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"We have a big public safety issue here, and we need to get them to understand that this a problem ... and that we do not intend to ignore it." What an absolut

"We have a big public safety issue here, and we need to get them to understand that this a problem ... and that we do not intend to ignore it." What an absolute cop-out this is, no pun intended.

pdabbadabba 12y ago
How so? It seems to me that the City of Charleston is perfectly within its rights to impose a licensing requirement on taxi drivers as a way of ensuring that drivers, among other things, have the proper insurance. And it shouldn't be expected to simply waive this requirement because Uber is a big company that that says it offers insurance coverage for its drivers. Maybe Charleston would like to make Uber and its drivers demonstrate that they actually have that insurance, in a particular way and to a particular level of proof. Or maybe Charleston requires more or different insurance than Uber provides. I don't doubt that there is an element of protectionism here as well. But that doesn't mean that there isn't also a public safety issue, or, regardless, that Uber is free to flout local law so long as it can pay the fines.
- VLM 12y ago
  "perfectly within its rights to impose a licensing requirement" How so? I can think of two example of near unanimous modern agreement where lower governmental levels are not allowed to impose additional randomly purchased rules on subjects regulated at a higher level, its a thought crime to even suggest the rationale behind these historical issues: 1) Poll taxes and election tests 2) Enforcement of immigration law
  - pdabbadabba 12y ago
    Well of course there are certain licensing requirements that a municipality cannot impose. But you remain very far from showing that a license to operate a taxi -- an area that is subject to strict regulation in virtually every municipality in the U.S. -- is one of them.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
funkiee 12y ago
I've ridden taxis and Ubers in Charleston. The Ubers were far safer drivers.
- 67726e 12y ago
  Hell, the past two UberX drivers I've had here in Charleston quit their taxi job and went to Uber when it became available here.

"We have a big public safety issue here, and we need to get them to understand that this a problem ... and that we do not intend to ignore it." What an absolute cop-out this is, no pun intended.

pdabbadabba 12y ago

How so? It seems to me that the City of Charleston is perfectly within its rights to impose a licensing requirement on taxi drivers as a way of ensuring that drivers, among other things, have the proper insurance. And it shouldn't be expected to simply waive this requirement because Uber is a big company that that says it offers insurance coverage for its drivers. Maybe Charleston would like to make Uber and its drivers demonstrate that they actually have that insurance, in a particular way and to a particular level of proof. Or maybe Charleston requires more or different insurance than Uber provides. I don't doubt that there is an element of protectionism here as well. But that doesn't mean that there isn't also a public safety issue, or, regardless, that Uber is free to flout local law so long as it can pay the fines.

VLM 12y ago
"perfectly within its rights to impose a licensing requirement" How so? I can think of two example of near unanimous modern agreement where lower governmental levels are not allowed to impose additional randomly purchased rules on subjects regulated at a higher level, its a thought crime to even suggest the rationale behind these historical issues: 1) Poll taxes and election tests 2) Enforcement of immigration law
- pdabbadabba 12y ago
  Well of course there are certain licensing requirements that a municipality cannot impose. But you remain very far from showing that a license to operate a taxi -- an area that is subject to strict regulation in virtually every municipality in the U.S. -- is one of them.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

funkiee 12y ago

I've ridden taxis and Ubers in Charleston. The Ubers were far safer drivers.

67726e 12y ago
Hell, the past two UberX drivers I've had here in Charleston quit their taxi job and went to Uber when it became available here.