5 ms·

as a counterpoint, there were places like nyc where the cabs and black cars were very reliable, fast and cheap and there were both drivers and family owned blac

by a-dub 5y ago

as a counterpoint, there were places like nyc where the cabs and black cars were very reliable, fast and cheap and there were both drivers and family owned black car bases that were keeping the overheads rather than see them sent elsewhere. many drivers were first generation immigrants.. owned homes in queens, were putting kids through college, looking at their name come up on the medallion wait-list in a few years as a retirement. all that stopped with appcars.

cultureulterior 5y ago
The fact that medallions were so expensive that you could retire off owning one was the problem. There weren't enough taxis.
- Ekaros 5y ago
  The insanity was that medallions had monetary value in first place. Just imagine that you couldn't start software company unless you bought medallion from someone already operating one. Or any other business for that matter... As for each type of business there is very good reasons to limit amount of those...
  - anticensor 5y ago
    Business licensure is a thing, despite not every business licence is a medallion type of licence.
  - a-dub 5y ago
    that insanity was why there were professional drivers who were making a good living at the trade. but i suppose if the only constituents you really care about are customers, the people getting rich writing dispatch/billing software and the people facilitating the construction of a massive venture capital fueled duopolistic takeover of an entire industry, this works too i guess.
- a-dub 5y ago
  again, in the nyc market, it was fine, if not very good. most drivers i spoke to seemed to like the medallions as they offered some long term investment potential and a sort of seniority reward. there was of course big capital at play, but drivers could have complained to the tlc... what can they do now? file a support ticket?
satyrnein 5y ago
For some people, yes. Black folks routinely had issues getting cabs to pick them up, cabs would ask where you were going before you got in and then drive away if the answer was Harlem or outer boroughs, of course you could barely find a cab in the outer boroughs, everyone's credit card reader was "broken", etc. Meanwhile, many of those immigrants were working off of someone else's medallion for peanuts, so the medallion owner could book Nicki Minaj for his kid's bar mitzvah.
- a-dub 5y ago
  the issue with black people getting yellow cabs in manhattan was real, but tlc would also vigorously enforce any complaints. i think total rent for a car was something like $260/day and $280/day with medallion. (i think this also includes insurance) remains to be seen whether this is better than encouraging drivers to go out and buy a late model car on personal credit. regarding the boroughs, you had to know how to live in the city. any bodega, bar or restaurant would have the number for the nearest black car dispatch and would often call for you... pickup was usually within 5 minutes. anecdotally: yellow cab drivers often seemed like financially stable professionals who were often raising families and in a good financial position. uber drivers always felt like temps. black car bases throughout the boroughs were often small and family owned. again this is anecdotal, but i like talking to people.

by a-dub 5y ago

cultureulterior 5y ago

The fact that medallions were so expensive that you could retire off owning one was the problem. There weren't enough taxis.

Ekaros 5y ago
The insanity was that medallions had monetary value in first place. Just imagine that you couldn't start software company unless you bought medallion from someone already operating one. Or any other business for that matter... As for each type of business there is very good reasons to limit amount of those...
- anticensor 5y ago
  Business licensure is a thing, despite not every business licence is a medallion type of licence.
- a-dub 5y ago
  that insanity was why there were professional drivers who were making a good living at the trade. but i suppose if the only constituents you really care about are customers, the people getting rich writing dispatch/billing software and the people facilitating the construction of a massive venture capital fueled duopolistic takeover of an entire industry, this works too i guess.
a-dub 5y ago
again, in the nyc market, it was fine, if not very good. most drivers i spoke to seemed to like the medallions as they offered some long term investment potential and a sort of seniority reward. there was of course big capital at play, but drivers could have complained to the tlc... what can they do now? file a support ticket?

satyrnein 5y ago

For some people, yes. Black folks routinely had issues getting cabs to pick them up, cabs would ask where you were going before you got in and then drive away if the answer was Harlem or outer boroughs, of course you could barely find a cab in the outer boroughs, everyone's credit card reader was "broken", etc. Meanwhile, many of those immigrants were working off of someone else's medallion for peanuts, so the medallion owner could book Nicki Minaj for his kid's bar mitzvah.

a-dub 5y ago
the issue with black people getting yellow cabs in manhattan was real, but tlc would also vigorously enforce any complaints. i think total rent for a car was something like $260/day and $280/day with medallion. (i think this also includes insurance) remains to be seen whether this is better than encouraging drivers to go out and buy a late model car on personal credit. regarding the boroughs, you had to know how to live in the city. any bodega, bar or restaurant would have the number for the nearest black car dispatch and would often call for you... pickup was usually within 5 minutes. anecdotally: yellow cab drivers often seemed like financially stable professionals who were often raising families and in a good financial position. uber drivers always felt like temps. black car bases throughout the boroughs were often small and family owned. again this is anecdotal, but i like talking to people.