Today in NYC there are over 12,000 cabs and over 40,000 drivers. They transport more than 200 million passengers almost 800 million miles a year. They make more than one billion dollars in revenue, and drive without passengers for almost a million miles a night. No wonder there’s pollution.
In Winnipeg, I’m told we’re closer to 500 cabs and 1200 drivers. The numbers vary from city to city, but some things stay the same wherever you go.
Cabbies provide 24 hour coverage of the largest cities in the world and they almost always get you where you need to go. They’ve provided fodder for lots of sitcom jokes and movie stereotypes. And while nobody thinks it’s an easy job, almost everyone is surprised at how hard it is.
It’s often an industry of immigrants and always an occupation which rewards hustle. With the exception of cheque days, special events and –40 mornings, the competition for fares is tough.
And there’s always the element of risk. It’s risky making a business of inviting strangers into vehicles, knowing little or nothing about them. In England, cabbies are up to 15 times more likely to be victims of violence than workers in other jobs.
There are dangerous fares. One driver showed me a bruise from a recent robbery.
There are pitiful fares. “I have no cash, but you can do whatever you want to me if you take me to the corner of Notre Dame & Sherbrook.” The driver declined the open-ended offer.
There are awkward fares. “I remember the time a couple decided to copulate in the back seat. The guy’s warped idea of discretion was to tell me not to look.” Too far into the ride to lose the fare, that cabbie decided to adjust his rear view mirror and hurry to their destination. He was happy when they paid their fare and left the cab.
One cabbie likened his profession to a type of war. He described an occupation where there are more enemies than allies. There are deadlines, street signs, and red lights. There are garbage trucks, fire engines, ambulances and bike messengers waiting to ambush you. Careless drivers and wandering pedestrians pose a minefield of risks.
In my neighbourhood some cabbies are a great help and others a major frustration. At a recent community meeting we cheered the arrest of several dirty cabbies.
But from what we see, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some drivers and even dispatchers have dealt in drugs and prostitution. Others profit handsomely from huge markups on after-hours booze. Filtering out the bad operators would make the business more profitable for good operators.
We get really ticked off when we see the same cab return again and again to deliver clients for crack and pick up “janes” for “johns.” It gets to the point where you figure they’re either running the show or working on commission for the pimps and dealers.
Some are not that nasty. They try to turn a blind eye to their clients and their destinations, keeping their eyes on the ticking meter. “A ride is a ride and a dollar is a dollar, right?”
But that’s not true for many good cabbies. One of my friends professed his shame for a profession where fares seem to assume they can demand, “Take me where the hookers are,” or “I need to buy a little rock.” He berates some for their presumption. But he knows that other cabbies will oblige the requests for a quick fare and generous tip.
Speaking up as an individual cabbie isn’t easy. “If you ruffle the wrong feathers, your dispatcher and other drivers find ways to freeze you out.” But there are several good drivers who find ways to notify us – and police – of their concerns. It’s time for the companies and the Taxi Board to work with the community as well.
I figure if they’re not part of the solution, they’ve become part of the problem. I know the industry here in Winnipeg can do more to clean up a battered reputation.
Toronto has a “Taxis on Patrol” program and Australia has a great “Taxi Watch” program. Cabbies find ways to share concerns about suspicious or criminal activity. Cops find ways not to take too much road time from cabbies for paperwork. Cabs have signs to show their participation, and the industry has awards for innovative crime-fighting ideas.
I love that camera idea, despite the chatter about an individual’s right to privacy. Give me a break! It’s like the driver in the car next to you on Portage calling you a ‘Peeping Tom” if you happen to notice him vigorously picking his nose at a red light. These are windowed vehicles on public laneways. It would be wise for folk to moderate their expectation of privacy.
I’m getting the feeling that the industry is working to change for the better.
Kudos to the cabbies choosing to be ambassadors of Winnipeg’s virtues rather than accessories to its problems.
Rev. Harry Lehotsky
514 Maryland Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3G 1M5
(204) 775-4929
lehotsky@escape.ca