The Weekly Feed: Experimentation Edition
Morning Roundup: Change Edition
Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'
D.C. Unemployment Rate Reaches 11.9 Percent
D.C. Insurance Dept. Denies Birth Control Coverage Meddling
WTOP's Adam Tuss managed to get D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Leon Swain on the record that he's now officially "trying to get rid of the [gas] surcharge." Trying? He's also apparently "trying" to contact members of the taxicab commission so that he can talk to them about repealing the surcharge. "I expect to take action this week," Swain told Tuss. Hmm. You may recall that FOX 5's Matt Ackland asked Swain the same question on Oct. 29, noting that gas prices had fallen and were expected to keep falling. Since then, there was a regular, full meeting of the D.C. Taxicab Commission on Nov. 12. What prevented this discussion from happening at that meeting? Average gas prices in the metro area now stand at $1.91. When the $1 gas surcharge we're paying right now was reinstated in late 2007, average gas prices were around $3.13 per gallon. The Commission approved the most recent surcharge renewal on Sept. 29, extending it through January 31, 2009.
In other taxi-related news, the Examiner reports today on a new report from a 13-member taxicab task force, which was co-chaired by Swain along with D.C. Council member Jim Graham, that calls for the elimination of the $1 fuel surcharge, while at the same time raising the meter rates from $1.50 per mile to at least $2, and increasing the $15 per hour wait charge to $24. The report also calls for the elimination of the $19 cap on rides that start and end in the District.
Early DCist prediction on all this: the gas surcharge will be eliminated, but either at the same time or only shortly before many of these meter rate increases are implemented, thus making most short trips cost roughly the same as they do now.
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Do. Or do not. There is no "try."
early dcist commenter prediction: the taxicab commission folks are the most unprofessional, unqualified losers to run a government agency in this city, and they're going to continue taking their time and doing whatever they can to rip you off.
ride a bike. it's cheaper, faster, healthier, and cooler, damnit.
If we're paying NYC cab rates then we should get NYC cab quality.
Until that happens it's pretty much a scam.
DC cabs remain (with some exceptions) decrepit, filthy, and poorly driven.
I used to ride a bike to work, but now I'm old and funky. They took away the showers.
My ride on Friday requires me to carry 2 large bags.
Sometimes the driver acknowledges this and charges me $3.00. Other drivers don't. What gives? I carry the bags myself.
Then there'z ze Rush-hour fee tagged onto ze Gas-Surcharge McRip-off fee.
It just cost me over $5.00 just to get into ze fricken cab and I haven't even gone one block.
Stay classy DC.
Whatevs. Don't waste effort fighting the gas surcharge. It'll just come back next summer when gas prices shoot up again. I'd rather not let the commission act like it's compromising by eliminating (for now) one surcharge while at the same time jacking up rates and doing nothing about all the other completely ridiculous surcharges.
The cab system is run as a jobs program. The report makes no bones about that. The Taxicab Commission should be disbanded for moral bankrupcy and DDOT should take over. The cab system should be primarily about transportation, not middle-class entitlements.
"The cab system is run as a jobs program. The report makes no bones about that. The Taxicab Commission should be disbanded for moral bankrupcy and DDOT should take over. The cab system should be primarily about transportation, not middle-class entitlements."
Absolutely true.
The strangest part is, it's a jobs program for Maryland residents. And it's DC residents that suffer.
DC cabs really are horrific compared to NYC cabs.
ride a bike. it's cheaper, faster, healthier, and cooler, damnit.
It's also a great way to experience the richness of DC's diverse communities and their colorful use of language.
Reid...clearly you don't deal with DDOT much if you want them to take over the taxis in this town. While things aren't as bad at DDOT as they were say 10 years ago, there's been a noticeable backslide of late.
I've been boycotting DC taxis for a while now. I used to ride them home from work 3 to 4 times a week. Now I only use them if Metro is closed. The gas surcharge still being in effect was just the last straw. Before the change to meters I was getting tired of drivers refusing to take me where I wanted to go (When they rolled down the window with the doors locked to ask me where I was heading I eventually just replied with "Your mamas!") and since the changeover I've had drivers ignore my directions or once had a driver drive so slow all the way home that my fare was $3 more than usual! It's just ridiculous how bad the service is and there's no point in complaining to the Taxi Commission, they aren't listening.
It's not just DC cabs, but dc cabbies that are horrific. NYC cabbies come from all walks, London cabbies come from MENSA, New Orleans cabbies come cheerfully from bars, and DC cabbies come from hell's cesspool.
Hey Petwortian! We used to call what they did to you...The Colored Peoples Tax. I've called and written to the Taxi commission. They gave me a no. and asked all kinds of questions. It made me feel like I was the problem. The only reason I take a cab on Fridays is because its during rush hour and the buses are usually packed full of peeps. Plus, they never seem to want to give a man with bags a seat so I'm forced to take a blood-sucking cab. That in itself takes another 20 minutes of 5 to 10 cabbies passing me by. Stay classy DC.
Time for me to stop tipping the taxi driver and go back to cow tipping!
Who does the Taxi Commission answer to (besides Beelzebub, of course)?
It's obvious the Commission simply does not have the interest of DC cab riders at heart.
So if you want to complain you've got to complain to whoever they answer to.
This is absolutely disgusting. I have emailed the Post, Fenty, Dr. Gridlock and the Taxi Commissioner demanding the reason why this 'gas surcharge', AKA the fee that makes DC have the highest drop rate in the country, has not been removed followed oil dropping over 75% in price.
The response? Fuck all.
It seems as though everybody but me is in on the the fact that the DC Taxi Commission is corrupt and there's nothing you can do about it.
So if you want to complain you've got to complain to whoever they answer to.
That would be Saruman. He's kinda busy, though. He just dispatched an army of cabbies to find a man, a dwarf, an elf, and some hobbits. He told them to bring back the halflings alive, and unspoiled, but to kill the others. Or, at least, drop them off in Trinidad at 3am on a Sunday morning.
For what is the House of the Taxicab Commission but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The Gas Surcharge victory does not belong to you, Leon Swain, Cabmaster. You are a lesser son of greater sires.
Rides in my lovemobile are still cheaper. And now come with less itching and burning afterward.
We wouldn't even be having this discussion if they'd just start licensing jet-powered rickshaws and barbary ape pedicabs.
What business does Jim Graham have co-chairing anything that has to do with taxicabs? He just drives his little Beetle to wherever he's going, and parks illegally.
Where are those moving sidewalks that The Jetsons'
promised us?
Well, the Council allocated $54 million for moving sidewalks in the '09 budget, but since there's no dedicated funding stream, they opted for just a "test sidewalk" along a half mile of MLK Boulevard.
DC SUCKS
Deep,
Bus riders can be a**holes (although I still think they're better than metro riders), but what kind of bags are we talking about? If you have two or more grocery bags or a suitcase I'd give you my seat, otherwise suck it up. Of course, I never have to worry about this because DC is full of machismo, so I always get a seat.
Also, Deep, if your bags are going in next to your seat, you should not pay a bag fee. Just refuse to, and don't tip.
Friends,
I don't want to add to another stereotype of black people not tipping.
Ecnosize,
I'm carrying a large black duffle bag and a knapsack on wheels. I sometimes have to get the bus drivers attention and so's that I can gets me a seat. Most of the riders around rush hour don't speak English anyways.
monkey: wow, way to use my own words against me. good show, sir!
Why am I not surprised Jim Graham is up to his gay eyeballs in this mess?
Seriously. What does it take to get this guy out of office?
Oh. My. Lord.
If you have any concerns about having a low blood pressure or just need a good reason to break stuff, please actually read the report they issued.
It is one, hughmongous pile of horse sh*t. Even by DC government standards, this is awful. It's basic point is this "Everything cabbies want, we think they should get. They should not be forced to do anything different."
If it were written by a PR firm hired by a cab company, it wouldn't look any different.
Here are some highlights:
-It doesn't recommend raising the standards of cabs, including the pathetic requirement that cabs can be up to 10 years old. Why? Because "until such time that cab companies can acumulate some equity for investing in the industry it would be not be economically feasible to raise the vehicle standards" W. T. F? Keep in mind that Diamond Cab is so old that you can see one in the film The Day the Earth Stood Still. But, hopefully another 50 years will give them "some equity" to buy some new cars!
-Like the fact that all NYC cabs are yellow? Too bad, the report says it's more important to allow cab companies to brand themselves.
-Like the fact that a light tells you when a NYC cab is empty? Well tough luck; the report doesn't recommend changing anything on that front except to let the cabbies turn the light off when they're off duty, but only if they feel like it.
-Think a medalion system raises the standards? Maybe the task force does too, but they're not recommending it here. Because "the open system has served drivers and the public well"! Maybe!
-Like that cabs aren't able to pick up strangers anymore? Well the task force doesn't, and recommends giving cabbies that ability again if the meters can be made to keep two fees.
-The task force recommends getting rid of the fare cap (ok, whatever), hiking up the wait time, hiking up the per mile, and getting rid of the gas surcharge (but only so that the gas charge can be then factored into the mileage rate). What's the reason? Well because they can find a jurisdiction somewhere that allows more on any of these rates, all of the rates must be higher. Sorta a highest common denominator approach. Oh and all those other bullsh*t surcharges? The report doesn't even mention them. Arthur Anderson couldn't have come up with more fraudulent and misleading accounting.
-Like getting the name of your taxi driver on your receipt? Too bad. All you'll get is the car number.
-Oh and as for the makeup of the task force, you should not be surprised that 8 of the 13 are in the taxicab or limo business. Of the others, one works for the African Resource Center (i.e. cab booster). Two are in the hospitality business, whose interests are not directly inline with the cabbies, but they're not directly inline with the public's either. And finally, one guy representing disabled rights. That's it. Somehow three of those people are supposed to represent "the public". Presumably the handicap rights fellow is one. Probably the African Resource Center guy is another (but you know who he's looking out for). I guess maybe one of the hospitality people are the third "public" representatives. Jesus, even Putin knows how to make a white wash look less stacked than this.
This whole report is disgusting.
reid: i'm sorry that i'm not even taking the time to read your whole comment, but anyone who takes the time to read all that you did and comment on it so thoroughly deserves a tip of the cap. bravo, sir.
Because "until such time that cab companies can acumulate some equity for investing in the industry it would be not be economically feasible to raise the vehicle standards"
Funny how cab companies in every other city (and most of our suburban locales) have no problem doing this.
This sentence alone makes it clear whose interests are being protected - existing cab companies in DC. You know, the ones that have sucked for decades.
The only way to really change cabbie behavior is to start stiffing them. And I don't mean just on tips. If they're going to not follow your directions or slow down on purpose to raise the fare, then don't pay the full fare on the meter. Then the cash will not balance out at the end of the shift, and they take the hit in their pocket (for non-independent cabbies, at least).
Affecting them personally is the only way the change their behavior. I suppose it is slightly illegal, but it's unlikely that a cabbie will spend a few hours dealing with the police over a few bucks. And obviously if you made a radio call or otherwise provided your exact address, this is not advisable.
Swain's office just emailing me to let me know the fuel surcharge is dead starting tomorrow.
Win.