Philadelphia Will Do  
 
Tag » Limos « Home

Sep

5

Taxi Drivers Hoping For 0% Approval Rating

090507crazytaxi.jpg

By now, you’ve probably ridden in a Philadelphia cab and attempted to pay with a credit card. And, if you’ve done that, you’ve most certainly been told by the cab driver the credit card machine is broken, or you’ve been yelled at for not informing the driver you were intending to pay with a credit card, because, you know, that’s a rule of some sort.

Of course, the credit card machines aren’t broken 24/7, the drivers just don’t want to deal with ‘em. And so, to protest these evil credit card machines (and GPS systems), Philadelphia taxi drivers have begun a two-day strike.

The strike is a joint action in solidarity with cab drivers in New York City. Philadelphia cabs already have the GPS/credit card system installed, while New York cabs will be making the switch over soon. The GPS system does go out somewhat frequently, but the real reason for the strike is cab drivers don’t want to accept credit cards for some reason (they have to report tips accurately?) and they’re being forced to.

Anyway, it’s okay if cabs are on strike; now you can hail a limo!

Linda J. Miller, Parking Authority spokeswoman, said the executive order allowing the city’s 161 limousine companies to fill the vacuum left by striking taxi drivers was also used to cope with a one-day strike in May 2006 that left about 100 cabs operating.

Miller said that the limousines would respond to anyone hailing them on the street but that there would be no central dispatching as with taxis. Anyone calling for a ride would have to pick a limousine company from the phone book.

But here’s the question: Do limos have those credit card machines? Probably not.

2-day taxi strike has begun [Inquirer]
 
dmac | 8:56 AM | 0 Comments
Cab Drivers, Credit Cards, Limos, Strikes, Taxi Strike, Taxis
 

May

16

Cabbies Strike, Deliver Cheap Limo Rides

051606gpstaxi.gif It’s been a little over a month since the last strike — which was kind of a non-strike anyway — so the cab drivers of Philadelphia decided that, hey, what better day to hold a one-day strike than Election Day!

Actually, the strike is timed to coincide with the AIIM Expo at the Convention Center, an event with 20,000 visitors expected to attend. (The AIIM Expo, as you might have guessed, is an exposition of AIIMs.) The cab drivers are angry because of new regulations requiring GPS in all taxis and forcing cabs to be shut down at 250,000 miles.

They’re having a rally now at Dilworth Plaza, complaining about the aforementioned GPS and mileage restrictions, but, as you all know, I’m sure the city of Philadelphia will rally around these cabbies and they’ll get what they want. Erhm, wait.

On the plus side, KYW 1060 reports this interesting fact:

The Parking Authority is allowing limousines to operate as cabs for Tuesday only, in order to pick up the slack.

A ride in a limo for the price of a cab? Count me in!

1,600 Phila. taxi drivers on strike today [Inky]
Philadelphia Taxi Drivers Strike Over GPS Tracking [KYW 1060]
April 10: Hacks Do Hackjob On Travel Plans
 
dmac | 11:12 AM | 1 Comment
Limos, Strikes, Taxis