Tampa Taxi Shots

What a loser Victor Crist, who ruined the taxi industry by allowing ride share to come in, was voted out of office in the last election. He failed as a State Senator and he failed as a corrupt County Commission member. I have never seen anyone bow to a large corporation with lobbyist as this guy did. Good Bye asshole. You ruined a lot of lives.

I can honestly say that in the 22 years I have driven a taxi in Tampa, that I have been treated more than fairly by the company. In fact, I consider the management friends. As I have stated repeatedly on this blog, the problem is not the ownership of United Cab. The problem is the HCPTC which, in my opinion, has been compromised by the deep pockets of Uber. This is why the commission treats them with kit gloves and makes tremendous concessions that would never be made in another industry. Drivers gathering at United Cab Tampa Running a cab company is costly. That is where Uber has an absolute advantage. They have managed to shift all the cost onto the worker and Uber takes no risk. This is an anti-labor practice that has gained ground under the stagnation of the Obama administration. Fortunately, that may soon end. I read the other day that the leading employer in the United States is Wall Mart. Most of their workers make minimum wage. I also read that nationwide over one ...

Uber driver being robbed. The robber should have killed the son of a bitch Uber shit A judge in Argentina has ordered Uber out of the country. Why can't the useless HCPTC kick them out of our county. What a weak piece of shit organization. CNN REPORTS: "That judge, however, declined to jail local executives, despite a request from the local prosecutor who asked for a nationwide shutdown of the ride-sharing service. Uber told CNNTech the app continues to operate normally and an appeals court will consider a nationwide ban. The ride-hailing company was told to stop business in Buenos Aires in April. Local credit card and telecommunications companies were ordered to block Uber, but the ride-sharing service continued to operate in the city. The Silicon Valley company faces criticism from labor groups, governments and drivers around the world. Critics say Uber should provide better pay and benefits to drivers, and that it undercuts local unionized transporta...

NOTICE NO CALLS ON THE BOARD DURING THE PIRATE INVASION! This is an image of my tablet at around noon on Gasparilla day 2017. It was a clear board. In years past, there would have been 1,500,000,000 calls on the board. The business is gone. There is not anything more I can say about that. I used to blame the HCPTC for taking no action to stop a gypsy cab operation. They were compromised early in the process of negotiations, and with the billions behind Uber, is that a surprise? The only mystery now is why do so many drivers continue to work for a leasing operation. There are no real perks to that anymore. The airport will soon be open season. When that happens, you won't be able to find a taxi in this town anymore. I did pick up a couple south of Gandy who told me the reason they called United Cab was they did not want to pay 10x surge. A 10 dollar fare would now be over 100 bucks. Apparently many were willing to pay that instead of getting into a taxi. Its over fo...

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak worries about Uber 'becoming a monopoly' https://t.co/bCSaOWrgaw via @smh — The Howling Hack (@CigarCityCabbie) December 9, 2016

Most of Uber's money went to little Marco I have had this conversation many times with people in my taxi. The profile on the customer is a hipster, progressive, and a once supporter of Hillary Clinton. I try to explain that no matter how tight your jeans are; no matter how groomed your beard is: Uber does not support your politics. Uber was a major contributor to the Marco Rubio (extreme conservative) Presidential campaign. Believe me, your politics are yours but Uber does not care about your hipster lifestyle. All they care about is that you use their service at the detriment of the regulated companies that follow the law. In reality, you are a conservative but you just don't know it. How can I say that...look at this image and ask yourself if you believe in what Marco represents.

Albert is a cab driver that follows the rules and pays his insurance, license, and operation fees Guest post by Albert Zee: 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. Curren...

We are entering a Neolithic age of capitalism. Oh, that is a Cuban cigar from Havana - against federal law to have one - Screw 'em ( Check my Twitter bar to view videos of my opinion on this ) The Tampa Airport Directors of Operations are screwing the local cab drivers up the ass. The local taxi companies have an exclusive contract on "transportation for hire" at the airport. The taxi companies pay $250,000 a year for the right to pick up. (You have to pay to play when it comes to the airport...unless you are Uber or Lyft). Uber pays ZERO $$$. Do you know that?  And they are allowed to pick up in the tunnel where we are banned from. In fact, an ADO told me that for every 1 fare we pick up, Uber picks up 11. That is an outrage. It is time that the drivers protect their own rights and the taxi companies need to support us in this. Let me explain: The taxi business is not going well in Tampa. It is worse than what is commonly known. If it were not for the Logistica...

Dana Young swore the safest form of transportation for women was Uber. It seems many women are not so sure of that. In fact, many Uber women riders are now requesting female only drivers . Uber said they will look into that. Unfortunately, for Uber, that would be no different than wanting a white only driver. Sorry folks, you cannot have it any way you want it.

A very bad person with no honor or integrity I attended a meeting at the hockey arena downtown which was attended by all the Tampa Bay area state senators and representatives. In attendance was one Dana Young (R). When it was her time to speak, so told a story about a young women that was being raped. While the college student was being sexually assaulted, the student hit the Uber app on her phone and the police now knew the GPS coordinates of her location. What MS. Young did not disclose was that it happened on the UCLA campus and that it was an UBER DRIVER THAT WAS RAPING HER! "As students prepare to return to college, one thing female students cannot go without is caution. Assaults, especially sexual assaults, are a haunting part of daily life for so many students. Uber has made that nightmare even more of a reality . We tell our students that getting a driver when they’ve had too much to drink is the responsible course of action — it’...

Uber will be shut down soon. They will not be able to thumb their nose at all laws.

Bob Buckhorn - the mayor of Tampa. This cat is the one that allowed the food trucks into downtown Tampa, completely ignoring the restaurants that pay taxes and are located downtown. He justified it, in the same way he is Lyft, that in this economy we need jobs. True, what we need are jobs that people can live off of. You are making beggars out of people Buckhorn. I guess  its good your wife had a good job before you got elected because you would have been flying a sign like the rest of the bums on the streets. No offense to bums. At least they work and struggle every day. The hardest thing you ever did was take your mutt to the dog park.

The taxi drivers in Tampa are pissed. The reason is because HCPTC has dragged this out long enough. Their delays in negotiating with Uber and Lyft has only allowed them to get a foothold in the Tampa community. Now the people are used to their low ball service and it just may be curtains for the taxi industry. Then, the choices the consumer has in this market will be limited to just Uber. Isn't that what they want anyway. One of the useless meetings I attended. I have since stopped going. It is only a morbid reminder of what once was

This man was bought off by globalist and venture capital that does not care about labor "Sen. Marco Rubio was looking to score a quick ride in Miami, but when he tapped his white Uber button on his smartphone, the Florida Republican came up empty. “I was bragging to someone about this service in Washington and I clicked onto my app … and up comes a message saying, ‘Sorry we can’t pick you up in Miami because the county commission won’t allow it,’” he recalled.  That incident was the impetus for Rubio's Monday visit to Uber’s Washington headquarters, where he used the struggle of a growing and fashionable tech company to underscore his case concerning overburdensome regulations. “We should never allow government power and government regulations to be used to protect an establishment incumbent industry at the expense of an innovative competitor,” he said. Operating in 37 U.S. cities, Uber is a transportation company that allows a customer to order a taxi, town car or S...

My Twitter Page My Twitter site for Tampa Taxi Shots is taking off. I only have 65 post but I now have 123 followers. Big things are in store and you need to be on board. With my new computer with Windows 10 the ability to do more work on this blog and market it is exploding. I have never been in a better position. Now that Uber will be banned from the Sunday night NHL Hockey match between the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning, we will have the chance to show how superior our service is. And I mean Uber WILL NOT BE ALLOWED NEAR THE STADIUM. Go to my Twitter to see the video I just put up and it is getting traction.

Idiot There really is no other word for it. The article in today's Tampa Tribune says Victor Crist is close to a deal with Uber on issues of background checks and insurance. If this goes the way he says it is going, than Uber and Lyft will be legal in Hillsborough County. What Victor Crist does not realize is that the ride share companies are jerking him off. It feels good too him but he is not getting anywhere. I have attended many meetings of the HCPTC County Commission for years where Victor Crist will claim progress is being made. He will say he is working with the lawyers and representatives of Uber and they are oh so close. Months go by and he says we are getting close. Years go by and Crist says we are getting close. Does he not realize they he is being played for a fool. In the meantime. All of our taxi business goes away to these illegal operators because this asshole won't put the hammer down. Mr. Crist, just enforce the law and stop trying to accommodate thes...

Today at the hockey arena in downtown Tampa, all of the local Tampa Bay state representatives and senators gathered  for the transportation hearing. What was first and foremost on the agenda was the subject of uber and its relationship to the Tampa Bay community. Both sides offered their reasons many of them anecdotal in nature. (Senator Jeff Brandes from St Petersburg, the one Center in the picture, came across as an arrogant asshole. He was rude and belligerent and combative with all speakers. This is an example of someone who bullied his way into a political position, no doubt. Sorry for the sidebar). State senator Arthenia Joyner was the best of the lot. She asked the most pointed questions and dug deep into the real issues. She pointed out to the room that seemed surprised to find out that all of the fees that apply to the cab companies by regulation uber has none of that. There are insurance requirements, licenses and fees, and fees associated with the airport authorit...

He is a huge Uber supporter and leaves the taxi companies to twist.  Victor Crist is a political coward. After an un-distinguished tenure in the Florida Legislature, he is out to save his current job while former political enemies attempt to shut the HCPTC down. I attended the transportation meeting the other day and found it to be a rigged deck. The commission is charged with regulating all for hire vehicles in the Hillsborough County. They distribute medallions and make sure cars are in running order and proper insurance has been issued for cars. They are also charged with shutting the gypsy cabs down. Now, a giant gypsy cab operation has hit Tampa and they don't have any way to deal with it. I photo bombed the commission with by beautiful mug Uber has taken all of our cash business. They are a gypsy cab company. Crist admitted he must now placate certain politicians, or his board with be shut down. So be it. The cab companies may soon shut down because Crist too...

I'm hearing that the judge may rule in our favor. That he won't completely kick Uber out of the county but he will order them to comply with the rules and regulations in place. That, in itself, will effectively remove them from the county because they are classified as a limo service which would require them to charge a minimum of 30 to 50 dollars an hour with a minimum of one hour advance notice of ride. This is something they have been unwilling to accept anywhere they go.  They believe they are special. They believe the rules do not apply for them. They believe they should be exempt. I'm glad that the law does not see it that way. I could be wrong but all of this makes sense. A reasonable judge with a rational mind and a firm understanding of the principles of law, could not reach any other conclusion than Uber is an illegal service. They are running a taxi cab company regardless of high tech equipment. I will be glad when this plague is gone and I can get back to ...

I heard Ron Seaman was fired after a group of airport drivers went into the office to complain. It seems the rules he implemented (that would make us more efficient in the Uber era) were more then the guys could stand. Face it, the taxi industry has received bad press in the last year for dirty cars and poor service. We have lost accounts to Nancy, and business to Uber. The airport is our last vestige of protection. Zellow app was a good idea but the drivers wanted to go back to the old way..everyone loses. ..Uber wins..Mark My words. posted from Bloggeroid