 |
| Albert is a cab driver that follows the rules and pays his insurance, license, and operation fees |
Uber problem in Tampa Bay.....Taxi industry has been under siege since 2007-2008 due to economical collapse of 2008, then surge in new taxi cab start ups between 2010-204 which were still mostly operating according to all the rules and regulations prolonged recovery.
Then uber came around with "great solution" to our transportation problems and said, what regulations, what commercial insurance, what background checks and what cars (we don't need to own any and our drivers don't need to be regulated because we are "rideshare" company), we will invade and steal the market by offering rides at half a price, we will put all those law obeying "taxi cartels" out of business by creating bogus press releases about advantages of uber, by lying to public, drivers and politicians, they don't know any better any ways.
Current situation in result of uber actions,
Taxi market is mostly deregulated, there is oversupply of drivers who struggle to make money, uber drivers bypass uber platform to make extra money, they create gypsy cab companies and advertise on google as legal taxi operators to unaware public, taxi companies are under pressure to keep their cabs rolling, so often they don't require new drivers to pass level 2 background checks because uber doesn't have to do it, most of those start ups from 2010-2014 went rogue and operate without any kind of credentials same like uber drivers operate gypsy cab companies.
THIS IS FUCKING MESS?
By my estimation, 80% of drivers out there operate without commercial insurance or city stickers, 40% of them have criminal record (those good drivers gave up), 10% of drivers are constantly involved in some kind of criminal activity to supplement their income,....
I am not a cab driver with extensive experience, I started in 2004 after my doctor told me to quit doing construction, but I have been around cabs since I can remember, my grandpa and my father were cab drivers in Warsaw, Poland and I witnessed a lot of family things going about taxis and cab driving...you know...things like family conversations about city changing regulations....people not paying fares...valet guys at hotel being dicks ...200 miles trip across Poland paid double by rich westerner, etc
ReplyDeleteWhen you are kid, you listen and learn ...My folks probably noticed that I was listening, learning, paying close attention so when I went to high school, they had that family meeting with me and told me...."whatever you do in your life, please don't drive a cab, there is not much money in it and it brings a lot of stress and suffering in the end"
....I kept my word until 2004 when my father passed away and I started to have health problems.....it was easy choice for me, - after a week of driving I felt like a pro...
You nailed it brother .
ReplyDeletehow very true
ReplyDeleteOne of the Results of "taxi war" with uber, lyft and illegal cab companies.
ReplyDelete....How dishonest taxi drivers in Pinellas cheat the system while trying to survive competition against uber, lyft...
Taxi meters in Pinellas are unsealed and owners don't care, why would they? if state doesn't care either....
so, drivers rig the meters to 2/3 different rates, one for regulars, second for drunks and tourists and yet another one for price surging on weekend nights or really disoriented tourists who forgot to ask "how much would cost to get from point A to point B"