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The group that calls itself the Coalition of Taxicab Drivers, Associations and Companies has created an online petition to gather support from those in favor of switching all D.C. taxicabs to the so-called "zone meters", as opposed to the time and distance meters Mayor Adrian Fenty has ordered will soon be mandatory. A judge recently pushed back the date by which the time and distance meters need to be in place to May 1, as opposed to the original date of April 6.
“Passengers want meters installed in D.C. taxis and they’re telling us they want the meters to be based on the existing zone system,” said Solomon Tesfaye with the Coalition in a statement. “Passengers want accuracy, predictability, to be treated fairly and they want taxis readily available in all areas of the city.”
We guess the success or failure of this “Say Yes to Zone Meters” campaign will tell whether Tefaye is right about what D.C.'s taxi passengers really want. A survey conducted by the D.C. Taxicab Commission in August 2007 indicated a wide majority of frequent riders would prefer a time and distance meter system. The pro-zone meter online petition from the Coalition was just announced via an email to the press this afternoon. At the time this post was published, the petition had one total signature.
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I love the new and differing arguments cabbies are coming up with.
My favorite new one is that they zone system somehow magically assures that cabbies will serve outlying areas, beyond downtown.
That's pretty much crap. Try hailing a cab anywhere out on the Hill or, god forbid, east of the river. It's pretty difficult.
And even better, try hailing a cab downtown and tell them you're going anywhere in NE or SE. You damn sure better have your butt in the seat before they hear that or chances are good it'll suddenly be just you on that lonely streetcorner.
Man, these guys just crave rejection.
Lets see, the DC cabbies protest at every attempt to bring them to 21st century standards. Right now we have high prices, dirty cars and surly drivers. At least we could have consistently high prices, dirty cabs and surly drivers with the time/distance meters.
"We do not support the time and distance meters since fares are totally unpredictable, are more susceptible to over-charging riders and will likely unfairly victimize riders in the poorest outskirt neighborhoods, through higher prices and less taxi availability."
(1) Regardless if it is a Zone system, a Zone/Meter system or a Meter system, the citizens of the outskirt neighborhoods would be victimized regardless through higher prices and less availability. Try getting a cab to go from Adams Morgan to the Hill at the end of a Saturday night. The cab drivers would not miraculously stop being discriminatory based on ZIP code because of Zone Meters.
(2) While it may be more predictable to use a Zone meter, it will not automatically force the cab drivers to drive the shortest route to said destination. They cross zones unnecessarily all the time and then rip the rider off.
(3) It would not help make less confusing the current Zone system.
Is there any way we can start a counter-petition....to rival their petition? Wouldn't that be hysterical and a blow to the Commission.
Let's see how many of the people who signed Anthony Williams' re-election petitions wind up signing these Taxi petitions.
I'm looking for Captain Crunch, Mr. Rogers and Martha Steward. All big-time zone-meter supporters, for sure.
Can someone explain a zone meter? All I care is, if I catch a cab two blocks north of U Street, and go to, let's say, Dupont, would i still be paying for two f-ing zones???
Man, my blood pressure raises when i think of DC taxi drivers....
I had a cab driver today that didn't know what or where Union Station was.
I don't get why cabbies have so much political clout with the DC Government. They have no natural constituency, and have alienated virtually everyone. But the squeaky wheel truly does get the grease.
when you view "current signatures" on the site, there's TWO. yes, a whopping two.
i saw a woman trying to grab a cab in front of the p street whole foods last week, and she said "SOUTHWEST" really loudly in the window (i'm guessing the cabbie was asking her where she was going). i looked up really quickly to remember the number in case he tried to leave her there, but she grabbed the handle and had the door open before he could leave. the last thing i heard was "yes, southwest, and you have to take me there", so i'm assuming she knew the law and was able to get home.
ColHeightsChic: from what I gather, a Zone-Meter is a GPS based meter that keeps track of the number of zones you travel through.
I don't know how it is activated, be it by the driver pressing a button or punching in starting points and destinations.
It's a compromise between the meter system and zone system. It keeps the awful zone system.
I don't think the cabbies have much clout though. They are constantly changing their reason for why they are against distance/time meters, and what they claim the people want.
They really don't have many supporters in the public. People are tired of their shenanigans, and aren't willing to take it.
IMGoph: I am surprised the cabbie had his door unlocked. They usually only unlock them once they hear the destination and are willing to go there.
There are currently 9 signatures. Maybe four of them appear to actually be legit.
FYI - I'm Franklin Delano Romanowsky and I approved this message.
Question: I understand the concept of zone meters, but do these things even exist in reality as technology that's readily available and cheap to deploy, or are they asking for something that is unproven, still in design/beta stage, or otherwise not ready for prime time? I can't imagine that for cost reasons alone that a standard time and distance meter (used by EVERYONE else in the known universe) would not be very much cheaper than a zone meter, which requires not only different technology, but a satellite positioning linkup as well.
The fare is not based on the number of zones you pass through, and it never has been. The number of zones is determined by looking up the start and end zones on the table.
Krisa, I think that's their ploy. No other jurisdiction has a zone system. Only DC. So a zone meter would still be unique to DC. I know that NYC has a GPS system in its cabs. But they are used to prevent fraud in terms of altering time and distance.
If the drivers are so fond of GPS, maybe a GPS map system should be required in all taxis. That would put an end to the "I don't know where Union Station is." problems...
Yellow Cab currently uses these zone meter things.
I do not support them over regular time and distance meters, but they do work well. It doesn't matter how many times you go over a zone line, the GPS system knows where you start and stop and then spits out the correct fare.
Their system is also great for dispatching cabs (though it costs the rider $2 for the dispatch) because it sends the closest available cab to you based on their GPS locators.
I think Yellow went out on a limb a while back and bet on zone meters and installed them in all of its cabs.
"Their system is also great for dispatching cabs (though it costs the rider $2 for the dispatch)"
Note this fee is charged by all cab companies and appears on the rate schedule.
Got into an arguement with a cab just this past week. Three zones is not $17!