Well, I'd like to start my entry today by apologizing for the long break in my posts. For one, I've been quite busy and simply didn't have the time to post and then when I did, Google had a problem with my account and I couldn't access this blog or my email for a little more than a week. Now that problem has been settled and I got home early so I figured I'd catch you all up on the current news.
The Taxi Drivers Alliance is calling for a $1 fuel surcharge per ride. The TLC says that "under no circumstance" will they allow it. Do you want to know my feelings on the matter? I think that $1 per ride is too much to ask for. Gas is up a little more than $1 from last year. Lets even say $1.50, even though it's not quite that much. Now lets figure that on an average day you use about 15 gallons of gas. At $3.00 a gallon that's $45. At a current rate (tonight's fill-up) it was $4.29 a gallon which would come to $64.35. That's $20 more than last year. On average I drive more than 20 rides a night, so the proposed surcharge is actually just profit for myself.
Besides that, let's agree that EVERYONE is affected by gas prices. Even so, people are still getting into my cab. I work nights, so it's at a MINIMUM $2.50 to sit in it and a $0.50 surcharge making it $3.00. This is an acceptable price that people are used to. During rush hour it's $2.50 plus $1.00 making it $3.50 to sit. Also not bad. BUT. Now lets add the $1 surcharge. That makes it $4.50 and $4.00 respectively. In my opinion, that's too high. What they should ask for is a $0.50 surcharge making it $4.00 and $3.50. Using the math from before, the $0.50 surcharge gives you an average of $10 more per day which is half of the new cost of fuel. So yeah, we're still losing some money, but like I said, everyone is affected by these gas prices so we have to eat some of it ourselves. Admit it cabbies, we can afford the $10 a day.
I read in some of these news stories today that cabbies are claiming that with the new price of gas they are only making about $7.50 an hour for themselves after expenses? I read that one guy has to spend less on food? C'mon now fella's! Everyone has an off night every once in a while, especially in the dead business summer, but if you're AVERAGING $7.50 an hour I suggest that you immediately stop driving a cab. You have no idea what you're doing. You are working way too hard for the money you make and you are just taking up space and adding to congestion. I don't want to be the person that's siding with the TLC, because an answer like "under no circumstance" shows close-mindedness, but I do agree with them if they call bullshit to your claim of $7.50 an hour.
If I made $7.50 an hour, as an average, for more than one week, I swear to you that I would never drive a yellow cab ever again. And yet here I am, driving away. Yes. I had a bad night last night. Yes. I had a bad night the night before. But today I made 5 (yes boys. Count 'em FIVE) runs to Hoboken/Jersey City which more than makes up for it. And if I didn't have the Jersey runs and I had a bad night like I did the previous two, I'm still above your $7.50 claim.
So yes, I do want a surcharge (or a fare hike) but no, not $1. Let's be reasonable and ask for $0.50 and maybe then the TLC will take us seriously.
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FDNY: New York's Bravest. NYPD: New York's Finest. So therefore, NYC Cabbie: New York's Yellowest! I'll be blogging my every day experiences as a NYC nightshift cabbie. Thanks for visiting, and enjoy!
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Everything that I post is true. Alot of people get in my car and ask for my cab stories. Here they are! I believe in the lost art of cab-conversation. Too many cabbies ignore their passengers and speak on their cell phones the whole ride. We need to bring back classic NYC Cab Rides!
"Watch out for the yellow ones! They don't stop!" -Buddy Elf in "The Elf"
"Watch out for the yellow ones! They don't stop!" -Buddy Elf in "The Elf"
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6 comments:
you dont get it, do you?
That fact of the matter everything is playing the "pass it down" game, milk, groceries, the airlines, UPS, everything is costing WAY more due to the spike in gas prices......except NYC taxis that is!!!!
Not only do I as a cab driver have to pay more for everything like everybody else, but Im essentially taking a pay cut, so Im getting hit twice! Go on the streets and ask people if they are taking pay cuts, and if there boss even tried it would they stand for it.... I think you would get a resounding HELL NO!!!!
And for many drivers who work mostly airports and often times do between 5-7 fares a shift, the $1 dollar per fare surcharge is a joke..... but that's another story for another time.
The reality is other cities have already implemented a gas surcharge to help the drivers, so we know by looking at them that it works!!
NYC has to get on the ball with this.
I do get it. The "pass it down" game you refer to is otherwise known as "inflation." Everything costs more becasue your money is worth less. If you go on the streets and ask people, like you advise, you may come across one of the thousands that got laid off and aren't even employed. Now THAT'S a paycut. We don't even have to worry about being laid off.
Many of the cities that added surcharges added the $0.50 that I suggest.
As for the drivers that work mostly airports and do 5-7 fares a shift, it's not the TLC's fault, nor my fault, that they work in such a way to have very high mileage along with low fare counts. They choose to work this way.
And when has NYC looked to other cities to see how their taxi's work? We're the city that others base THEIR prices on. Even Washington DC used our model.
However, I think you missed my main points:
1> Drivers are not averaging $7.50 an hour like they claim. Do you disagree with this statement? AVERAGING, not one night here and there, but averaging. There's no way.
2> The TLC already said no to the $1.00 surcharge. We can either cry about it or ask for $0.50. I'd rather ask for the $0.50, wouldn't you?
P.S.
If you want to work airports all shift, like JFK, and you work nights, you already forfeit the surcharges in place.
Thank you for your input. I do appreciate it!
I work days and I happen to hate the airports(LGA is not half bad though). I average 25-30 trips a day, I was just echoing what another cabbie was worried about.
Right now inflation is happening at a faster rate then ever before and wages are not keeping up, mainly due to the shitty value of the dollar(the Canadian dollar is worth more at times these days). I understand your point on the fact that the TLC said no to the dollar surcharge so we should try .50¢ which I happen to think they will also turn down.
I do agree about the cries of the other drivers that are exaggerating things, but who am I to judge, I have no kids and not alot of overhead..... perhaps things are that bad for them.
To be honest Im looking to get out of cab driving full time, Ive been doing it since 2000 and Im ready to move on..... the business has gone downhill, from the crazy gas prices to the 5% I have to pay on credit card transactions. The level of good, knowledgeable cab drivers I believe will continue to go DOWN if this trend continues...... Hell, I'm one of the few American born cabbies left out there!!!!
We are few and far between. I'm brooklyn born and bred myself.
I still think that if things are that bad for them that they should find a new profession ;)
I agree that the job has gone downhill, and the credit card fiasco sucks. However, inflation was worse in the 30's and the 70's then it is now. It may get worse yet, but it's not all that bad yet. The signs are there but hopefully the economy will recover quickly.
I've driven for years, then stopped and moved on, but then you always come back to driving a NYC yellow. There are things that suck about it, but something about the lifestyle, being out and part of the heartbeat of NYC makes it the best job in the world. I wouldn't trade the freedom of the job or the experiences of it for anything. If I hit the lotto I'd still drive at least once a week. That's a promise ;)
Perhaps the TLC will have to reconsider............
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=84104
.... let's hope they come to their senses!!!!!
It would be nice.. but with the oil prices fluctuating from $149 a barel at the time of this post to $128 a barel at the time of this comment, it shows a market instability that makes it difficult to pin down the gas price. TLC says they're waiting for the market to stabilize, and that excuse will hold fast. We're going to get oour rate hike next year when the raise the rates for the MTA. I'll take it.
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