Tim @ Sep 5th 2007 1:05PM]

That's a great article and poses a lot of simple answers to why GPS shouldn't be required in cabs. It'd be nice to see others actually take a look at the issue at hand instead of making knee-jerk stereotypical cab driver comments.

+1

[OnlyShawn @ Sep 5th 2007 12:55PM]

yeah, well...it's their own damn fault (the city, that is). If they'd not be so regulatory, you could have other cabs springing up and willingly taking these fares when the driver cartel whines.

[OnlyShawn @ Sep 5th 2007 12:56PM]

rickie...unions will often overestimate the 'effectiveness' of their strikes. :) makes 'em look good.

[Jason @ Sep 5th 2007 3:05PM]

Yeah, that'd be a stinging statement if there was a union involved here; there's not. Taxi drivers have NEVER had a union.

Way to demonstrate your knowledge on the topic at hand.

[OnlyShawn @ Sep 5th 2007 3:11PM]

...i referred to it as a driver cartel above. I realize that it's not a formal union, but the fact that unions do often overstate walkout percentages is pertinent. It is a conglomeration of people with a shared profession, and the original post refers to it as a 'quasi-union'.

[J @ Sep 5th 2007 12:56PM]

Enough people knew about it and planned - there is no crises here. Move along.

Looks like there's fewer cabs, but not enough to really damage the city.

[RtM @ Sep 5th 2007 12:57PM]

Cabbies strike, hold press conference, no one understands what the hell there saying because it isn't English.

[jimmyfinch @ Sep 5th 2007 9:22PM]

"what the hell there saying"

Where? Over there?

I believe you meant "they're"

[RtM @ Sep 6th 2007 6:43AM]

holy crap, you had nothing better to do with your life than to make fun of my misspelling? OMFG. thats so sad.

[Tuan Nguyen @ Sep 5th 2007 12:59PM]

should be good we can track em down

[daddycool @ Sep 5th 2007 1:03PM]

I fully support the cabbies. Think about your job, think if they forced you to wear a real time location tracking RFID badge that you had to wear whenever you are in the building, same thing.

[Dan @ Sep 5th 2007 1:12PM]

paranoia

[jimmyfinch @ Sep 5th 2007 11:44PM]

Master of Reality


-I am making the "horns" gesture with my left hand and my best metal face while I write this.

[adriangrab @ Sep 5th 2007 1:17PM]

The best part is that it's a strike with a planned ending. That can't be too effective.

I arrived at LaGuardia at 10am, had no problem getting a cab to Midtown, although I had to share it with someone. The cabbie complained the whole way about his privacy and being tracked.

[K @ Sep 5th 2007 1:17PM]

I've always said my country is the most backwards of all the leading Western countries when it comes to doing the tech thing right and alleviating the mistrust in management.

[Rob @ Sep 5th 2007 1:18PM]

Cut the BS. Many of the ones striking don't want the GPS's on their cabs because someone will find out that they took the ride the longest route. Or that they go do little trips on the side while on the clock. They must have something to hide. And what's the big deal anyway. When you're on the clock, just put up with the rules.

I've never taken a yellow cab in NYC because they don't stop for people my color. Call it what you want. It's the sad and plain truth.

[Jason @ Sep 5th 2007 2:59PM]

Define BS. According to my definition, it's what you just said.

"They must have something to hide. And what's the big deal anyway."

This statement commits the fallacy of assuming the right to privacy is only invoked by the guilty... you have no argument.
On the clock or not, nobody has the right to track them, especially when the technology is installed at their expense and out of sight of the driver. Also, don't forget that a GPS system won't make a distinction as to whether or not the driver is on the clock. Technically, their employers could track them wherever they go.

If you're really concerned that a cabby might be cheating you, bring your own GPS phone or just use Google Maps. Don't go crying to the state to fix things you should be responsible for knowing.

[OnlyShawn @ Sep 5th 2007 3:13PM]

...we could just get the state out of the cabbie business. That's a better idea. :)

[Rob @ Sep 5th 2007 3:14PM]

Jason:
I'm from NYC, and the cabbies are not the most honest people in town. I have nothing against them. They provide a service just like anyone else. However, when you're on the clock, you're on the clock. If you don't like the terms and conditions, then look for another line of work. Simple as that. Just like in any other field, there are expenses involved in any line of work.

[Andrew @ Sep 5th 2007 1:24PM]

I first experienced one of these GPS units a few weeks ago and had an interesting convo with the driver. Apparently the systems were installed at the cab drivers expense. Not only does it track the drivers, but the unit is located in the rear of the cab, out of view of the driver. Wouldn't it have made sense for everyone if the unit were installed in the front to help the driver out, especially if it could display traffic information?

GPS is only one of the functions of the device. It's mainly used to loudly display commercials and ad banners up in your face, and if you have a long cab ride that means watching the same lame commercial every 3 minutes. Ultimately its the passengers who will have to fit the bill, as these gadgets only serve as an excuse for future rate hikes. Frankly I'm not sure if these machines benefit anyone.

[Daniel @ Sep 5th 2007 1:52PM]

Personally, I find the in-cab TVs really annoying. They tried it once before, and now they're bringing it back. The OFF button should be prominently displayed.

[Xzavier @ Sep 5th 2007 1:57PM]

GPS has NOTHING to do with picking up customers, nor does it benefit the Cab drivers in anyway. If the cab drivers wanted GPS so badly, guess what the cab drivers would have done already!

You got it... installed GPS.

And yes I do know that most of the cab drivers do not own their cabs so technically they have no say so, technically.

Just because some sort of new technology comes out that has nothing to do with catching a fare, marinating honesty fare, or even, tracking your fare; you still need to find a purpose for it “in the taxi cab industry and or the limousine industry”.

You would almost think that cab drivers had no idea where they were driving to/from for the last 120 years!

I guess the bottom is… people have never heard of a thing called a MAP. Thank god for GPS!

Oh and btw that Christopher Columbus guy. He could have used a GPS system. He was looking for some place called India, not America!

Sorry guys… I’m just ranting! Just had to let that out.

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 2:16PM]

Yes, because I'd love it if my cab driver was fumbling with a map while driving.

[Xzavier @ Sep 5th 2007 3:57PM]

well you said it yourself Lemmiwinks. I'd love it *IF* my cab driver was fumbling with a map while driving.

The debate is so lame. Cab drivers have much more experience driving and finding their destinations than the average person. If anybody needed GPS it would have to be the average joe like me and you Lemmiwinks.

No matter what you say about somebody else, especially when criticizing another person’s profession/skill "yes driving a cab is a profession and a skill, ask anybody in NASCAR" you are still criticizing yourself! Be careful how you point that finger.

[nyc_girl @ Sep 5th 2007 4:19PM]

Xzavier - I live in this mysterious place with street names instead of numbers that's filled with one way streets - the Lower East Side. Not some random out of the way spot, but above one of the most popular bars in the area. How many cab drivers have I had to give directions to in the last few months? Oh that's right, *all but one*. Please let the rest of us in on how you're finding all these cabs that know what city they're driving in. I'm tired of spending that extra $1-3 touring the scenic areas of Chinatown because my cab driver can't find Houston st.

[Lemmiwinks @ Sep 5th 2007 6:00PM]

I wasn't aware that I was pointing any finger. You suggested maps. I'm not sure why that would be any better (or, granted, worse) than GPS.

This is all pretty much moot, though. These systems for the cabs aren't for the driver to find where they are. The driver has no screen, no interface, no access to the GPS functions of the system. Its primary purpose is to give customers local information and to keep tabs on cabbies on and off duty.

Nevermind the cost of maintaining these systems... you think putting a $4000 piece of kit in the back seat isn't going to entice vandals? I'm not talking about car-jackers, I'm talking about the defacing and destruction of just about anything in a public space. In test runs of these systems, there have been many reports of spray-paint, stickers, etc. being used to muck up the system's passenger interface.

One other "hot" item for the cabbies: These things are being used in place of the regular tried and true meter systems. And we all know how well new digital technology does in its early stages. Plus, because the system is networked and sattelite-linked, when the system goes down, so does the cab's (and cab company's) ability to actually make money.

[John @ Sep 5th 2007 2:11PM]

I live in work and midtown Manhattan. I noticed NO difference today during this morning commute. There were plenty of taxis on the streets and there were lines as usual at Granc Central, but nothing notable. Although if there really are less incessantly honking, aggresive driving, rude, loud-mouthed, obnxious, polluting parasitic cabbies on the road; then I hope the strike last forever. The only thing the cabbies have demonsitrated is how much they aren't needed. Good riddance.

[yuj @ Sep 5th 2007 2:28PM]

I'd have to agree with Rob here. There are a few times where friends of mine were misled by cabbies and were taken for a ride and their excuse would be they couldn't understand due to "language barrier".

[ian16 @ Sep 5th 2007 3:28PM]

first off this was agreed to in their contracts a year ago give or take. i was reading an article this morning that a very small percentage of cabbies were on strike. one cabbie said he was getting better tips cause theres also a credit card machine in the car and ppl gave good tips wit their credit card

[Brice Willie @ Sep 5th 2007 3:23PM]

yup

[Joey Geraci @ Sep 5th 2007 3:33PM]

It is pretty clear this is ridiculous. The cabby has to pay the expense, and his fare is tied to the GPS signal, so if the unit gets damaged or loses its signal, he can't charge any fares. He then has to get it repaired on his own dime or wait for it to reacquire the signal. To top it all off, the unit has no navigational abilities, and is completely out of the driver's control in every way. Whoever came up with this idea has no common sense or logic.

[Mike @ Sep 5th 2007 4:01PM]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this or not but the GPS trackers are installed on the cars and not the person. I don't believe you are invading someone's privacy if its while on the job. You can still park and walk out of the car. It's similar to the way many jobs monitor computer usage. Yes I may be on a break or at lunch when im using the internet but the computer is still property of my employer, much like how the Taxi cab (in most cases) is property of the city.

If I owned a fleet or taxi cabs, I would be for it. Because of the nature of the business, GPS makes so much sense. You would be able to coordinate drivers outside or areas that already saturated with cabbies to area's where no one is covering.

[initials.bb @ Sep 5th 2007 5:04PM]

In Paris some of the taxi drivers have navigational GPS (with or without traffic info). They install it on a private decision basis, and in no way is it used to track them.

The fact that these GPS systems are linked to the billing is pure madness: it's going to break down. This is just another example of how decision makers have total disrespect for real workers.

[Chris Taylor @ Sep 6th 2007 2:48AM]

There is a difference between all cars having GPS and WHO GETS ACCESS TO THAT GPS INFORMATION!!

The GPS is not really what they object to its the WHO GETS ACCESS TO IT that they should have a problem with,