TAXI DRIVER: the movie and Uber

Tom gave me this movie today as a gift. Its a classic flick from 1966 staring Robert Deniro as a disturbed cab driver. It was part of a new genre of movies that were seen as social criticism. It is much more then a movie.

The Travis character becomes more alienated from society. Working the mean streets for years will do that to you.This is what happens to lifer cabbies. It consumes you. It becomes part of you. Anything that threatens that, you protect. What would Travis have done to Uber drivers? I think we know that.

posted from Bloggeroid

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What happened to Tommy Duncan and Sticks of Fire blog?

The image below is a 2005 TBT article I still have about the Tampa blogger scene. The big boy was Tommy Duncan. He stopped blogging around 2008, and was never seen again. Here is what Creative Loafing said about that era: "The 40-something blogger founded the most-often-cited independent Tampa Bay news blog, Sticks of Fire, in Feb. 2004, and the site, without much financial assistance from advertising, is still going strong today with a stable of more than a dozen regular contributors. In 2005, Duncan was featured in a tbt* story about the young lions of the local Internet. Today, about half of them have fallen by the wayside or (in the case of famous sexy blogger Rachel Moran) moved to New Jersey. Duncan keeps on posting. The local digital scene has grown, but he's not sure it has improved in quality."

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Christine Lemaster of Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay is known for its tropical beaches and sunshine Christine is a fitness,glamour,lingerie, and swimwear model. She was born in Clearwater, Florida but now resides in Ft. Myers, Florida. She was crowned Miss Hawaiian Tropic Tampa in 2006 and competed in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International finals in 2007. She is now in the 2008 Miss Hawaiian Tropic Calendar. Some of her print credits include Hooters magazine, Natural Muscle magazine, American Curves magazine, Maxim magazine and many others. In 2007, she was offered a developmental contract with the WWE but turned it down due to professional and personal commitments. She has also done a few infomercials that can be seen often involving Tony Little as well as Technopower. You can find out more about Christine at her own personal website at http://www.idreamofchristine.com/ or at her myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/christinelemaster . Image Credit: http://www.idreamofchristine.com & http://www.bullz-eye.com

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Hillsborough County bans Uber today as taxi company

The HCPT and Hillsborough County public commission today affirmed Uber is an illegal taxi company and bared them from operating in the Tampa area. This is wonderful news to longtime drivers like me. An Uber attorney asked Hillsborough County to make new rules to fit the trendy ridesharing movement pioneered by his company and Lyft, but was told flatly on Wednesday that Uber is an illegal taxi service. The county's Public Transportation Commission unanimously affirmed that an appointed officer had enough evidence to fine Uber, based in San Francisco, for providing hiring and public taxi services without proper licensing. Uber attorney Drew Sorrell held to the company's argument that it isn't in transportation. As a technology company, it doesn't need to follow transportation regulations as they are written. "There's a perfectly good way to do this, and that is to write the rules so that they fit," said Sorrell, of the Lowndes Drosdick Doster Kantor

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Violetta Storms is a top glamour model

My favorite model (she is from Italy) may return to the Arizona Shootout. That will be more of a reason for me to return, as well. I spent time in studio (a hotel suite) over two days to get awesome images. She is beautiful and down to earth. She has also been one of the most successful nude models in the last ten years. Enjoy this video. Photography by Tim Fasano Baby It's Cold Outside - The classic revisited with a twist - watch more funny videos

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Uber was warned about rapist driver

These women are members of congress and are protesting Uber (I tried to warn you about Uber) Nidhi Shah said she complained to the web-based taxi service after the driver stared at her and smiled "creepily" during a November 26 journey in the Indian capital. "I took a cab with Shiv Kumar Yadav in Delhi on Nov 26th. Scares me beyond belief," Shah tweeted late Tuesday. "He was staring at me and smiling -- made me feel quite uncomfortable." Shah told the NDTV news channel she felt she should report the driver to the company. "I had a bad feeling about him," she said. US-based Uber has been banned from operating in Delhi after the passenger in her mid-20s accused Yadav, 32, of raping her when she fell asleep in his cab on Friday night. On Tuesday it emerged that Yadav, who is now in custody, was working for the company while on bail on multiple charges including assault, robbery and rape. Yadav was charged with molestation in 2003,

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What Lyft and Uber will take from the Tampa taxi business

A lyft car at the Iconic sign on Florida ave downtown Tampa I have been a hack in Tampa Florida since 1995. Unlike the estimated 50% of Americans that hate their jobs, I have never had a day when I did not feel like going to work. Certainly, the last few years have not been fun because the economy fell apart like a three dollar watch. However, economies are like tides and this one is on the rebound, at a snail's pace. I would like to thank Mr. Obama for that but that would not be fair. The economy is recovering despite any fiscal policy of his. That being said - there are challenges. My job is inherently difficult. We face strange and deranged people street level on a daily basis. Taxi companies in Tampa (which are regulated) must serve the general population. We have no choice. Short fares, drunk fares, people going to buy drugs (they don't tell you that) we must pick up. Don't get me wrong, there are business people, beautiful women, great trippers, and long haul

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I got flashed today

This very pregnant women flashed me this morning. Her baby is due November 22 and I'm sure she will be glad I took these images. She's had a tough go of it but the important thing is the baby is alright and mom is healthy. Elena is a very special person. posted from Bloggeroid

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Death of the taxi business

The taxi business is dead in the United States. This industry is going the way of the Payphone and the neighborhood video store. Did I mention Kodak film? I know technology has changed the nature of work but in this case the politicians are who ruined the taxi industry. They were unwilling to support a regulated industry. Keep in mind, almost all businesses are regulated. For some reason, the politicians decided that because of the popularity of uber, they would allow Rideshare to operate until state legislators made them legal. Therefore, killing off my business. Why it was transportation and not construction, hairstyling, pizza delivery, hot dog stands, insurance, law, and so forth, I will take to my grave not knowing the answer. All I know, is that my life has been ruined. It is over. I cannot make a living. I'm being evicted from my home I cannot pay my electric bill or any other bill. My life is in shambles and I face an uncertain future. Is there really anything more to say?

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Uber given warning to cease For-Hire Transportation Services in Tampa

Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission yesterday sent Uber a stop order. Their legal division was advised that criminal prosecution was the next step if they do not comply. This is a wonderful way to close out 2014 and hope that 2015 will be the year when law and order are restored. A contact I have with the commission gave me the copy of the letter above. Remember people of Tampa - if you use Uber you are using an illegal business with no insurance. You will also be charged tonight 10 times the normally rate. They call it "surge pricing." The law calls it gouging which is illegal in Florida. This is today's front page in the TBT exposing the Uber rip-off.

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The Price of gas is now lower then when Obama took office

The day Obama became President (notice the price of gas) It's about time! The photo above was taken at the Racetrack gas station the day Obama took office in 2009. The photo below that is at the same station today and its back to the same level. Gas is a major expense for taxi drivers. Nothing could be better news than to see gas continue to fall. Gas is lower today then six years ago Are you going to give the credit to Obama? Is it his economic and energy policies that have led to this fall? I would like to believe that but I can't. If it were not for Obama's green energy policies, gas may even be lower then it is today. He has tried to kill the coal industry. He won't allow off shore drilling. He has stopped the pipeline from being built. Thank God, the fracking guys have been able to create a new source of oil and lower the demand for middle east crude. This president (and his fans) for years wanted investigations into the oil companies because they t

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