Archived Boston cab drivers have a plan to push more customers to Uber (bostonglobe.com)
submitted ago by BillCo
Posted by: BillCo
Posting time: 5.3 years ago on
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Archived on: 2/12/2017 1:51:00 AM
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Archived Boston cab drivers have a plan to push more customers to Uber (bostonglobe.com)
submitted ago by BillCo
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[–] RabidRaccoon 1 point 12 points 13 points (+13|-1) ago
I do sympathise with the taxi drivers to some extent. They paid money for a medallion because that was the only way they could operate. However that doesn't mean they're allowed to stop Uber.
[–] White_Raven 1 point 19 points 20 points (+20|-1) ago
You sympathize with people for buying something they lobbied to make requirement that now puts them at a massive disadvantage because that thing they lobbied to have made mandatory is also expensive as fuck and so they cannot compete which was the intention of the thing that they wanted?
[–] RabidRaccoon 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago (edited ago)
Well it depends. If you're some random wannabe taxi driver and you bought a medallion because it was the only way you could operate, I sympathize.
On the other hand reading this
http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/06/06/how-much-do-boston-taxi-medallions-cost-2/
I don't sympathize with someone who bought up 384 medallions, rented them out and used the rent to buy more of them. That is literally rent seeking behaviour
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent-seeking#Description
I.e. it seems like if you abolished the medallion system all that would happen to most drivers is that they'd stop paying rent to someone like Mr Tutunjian.
[–] Zeabos ago (edited ago)
Yeah that random eastern European guy who moved to the US a year and a half ago definitely lobbied 50 years ago to require 45% of his work time go into paying off the company he works for, just to be able to drive the cab.
People get so blinded by rhetoric they forget that they shouldn't be mad at people who are just as much victims of the system as anyone else.
I really do sympathize with the taxi drivers who are struggling to find work in an economy with few places for unskilled labor. Cab driving is a classic low-skill job that provided a decent living for immigrants. They got a license, learned the roads, and could make some consistent money. Now they are frustrated that uber execs are making huge profits by sliding around the rules that they basically were told they had to follow.
They don't know what to do, they don't have a strong union like they do in Europe or the police/fire/teachers unions. They struggle to keep up with the technology required to actually be an uber driver -- because if you want to drive for Uber in a place like NYC, be prepared to drive for 3 companies (lyft, uber, Gett), and have 2-3 modern smart phones to manage the apps.
The last NYC uber I was in, the guy had 2 smart phones, 2 tablets, and a built in car GPS. He took me to the airport, and said it was really the best way to get consistent deals.
[–] theoldguy ago
Some politician didn't stay bought if competition doesn't need a medallion. Maybe the cabbies should play Uber drivers with their personal cars for awhile to dilute the profits of the existing Uber drivers.
[–] Yollasho 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
Not all of them pay for a medallion. Many PAY the taxi company to be allowed to drive for the company...sort of like renting a license I guess.
One guy in Boston owns 21% of the medallions. I'm sure he's just rolling while all his drivers are broke as fuck paying him out the ass just to be able to drive. What a scheme.