Taxis Protest
The taxi drivers in New York have been up in arms over the last couple of months concerning new equipment that is being installed in all New York cabs. At issue is a GPS system that shows a little map of the car's route, takes credit cards payment for the fare, displays other content like local news and weather, and a flashes up a lot of advertising. The drivers are against it for a number or reasons, but chief among them, as I understand it, is that the cost of the system is being passed on to the drivers, yet they receive no direct benefit. There also seems to be some belief that the GPS can be used to track them, and there are concerns about credit cards which I guess they fear will result in reduced tips.
Apparently we live near the taxi commission offices, because yesterday they held a demonstration on West Street, readily visible from our apartment. The loudspeakers blasted impassioned speeches for most of the afternoon. There was a lot of cheering, sign-waving, and fists brandished at passing taxi-drivers, who presumably were resisting the call to solidarity.
We asked a couple of drivers, but none were able to explain the role of the giant rat.
posted 23.10.07
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