Morning Roundup: Goodbye, Abe Edition
Vegetate to Close at the End of the Month
D.C. Police Seek Suspect in Series of Bank Robberies
Suspect in 9-Year-Old's Murder Found Dead in D.C. Jail
Wizards Owner Abe Pollin Dies at 85
Perhaps Mayor Adrian Fenty has already made up his mind on the great zone vs. meter debate, and he's just waiting until tomorrow to announce his decision for dramatic effect. But we think the odds are pretty good that he's still mulling it over as we type.
Wednesday, October 17 is the deadline imposed by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who inserted the provision in legislation last fall that forces Fenty to either switch to time and distance meters, or marry himself to the zone system.
There's been a lot of speculation over the last several days that Fenty is leaning toward the hybrid, GPS-enabled zone meters, which would keep the zone system intact but give customers clarity on their fares by displaying them at the end of the trip. The zone meters seem like a pretty good compromise between those who worry residents in Wards 7 and 8 will no longer be able to afford to take long trips into the center of the city to do shopping under a meter system, and those who are sick of arguing with cab drivers over wildly differing fares. Of course, the hybrid meters wouldn't necessarily prevent a cab driver from unnecessarily crossing Florida Ave. in order to charge that extra zone, and theoretically, it would be even tougher to argue with a driver who had done that, since the fare would be displayed on the zone meter.
The cab drivers made their voices heard in a rally outside the Wilson Building last week. If you have strong feelings about the meter vs. zone issue, consider this comment thread to be your last chance to make your voice heard on the matter before the Mayor hands down his decision tomorrow. We promise to forward the resulting thread to the Mayor's office at the end of the day.
Photo of a cab stuck in a sinkhole from over the summer by randomduck
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Why does everyone seem to think that if you cross a zone line that automatically means you're paying for another zone. According to the actual zone map and rate list, it's based on the beginning and ending zones. They have a matrix with all the zones and subzones crossed so you can get the fare easily. Check out page 2 of the zone map:
Taxi Rates
From the Mayor's schedule on the dc.gov web site:
I'd say that pretty well tips his hand here.WaPo had another article about this today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/15/AR2007101501399.html?hpid=moreheadlines
Meters, and just plain meters are what is needed along with Taxi Companies, No gypsies, no individual Taxis, companies and meters. Its that easy.
Please stick with zones!
Bad example, Jeffrey: people going from 14th and T to 14th and Irving have both the bus line that runs up 14th and the Metrorail station just two block away at 13th and U.
Taxis are for losers.
Yuppie douche rickshaws FTW!
"Certain customers should not be required to subsidize the cost of rides for other customers."
If the people who are doing the subsidizing are tourists or business travelers who mostly take short trips in the center of the city, I don't really have a problem with sticking it to them. On average, the zone system has the effect of making trips more expensive for visitors and less expensive for residents.
Under the zone system don't the drivers have a built in incentive to get you to your destination quickly since they will not make more money if you sit in the cab longer? Don't metered systems charge for distance and time? So if traffic is bad you will pay more...
The real issue we should be asking ourselves is why a Senator from Michigan - that nobody here in the District elected - is meddling in our local business and forcing us to make this decision. This is a perfect example of Congress undermining home rule.
Maybe the Council should pass legislation mandating that all cabs in Detroit or Ann Arbor must be hybrids. I wonder how much they'd like that?
Cabbies Really want to keep zones because of The Motive That Dare Not Speak Its Name.
See http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/cab-fare/
jeffery's example is great.
Cab drivers will make up any losses from their long cab rides from an increase in shorter point to point rides in the city. I for one have lived in DC 5 years and have only used a cab once because of an emergency - because of horror stories. If it was metered i would certainly use it more frequently.
Why is this even an issue? Is any metro city in the country dealing with this problem? I feel like its a non-issue except for the unionized cabbies who are looking out for their own - which is understandable - but not in the best interest of all DC residents.
Dcistlurker (comment 13) above is absolutely right when he writes: "Why is this even an issue".
It seems like we are arguing about whether to go from horse travel to cars, when the rest of the developed world already has.
Move on, DC!
"This is a perfect example of Congress undermining home rule."
Well I wouldn't call it a perfect example, seeing as the zone system itself exists because of Congressional meddling. So in a way, this would be Congress fixing a problem it created.
Move to a meter system! Why is this even a question?
Why does every editorial comment that defends this uniquely ridiculous meter system rely on the idea that people who live far away should have cheap cab rides?
I was unaware that subsidizing cab rides was part of the mission of the the city government. If anything, it's an obvious reason we should get rid of it - it unfairly penalizes people who take short trips -- many of whom are presumably just as "needy". I'm completely at a loss as to why a cab ride is a right rather than a privilege, and as far as I know, there is no city on the entire planet that has ever provided taxicab subsidies to lower income people, or even considered it.
If we really are going to use this absurd rationale in making laws, then I demand that we also have subsidies for automobile purchases, gasoline, cigarettes, liquor, and hookers. All of these are things that are not exactly necessary, but either improve people's lives and/or make them happier, and that poor people should have equal rights to. Just like private limousine service via cab versus public transportation.
The comment about cabs being a cash business is the ONLY logical argument I've heard that is pro zones. I just don't understand how you can reason that it should cost the same to go from Adams Morgan to Capital Hill as it does to go a couple blocks down below U St. Also, aren't local citizens the ones more likely to be taking shorter trips within the city (ie they LIVE there)? Why is there this presumption that tourists are the only ones doing this? DC is/aspires to be a world class city and this system is annoying/unfair to locals and confusing to visitors - it's time for CHANGE!
This is an open message to Jim Graham. All others who agree with me,
please chime in or forward to other decision-makers.
Dear Councilmember Graham:
As you are well aware, Mayor Fenty is swiftly approaching a deadline
handed down by Congress to switch to a time-and-distance meter unless
Fenty issues an emergency injunction.
I ask you to call upon the mayor to NOT issue such an injunction and
to move forward with implementing a time-and-distance based meter
system for DC taxi cabs.
As a long-time resident of Ward 1 and DC Taxi Zone 2B, I am fed up
with the current arcane and regressive taxi zone fare system. There
are two major reasons for my complaint with the status quo:
1) Riders have no way of knowing whether cab drivers are cheating
them, as the zone system is very confusing.
2) The cost of purchasing a taxi trip is unlinked from the benefit of the trip.
Much of the press and dialog has addressed the first issue above. And
a compromise solution to implement zone meters attempts to address
that issue. However, zone meters do nothing to address the second and
perhaps more important issue. Below I list some arguments for moving
towards a distance-and-time based meter system.
* An economics issue: people use systems most efficiently when costs
equal benefits. If long cab rides are cheaper than the perceived
benefit, people will be more likely to take cabs versus public transit
for longer trips. And if shorter trips are too expensive, people will
simply walk.
* An equity issue: Why should one person pay a one-zone fare for a 20
block cab ride when another pays a two-zone fare for a 5 block cab
ride? This is especially important for residents of Ward 1, most of
whom live on or near zone boundaries with many destinations in
neighboring zones.
* A fairness issue: during times of high gas prices, currently all
trips have a single fuel surcharge. This unfairly penalizes people
making short trips and benefits those making long trips. Switching to
time/distance from zone will allow the fuel surcharge to be per mile
or per minute, allowing all to pair their fair share of these extra
charges.
* A safety issue: how many people walk home late at night from bars,
clubs and restaurants because they live on a zone border (just north
of U street) and refuse to pay a two-zone fare for a short trip from
Dupont/Logan/Shaw/Woodley/Cleveland Park to Adams Morgan/Columbia
Heights/etc? Your constituents deserve affordable cab rides home to
Ward 1.
Please, Mr. Graham, support distance and time based meters for DC
cabs, and tell Mayor Fenty that your constituents demand an end to
this perverse system of zone-based fares.
Michael Eichler
Adams Morgan
There's absolutely no reason why DC cabs are not time and distance metered. The zone prices are too high, there is little consistency in price between one cab and another, and folks unfamiliar with the system are ripped off on a regular basis. Not to mention the fact that the system itself is broken in general -- cabbies who will simply refuse to take people to certain (safe!) neighborhoods because they're "too far." This is not even to mention the fact that on top of the already high fares, the commission has added a gas surcharge. Get real.
Yep - a metered system it should be. Basically pay for what you get with no games.
A cab driver once told me that he didn't want meters because meters cost a lot of money and need to be maintained and audited. Under that rationale, "zone-meters" will be just as onerous, but not nearly as useful as regular meters. Mayor Fenty should join the rest of the country and switch over to regular meters. Both systems have pros and cons, but at least regular meters are common and expected by out of town visitors. Out of town visitors have a higher risk of being ripped off under either system, but at least with a meter system, they'll be familiar with how the system works.
People who are traveling a longer distance without stops should pay more for cabs, people who travel shorter distances should pay less. The bus and to some extent the metro accommodates those people who want to pay less but are willing to have more stops.
I hate to say this, but I'm not sure why Fenty or the cab commission would be scared of the cab drivers when it comes to making a decision on this. I don't want to be dismissive, but from the article I read on the rally, only about 200 showed up, they aren't organized into any sort of union, and the vast majority are independent operators. If Fenty were to order meters, how would they organize any opposition to anything? Why are they in any position to negotiate?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/09/AR2007100901648.html?tid=informbox
Holy crow. Regular meters! I agree with those who say, "Why is this an issue?" Somewhat relatedly, isn't there some arcane rule about what cabs can pick up and drop off where that might be abrogated with regular meters? (i.e., can't pick up in DC and drop off in MD, or at the airports, or something...I seem to remember this from cab vouchers at an old job, so it may just be a corporate thing...)
Those who support subsidizing longer trips can always direct their energies at Metro, which IMO should have a flat fare!
Of course, the hybrid meters wouldn't necessarily prevent a cab driver from unnecessarily crossing Florida Ave. in order to charge that extra zone, and theoretically, it would be even tougher to argue with a driver who had done that, since the fare would be displayed on the zone meter.
Like inloganQ said, this is totally a non-issue. Back when they were obscure, I had occasion to ride in one of the first zone-metered cabs, and the driver showed it off by zig-zagging across the zone boundary. I watched as the fare bumped up as we crossed the line, then dropped back down when we crossed back. Pretty neat, actually.
Disclaimer: In a professional capacity, I have had occasion to work with the D.C. Taxi Commission, and will probably do so again in the future. Any opinions above are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my employer or the D.C. Taxi Commission.
AJW: My understanding (based on talking to a cabdriver about that very issue a couple of weeks ago) is that DC cabbies can pick up in DC and drop off in MD and VA, but can't do the reverse.
Those who support subsidizing longer trips can always direct their energies at Metro, which IMO should have a flat fare!
From what I've heard, the District won't accept flat fares until suburban jurisdictions agree to make the calculated contributions from member jurisdictions solely dependent upon ridership (rather than a mixture of ridership and number of stations), and the suburbs won't accept that deal under any conditions whatsoever. So, no flat fares.
Lame.
Meanwhile, while we're debating mere fairness of fares, New York City is debating the vital question of a taxi's logo. If only we had that problem.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/16/x-marks-the-spot-and-back-to-bullets/
"My understanding (based on talking to a cabdriver about that very issue a couple of weeks ago) is that DC cabbies can pick up in DC and drop off in MD and VA, but can't do the reverse."
I thought that each jurisdiction's cabs can pick up or drop off in any jurisdiction as long as one end of the trip is in their "home" jurisdiction. I've definitely taken DC cabs from National back to DC, just as I have taken VA cabs from DC to VA.
One issue that may come up with a distance/time meter is the extra passenger issue. The "right" of a cab driver to pick up another unrelated passenger is the reason they can charge more for two bags or another related passenger. That system depends on the zone system. A time/distance meter wouldn't let them pick someone else up. Which is completely fine with me. If my cab ever starts trying to pick up another passenger I tell him clearly that I will not tip if he picks up someone else. Of course, my two dollar tip is smaller than the 10-12 bucks he'll get from another passenger, but I think it's worth sending a message that that practice is crap.
Which all gets down to the fundamental issue that when you consider the zone system and the plethora of additional and seemingly arbitrary surcharges, cabs in DC are too expensive. There's a reason that a cab license is a quick and easy way for someone to make a relatively comfortable living: we're subsidizing it.
Jonboy:
I'm a DC resident. I take cabs routinely.
I can go three times as far in a NYC cab for the same price that I pay in DC, and I can be guaranteed a safe, modern car, and a cabbie that knows where I'm going.
In DC, I'm charged $12 for an 8 block ride (if I have a guest), the cabbie speaks no English, he literally can't find the Capitol building, and his cab is a 20 year old death trap.
Ever wonder why DC cabs suck? It's because we get the rejects from NYC, from old police departments, etc.
We need meters, and we need a total cab system overhaul, starting with abolishing the Taxi Commission, the single most useless bunch of slackers in the city.
cminus - thanks. What you've outlined certainly does boil down to "never gonna happen". Oh well, a girl can dream...
mellbell, thanks to you too. I was sure I'd seen something to that effect before.
1. How would zone meters work going out of DC? Esp because everyone bitches about going to DCA. Would it automatically turn metered or would the driver still choose an arbitrary cost? And then not have change for a $20.
2. The butterstick photos are making me nauseous*, please suck it up and choose an "avatar"
3. Can you just call it a PHOTO, avatar is lame, sort of like using the word "interweb."
* except for Reid's. heh.
A time/distance meter wouldn't let them pick someone else up. Which is completely fine with me.
The new "bill of rights" (http://dctaxi.dc.gov/dctaxi/frames.asp?doc=/dctaxi/lib/dctaxi/Pass_Rights.pdf) in DC cabs makes no mention of the cabbie's right to pick up a second fare, so maybe Fenty agrees with you.
(I don't actually mind shared rides, at least not at 3:00 am on weekends. It's like getting one last chance at closing time. Then again, you may have better luck at bars than I do.)
Disclaimer: In a professional capacity, I have had occasion to work with the D.C. Taxi Commission, and will probably do so again in the future. Any opinions above are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my employer or the D.C. Taxi Commission.
Moose:
Sometimes I don't want to wait for the bus or the Metro, sometimes the Metro is closed, sometimes I don't want to walk from the final Metro or bus stop to my apartment. Do I need to go on? They're cabs. They provide door-to-door service at a premium rate. The issue here is what that rate should be and how it should be calculated. An impliciit flaw in your argument, again, is that taxis are not public transit, per se.
JonboyDC:
I'm not a tourist or a business traveler I live and work in the District. As it happens, the patterns of my movements tend to take me from the northern end of Zone 1 to the southern portion of Zone 2. Ergo, I'm getting a lousy deal.
I don't see the basis for your assertion that visitors, who by virtue of being visitors bear more of a burden that residents. I'm pretty sure I take more cab rides per year in DC than the Wilkersons from Rhode Island or Captain Industry from Globochem.
There's also a question of sales volume to consider. That is, there are many times when I would hop in a cab to travel fewer than 10 blocks (say, it's raining or I'm in a hurry). With a meter, that probably costs $5. It does in New York and Philly.
No matter what route the cabbie takes, with the zone-meter devices, the correct fare will be calculated if the cabbie crosses unnecessary zone borders. I've been in a zone-meter cab before and it's alright, but it is not an acceptable solution because, duh, we're still left with the stupid zones.
I believe in Fenty, and I hope he makes the right decision. Cabs aren't here to ferry the poor around, so please chuck that argument out the window. When I'm feeling cheap, I hop on a bus, not in a cab. And yes, I ride the bus quite frequently, and I rarely use a cab because of how overpriced they are in this city.
I'm sure that cab usage and revenue will greatly increase with the meter system because more people will use them for short and cheap trips.
If anyone has any common sense, we'll go to meters.
Fenty, please do what all the paying customers want -- go to time and distance meters. None of this zone meter BS!
Stand up to the taxis who have had their cake, ice cream, frosting, and more for way too long.
Seems to me that "zone meters" are a way to get something inside the cabs to centralize the system a bit...which makes them an interim step that could lead to true meters in the next few years. It'd be a much smoother transition than if zones went away tomorrow, not just for residents but for guidebooks.
I'd just like some fucking standardization about what the lights on top of the cab mean. I am sick of hailing cabs with their lights on that turn out to be full. Please, Mayor Fenty, link the light to the meter. Please.
I hope the Mayor changes to the meter system. I have had too arguments with cab drivers over the ride fee. I'll take the same route by myself on different days & get three different prices.
to echo a lot of other people... METERS!
the zone system is total crap. As a long time dc'er i ocassionally appreciate the ability to negotiate prices with cabbies, but the system is set up to rip people off. It makes our city look like shit when people come to visit and inevitably overcharged by the zone system.
Also, what more fair than paying for what you get? If the government wants to subsidize people in ward 8 that's their own thing...i'd prefer they subsidize their councilman over to PG, but that's another story. One thing, there's actually some decent money in sections of ward 8. So arguing the socio-economic shit, which i normally a fan of, is total crap when based off geographic location. I full support providing subsidized taxi service, beyond what is currently offered, to the elderly and disabled.
Fair is fair... pay for what you get - meters are the only way.
Sit back and watch as Fenty fucks this one up as well. He will probably go the "opt-out" route, and then proceed to do nothing at all. And D.C.'s third-world taxicab service will live on.