MARCH 2018 Vol.19 No. 3 &

An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries Lea los artículos en español.

LLAAMMEENNTTAABBLLEEMMEENNTTEE,, AA VVEECCEESS HHAACCEE FFAALLTTAA UUNNAA TTRRAAGGEEDDIIAA…… PPEERROO NNOO DDEEBBEEMMOOSS DDEEJJAARR PPAASSAARR EESSTTEE MMOOMMEENNTTOO SSIINN AACCTTUUAARR VViiggiillss HHeelldd RRaallllyy GGrreeeettss TTLLCC AAggeennttss HHoorrssee--DDrraawwnn ffoorr NNeeww FFHHVV AAttttaacckkeedd CCaarrrriiaaggee SSuuiicciiddee VViiccttiimm CCoommmmiitttteeee BByy MMoobb RRaammss TTaaxxii TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 2 • • MARCH 2018 TLC DRIVER SERVICES, INC. 31-00 47th Avenue All TLC Summonses Long Island City, NY 11101 DMV Traffic Tickets ((InsideInside the TLC Building-1st floor)

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries

WHY DOUG SCHIFTER PUBLISHER: David Pollack E-mail:[email protected] 11 Edge Water lane TOOK HIS OWN LIFE Haverstraw, NY 10927 BY DAVID POLLACK Phone: 718-706-TAXI (8294)

The brother of Doug Schifter, the career driver who took his EDITOR: Neil Weiss Email: [email protected] life at City Hall, was a guest on my radio show in February, 714 Crestbrook Ave. The Taxi Dave Show. Cherry Hill, N.J. 08003 “My brother wrote the truth,” George Schifter stated, refer - Tel: 800-723-9119/856-751-0656 ring to the manifesto Doug posted on Facebook, which detailed the downward spiral Fax: 856-751-0657 of a professional New York City driver over a period of decades. Doug said that work - CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: ing 40-50 hours a week in the 1980s morphed into working 120 hours, 7 days a week, Matthew Daus, Esq. the past few years. Larry Fisher Think about that number: That come out to 17 hours a day, 7 days a week. Meera Joshi George revealed that Doug would sleep in his car because the ride back to his Bertram Merling home in Pennsylvania every day would make it impossible to earn a living. He had Steven J. Shanker, Esq. an arrangement with an NYC cleaner, so his clothes always looked professional. Michael Spevack, Esq. Originally, Doug moved to Pennsylvania because the cost of living is so much ADV. SALES MGR./ART & DESIGN: lower there, than in the NYC Metro Area – but with fewer and fewer passengers, Michele Norton: 856-262-2368 even Pennsylvania’s lower cost of living could not save Doug financially, after his new GM engine failed twice. TRANSLATIONS: Doug criticized the current and past mayors, he criticized the TLC, and he com - The Language Center and NYC TLC plained that all the new drivers entering the industry meant the “pie” was being cut into smaller and smaller pieces, so that no one could earn a livable wage. Doug Copyright © 2018 by TAXI & LIVERY TIMES. All rights reserved. Neither this called it the “new slavery.” newspaper nor any part therof may be repro - Doug admitted that he could not afford health insurance, even though he had duced, copied, or transmitted in any form, an undisclosed illness, that he had maxed-out all of his credit cards due to his NEW without the express written permission of CAR engine breaking down twice, that he could not keep up with his mortgage pay - the publishers. The copyright is extended to ments, and said that he would rather be dead. the design and text created for advertise - ments. This publication is not responsible Doug called the response – or the lack of a response – by New York City and the for errors in advertisement beyond the cost State to the evolution of TNCs like Uber and Lyft “criminal.” What has happened of the space occupied by the error. Bylined as a result destroyed any shred of confidence remaining in every sector of the New articles represent the sole opinion of the York City transportation industry. writer and are not necessarily in accordance Except for the billionaire owners of companies like Uber, all of us are suffering. with the views of TAXI & LIVERY TIMES. This Publication reserves the right to limit or re - We have Black Car bases and Livery bases that have lost up to 60% of their drivers fuse advertising it deems objectionable. to TNCs like Uber. We have local car services going out of business and yellow cab TAXI & LIVERY TIMES is published monthly drivers who have migrated to TNCs, thereby reducing medallion values. When you at a subscription rate of $48 per year. add in all the new drivers, factor in dedicated bike lanes, paired with dedicated turn lanes, in conjunction with bus only lanes and truck deliveries, the aggressive tactics of TLC agents, and the “kangaroo courts,” the spirit of every professional driver – people like Doug Schifter – has been shattered. IN THIS ISSUE On my radio show, George felt it was important not to glorify his brother’s suicide – but when you lay out the facts, we can all understand why his brother felt so frus - Publisher’s Page ...... 4 trated, so trapped, so overcome with despair. Now the Governor wants congestion pricing fees on all Uber, FHV and Taxi Editor’s Notes ...... 6 fares. The irony here folks is this: If congestion pricing truly works, there will be even fewer fares for all the current drivers, and therefore less earnings. Don’t forget that over 2,000 new, non-yellow FHVs have been, and are still being registered with Dear Taxi Dave ...... 12 the TLC every month! The current call to shut down the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) is Taxi News ...... 14 a knee-jerk reaction by drivers who do not know what else to do. What is really needed – immediately – is a ban or a cap on any more FHV vehicles being registered. Livery News ...... 15 The lower rates for fares that are being charged are nothing less than a race to the bottom, which is why I support a rate of fare increase. Features ...... 17 We also need the NYPD to establish an ILLEGAL STREET HAIL TASK FORCE, working in conjunction with the TLC. If nothing changes, then who will be Fun & Games ...... 19 left standing is obvious. What we do not need is each segment of the NYC trans - portation industry going off on their own path. TEAMWORK is the ONLY way for CByo Mmeemra iJsoshiio ner’s Corner ...... 23 everyone to get back on track and help fix this mess. I call on ALL SEGMENTS of the NYC transportation industry to work together and become successful again. IBTy AMRatt hOewu Wtl.o Doauk s, ...... Esq. 24 Remember a quote by Franklyn D. Roosevelt: “Confidence… thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacred obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish perform - DBye Bfeertnrasmi vMer liDng riving ...... 26 ance. Without them we cannot live.” We must make our elected officials protect us unselfishly, in an honorable way. TByh Mei cThaexl Si pAevtatockr ney ...... 27 They MUST reinstate the confidence our industries once had. And we all must work together in order to be successful. TByh Lea rFry iFsishhber owl ...... 28 Long live the memory of Doug Schifter! 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BY NEIL WEISS A PLEA FOR ALL DRIVERS UN LLAMADO PARA QUE TO STAND TOGETHER AS TODOS LOS CONDUCTORES BROTHERS AND SISTERS SE UNAN COMO HERMANOS In the days just after Black Car driver, Doug Schifter’s suicide, Los días inmediatamente posteriores al suicidio del conductor de ve - vigils were held, and a rally of protesters greeted City Council hículos Black Car , Doug Schifter, se realizaron vigilias, y una multitud members as they walked into the first meeting of the newly-formed de manifestantes abucheó a los miembros del Concejo Municipal en su For-Hire Vehicle Committee (which also oversees Taxis). Doug was ingreso a la primera reunión del Comité de Vehículos de Alquiler (que my friend, he wrote a column for me in Black Car News for several también fiscaliza los taxis). Doug era mi amigo, durante varios años es - cribió una columna para mí en Black Car News , y los conductores que llo - years, and the drivers who mourned his loss at those vigils and raron su muerte en esas vigilias y gritaron su nombre a los funcionarios screamed his name at City officials were the people he often called municipales eran personas a quienes él solía llamar “hermanos”. Doug se his “brothers and sisters.” Doug referred to ALL drivers that way, refería de esa forma a TODOS los conductores y conductoras, no solo a not just Black Car drivers, even those in other cities. Basically, he los choferes de vehículos Black Ca r, incluso a los de otras ciudades. Aludía meant anyone who – in an attempt to earn a living – has become así a cualquier persona que –con la intención de ganarse la vida– se haya all-too-familiar with what it’s like to sit behind the wheel for what acostumbrado a la sensación de sentarse al volante durante lo que muchos a lot of people would consider impossibly long hours, dealing with considerarían una cantidad excesiva de horas, a soportar no solo el estrés the hurry-up-and-wait stress of traffic, confounded by road work de la prisa y los atascos del tránsito sino también la confusión que gen - and detours, and sometimes facing the dangers of impetuous bicy - eran las obras viales y los desvíos, y a veces a enfrentar el peligro de ci - clists, unpredictable pedestrians and other drivers, who are either clistas impetuosos y peatones y conductores imprevisibles que tienen impaired or just not very adept at driving. alguna dificultad o simplemente no son muy hábiles para conducir. Obviamente, Doug sentía una afinidad especial con todos los conduc - Of course, Doug felt a special kinship with any driver regulated tores regulados por la Comisión de Taxis y Limusinas (Taxi and Limousine by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), be - Commission, TLC ) de la ciudad de Nueva York, porque enfrentan proble - cause they deal with issues that most people – including other driv - mas que casi nadie (ni siquiera otros conductores) puede llegar a enten - ers – can’t even begin to comprehend. He was very clear that he der. Siempre dejó muy en claro que consideraba parte de su familia a considered all segments of the NYC industry (Livery, Taxi, Black todos los segmentos de la industria de la ciudad de Nueva York (vehículos Car and Luxury) to be family… and he often spoke of the need for de alquiler, taxis, vehículos Black Car y de lujo) … y constantemente re - drivers in all segments to stand together, if they ever hoped to af - calcaba la necesidad de que los conductores de todos esos segmentos se fect positive change. unieran si es que querían lograr un cambio positivo. During the time that I knew him, his desire to see positive Durante el tiempo que lo traté, su deseo de ver un cambio positivo se change transformed into a desperate need to save an industry that transformó en una necesidad desesperada de salvar a una industria mal - has been battered by so many forces that it’s barely recognizable, tratada por tantas fuerzas que casi no se la reconoce al compararla con lo que fue alguna vez. when compared to what it once was. Quienes participaron de las vigilias y de las protestas se llamaban The people who attended the vigils and protest used Doug’s mutuamente –y al propio Doug– “hermano”, la palabra que usaba el di - words, referring to each other – and Doug specifically – as a funto colega. En el que fue uno de los momentos más duros de mi vida, Brother. In what was some of the darkest moments of my life, those esas palabras me dieron cierta esperanza y alivio. Si todos los conductores words gave me some amount of hope and comfort. If all drivers did hicieran lo que Doug durante años los instó a hacer, quizá, al menos no what Doug had been urging them to do for years, it would hopefully habrá muerto en vano. mean that at least he hadn’t died in vain. Mientras escribo estas líneas a unas semanas de su muerte, aún As I sit writing this a few weeks later, my heart continues to siento una gran tristeza y me pregunto si los distintos segmentos de la be filled with sadness, and I can only hope and wonder if the dif - industria realmente trabajarán mancomunadamente, si las personas po - ferent segments of the industry will indeed work together – drán superar sus diferencias y comprender que no se hará nada a menos whether people will be able to see past their differences and un - que estén dispuestas a participar a veces en favor del bien común. Es evidente que nuestra industria está en crisis. En realidad, en los derstand that nothing will get done if they aren’t willing to some - últimos meses hubo dos suicidios directamente relacionados con las difi - times compromise for the sake of the greater good. cultades que asedian a la industria de transporte de la ciudad de Nueva Our industry is clearly in crisis. Within the past couple of York, y una multitud de conductores atacó a un par de agentes de la TLC. months, there were in fact two suicides, directly related to the Estas señales no dejan lugar a dudas: la situación es tan mala que las hardships plaguing the NYC transportation industry – and a mob personas pierden el control, y algunas, de modo trágico, se han sentido of drivers attacked a couple of TLC agents. There is no mistaking tan perdidas e impotentes que se han quitado la vida. these signals. Things have gotten so bad that people are lashing A pesar de todo lo ocurrido en los últimos años, es esencial que out, and some have tragically felt so lost and helpless that they TODOS entendamos que ejercer violencia y autolesionarnos NO es la re - took their own lives. spuesta. La respuesta, como Doug sostuvo tantas veces, es trabajar jun - Despite all that has happened in recent years, it is essential for tos. EVERYONE to understand that violence and self-harm are NOT “La industria se trastornó completamente, la gente tiene miedo y no sabe qué hacer, pero todos tenemos que detenernos un momento”, aseguró the answer. The answer, as Doug had said so many times, is work - Cira Angeles, vocera de la Asociación de Dueños de Bases de Vehículos ing together. Continued on page 8 Continúa en la página 8 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 7 e e Are You Over Paying? 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“The industry really has been turned upside down, and people de Alquiler ( Livery Base Owners Association ). “La agresión a los agentes are feeling scared and unsure what to do, but everyone needs to de la TLC fue un claro ejemplo del grado de confusión reinante. El con - pause for a moment,” said Cira Angeles, a spokesperson for the ductor a quien defendieron sus colegas enardecidos, en realidad no solo Livery Base Operators. “The attack on the TLC agents was a good no tenía licencia, sino que tenía antecedentes penales. Los agentes de la example of how messed up things have gotten. The person that the TLC tenían derecho a multarlo; era un peligro para la ciudad. Ese tipo other drivers were fighting for actually didn’t have a license… and de personas son parte del problema. Les roban trabajo a los conductores he had a criminal record. The TLC agents were right to have tick - que hacen las cosas bien y tratan de ganarse la vida dignamente”. eted him, he was a danger to our city. People like that are part of Aun cuando la Sra. Angeles describió la reunión del nuevo Comité de the problem. They steal work from drivers who do the right thing Vehículos de Alquiler del Concejo Municipal como conflictiva, marcada and are trying to earn an honorable living.” por más comentarios acusadores que constructivos, también rescató una Ms. Angeles described the meeting held by City Council’s new recomendación: la propuesta de crear una unidad especial de orden público que controle a los agentes de la TLC encargados de detectar y FHV Committee as contentious, with more finger-pointing than multar actividades ilegales. constructive comments – but one recommendation did stand out “No digo que no deban mantener la ley” —explicó—, sino que los ofi - for her: a proposal to create a special law enforcement unit to over - ciales tienen que entender la situación que están atravesando las per - see the TLC agents who seek out and ticket illegal activities. sonas y tratarlas con respeto y consideración”. “I’m not saying they shouldn’t uphold the law,” she said, “but Otro tema que continúa preocupando a los conductores y a los dueños the officers need to understand what people are going through, and de bases es la controversia en torno a la norma de la TLC sobre el 25% de treat them with decency and respect.” vehículos de alquiler con acceso para sillas de ruedas ( Wheelchair Acces - Another issue that continues to concern drivers and base own - sible Vehicles, WAV ). El plan de la TLC exigiría a las bases de vehículos ers is the controversy surrounding the TLC’s 25% Wheelchair Ac - de alquiler despachar hasta un 25% de sus viajes en WAV, independien - temente de que el cliente lo haya solicitado o no. Un plan alternativo, de - cessible Vehicle (WAV) rule. The TLC’s plan would require FHV For-Hire Vehicles, bases to dispatch up to 25% of their vehicles in WAVs, regardless sarrollado por una Coalición de vehículos de alquiler ( FHV ), crearía un sistema de despachos centralizado. Aunque está pre - of whether the client asked for one. A separate plan, developed by visto que ambos planes se apliquen en simultáneo, hay un serio problema: an FHV Coalition, would create a Central Dispatch System. The “Seguimos al borde del litigio porque la TLC se obstina en no eliminar su two plans are set to run concurrently, but there is a serious prob - disposición de pastilla venenosa”, explicó Steven Shanker, director ejec - lem: “We continue to edge closer to litigation because the TLC will utivo de Livery Round Table, Inc. (Mesa Redonda de Entidades de Ve - not remove their poison pill provision,” explained Steven Shanker, hículos de Alquiler). “¿Cómo pueden exigirnos invertir decenas de executive director of the Livery Roundtable. “How can they ask us millones de dólares, si nos pueden clausurar en cualquier momento con to invest tens of millions of dollars, if they can shut us down at any cualquier excusa?”. time, for any reason?” El Sr. Shanker señaló que la fecha límite para un acuerdo amistoso Mr. Shanker noted that the deadline for an amicable agreement es mediados de abril; de lo contrario el litigio será inminente. is mid-April – otherwise litigation will be imminent. “Contrariamente a lo que sugirió la presidenta Joshi, el litigio no tiene “Litigation does not have to be part of the process, as Chair - por qué ser parte del proceso”, aseguró Shanker. “El plan del 25% sería tan destructivo que diezmaría a una industria que ya está en apuros, y woman Joshi has suggested,” said Shanker. “The 25% plan would no podemos dejar que eso ocurra sin luchar”. be so destructive that it would decimate an already struggling in - Lea las novedades sobre la norma de WAV y otros temas en la edición dustry, and we can’t just let that happen without a fight.” del próximo mes, o síganos en la página de Taxi and Livery Times en Face - For updates on WAVs and other issues, check back next month book. – or follow us on the Taxi and Livery Times Facebook page. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 9 IInn HHoonnoorr ooff DDoouuggllaass SScchhiifftteerr

Douglas Schifter, beloved son, uncle and brother (as well as a brother to the drivers in the industry) had some of the same career issues that many drivers face day in and day out. Drivers and their families need help in this economy, particularly when people are forced to change careers – due in part to forces that are beyond their con - trol, but also, in some cases, because no one has been look - ing out for some of our most vulnerable citizens. During the Great Recession of the last decade, the ris - ing costs of education and the burden of paying to learn the skills necessary to change careers came into sharp focus for Doug. He wanted to open a gourmet food service at one time, but the cost of formal training was (and con - tinues to be) extremely high. Like many, he found it diffi - cult to qualify for grants and loans, so he was unable to follow that dream. The Schifter Family knows that Doug was not alone. We recognize the importance of establishing an Education Fund for black car, yellow taxi, livery, green cab and lux - ury base drivers and their families – to supplement the costs associated with education through grants. Mission Statement Douglas understood that knowledge plays a key role in one’s ability to improve their life in an ever-changing world. The Schifter Family wants to play a helpful role in this transition, and is proud to announce our intention to launch, “The Douglas Schifter Memorial Education Fund.” This Fund will be designed to benefit drivers and their families in the form of grants, to help subsidize costs associated with continuing education. We urge everyone to help us help the drivers and their families by donating to our Fund. With your generosity, we hope to reach our first goal of $50,000, so that we can get it off the ground. From there, we hope to build on our Fund – and the sky’s the limit. Almost as important as your financial support is any efforts you can spare to help us spread the word, by telling QUOTES friends and family members. We are currently in the process of establishing our Memorial Fund, so we urge you to keep an eye out for updates. As a first step, we cre - “They are often extremely confused ated “The Douglas Schifter Memorial Education Fund” on and ill-informed and not that smart.” Facebook. Please “like” and “share” our page and com - Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, ments. We would also like to hear your stories, as well as referring to members of the City Council any thoughts you might have about Doug. Thank You, “The level of contempt towards Council members in The Schifter Family her deposition was completely and totally offensive.” Speaker Corey Johnson

“The Government created congestion. We will be steadfast in our opposition to congestion pricing.” Councilman Grodenchik on For more information on how to get involved, please email THE TAXI DAVE SHOW [email protected]. You can also contact us through the Taxi & Livery Times website (www.taxiliverytimes.com), or “My brother wrote the truth.” by emailing Neil Weiss at [email protected]. We are George Schifter, brother of Doug Schifter, on still setting everything up, but our success will hinge on THE TAXI DAVE SHOW having the support of as many people as possible, right from the beginning. “The TLC is an abuse, they are killers.” Congressman Espaillat TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 10 • • MARCH 2018

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––––––––––––––––– ————— The 61-year-old man who shot cally correct and having a mental intermediate stage in this larger himself deserve more than attention. disorder is the same thing. Don’t you David, glad you are back to con - trend. When the current flood, this All drivers of yellow, green and black think getting rid of bicycle lanes can tinue the struggle. Here are my two current proliferation, reaches a crisis cars should be united to make his reduce the financial loss? Appar - cents on the matter of illegal street stage… then, concurrently, the robo- words louder. We all should pay re - ently, the politicians that we have hails: The City of New York sells taxi car will be taking over. Taxi drivers spect for this man. Instead of a mo - are in a dire need of psychiatric medallions and green car permits, will be no more. At that time, the ment of silence, we should have a he l p . Anonymous giving these individuals and busi - shake-out will be complete. Then, day of silence. With the business ––––––––––––––––– ————— nesses the exclusive right to street and only then, there will be a defini - these days, an extra day off doesn’t hails. Anyone else who tries to do tive reformation. Until that time it’s make much difference to us. Potholes are everywhere in the the same without securing such per - jus t g o i n g t o b e a m e Gssa. ry Anderson On that particular day, there will city roads and avenues, and who mits is in flagrant violation of the law, ––––––––––––––––– ————— be no pick up in all five boroughs. If cares about it to fix it? Taxis and pure and simple. All these street this can happen, [they will have to other vehicles try to go around to hails, whether the perpetrators use A lot of taxi riders feel uncomfort - listen]. And of course, app drivers avoid the damage to their vehicles, a bullhorn, a whistle or an app able in a partitioned yellow cab, be - are w Yeleclolomwe m toed jaolinli ouns .owner/driver while bicyclists are all over too! should be fined. Anything less is not cause the small legroom, and that is ––––––––––––––––– ————— More congestions and emergency going to do justice to those individu - really bad for elderly or handicap vehicles are in trouble, too. als and businesses that are playing passengers. Many people switch to Anonymous by the rules. Doug Schifter’s death must not be ––––––––––––––––– ————— Virgilio Carballo Uber or limo service because of that in vain. Drastic action must be Riverdale, Bronx NY rea s o n ! Anonymous tak e n ! Anonymous I was talking recently with MTA ––––––––––––––––– ————— ––––––––––––––––– ————— ––––––––––––––––– ————— bus drivers. They were telling me that they do not get tickets from Passengers will know right from How long do cabdrivers have to Please pass on my condolences NYPD when they drive their buses the start when they open the app wait for the Taxi and Limousine from the entire TMODA organiza - or even private cars, they get cre - what the fare is at that moment, so Commission to improve the working tion. Mr. Shifter gave the ultimate dentials which they can display to it’ll be up to them to decide if they conditions and the quality of living sacrifice for the whole transportation police to avoid receiving sum - want to ride that way. There is no standards, earning livable wages, so industry and will never be forgotten. monses. There are MTA inspectors reason the TLC or the public would cabdrivers can work happily, without The yellow medallion owners will be who monitor bus drivers for MTA object, and we can remain competi - the increasing stress that drivers go forever indebted to Douglas. May he and can write up bus drivers for a tive. We could lower our e-hail price through every day? More than ever demerit system, but no points on pri - any time we are not busy to in - before, cabbies are still getting sum - res t i n p e a c e . Uppkar Thind vate license and no huge monetary crease ridership. The apps could fig - monses, mostly bogus tickets from ––––––––––––––––– ————— fines. ure that out, knowing how many the NYPD, traffic cops and others. It FHV and taxi drivers take the passengers are in cabs at any given is affecting our health and well- I got the Best way for all drivers moment and adjust appropriately. In brunt of the tickets in the City and be i n g ; i t i s l i t e r a l l y k i l l i n g Aasn osnloymwloyu. s voices to be heard of by city, state, fact, after a while we could have a TLC and politicians. EVERY ramped up enforcement under Vi - ––––––––––––––––– ————— sion Zero. NYPD is under pressure larger clientele that might even use DRIVER and every car [needs to] us if the street price is the same. choose a day to protest. That means to write meaningless summonses Michael Simon I have barely gotten wheelchair no one picks up, and all cars stop to having nothing to do with safety, but ––––––––––––––––– ————— rides lately. I think the Access-a- block traffic all over NYC. From to raise revenue or make numbers Ride companies are waiting in front Times Square to the Bridge tunnels for NYPD. Tickets are a tax on taxi 6 ½ years behind the wheel of a taking away our potential passen - and airports. No way they can arrest drivers and FHV drivers, simple and yellow cab in Gotham and the only gers. and tow 130,000 cars and drivers. plain, and it is another way that the surprising part of the story is that [a Why does the City have conges - Anonymous City hammers yellow and FHV driv - driver suicide] didn’t happen sooner. ––––––––––––––––– ————— tion? Because the mayor and the ers. Anyone who thinks that the “gig” leaders on top are so “fudging” stu - Thanks David, for doing the show. economy is good for society is kidding So many Medallion owners are pid! They close a lane in both Mid - Hopefully, it will keep going and keep himself. Companies have zero inter - town & Hugh Carey Tunnel, exiting walking away from the Medallions our voice alive! Keep on Trucking! est in the well-being of their workers, because the situation is so bad, and Michael Spevack, Esq. Manhattan at 7pm. Not at 9 or 10 ––––––––––––––––– ————— and those same workers are left out like they usually do… but at 7:00. nobody is stepping in to offer a life - to dry when it comes to benefits, line. The funny thing is, when they MO R O N S ! Tommy Blocking the box is a moving vio - healthcare, overtime or getting any walk away they are still driving for a matching funds for retirement. ––––––––––––––––– ————— living. They either join the enemy, lation that was made a parking ticket UBER, or they lease a Medallion. during the Holiday Season. I was Some people think our industry So, the professional Medallion driv - unfairly ticketed at 65st & Columbus brought this upon itself. Most drivers ers are still able to earn a living. If Avenue at 9:18am. An accident I know put in a long day’s (or night’s) the banks and credit unions would blocked 65 Street east bound, near work while dealing with fees, taxes, just treat the Medallion owners like Columbus, between Columbus and insane rules and outdated regula - human beings and be fair to them, a CPW. When the MTA bus pulled to tions… all while doing our best to lot of the Medallion owners would the right to the bus stop, it exposed handle everything that the riding continue to pay their loans and the two cars blocking the through public throws at us, ad infinitum. stand by their commitments. For lane on 65 Street. I could not move Even if you think that yellows pro - years the lenders made buckets full through the crosswalk until the bus vided horrible service or were turned of money from the interest on the moved. My passenger, a plastic sur - off by a trip in a cab eons ago, no Medallion loans. Isn’t it time for them geon, wrote a considerate email in one deserves to face a decision like to pay it forward and help these hard my defense. My second appeal has the one that Mr. Schifter came face working Medallion owners? finally been accepted, dated for April to face with. For him to bear the bur - Anonymous 18. The traffic agent quickly den of decisions that politicians fool - ––––––––––––––––– ————— scanned my registration before any ishly made is nothing less than discussion. She would not think criminal. It’s a shame that no one in According to a report by the part - fairly about the situation. power will take the fall for a situation nership for New York City, traffic Frank C that should never have happened in congestion will cost New York Metro ––––––––––––––––– ————— the first place. area an estimated $20 Billion a year! Pat Saw this parked at the relief stand If that report is accurate, should I UberEats is another cause of con - ––––––––––––––––– ————— at 8th Ave & 46th on a Wednesday with some degree of certainty as - gestion in the city. Ever notice those evening. There are commercial sume that politicians that run the city empty black TLCs clogging the The current proliferation of livery spots all around ther e , b u t t h e y vehicles – and their drivers – is ac - chose the relief stand. are suffering from a mental disor - str e e t s ? Anonymous Bill Zink der? To me, however, being politi - tually part of a larger historical trend. The present “gig economy” is just an TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 13 TAXI NEWS CAB DRIVER PUNCHED, ROBBED BY TRIO IN MANHATTAN Police are looking for a trio who robbed According to authorities, the individu - Submit tips to police by calling Crime a taxi driver of about $600 in Manhattan als opened the cab’s door and removed Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting on Jan. 6 around 7:00pm, when three indi - about $600 in cash. The victim, 28, exited www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or texting viduals approached the cabbie while he the vehicle and attempted to stop one of the 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. was at a red light on the corner of 39th robbers, but he was punched in the face, Spanish-speaking callers can call 1-888-57- Street and Fifth Avenue in Midtown, police police said. The victim had a bloody nose PISTA (74782). said. but did not go to the hospital. Source: PIX11

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Download now for free INSHUR.COM/TLC TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 14 • • MARCH 2018 TAXI NEWS HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RAMS TAXI NEAR CENTRAL PARK

A horse-drawn carriage collided with a taxi cab on February 4, after the horse was frightened by an um - brella, according to officials. Video of the accident, which occurred around 12:21pm near 50 Central Park South, shows the carriage caught in between a taxi and a passenger car. An official with the Horse and Carriage Association (HCA) ex - plained that a pedestrian abruptly opened an umbrella in front of the carriage horse, which then jack - knifed. The horse took off, hitting multiple cars before wedging the car - riage between two cars in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. City officials said there were three minor injuries as a result. The horse, named Arthur, and the driver were not hurt, noted the HCA. Edita Birnkrant, the executive di - rector of advocacy group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS), released a statement, saying, “It is now clearer than ever that the city’s antiquated horse car - riage rules endanger anyone who vis - its, lives or works in New York City.” The Horse and Carriage Associa - tion released a statement in response, saying, “Everyone in the carriage in - dustry works every day to ensure the safety of our horses, our passengers and the public, and our record speaks for itself.” Source: NY1 TAXI DRIVER ROBBED IN UNION SQUARE

On Jan. 2 around 12:20pm, authorities say Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stop - that four males entered a yellow cab on the corner pers at 800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting www.nypd - of Union Square East and East 16th Street. When crimestoppers.com, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) the cab came to a stop, the individuals removed then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers the victim’s wal let, which c ontain ed a cred it card , ca n call 1-888-5 7-PISTA (74782). debit card and $100. Source: PIX 11

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An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries FOR BREAKING NEWS! TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 15 LIVERY NEWS TLC AGENTS MOBBED BY ENRAGED MULTITUD DE CONDUCTORES ENARDECIDOS AGREDE A DRIVERS DURING ROUTINE STOP AGENTES DE LA TLC DURANTE DETENCIÓN DE RUTINA En enero, un par de aterrados inspectores de la Comisión de taxis y A pair of terrified TLC inspectors had to run for their lives limusinas ( Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC ) tuvieron que correr para after an unlicensed driver – who was angry over being stopped – resguardarse luego de que un conductor sin licencia –enojado por haber summoned a violent mob of fellow drivers to go on the attack in tenido que parar– reuniera a una violenta multitud de colegas para January. The TLC inspectors pulled over the driver on University agredirlos. Los inspectores de la TLC detuvieron al conductor en Univer - Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights just after 6 p.m. They say they sity Avenue, en Kingsbridge Heights, poco después de las 6 p. m. Según fuentes policiales, los inspectores declararon haber visto al conductor – had seen the driver pick up a passenger who’d hailed the car from que no tenía placas de la TLC– recoger a un pasajero que le había hecho the street, police sources said. The driver had no TLC plates and señas desde la calle. no license, according to police sources. Allan Fromberg, vocero de la TLC, aseguró que los inspectores solo TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said the inspectors were just cumplían con su trabajo, parte del cual consiste en mantener lejos de las doing their jobs, helping to keep the streets safe from unlicensed calles a los conductores sin licencia. drivers. Los enfurecidos conductores de vehículos de alquiler se concentraron The rampaging Livery drivers converged at the Bronx inter - en la intersección del Bronx durante lo que debería haber sido una de - section during what should have been a routine stop. The two in - tención de rutina. Según la policía, los dos inspectores terminaron spectors wound up fleeing to the safety of their car, and cowered huyendo hacia la seguridad de su vehículo y agazapándose adentro inside as the drivers smashed their rear window and pounded the cuando los conductores rompieron la ventanilla trasera y comenzaron a car with their feet and fists, according to police sources. The golpear el auto con los pies y los puños. Los atemorizados inspectores tomaron fotos de los agresores con sus teléfonos celulares y, finalmente frightened inspectors shot cellphone images of the attackers, and lograron escapar. were eventually able to drive off. “Las paradas ilegales en la vía pública representan un riesgo para la “Illegal street hails pose a danger to the public and undermine población y perjudican el trabajo de los conductores de vehículos de the work of legitimate for-hire drivers,” said Fromberg, stressing alquiler legítimos”, sostuvo Fromberg, quien enfatizó que no se tolerará that violence against staffers won’t be tolerated. “TLC will con - la violencia contra los empleados. “La TLC seguirá haciendo cumplir las tinue to enforce New York City’s laws against this dangerous ac - leyes de la ciudad de Nueva York contra esta peligrosa actividad". tivity.” Los conductores alegan que los agentes de TLC fueron innecesaria - Drivers counter that TLC agents have been unnecessarily mente duros al emitir multas por miles de dólares. La guerra que venía harsh, issuing tickets costing thousands of dollars. The simmer - gestándose entre la TLC y los conductores estalló en agosto, cuando se ing war between the TLC and drivers boiled over in August, when filmó un video que mostraba cómo cuatro funcionarios de la TLC forceje - four TLC officers were caught on video apparently choking and aban con un conductor y le aplicaban una maniobra de estrangulamiento en el aeropuerto JFK mientras trataban de arrestarlo. wrestling a driver at JFK Airport while trying to arrest him. Después del último incidente, representantes de la TLC se reunieron After the most recent incident, representatives from the TLC con líderes de la industria, y ambas partes condenaron el ataque. Si bien and industry leaders sat down in January, both condemning the la TLC insiste en que el objeto de la reunión fue dejar en claro que no se attack. The TLC insists the meeting was meant to make clear tolerará la violencia, los grupos de conductores tuvieron la oportunidad that violence will not be tolerated, but the drivers’ groups were de plantear sus inquietudes, entre las que se incluye el desarrollo de una able to voice concerns. Those concerns included developing a mu - visión común de los desafíos que estos enfrentan en el trabajo, por ejem - tual understanding of the challengers that drivers face on the job, plo, la amenaza de robo y otros problemas peligrosos. such as the threat of robbery and other unsafe conditions. Fernando Mateo, director de la Federación de Conductores de Taxis Fernando Mateo, head of the New York Federation of Taxi del Estado de Nueva York, explica que en su opinión es importante crear Drivers, says he thinks it is important to create an auxiliary and una unidad auxiliar y de integridad dentro de la TLC similar a la que ex - integrity unit within the TLC similar to the NYPD’s, to make sure iste en el Departamento de Policía de Nueva York (NYPD) para garanti - zar que los funcionarios de la TLC traten a los conductores con respeto. TLC officers are treating drivers with respect. The TLC also noted Asimismo, la TLC señaló que los importes de las multas son fijados por that fines amounts are set by the City Council, not the TLC. el Concejo Municipal y no por la citada entidad. Source: New York Post, PIX11 Fuente: New York Post, PIX11 TAXI AND SHL IMPROVEMENT FECHAS DE PAGO DEL RECARGO PARA MEJORAS EN LOS TAXIS Y VEHÍCULOS DE ALQUILER CON SURCHARGE PAYMENT DATES PARADAS EN LA VÍA PÚBLICA (SHL) Improvement Surcharge amounts owed for the fourth quarter Los montos del recargo para mejoras adeudados para el cuarto of 2017 are available on the TLC’s License Applications, Renewals trimestre de 2017 estándisponibles en el sistema de Solicitud de Licencias, Licensing Application, Renewals and Summonses, & Summonses system (LARS). The Improvement Surcharge Renovaciones y Citaciones ( LARS ) de la Comisión de Taxis y Limusinas ( Taxi and Limousine Commis - amounts owed are for trips completed between October 1 and De - sion, TLC ). Los montos adeudados del recargo para mejoras corresponden cember 31, 2017. a viajes realizados entre el 1.o de octubre y el 31 de diciembre de 2017. To view and pay the amount you owe, please visit: Para ver y pagar el monto que adeuda, visite: https://www1.nyc.gov/lars https://www1.nyc.gov/lars The timeline for payment of the fourth quarter of 2017 Im - El cronograma de pago del recargo para mejoras del cuarto trimestre de 2017 es el siguiente: provement Surcharge is as follows: 14 de febrero de 2018 February 14, 2018 – Challenge Period began. Owners and : comienza el período de impugnación de recar - gos. Los dueños y agentes deben dirigir todas sus preguntas o impugna - Agents were told to direct all questions or challenges to: ciones a: • For Taxicab Improvement Fund related issues: tifcollec - • Por asuntos relacionados con el Fondo de Mejoras para Taxis: tifcol - [email protected] [email protected] • For Street Hail Livery Improvement Fund related issues: • Por asuntos relacionados con el Fondo de Mejoras para Vehículos de Alquiler con Paradas en la Vía Pública: [email protected] [email protected] 28 de febrero de 2018: February 28, 2018 – The Challenge Period ended, and amounts finaliza el período de impugnación de recargos, were finalized. y se fijan los montos. March 7, 2018 7 de marzo de 2018 : se completa el pago a la TLC en LARS. – Full payment is due to the TLC at LARS Quienes no paguen el monto completo, quedarán sujetos a multas o a Failure to submit full payment will result in fines and/or pos - la posible suspensión de la licencia. sible suspension of your license. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 16 • • MARCH 2018 LIVERY NEWS CONDUCTORES DE VEHÍCULOS LIVERY DRIVERS DE ALQUILER SE UNEN CONTRA RALLY AGAINST TLC, LA TLC EN PROTESTA POR LAS MULTAS DEL MUNICIPIO

CITY TICKETS Durante dos días consecutivos de enero, conductores de vehículos de alquiler se concentraron en el Bronx para protestar contra la Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC For two consecutive days in January, Livery drivers gathered Comisión de Taxis y Limusinas ( ) in the Bronx to protest the New York City Taxi and Limousine de la ciudad de Nueva York y otros funcionarios municipales quienes –aseguran– han emitido multas injustamente y los han hostigado en Commission (TLC) and other city officials, who they say have forma agresiva. been unfairly ticketing and aggressively harassing them. Decenas de conductores de vehículos de alquiler se congregaron en Dozens of Livery drivers gathered in a parking lot on 173rd un estacionamiento ubicado en 173rd Street y Webster Avenue a fin Street and Webster Avenue, asking for a meeting with TLC offi - de solicitar una reunión con funcionarios de la TLC para discutir las cials to discuss fines handed out by the TLC and NYPD for var - multas emitidas por dicha comisión y el Departamento de Policía de ious infractions – including not displaying a TLC license, using Nueva York (NYPD) para diversas infracciones, como no exhibir una a phone while driving, illegal street hails and having tinted win - licencia de la TLC, usar celular al conducir, responder a paradas ile - dows. Some tickets cost up to $1,500 for a single offense, accord - gales en la vía pública y tener vidrios polarizados. Según los conduc - ing to drivers. tores, algunas de las multas llegan a $1,500 por una sola infracción. Drivers say they have lost a significant amount of income in Los conductores aseguran haber perdido buena parte de sus ingre - recent years to Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like sos en los últimos años a manos de las empresas de la red de transporte (Transportation Network Companies, TNC ), como Uber y Lyft, y las ex - Uber and Lyft, and aggressive enforcement has contributed to igencias excesivamente rigurosas han contribuido a llevarlos a la ban - pushing people into financial ruin. They say the fine amounts carrota. Afirman que los montos de las multas son ilógicos; una sola are unreasonable; a single ticket can prevent them from being multa puede impedirles pagar el alquiler. able to pay their rent. Las paradas en la vía pública –una práctica común durante mu - Street hails – a common practice for many years, despite chos años, pese a ser ilegal para los conductores de vehículos de being illegal for traditional Livery drivers – remain an issue of alquiler tradicionales– siguen siendo un tema de conflicto, aun cuando contention, even though TLC rules state that only yellow and las normas de la TLC estipulan que solo están legalmente autorizados green cabs are legally allowed to accept them. a aceptarlas los taxis amarillos y los verdes. A spokesperson for the TLC have said that the agency is com - Un vocero de la TLC aseguró que la agencia se compromete a es - mitted to listening to drivers’ concerns. cuchar las inquietudes de los conductores. The group protesting said they had no affiliation to the driv - El grupo de manifestantes declaró no tener relación alguna con los conductores que agredieron a agentes de la TLC y dañaron un vehículo ers who attacked TLC agents and damaged a TLC vehicle. The de la comisión. La Federación de Conductores de Taxis del Estado de New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers has stated they do Nueva York manifestó que si bien no aprueba ninguna forma de vio - not condone violence in any manner, but understand the frustra - lencia, comprende la frustración que experimentan los conductores y tion drivers are experiencing, and hope that fining tactics are espera la inmediata modificación de las tácticas de imposición de mul - changed quickly. tas. Source: News 12 Brooklyn Fuente: News 12 Brooklyn LIVERY DRIVER ROBBED AT ASALTAN A CONDUCTOR DE KNIFEPOINT IN THE BRONX VEHÍCULO DE ALQUILER A PUNTA Police are looking for a pair of thieves who robbed a Livery DE CUCHILLO EN EL BRONX driver at knifepoint in the Bronx. The incident occurred around La policía busca a un par de ladrones que asaltaron al conductor de un vehículo de alquiler a punta de cuchillo en el Bronx. El incidente se 8:55 p.m. on January 27, when a man and a woman hailed the ve - produjo el 27 de enero alrededor de las 8:55 p. m., cuando un hombre y hicle along East Gun Hill Road and Putnam Place, police said. una mujer pararon el vehículo en la intersección de East Gun Hill Road The driver, 45, picked the up the pair dropped them off at y Putnam Place, informó la policía. Bronx Road East and Arnow Avenue. When they got to the loca - El conductor, de 45 años, recogió a la pareja y la dejó en Bronx Road tion, the male passenger placed a knife to the victim’s throat and East y Arnow Avenue. Según los oficiales, al llegar a destino, el varón le threatened to kill him, cops said. According to police, the female puso un cuchillo en el cuello al conductor y amenazó con matarlo. Luego, then leaned over and removed the victim’s tablet and $250 in cash la mujer se inclinó hacia adelante y tomó la tableta de la víctima y $250 from his pockets. The pair then took off. The victim suffered a cut en efectivo de sus bolsillos. Acto seguido, la pareja se dio a la fuga. La to his left hand and neck. víctima sufrió un corte en la mano izquierda y en el cuello. The male assailant is described to be 30 to 40 years old, with a Según se informa, el agresor es un hombre de entre 30 y 40 años, beard and tattoos on his legs and hands, and was last seen wearing con barba y tatuajes en las piernas y en las manos, a quien se vio por úl - tima vez usando una cinta de pelo, chaqueta negra con capucha y pan - a headband, a black hooded jacket and dark-colored shorts. The fe - talones cortos oscuros. La agresora, una mujer rubia de entre 25 y 35 male was described as 25 to 35 years old with blonde hair. She was años, fue vista por última vez usando un suéter gris con capucha y pan - last seen wearing a gray hooded sweater and gray sweatpants. talones de gimnasia grises. Video of the assailants can be viewed at: Se puede ver un video de los agresores en: http://pix11.com/2018/01/31/cab-driver-robbed-at-knifepoint-in- http://pix11.com/2018/01/31/cab-driver-robbed-at-knifepoint-in-the- the-bronx/ bronx/ Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577- Si tiene información que pueda ser de ayuda para la policía, llame a TIPS (8477), visiting www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or texting Crime Stoppers al 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) , visite www.nypdcrimestop - 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers pers.com o envíe un mensaje de texto al 274637 (CRIMES), seguido de 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) can call 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). TIP577. Si es hispanohablante, puede llamar al . Source: PIX11 Fuente: PIX11 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 17 FEATURE LRT URGES INDUSTRY TO ACT ON WAV ISSUE, OFFERS TIPS On December 13, 2017, the TLC passed industry with any comfort, as cancellation through the Livery Roundtable website a rule requiring all FHV bases to send 25% of the pilot program at any time will leave (www.theliveryroundtable.org), at our of their dispatches to Wheelchair Accessible the industry with the obligation to comply “Contact” page. Vehicles (WAVs), starting in July, whether with a mandate that is not only unreason - 2. The FHV industry NEEDS your fi - the client requests them or not – a plan able, but impossible to comply with. nancial help, to pay for what is expected to that is seemingly impossible to comply with The Coalition is still in the process of be a costly legal battle. The very survival of for a number of reasons. trying to negotiate with the TLC, to obtain the industry is at stake, so please con - As a result, the leaders of the entire favorable terms for its CDC-based plan, but tribute to the legal fund. It will not be an FHV industry assembled a Coalition, and the likelihood of coming to an agreement is easy one, but we remain confident that developed a REAL accessibility plan to de - uncertain, at best. The TLC leaves the in - with the necessary legal action from com - liver the exceptional service wheelchair dustry with no choice but to take legal ac - petent counsel, we will have the best users deserve. While the TLC rule would tion. As such, the industry is gearing up for chance of prevailing in court. Please con - devastate the industry, the Coalition’s plan litigation against the City.... and needs sider contributing to the LRT’s Legal Fund. – which calls for the creation of a Central your help. No amount of money is too small. Without Dispatch Center (CDC) – would serve as an competent legal counsel, the LRT has little alternative means for bases to comply with Time is running short and we NEED you all to chance of prevailing in court. Again, please the law. ACT NOW reach out to us through our website’s Con - The problem is that no matter what so - 1. The Coalition needs to know who it tact page to confirm that you are willing to lution the industry comes up with, in the can count on to provide us with affidavits lend some financial support to this very creation of a CDC, the TLC has stated that attesting to certain facts relative to the op - worthy and necessary cause. it will reserve the right to terminate the erations of your base. If you are willing to CDC at any time. This does not provide the aid us in this case, please contact us Source: The Livery Roundtable CONTROLLING “THE SILENT KILLER”… HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE The number one misconception to work to pump blood through your sodium” and always compare labels. among patients with high blood pressure body. You should get your blood pres - • Look for the salt shaker warning. Fast is that they don’t feel sick. That’s why sure checked by a medical provider food and chain restaurants now place high blood pressure or hypertension is annually. Talk to a medical provider a salt shaker picture next to foods commonly known as the silent killer – about what your numbers mean. that have more than the recom - you don’t have to feel anything to be • Take your medication. For those mended daily intake of sodium. affected. But if you have it and who have high blood pressure Avoid these foods. don’t treat it, it will catch and take prescription med - • Nature knows best. Add fresh or up with you, and it can ication, it is essential to frozen fruits and vegetables into cause severe conse - take it as recom - each meal. Check out the Dietary quences, such as mended. Do not skip Approaches to Stop Hypertension heart disease or a dose just because (DASH) diet. It recommends 8-10 stroke. you “feel fine.” If servings of fruits and vegetables Unfortunately, you have problems each day. one in four New taking your med - • Work on some weight loss. If you are Yorkers suffer from ication, your overweight, losing as little as 10-20 high blood pressure provider can help pounds can lower your blood pres - and too many don’t you. sure. Work with your medical know it or don’t •Get moving. Exer - provider to figure out the right know how to best cise for 30 minutes weight and weight loss plan for you. manage it. Luckily, five times a week can • Quit smoking. Cigarettes can raise you can be proactive to lower your blood pres - your blood pressure and put reduce your risks. sure. Studies show that stress on your heart. If you are “Your blood pressure is breaking down exercise to 10 struggling, get help at: very much in your control,” says minutes three times a day is just http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/ Nichola Davis, MD, MS, Assistant Vice as good as 30 minutes once a day. health-topics/smoking-nyc- President, Chronic Diseases and Preven - • Cut the salt. 75% of the salt we eat quits.page tion. Dr. Davis shares her top 10 tips to comes from packaged and restaurant • You don’t have to do it all at once. help prevent and manage high blood food. You should consume less than Habits are hard to change. You can pressure. 2,300 mg of sodium a day. work on one or two things at a time • Read labels. Canned foods, sauces, and still see a noticeable difference • Know your numbers. Your blood pres - cheeses, and breads are high in to reach healthier levels. sure tests how hard your heart has sodium. Choose foods marked “low Source: NYC Health and Hospitals TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 18 • • MARCH 2018 FEATURE NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK The Death of The Yellow Cab in New York as the Congestion Pricing Apocalypse Beckons

BY CHIP STERN

Once again, as city and state politicians amp up the drumbeat try, the public has been sold a bill of goods time and time again – for more dubiously conceived public policy, it bears repeating that but then, as W.C. Fields once so elegantly suggested, “never give a the cynical, slapdash policies of Messers Bloomberg, DiBlasio & sucker an even break.” And why bother, when the public is so Cuomo, and the grossly inept, unaccountable management of the naïve, ill-informed and easily manipulated. So desperate have city subway systems, have brought us to this present juncture of things become, that on Monday, February 5, we arrived at a surreal chaos, and that the congestion pricing cure they propose is far, far existential juncture, wherein black car driver Doug Schifter, in a worse than the disease. symbolic act of desperation – not unlike the spectacle of Buddhist In point of fact, cynical, showboating, irresponsible politicians Monks theatrically setting fire to themselves on the streets of and city agencies have fomented epic Manhattan traffic congestion Saigon – staged a symbolic sacrifice at the very gates of City Hall, by blithely pandering to pseudo-progressive, minority constituen - when to draw attention to how irresponsible public policies have cies, while folding up like a cheap lawn chair in the face of preda - compromised the economic stability of working New Yorkers and tory private enterprises such as Uber, bullying their way engendered despair among taxi and livery professionals, he used a relentlessly towards establishment of an ironclad monopoly over shotgun to end his own life. public transportation on the backs of naïve sharecroppers. By Clearly, no one lies about pain, and even as the world was clos - thoughtlessly adding pedestrian malls, reducing navigable traffic ing in on Douglas Schifter, he felt compelled, like a voice crying out lanes, prioritizing the bicycle and super-saturating the streets with in the wilderness, to tie his own death to some greater public com - almost 100,000 App Vehicles (increasing at a rate of 3,000 a month, prehension of the irresponsible manner in which City Hall, the City with no end in sight), our Governor, Mayor, State Legislature, City Council and the T&LC have signed off on the greater good in the Council, Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Taxi & Lim - name of the so-called gig economy, by buying into the mendacious ousine Commission are complicit in promulgating public policies fraud Uber is perpetrating on the public and its own drivers – and that will make things far, far worse: culminating in a cynical “plan” the implications that their abdication of the public good portends, to backdoor an oppressive tax on New Yorkers under the guise of an unprecedented level of economic hardship not only regarding “solving the problems” they themselves are COMPLICIT IN CRE - our professional class of for hire-vehicle owners and drivers, but ATING. for all those New Yorkers who depend on public transportation. Part of the problem is that a coordinated public transportation To begin with, people do not understand what a taxi medallion policy, or the lack thereof, has long been a political hot potato in actually is, nor the nature of the taxi industry, though, as a licensed New York City, and as regards our medallion cab and livery indus - yellow cab driver, I must readily admit that our industry has long evinced a genius for shooting itself in the foot, pausing only once to reload. You see, a medallion does not represent permission, as some well-meaning journalists have suggested, to drive a cab in New York City, but is rather a binding legal covenant between the city ATTENTION: and licensees – a limited exclusive franchise to accept street hails within the five boroughs of New York City. The medallion system BLACK CAR INSURANCE was introduced with the passage of the Haas Act in 1937, which IS OUR SPECIALITY froze the number of taxis at 11,787 and regulated the nascent in - dustry under the auspices of the Hack Bureau of the NYC Police Are You Over Paying? Check With Us!!! Department. That number of medallions remained unchanged until 1996, when the city began auctioning off individual medal - FH-1’s Issued Same Day lions, a cash cow given how the demand for taxis in post-World War We shop with multiple carriers* II New York had inflated the value of these individual franchises, from $10 in 1937, to upwards of $200,000 some 60 years later, Limits of liability: $1 million & when new generations of immigrants bought into the notion of fi - $1.5 million Available nancing the cost of a medallion as a form of sweat equity. Flexible Payment Options What was the original motivation for establishing a medallion New Jersey Limousine system? To alleviate precisely the levels of chaos our politicians Insurance available and regulatory agencies have engendered anew on the streets of Black Car • Car Service • Luxury Limo • Taxi New York City in 2018. By reducing burgeoning traffic congestion and eliminating cutthroat competition, the city created a stable Insure your TLC level of rates where no one could dangerously lowball prices, and Corporation with US where professional drivers had a fighting chance of making a liv - ing. Besides individual owner-operators, the Haas ordinance also Insurance for Vans & Mini Vans mandated that 60% of the medallions were classified as Fleet Workers’ Compensation Medallions, wherein they could be rented out to individual drivers, for Ambulettes, Car which evolved into a commission system in which fleet drivers were Services & Limousines essentially employees, who turned in their meter receipts at the Home • Auto • Business end of a 12-hour shift, while keeping their tips, with the fleet shoul - INSURE YOUR GREEN TAXI HERE dering gasoline costs. At the end of the week, drivers would receive a check, with all the standard deductions, based on a percentage of the meter receipts, of anywhere from 43% to 50%, based on time 718-375-9000 Se habla español vested with the fleet. 888-TAXI-INSURANCE Given the costs of doing business, in 1979-1980 the fleets pushed for a leasing system, in which drivers were no longer em - ployees, but individual contractors, who paid a flat fee for each 12- A&Y Royal Insurance Brokerage 2308 Coney Island Avenue hour shift, and were responsible for gasoline costs; whatever www.ayroyal.com*Coverage provided through: American Transit Ins. Co., One Metro Tech, Brooklyn, NY 11201; HerefordBrooklyn, Ins Co., 36-01 43 Ave,NY LIC 11223 NY 11101; Global Liberty Ins Co of NY, 68 S. Service Road, Melville, NY 11747; Fiduciary Ins Co of America, 4507 Davis Street, LIC, NY 11101; Maya drivers made above and beyond the fixed costs of their daily “nut” Assurance Co., 45-18 Court Square - Suite 502, LIC, NY 11101; Eveready, 59 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 19 they pocketed and were responsible for all decades of malignant neglect as the vision to offer group riding options or to charge taxes, etc. Under the commission system, if of power broker Robert Moses dominated based on zone rates or peak pricing neces - a driver had a good shift, the garage had a transportation planning in favor of the in - sities. And given the ever-inflating value of good shift; if the driver had a bad shift, the dividual automobile and a public policy, medallions as an investment opportunity garage shared the pain. If you had enough which favored a suburban constituency as (and the growing trend among individual bad shifts, you got fired, because you were he ruthlessly strong-armed one highway medallion owners to have their franchise a loser, and with all the turnover in drivers, after another through existing New York managed by taxi brokers, who financed new the fleets were always looking for good City neighborhoods, doubling down on a cabs and leased out their medallions), the earners and safe drivers. 50+year post-war demise of the outer bor - city cynically fed into public perceptions As the nature of the economic landscape oughs, while channeling more and more and asserted that the answer was more taxi in post-1976-bankruptcy New York auto traffic into Manhattan. cabs, when in fact, outside of times of peak changed, so did the nature of the business. Ironically, as the quality of our subway demand, there were too many taxis for a As the economy of the outer boroughs and bus service grew dicier, demand for shrinking clientele, and that if there cratered, fleets located in Brooklyn, Bronx taxi cabs increased, and the price of a sub - weren’t so many damn private cars on the and Queens had a harder and harder time way ride and that of a cab ride narrowed. streets, taxis might be better able to serve making ends meet, a problem which was It became in the city’s interest, and that of the public. only exacerbated when the city prohibited cab drivers (or so they thought), that fares Well, from 1996-2014, the city cynically yellow cabs from accepting radio dispatched rise higher and higher, to put more dis - cashed in on the inflated value of medal - calls, which had the effect of making it even tance between the price of taking a lions and auctioned off 1709 new medal - more difficult to get a taxi in outlying crosstown bus or say two or three people lions, raising billions of dollars under false neighborhoods, where demand for street sharing a cab ride, and thus keeping the pretenses, such as the notion that new hails all but dried up, forcing yellow cabs to numbers of bus and subway riders at rev - medallions would be dedicated to handi - spend 99% of their time congregated in the enue-friendly levels. As a result, whereas a capped service. The last such auction came central business districts of Manhattan. yellow cab might routinely book 40 or 50 in 2014 when 350 medallions were auc - This in turn led to a burgeoning livery busi - fares during a Monday night shift in 1984, tioned off for a whopping $350,000,000. You ness for radio dispatched vehicles in the by 2004 taxi drivers would count them - do the math. outer boroughs, and a whole sub-set of selves lucky to book 20-30 fares in a shift. Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t have voucher-based black cars and limousines to Still the perception by the public was been worse for those drivers who took the service the Wall Street trade and a higher not that there were too many for hire-vehi - plunge and committed to finance a new end clientele. It also led to an underground cles, but rather that there were not enough medallion at a million bucks a pop. By and class of gypsy cabs, who worked many taxi cabs. (“I can’t get a taxi during a rain - large they represented a new generation of neighborhoods perceived to be more dan - storm at 5:30pm on a Friday night.”) Never aspirants who believed they were buying gerous while soliciting illegal street hails, mind that traffic and parking laws were not into the fundamental covenant of the 1937 and operating outside the rules and regu - being enforced; never mind that the day Haas Act, wherein a medallion owner en - lations which governed medallion vehicles. shifts and night shifts traditionally joyed a limited exclusive franchise to pick All the while, our 100 year old public changed over between 4:00pm-6:00pm; up street hails. Does anyone think these transportation system was reeling from never mind that taxi cabs were not allowed drivers would have made such a pricey

Continued on page 22 FUN & GAMES

Do you know the stories behind each word? You would if you listened to Taxi Dave's Radio Show, Sunday's at 8:00 PM on WOR710. You will also understand the puzzle better if you read our articles and peruse our ads.

D O U G S C H I F T R U C RUBEN DIAZ SR B R T H E R W R O E T B O CONGRESSMAN ESPAILLAT Y E O L D B E T T R H E N LISTENS TO ONE SEGMENT M T G R I L O C K S E N G DOUG SCHIFTER A F E T S D R H N A T D R GEORGE SCHIFTER N I N S K Y B I E M R I E MY BROTHER WROTE THE TRUTH T H E T 1 2 0 K D O U A S 120 HOURS A WEEK N C N O R U O H G R T Z S THE NEW SLAVERY O S E O S A W E E A H E M SLEEPING IN CAR T E W N I N V K T C W N A NAT GOLDBETTER T G S E S E G M E N S I N BRODSKY N R L E E P I N G I L O E GRODENCHIK E O A Y A I Y R E V A R S GRIDLOCK SAM M E V R L N S N E T S L P G E S E N O O T A L L I A TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 20 • • MARCH 2018 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 21 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 22 • • MARCH 2018 Continued from page 19

commitment if they realized that the city drivers. What’s more, not only are all Uber to supplant yellow cabs and black would shortly roll out upwards of 18,000 those poor devils who bought medallions cars in New York City, and thus allow an green outer borough cabs, a new class of in 2014 defaulting on their loans and los - unregulated monopoly to charge whatever for-hire vehicles empowered to accept ing everything they put up as collateral, rates they figure they can get away with, legal street hails in all of the outer bor - but subway/bus ridership and revenues nowhere in any of the congestion pricing oughs and in Manhattan above 110th are way down – and why not, when you proposals is there any hint of Uber being Street on the West Side and 96th Street can access a Via ride sharing app for five assessed a fair share of their contribution on the East Side, as well as to accept radio bucks? And as more and more Uber cars to the traffic mess their enterprise has en - dispatch fares? The theory was that these roll out on the street, their impact on con - gendered. Meanwhile, all of the projec - new green cabs would offer unfettered ac - gestion increases geometrically. Given, tions and proposals I am reading for cess to street hails in outer borough neigh - while there are many full-time drivers congestion pricing schemes unduly force borhoods that were under-serviced by who endeavor to comport themselves as individual drivers, outer borough resi - yellow cabs. Too bad most of those green professionals, the overwhelming number dents and yellow cab drivers to shoulder cabs seem to be parked in front of Brook - of inexperienced and amateurish part- a disproportionate share of the pain – lyn Bowl in Williamsburg on any given time Uber drivers flooding the streets, thus doing Uber’s dirty work for them. To night. when they are not cruising empty in all of wit, one proposal in particular, which As if that were not bad enough, the the busiest neighborhoods, are dawdling would assess a $2-$5 surcharge on each city has done absolutely nothing to en - and every yellow cab ride; I mean, just sure a level playing field between yel - dress me up in a French Maid’s outfit, low cabs and the new app-hailing bend me over the back of a straight services. At the point where there were back chair, and be done with it. “only” 25,000 app-based vehicles on the Yellow cabs have already been kick - street, and plainly there was not ing back a $0.50 MTA surcharge on enough business to sustain full-time every fare since the time of the last big professional drivers (let alone for the MTA transit system bailout back in streets to accommodate all of that in - 2009. So not only do we have faux pub - creased traffic), the city tried to put a lic advocacy groups such as Trans - cap on the number of app-based vehi - portation Alternatives plotting a brave cles and Uber responded with its cus - new world of bicycles, bicycles and tomary bully-boy tactics, and rolled out more bicycles (which ironically repre - an expensive public relations campaign sent the only category of traffic and that caused Mayor De Blasio to tuck pedestrian fatalities to actually in - his tail between his legs and chicken crease over the past year), but the pro - out. along looking for street addresses, all-too posed MTA bail out and revenue stream Now, with 125,000 app-cars on the dependent on their GPS; and when they our social planners are envisioning, prom - street, the majority of which are affiliated do get a call, they feel entitled to block ises to administer a conclusive death blow with Uber, the traffic congestion is un - side streets, turning lanes and bus lanes, to the medallion cab industry they have precedented, far in excess of the chaos the driveways... been systematically undermining for the 1937 Haas Act sought to alleviate; what’s And ironically, while the average yel - past few decades. more, Uber has been able to ignore regu - low cab fleet driver pays a flat fee for a I mean, if yellow cabs represent the lations in terms of licensing, choice of ve - shift and is responsible for the gas, the root cause of traffic congestion in the cen - hicles, and rates which govern yellow cabs fleet still provides you with a car and a tral business district, why did the city and and traditional livery services: for in - medallion; absorbs all the costs of main - the TLC put another 1,700-plus cabs onto stance, their ability to engage in preda - tenance and repairs, let alone vehicle de - the streets over the past 20 years? Oh, tory pricing and offer fare promotions at preciation; pays for the insurance. Uber and if the MTA is counting on even prices way below market rates (the better drivers absorb all of those costs, including greater revenue streams by imposing a to starve the completion out of business). the gasoline, and while they were initially usurious tax on taxi customers, guess Last Valentine’s Day, for instance, Uber captivated by promises of income in ex - what? There won’t be any more yellow cab subsidized $6 fares anywhere in Manhat - cess of $90,000 a year, no one allowed as customers, let alone yellow cab drivers. tan. On the other hand, Uber enjoys the how you’d have to drive 15 hours a day, So, congestion pricing will achieve a spir - ability to engage in surge pricing as the seven days a week to reach that figure, a itual trifecta wherein there will be even mood strikes them. This past January, on number that represented gross income, less revenue for the MTA; decreased rid - a Thursday evening, at around 7:30pm, I not net income. Nor that given all of the ership on a crumbling subway system; picked up a fare on Lexington and 53rd typical Uber driver’s capital investment and no diminution of congestion in Man - Street and took him over the Manhattan and fixed costs, not only do they end up hattan as an ever-escalating number of Bridge to the Dumbo neighborhood of netting less money than yellow cab fleet Uber cars clog the streets, charging the Brooklyn. On the meter, it came to $28. drivers or those owner-operators lucky riding public whatever they damn well Do you know what Uber quoted my pas - enough to have long ago paid off their please in the absence of regulations in the senger? Try $76. And when all of the yel - medallions, but that Uber’s end game in - public interest, or a cap on their numbers. low cabs have been driven out of business, volve s r eplac ing all of th eir drivers w ith Oh, and the streets of Manhattan will welcome to your future, New York, and robo-car vehicles. Why take only 70% of hence be clogged by hundreds of thou - say goodbye to affordable fares. the revenue when you can take 100%? sands of robo-cars. Hey what could possi - So, business is down for yellow cab So, while clearing the playing field for bly go wrong? Bon appetite, suckers.

&

An Insider’s Look at Both NYC TLC Regulated Industries FOR BREAKING NEWS! TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 23 COMMISSIONER’S CORNER

BY MEERA JOSHI Tragedies in driver communities Tragedias en comunidades de conductores The beginning of 2018 has been difficult. Last month, for-hire ve - El comienzo de 2018 ha sido difícil. El mes pasado, el conductor de ve - hicle driver and Black Car News columnist Douglas Schifter ended his hículos de alquiler y columnista de Black Car News, Douglas Schifter, ter - life, and we learned of other suicides in the driver community as well. minó con su vida y también nos enteramos de otros suicidios en la comunidad de conductores. La desesperación y las profundas presiones que The despair and deep pressures Mr. Schifter felt is of great concern to sintió el Sr. Schifter nos preocupan mucho en la Comisión de Taxis y us at the TLC, and the words he shared resonated deeply with us. Limusinas (Taxi and Limousine Commission, TLC) y las palabras que com - Suicide always leaves unanswered questions for those left behind. partió resonaron profundamente en nosotros. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, there is a free, El suicidio siempre deja preguntas sin respuesta para los que quedan confidential helpline called NYC Well that is always available and ac - aquí. Si usted o alguien que usted conoce sufre de depresión, hay una línea cessible in 200 languages. You can call 1-888-NYCWell, or text “WELL” de ayuda gratuita y confidencial llamada NYC Well, que está siempre to 65173. However, if you are ever in immediate danger of harming disponible y accesible en 200 idiomas. Puede llamar al 1-888-NYCWell o enviar un mensaje de texto con la palabra “WELL” al 65173. Sin embargo, yourself or others, please call 911. si alguna vez se encuentra en riesgo inmediato de lastimarse a sí mismo o Enforcement a otros, llame al 911. Another difficult moment for us as an agency this year was when Cumplimiento two of our officers were attacked in late January. They had stopped a Otro momento difícil para nosotros como agencia este año fue cuando TLC-licensed vehicle operated by an unlicensed driver, after they saw dos de nuestros funcionarios fueron atacados a finales de enero. Habían de - him pick up an illegal street hail. The driver had a suspended DMV li - tenido a un vehículo con licencia TLC operado por un conductor sin licencia, después de que lo vieron recoger ilegalmente a un pasajero en la calle. El cense, as well as open criminal charges for reckless driving and leaving conductor tenía una licencia suspendida del Departamento de Vehículos the scene of an accident. He posed a real danger to the passengers. Motorizados (Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV), así como cargos crimi - After our officers issued the summons, a crowd surrounded them, nales abiertos por conducir imprudentemente y abandonar la escena de un blocked their vehicle with other cars, and verbally threatened them. accidente. Él representaba un peligro real para los pasajeros. Después de One man smashed in two of the TLC vehicle’s windows with a metal que nuestros funcionarios emitieron las citaciones, una multitud los rodeó, baseball bat. Miraculously, our officers were not harmed, and we are bloquearon su vehículo con otros automóviles y los amenazaron verbal - confident the people involved in this violence will be prosecuted. mente. Un hombre estrelló dos de las ventanas del vehículo TLC con un bate de béisbol de metal. Milagrosamente, nuestros funcionarios no Very simply, attacks on our officers will never be tolerated. Some sufrieron daños y confiamos en que las personas involucradas en esta vio - have alleged that this act was used to express discontent with our lencia serán procesadas. City’s laws. However, violence has never been the way to begin a dia - Es muy simple, los ataques contra nuestros funcionarios nunca serán logue, and the TLC meets frequently with drivers and industry groups tolerados. Algunos han alegado que este acto fue utilizado para expresar el to hear any issues they want to raise. descontento contra las leyes de nuestra ciudad. Sin embargo, la violencia Illegal activity poses a danger to the public, and it undermines the nunca ha sido la forma de comenzar un diálogo, y la TLC se reúne con fre - work of legitimate TLC-licensed drivers, who have done all the right cuencia con los conductores y grupos de la industria para escuchar cualquier problema que quieran plantear. things to work as professional drivers in New York City and provide La actividad ilegal representa un peligro para el público y desvirtúa el for their families. trabajo de los conductores legítimos con licencia de la TLC, que han hecho todo lo correcto para trabajar como conductores profesionales en la ciudad For-Hire Vehicle Committee de Nueva York y para proveer a sus familias Last month, the City Council held the first meeting of the For-Hire Comité de vehículos de alquiler Vehicle Committee. My testimony in English and Spanish can be found here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/about/testimony.shtml. El mes pasado, el Concejo Municipal tuvo la primera reunión del Comité de vehículos de alquiler. Puede encontrar mi testimonio en inglés y At the hearing, I discussed how the Council’s local law governs español aquí: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/about /testimony.shtml. penalties for illegal street hails, not TLC rules. Local law prohibits il - En la audiencia, discutí cómo la ley local del Concejo gobierna las san - legal street hails, and the fines attached to them ranging from $500 to ciones por recoger ilegalmente a un pasajero, no las reglas de la TLC. La $10,000, revocation and forfeiture. I expressed my willingness to dis - ley local prohíbe que se recojan ilegalmente pasajeros en la calle, y las mul - cuss how these laws operate, as well as those governing Critical Driver tas que se les imponen van desde 500 dólares a 10,000 dólares, revocación points, to see if there are amendments that can be made that would y decomiso. Expresé mi deseo de discutir cómo operan estas leyes, así como make them simpler for drivers to comply with without sacrificing the también las que gobiernan los puntos de Critical Driver, para ver si se pueden hacer modificaciones que simplifiquen el cumplimiento por parte public safety these laws protect. de los conductores sin sacrificar la seguridad del público que estas leyes We also spoke in our testimony about the outreach the TLC does protegen. with drivers. Our new head of enforcement, Deputy Commissioner Di - También hablamos en nuestro testimonio acerca del alcance comuni - anna Pennetti, has greatly increased our enforcement’s engagement tario que hace TLC con los conductores. Nuestra nueva jefa de cumplim - with our licensees, which has been very fruitful for our officers and li - iento, la Comisionada Adjunta Dianna Pennetti, ha aumentado en gran censees. TLC enforcement officials have had many productive meetings medida el compromiso de nuestro cumplimiento con nuestros titulares de with base owners, drivers and elected officials, and they will continue la licencia, lo que ha sido muy fructífero para nuestros funcionarios y titu - lares de la licencia. Los funcionarios de cumplimiento de la TLC han tenido to be available to our regulated industries. I also regularly meet with muchas reuniones productivas con los propietarios de las bases, conductores bases and drivers of all sectors to support our licensees, and hear their y funcionarios electos, y continuarán estando disponibles para nuestras in - concerns. dustrias reguladas. También me reúno regularmente con las bases y con - ductores de todos los sectores para apoyar a nuestros titulares de la licencia Accessible Dispatch y escuchar sus inquietudes. The TLC is very pleased with the successes of the citywide Acces - Despacho de Vehículos Accesibles sible Dispatch program so far. As we noted in our last column, the La TLC está muy satisfecha con los éxitos del programa de Despacho program had a full launch in January, following a beta launch last de Vehículos Accesibles en toda la ciudad hasta el momento. Como fall. Since the beta launch, there have been almost 36,000 trips dis - señalamos en nuestra última columna, el programa tuvo un lanzamiento patched to wheelchair-accessible taxicabs. Passengers have enjoyed completo en enero, luego de un lanzamiento suave prueba el otoño pasado. accessible service in a broad range of New York City neighborhoods, Desde el lanzamiento suave, se han despachado casi 36,000 viajes a taxis including Staten Island’s Dongan Hills, Brooklyn’s East New York accesibles para sillas de ruedas. Los pasajeros han disfrutado de un servicio and the Bronx’s Riverdale. We look forward to seeing this program accesible en un número amplio de vecindarios de la ciudad de Nueva York, grow and thrive, as well as the number of wheelchair-accessible taxi - que incluyen Dongan Hills en Staten Island, East New York en Brooklyn y Riverdale en el Bronx. Esperamos con ansia ver que este programa crezca cabs continue to expand. Each accessible trip means more economic y prospere, y que continúe aumentando la cantidad de taxis accesibles para opportunity for drivers, and more freedom and mobility for the riding sillas de ruedas. Cada viaje accesible significa más oportunidades económi - public. cas para los conductores y más libertad y movilidad para el público que trasladamos. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 24 • • MARCH 2018 IATR OUTLOOK

MANHATTAN CBD ACCESS FEES FOR TLC VEHICLES: BY PROFESSOR CONGESTION PRICING OR ANOTHER MTA TAX? MATTHEW W. D AUS , E SQ .

The traffic gridlock in Manhattan’s Cen - vanced by then Lieutenant Governor Richard onto city streets just to use the toll-free tral Business District (CBD) has reached a Ravitch, but nothing came out of it. In 2015, Queensboro Bridge. The results: pedestrian breaking point. There, traffic speed dropped a bill was proposed in the New York City casualties; excessive vehicle miles traveled; 12% from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, vehicle Council to temporarily limit the issuance of noise and air pollution. Another case of speeds in the Midtown Core have dropped to new FHV licenses, pending the findings from bridge-shopping would be five-axle truck driv - 4.7 mph, due in part to the rapid expansion a congestion study commissioned by Mayor ers from Flatbush/Atlantic Ave who, instead of Uber. A new study has shown that, by Bill de Blasio. However, the proposal was of using the highway system to cross the Ver - 2023, congestion will cost New York City dropped after it ignited a backlash from Uber, razano Bridge ($92 toll) followed by the $100 billion. and the report concluded that app-based Goethals Bridge to get to Newark Airport, Not surprisingly, congestion pricing has FHVs did not drive an increase in congestion opted to cross the Manhattan Bridge (FOC) become a hot topic once again. In October in the CBD. and drive through Chinatown, Tribeca and 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as - Also, in 2015, “Gridlock” Sam Schwartz (a Little Italy via Canal Street before crossing sembled the Fix NYC Advisory Panel (Fix legendary traffic engineer in NYC) introduced Lincoln Tunnel. The results: ever more vehi - NYC), which was tasked to address the wors - a proposal called MoveNY. Schwartz’s plan cle miles traveled and pollution. ening traffic congestion in the CBD, as well included tolls on the currently untolled East To rectify the uneven pricing schemes as identify sources of revenue to fix the dete - River bridges and a cordon charge at 60th mentioned above, the Fix NYC Panel pro - riorating subway system. Last month, Fix Street to be applied in both directions at a poses a pricing zone within the CBD which NYC’s final report was released, and it in - charge of $5.76 each way (for a total trip does not include the FDR Drive north of the cluded recommendations to tackle these is - charge of $11.52). Essentially, this plan elim - Brooklyn Bridge and Queensboro Bridge exits sues through a phased approach. Phase One inates the common practice of “bridge shop - north of 60th Street: (2018) calls for public transit improvements ping,” where car and truck drivers weave in the outer boroughs and suburbs, stricter their way around the City to utilize the Figure 1. Proposed zone pricing boundary traffic law enforcement, a NYC placard pro - cheapest crossing into the CBD. MoveNY’s gram overhaul, reform of the NYC Taxi and proposal equalizes the total fee paid by driv - Limousine Commission (TLC) and bus con - ers to enter and exit the CBD at about $11.50, gestion mitigation. Phase 2 (2019) proposes a no matter which crossing is chosen. The surcharge for taxis and for-hire vehicles Schwartz plan also charges FHV trips in the (FHVs), and Phase 3 (2020) includes the im - CBD below 96th Street, based on time and plementation of a pricing zone within the distance traveled, and reduces tolls on MTA CBD. bridges located outside of the CBD. Like other The proposal for implementing congestion previous plans, MoveNY dedicates most of the pricing in NYC is hardly novel. In a number revenue collected net of toll reductions toward of other cities such as London, Stockholm, transportation improvements, including MTA and Singapore, many claim congestion pric - system upgrades and certain road and bridge ing has been successful, achieving most of repairs. The MoveNY plan estimated conges - what it was intended to do. In London, more tion reduction to be 20% upon full implemen - passengers are using public transport than tation. before the congestion plan went into effect in Although previous congestion pricing 2003, and £148 million ($240 million) was plans in NYC included a cordon around the raised as revenue in this city’s 2009-10 fiscal CBD, they differed in terms of cordon fees and year, which was devoted wholly to improving toll offsets. Back then, and even today, the the mass transit system. Two-thirds of Lon - pricing scheme for the East River bridges is doners polled approved of the charge. At this currently inequitable and inconsistent. This time, London has experienced a 20% reduc - comes about because of the actions of three tion in traffic volume, a 30% increase in av - men. The first is Mayor William Gaynor, who erage speeds, and a 20% decrease in carbon – in 1911 – removed all the toll booths at the emissions. Planning ahead, a new emissions Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, surcharge (T-Charge) would be introduced in Williamsburg Bridge and Queensboro Bridge. Central London by 2019 as part of the city’s Along came Robert Moses, the master builder Once the design, planning, construction Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) initiative. who built and implemented tolls on seven and environmental assessment of the zone in - There have been attempts to institute new bridges (and tunnels). The toll revenues frastructure are completed over a period of 24 congestion pricing in NYC. In 2006, the Citi - collected were initially meant to pay for the months, trucks would be the first to be zens Budget Commission made a proposal for maintenance of these bridges, but when Gov - charged, specifically a one-way E-ZPass congestion pricing. A year later, Mayor ernor Nelson Rockefeller incorporated the charge of $25.34, once per day, Monday Michael Bloomberg included congestion pric - Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority through Friday, between 6am and 8pm. Fix ing as part of his PlaNYC proposal. (TBTA) into the Metropolitan Transportation NYC recommends that first, no earlier than Bloomberg’s plan almost took off. There were Authority (MTA) in 1968, some of the toll rev - 2020, trucks be charged since truck emissions hundreds of millions of dollars in federal enues were channeled to fund public transit account for 18% of total emissions from the money available to support the program. The instead. transportation sector in NYC. After a trucks- plan was approved by the New York City As a result of the framework created by only test period, automobiles would be Council and garnered support from scores of Governor Rockefeller, every time public tran - charged $11.52 “once a day to enter the pric - elected officials, business leaders, and envi - sit needed money, people would be charged at ing zone.” These charges are estimated to ronmental groups. But, after traveling from the TBTA bridges, but not the East River generate gross revenues of $105 million from New York to Albany, it was eventually not Bridges. The inequitable toll system eventu - trucks and $705 million from autos for a total passed by the New York State Assembly ally became a catalyst for “bridge-shopping” of $810 million, which would be used to fund members from the four outer boroughs and as 40,000 cars, trucks and buses hop off the MTA transit improvements. In addition to neighboring suburban counties strongly ob - Long Island Expressway, Grand Central these revenues, the program incentivizes auto jected. In 2008, another proposal was ad - Parkway and Brooklyn Queens Expressway drivers to shift to other modes of transporta - TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 25 tion; and commercial drivers to make deliver - Additionally, there has been a steady in - So, what can we expect next? To date, Gov - ies during off-peak hours. Thus far, Fix NYC crease of black cars’ (mostly Uber) share of ernor Cuomo has spoken about the need to has not finalized the pricing hours (6am-8pm TLC-regulated vehicle crashes from 2014 to address congestion and to support public or 6am-11pm) and days (Monday-Friday or 2017 (see Figure 4). transit, but he has not put forth the pricing Monday-Sunday) in addition to whether there Figure 4. TLC-licensed vehicle aspect of the Fix NYC plan in his proposed will be any credits for drivers crossing the crashes, 2014-2017 state budget. In a budget modification bill the tunnels. Governor just released (proposing It should be noted that Fix NYC has ex - amendments to S. 7508 and A. empted buses, taxis and FHVs from zone pric - 9508), he proposed the following: ing. Nonetheless, Fix NYC has proposed a 1. installing cameras south of surcharge for taxis and FHVs operating 60th street in Manhattan as within the CBD, with revenues dedicated to part of a demonstration project the MTA. The worsening of congestion, par - to enforce “block the box” inter - ticularly due to the unchecked growth of Uber section violations under the NY (see Figure 2), is no longer a matter of serious State Vehicle & Traffic Law; public debate 2. empowering the Fix NYC Panel to make recommenda - tions on uniform standards and Figure 2. Number of monthly trips, 2015-2017 equipment to be installed in all taxicabs and for-hire vehicles (including geo-location technol - ogy) in consultation with the NYC TLC; and 3. empowering the NY State Depart - Thus far, Fix NYC has not finalized ments of Transportation and Motor the geographical boundary of the sur - Vehicles to jointly perform a compre - charge (either 60th Street or 96th hensive study to make recommenda - Street), the amount of the drop sur - tions on congestion in Manhattan charge (between $2 and $5), surcharge (from the operation of commuter, in - for cruising/idling, discount for pooled tercity, charter and sightseeing trips, the hours (6am-8pm or 6am- buses). 11pm) and days (Monday-Friday or Monday-Sunday) the surcharge will be New York State’s budget for FY 2019 is in effect. Fix NYC has, however, deter - scheduled to be in place when the state fis - mined that the affected companies be cal year begins on April 1, 2018. Although given a period of 10 months to install budget modifications can be made subse - the necessary on-board equipment for the sur - quent to the passage of the state budget by While Uber claims that it has served the charge. As an equitable proposal, Fix NYC the governor and state legislature, the city at large, the reality paints a different pic - has made it clear that congestion pricing Governor has consistently advocated that ture. Over the past few years, Uber has largely must not over-burden any subgroup. Data finance matters be included in the state served, ironically, the areas where transit is pertaining to the median incomes of car own - budget. So, the clock is ticking and there abundant, congestion is worse and/or the ers and non-car owners have shown that are only several weeks remaining for a con - wealthiest people live (see Figure 3). choice riders (people who own cars yet use gestion pricing plan to be proposed. It may public transit) will only need to fork out 3.5% be likely that any “fix” for public transit of their income ($3,000 out of $85,000) for con - and growing CBD congestion may be borne Figure 3. Uber trip density, 2017 gestion fees. Of the 118,000 outer borough from the meetings among legislative lead - working residents who drive to Manhat - ers and the governor; while the amend - tan to work, less than 5,000 (or 4.2%) ments proposed above do not recommend qualify as working poor. pricing policies, procedures still allow for Census data has also shown that 18 amendments to be made during last times more commuters would gain from minute budget negotiations that histori - transit improvements than would likely cally take place at the eleventh hour be - pay new tolls. The working poor would tween the Governor, Assembly Speaker benefit by a margin of 38 to 1 from con - and Senate Majority leader. So far, the gestion pricing. Many industry groups are Governor has only proposed measures that calling for equity in terms of equal fees for would at a minimum set the stage by put - all sub-modes to be passed along to pas - ting into place the mechanisms for imple - sengers uniformly. However, yellow cab mentation (cameras, geo-location industry advocates believe they have paid technology) and to study congestion (to set their fair share to the MTA already a baseline before implementation). If any through the $0.50 MTA taxi surcharge tolling/pricing plan does not also address over many years, which is estimated to the root cause of the problem though a have cost taxi passengers over $621 mil - growth limitation or cap, and if pass- lion to date. through passenger fees are only imposed Traffic congestion in NYC has reached on the for-hire and taxi industries (and not such a dire state that many believe it is freight or personal motor vehicles), the so- absolutely critical to address this issue called congestion plan may simply become now. Still, at the end of the day, it re - another “bigger” MTA tax; as it is unlikely mains unclear if congestion pricing might that such vehicles will stop flooding the actually reduce the number of Uber and CBD where they work, and especially dur - Lyft vehicles, which is a key reason why ing rush hour when Uber vehicles “surge the CBD is experiencing the slower travel price!” times and increased congestion since 2012.

Professor Matthew W. Daus, Esq. is President, International Association of Transportation Regulators; Distinguished Lecturer, University Transportation Research Center, Region 2; and Partner/Chairman, Windels Marx Transportation Practice Group. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 26 • • MARCH 2018 DEFENSIVE DRIVING DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

BY BERTRAM MERLING • L OSS CONTROL COORDINATOR , H EREFORD INSURANCE COMPANY

The month of March brings us Daylight Savings Time and the on the hood of your vehicle or falling down and making a fraud - first day of Spring (March 20), so there will be more hours of day - ulent claim. light and the weather should start warming up. Both of these fac - • Always anticipate an unsafe act by a pedestrian observed talk - tors mean more pedestrians, so keep a watchful eye. Experts also ing on the cell phone, talking to another pedestrian, wearing recommend scheduling preventative maintenance around this time headphones, eating or just not paying attention to their sur - of year. roundings while crossing an intersection. • Always use extra caution for senior citizens, as their hearing Daylight Savings Time and vision may be impaired. This year, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00am on Sunday, • Always anticipate pedestrians crossing unsafely from between March 11. Statistics from the National Safety Council confirm that double-parked vehicles. motor vehicle accidents increase in the days immediately following • Watch for pedestrians jaywalking in front of a bus in the Daylight Savings Time, in which clocks are turned forward one process of loading passengers. hour. All industry drivers should note the following: • Please use extra caution in the hours immediately after sun - • It is generally recommended that drivers get a good night down, when visibility is diminished. sleep, with a minimum of eight consecutive hours of sleep. • Always call the police and make a report if you are involved in • Drivers should use extra caution while working their shifts in an incident or an accident with a pedestrian. DO NOT leave the days immediately after Daylight Savings Time as more the scene or you can be arrested for leaving the scene of an ac - people will be Driving While Drowsy than usual. cident, even if you know that your vehicle did not make contact Pedestrian Accidents with the pedestrian – and no matter how insignificant or minor • All vehicles must yield to all pedestrians at all times, at all lo - it may appear. cations. In New York City, millions of pedestrians cross inter - • Do not leave the scene without exchanging information with sections 24-hour- a-day. everyone involved. • Always avoid frightening (by blowing your horn) or angering • Many uninjured pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists will state a pedestrian by moving at an excessive speed towards someone that they are okay at an accident scene only to later file a unnecessarily. Such actions can lead to a pedestrian banging claim. Call the police to the scene whenever a pedestrian re - quests the police. If you leave the scene of an accident with an alleged pedestrian injury you may be arrested and charged with a crime. Always invest a few minutes at the time of the incident to avoid losing a far greater amount of time later on. Preventive Maintenance Experts recommend developing a preventative maintenance schedule around the changing of the seasons. Preventive mainte - nance can not only save you money, but helps prevent accidents. • Always visually inspect your vehicle prior to starting your work shift. Attend to any loose metal, sharp edges or any other unsafe obstacles that could harm passengers. • Maintain the tire pressure suggested in the vehicle manual in order to avoid blowouts and inconvenient flat tires. Attempting to save money by driving on bald tires could be dangerous and end up costing you far more money in the long run. • Always check your fluids (anti-freeze, transmission, oil, power steering fluid, windshield wiper, etc.) prior to your work shift. A breakdown in an unsafe area (highway or one-way street) can lead to a catastrophic accident. • Always check your emergency blinkers and headlights prior to your work shift. • Always keep a flashlight, screwdriver and extra cell phone bat - tery on hand. • Always keep an extra set of dry clothing, water, a blanket and canned food in the trunk. • Check your brakes and front-end with every oil change. A wheel malfunction can cause you to lose control of your vehicle, and puts you and others at serious risk. • Always check your hood latch prior to your work shift. A hood that flies open while you are driving can lead to a catastrophic accident. • Keep a first aid kit in your vehicle. Check it periodically, and make sure you know what each item is for, and how to use it.

Bertram Merling is the Loss Control Coordinator for Hereford Insurance Company. He welcomes your questions and comments, and can be reached at 718.361.9191 ext. 7235, or via email at [email protected] TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 27 THE TAXI ATTORNEY

BY MICHAEL SPEVACK

Hello everybody… I hope find a willing public to buy up beat the market malaise? owners, etc. This paper is a god - that you are working hard and their shares decreases dramat - I have no idea what is going send, and I hope that it too con - making good money. ically. to happen, and I don’t even tinues to thrive so that we have These are scary times for What happens then? Uber know who truly speaks for “us.” a place to meet and discuss our Industries, and for the is famously losing massive piles I know that the Taxi Dave things in a thoughtful, organ - USA. As I write this, the entire of money each quarter, as we radio show has been an excel - ized and truthful manner. Wall Street apparatus is head - all know. Drivers like you are lent forum for the yellows, and If you have legal needs, like ing downward in a volatile getting the “living stuffing” to a large extent the entire For- traffic tickets, need a will, you herky-jerky mess. Perhaps, kicked out of you by the in - Hire vehicle industry. I hope it have been arrested, or have a when this article comes out creasing glut of new drivers can continue, because from problem with the TLC, give me things will have stabilized, but needed to fuel the machine cre - what I see it is becoming ever a call at 212.754.1011, or visit right now things sure are dis - ated by Uber (and others). The more important for OUR me in my office at 97-77 Queens turbing. The role of Wall Street City is too crowded. Will Uber VOICES to be heard amid the Blvd, Suite 1120, Rego Park, to our Industries is huge. Black fold? Will they rush to try to cacophony in the coming NY 11374. I am a 1992 gradu - Cars and yellows both do better eliminate drivers and put in months and years concerning ate of NYU School of Law and when Wall Street money is self-driving vehicles before they ground transportation in and have been a lawyer in good flowing more freely. are up to the task? Will NYS, around the New York Metropol - standing in New York State But perhaps Wall Street is Federal and NYC governments itan area. since 1993. I have been helping to blame for the downturn in be able to stop the madness Uber is a political animal. It for-hire vehicle drivers in New our Industries? Uber and Lyft, and/or dangerous behavior? spends money like crazy to pro - York City since 1995, when I and their ilk, have come into But, let’s get to us, the driv - tect its interests, and we must opened my own law firm dedi - existence on the premise that ing folks, the people who make use all our resources to say cated to helping individuals, someday the public will buy the City go, and have for a long what WE think… meaning the not large corporations. I wel - stock in them when such stock time. Will our interests be long-time, professional drivers, come the opportunity to help is open to the public. Bankers heard? The Teamsters in the the radio owners, the base own - you. salivate at the thought of a current contract negotiations ers, the individual medallion Until next month, be well. hungry public in a roaring mar - are said to have included provi - ket rushing in to take loans off sions to limit self-driving vehi - Michael Spevack, Esq. is a 1992 graduate of NYU School of Law. He has the table and become the finan - cles. Who will do so for taxis been a lawyer in good standing in New York State since 1993.He can be cial apparatus for the Ubers of and livery drivers? Will medal - reached at 212.754.1011, or visit his office at 97-77 Queens Blvd, Suite 1120, the world. Uber brought in its lion prices see a bump if and Rego Park, NY 11374. He has been helping for hire vehicle drivers in New new CEO to rush it to the finish when things hit the fan, as they York City since 1995, when he opened his own law firm dedicated to helping line to make sure the public finally seem to be doing? Will individuals, rather than large corporations. will become the ultimate own - radio companies have more ers of Uber & company. But, valuable radios because Uber what if they missed their oppor - and Lyft etc. are, or could be de - tunity? What if Uber (and oth - funct? Will the TLC look to pro - DMV & TLC Summonses ers like them) are too late to the tect medallion prices, and the party. If the market heads to a long-standing livery companies, Michael Spevack recession, then the likelihood or will it simply stay “neutral” that these TNCs will be able to and watch as TNCs rush to Attorney-at-Law You Can Receive the Finest The Representation At Reasonable Fees! All TLC & DMV Problems Customer Complaints • Moving Violations Taxi Dave Wills • Buying Or Selling A Business House Closings • Personal Injury Cases Show & Other Legal Work 212-754-1011 All Bankruptcy Matters Handled

SUNDAY NIGHTS 97-77 Queens Blvd., Suite 1120 8 pm to 9 pm Rego Park, NY 11374 • ON NYC WOR-710 p 212-754-1011 & IHEARTRADIO www.traffic-summons.com I can help you with TLC The radio show is currently seeking sponsors. Become a patron of The Taxi Dave Show at www.patreon.com/taxidave. and in Criminal Court. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 28 • • MARCH 2018 THE FISHBOWL NOT IN VAIN BY LARRY FISHER In an industry that has been turned up - Added on top are the day-to-day challenges, sought to address the problem of scarcity of side-down and shaken like a snow globe, like the administrative issues of insurance, medallion taxis. The result was that taxis, where little has stood in the way of a cor - loans, repairs and the NYC Taxi and Lim - which had two-way radios (many installed poration funded beyond human compre - ousine Commission. them as an antidote to high crime of the hension, to protect people already under a Some things have gotten better over the 70s) would now be able to use non-yellow tremendous amount of stress, just trying to 35-plus years I’ve been involved in this sedans to service their corporate clients earn an honest buck and make a better life business, and some things worse, but there and take the radios out of the yellow taxis. for their families, it was bound to happen. is no doubt that traffic has reached its Black car groups sold units or franchises to One’s mind goes to a dark place when you worst level ever. While the bogus study per - buyers who obtained financing largely from try to imagine how someone like Doug formed and released by McKinsey & Co. in credit unions. Expansion of each co-op was Schifter must have felt: the pent-up anger, 2016 stated that Uber and Lyft were not re - limited, due to their members’ objections to the sense of helplessness… and perhaps sponsible for the worsening traffic, it is now dilution of the work. even the tragic and misdirected feeling that acknowledged that the insane expansion of So, for 30 plus years, from the early it’s somehow your fault. Perhaps the most those companies is the major reason for our 1980s until 2010s, the for-hire industry had tragic part is that it was anything but traffic gridlock. Is that because Governor separate segments that had a modicum of Doug’s fault – and while the rage was valid, Cuomo sees the TNCs and taxi medallions crossover. Until Uber. The rapid expansion we wish the rest had been replaced by the as an easy mark to fund the MTA through of Uber, financed by venture capital of Wall knowledge that he was a good man, with congestion pricing? Street and Silicon Valley has upended the huge heart, and was in fact an expert at The livery/black car business was cre - industry. The technology itself was not rev - what he did. ated to be a base operation that operated olutionary, but the execution of the technol - Driving for a living is a difficult way to by pre-arrangement. The black cars have ogy, marketing and finance was such that support yourself and your family. Between historically mainly served corporate the other legacy segments of the industry the traffic, the idiot pedestrians and bike clients, while the liveries served regular have suffered. riders, and your passengers, I always used consumers, with private companies and co - I’ve heard some people say the suffering to say that everyone should do it for a day operatives supplying the cars and drivers. was well-deserved. Tell that to the guy to understand what’s really going on in the The black car industry was mainly created who’s been driving for Dial Car for 30 city and how truly difficult this job can be. as a result of the Smith Commission, which years, and because Uber subsidized each TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 29 fare through their venture cap - one is willing to pay usurious quired to deliver during off point of view is Uber, whose ital was able to undercut fares rates. hours, that wouldn’t hurt ei - over-expansion is the acknowl - in a predatory pricing scheme. 8. Because the yellow taxis ther. edged cause of the problems. Or, to the medallion owner who are required to be 50% wheel - As with any plan, there are But Uber is also a corporate bought one of the city’s auc - chair accessible, the disabled winners and losers. Even bad-boy who needs to learn to tioned wheelchair accessible community benefits because though the government isn’t be a better neighbor and corpo - medallions in 2014 for now they get Uber and more supposed to be in the business rate contributor, not a corpo - $1,000,000-plus. availability. of picking winners and losers, rate felon. So, essentially, what Uber 9. As traffic subsides, taxis they do, whether intentionally My plan is not a final draft. has done is damage all the seg - will be able to serve a greater or not. Ask Walmart, who It needs to be worked on and ments by virtue of their over- portion of the public as their Mayor DeBlasio won’t allow to tweaked. But wouldn’t it be fit - expansion. Ask any Uber or ability to move won’t be ham - open stores in the five bor - ting if it were named the Lyft driver and they’ll tell you pered. If trucks could be re - oughs. The only loser from my “SCHIFTER PLAN.” the biggest problem is the lack of work, or too many drivers. Well, I have a solution. The Larry Fisher entered the NYC transportation industry in 1982 as a yellow taxi driver, and has also worked as a black city wants to reduce traffic. The car driver. In 1987, he became a lender for Progressive Credit Union, then took the position of lending supervisor in city also wants to sell the 1,600 2003 for Melrose Credit Union – which he held until he retired in 2016. Currently, Mr. Fisher is a consultant for his own firm, LAF Consulting Services Corp. He can be reached at: [email protected]. medallions they have author - ized. I know this because it’s in the current budget. There are also many unsold green-cab permits as well. That totals around 12,000. My proposal is that all providers of car services be required to buy either a yel - low or green medallion. Elimi - nate the black car or livery designation as a segment. If it is deemed necessary to increase the yellow fleet to serve the public, so be it. Community car services would be a political ne - gotiation (carve out) as I’m quite certain that the ethnic neighborhoods would be reluc - tant to give up their service. They’re a tiny segment at this juncture anyway. The problems solved are as follows: 1. Fewer vehicles licensed to operate in Manhattan easing traffic. 2. Re-invigoration of the medallion taxi industries, both yellow and green. 3. Far easier enforcement for police, since visually the providers are either yellow or green. The only non-yellow or green taxis cited for illegal pick-ups would be unlicensed operators. 4. This does not eliminate Uber and Lyft, et al. It inte - grates them into the existing segments, which is what should have occurred in the first place. 5. For the TLC, it reestab - lishes their ability to control ex - pansion, so that our streets don’t return to the clogged mess we are currently experiencing. 6. For driver/owners, in - stead of being an exploited worker for a TNC or a fleet, this creates an opportunity to be a business owner with a future. 7. With stability comes pre - dictability. With predictability will come financing. The ability to finance a medallion or a ve - hicle will allow the fleet of cars to be replaced continually. Today this is a major problem for all segments as financing has largely gone away, unless TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 30 • • MARCH 2018 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 31 DIRECTORY

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Jericho Taxi Brokers 36-16 Skillman Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 392-7000 TLC#R0001 LOMTO Generation Brokerage 435 West 45th Street New York, NY 10036 (212) 582-5721 TLC#R0018 Mystic Brokerage Inc. 330 McGuinness Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11222 (718) 349-7610 TLC#R0050 TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 32 • • MARCH 2018 NYC JAZZ CLUBS & VENUES

Birdland ShapeShifter Lab Showman’s Jazz Club Nublu Classic Classic Theater District jazz club Performance venue with shows Intimate nightspot with a down-to- Live jazz, world music & more are with roomy red environs, a large bar nightly – plus art exhibits, video cap - earth, nostalgic vibe featuring live presented at this compact club with & Cajun-influenced food. ture, sessions & master classes. jazz & blues & a full bar. its own record label. 315 W. 44th St. 18 Whitwell Pl. 375 W. 125th St. 62 Avenue C

Blue Note Swing 46 Jazz and Supper Club Cotton Club Ginny’s Supper Club Legendary jazz musicians take the This jazz & supper club offers live Legendary supper club for jazz & Updated soul food & craft cocktails stage at this intimate club that also music, swing dancing & free les - gospel, offering Southern-style din - plus live music in the basement of serves American eats. sons. ing & a buffet brunch. Red Rooster. 131 W. 3rd St. 349 W. 46th St. 656 W. 125th St. 310 Lenox Ave

Smoke Jazz & Supper Club Iridium 55 Bar Café Carlyle A cozy venue with clean sight lines Intimate basement jazz club, long Modest cover charges & some Luxe, mural-lined cabaret at the & good sound featuring jazz, blues associated with Les Paul, which fea - major talents make this cozy down - Carlyle Hotel with a dress code & & Latin acts, plus eats. tures national & local performers. stairs music club a local stalwart. many celebrity appearances. 2751 Broadway 1650 Broadway 55 Christopher St. 35 E. 76th St.

Jazz Standard The Jazz Gallery Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola Jazz At Lincoln Center One of NYC’s largest jazz clubs, Non-profit cultural center & perform - Upscale, intimate jazz club in Lin - The largest theater in Jazz at Lin - featuring new & established musi - ance space showcasing progressive coln Center serving Southern-ac - coln Center’s Rose Hall was de - cians, plus BBQ from Danny Meyer. jazz music. cented fare & themed cocktails. signed for live-music acoustics. 116 E. 27th St. 1160 Broadway 10 Columbus Cir. 10 Columbus Cir.

Village Vanguard Bill’s Place Cleopatra’s Needle DROM Best known for iconic 1960s gigs by Jazz legends play the small no-frills Jazz joint where admission’s free, This gypsy-themed lounge hosts John Coltrane, this club continues to room & you can bring your own al - the food’s Mediterranean & the tal - global roster of acts, ranging from feature exceptional jazz, and lives cohol. Reservations needed. ent includes veteran acts. jazz & funk to hip-hop. up to its name. 148 W. 133rd St. 2485 Broadway 85 Avenue A 178 7th Ave. S. Zinc Bar Minton’s Playhouse Bar Next Door at Smalls Jazz Club Live jazz headlines this subter - Revival of a famed nightclub serving La Lanterna di Vittorio Tiny no-frills space delivers live jazz ranean club known for its African, up Afro-Asian-American fare, week - La Lanterna di Vittori's next-door bands & jam sessions at modest Latin & Brazilian rhythms. end brunch & live jazz. nook offers coffee, wine & light bites prices. 82 W. 3rd St. 206 W. 118th St. plus live jazz nightly. 183 W. 10th St. 129 Macdougal St. The Stone Paris Blues Mezzrow Jazz Club Performance venue for experimental Enduring old-school haunt for live The Cornelia Street Cafe Intimate, relaxed lounge featuring & avant-garde music, with a differ - jazz shows in cozy digs, plus cock - Circa-1977 Greenwich Village hang - live jazz pianists & a full bar, plus a ent musician curating monthly. tails & TVs showing sports. out with casual, all-day dining & a simple snack menu. Avenue C & 2nd Street 163 W. 121st St. downstairs performance space. 163 W. 10th St. 29 Cornelia St. Jazz at Kitano The Django Arthur’s Tavern Intimate spot in the Kitano Hotel Cavelike, Paris-inspired jazz venue The Flatiron Room Live bebop, rhythm & blues, Dix - boasts live music most nights, & cocktail bar under the Roxy Hotel, Classy nightspot with a vintage vibe ieland jazz & more are presented at eclectic fare & Sunday jazz brunch. with live acts Wed–Sat. housing a collection of 750+ brown this circa-1937 tavern (cash only). 66 Park Ave. 2 6th Ave. spirits & live jazz shows. 57 Grove St. 37 W. 26th St. TAXI & LIVERY TIMES MARCH 2018 • • 33

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New York City Police are being asked for help cracking down on “fare beaters,” who officials say are robbing drivers of their livelihoods. Fernando Mateo, founder of the New York State Fed - eration of Taxi Drivers (NYSFTD) estimates that upwards of 20% of fares are stolen from drivers each day, meaning 2 out of 10 rides go unpaid. Some drivers have said people sometimes walk out of their cabs at red lights. Violent attacks are also keeping drivers on edge, Mateo noted. In February, a Bronx cab driver was punched in the face after pick - ing up an $18 fare in Soundview. Mateo has complained that more needs be done to protect driv - ers and catch those responsible for beating fares. The NYPD responded: “Every robbery and assault of a taxi driver is investigated by a precinct detective squad.” The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission also sent a statement, saying, “The safety and well-being of professional drivers in New York City is paramount to us, and we work closely with the NYPD to assist in apprehending perpetrators that target our licensees. Drivers should dial 911 and use trouble lights if there is a fare dispute or at the first sign of trouble. Don’t confront a fare- beater – it is not worth your safety.” Source: News 12 Brooklyn

Check out Intents and Purposes

Featuring Innovative Interpretations of ’70s-era Jazz-Rock Standards

Guitarist/Composer, Rez Abbasi was named #1 “Rising Star Guitarist” in DownBeat’s 2013 International Critics Poll.

RAAQ: Rez Abbasi, acoustic guitar; Bill Ware, vibes; Stephan Crump, acoustic bass; and Eric McPherson, drums.

From the Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet TAXI & LIVERY TIMES 36 • • MARCH 2018

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