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I am confused! Now why are New York taxi drivers on strike today? Because they feel that the city is intruding on them by asking taxis to install GPS systems and provide a means for credit card payment? I am sorry, but is that really asking too much? I have had taxi drivers who know their way around New York City less then I do and they navigate around the city all day long. Living in Brooklyn, I can assure you that I have to tell the driver how to get to my house every time. As soon as a taxi driver crosses the Brooklyn bridge, he has no idea where he is. I am lucky if he has heard of Atlantic Avenue or Court Street, both major streets here in this borough. Wouldn't a taxi driver want the help of a navigation system for his own sake? As far as the credit card swiping thingy, I cannot believe that they would not see the potential of the added revenue just for offering the convenience. Who has not wanted to hail a cab late at night, just to realize that he or she did not have enough cash on hand to get a ride home? Wouldn't it be great to be able to use your credit card? After all, we can pay for everything else with our plastic these days, why not cab rides?
Cabs in Germany and in France have been using these technologies for years. It was about 10 years ago that I first saw the Visa/Master card sign in a Parisian taxi. And I won't even mention that the cab was a brand new Mercedes E class.
What are these N.Y. City taxi drivers hoping to accomplish by striking? That they can stop progress? God forbid that they should get with the times and offer some real service to their riders.
Related reading:
TWO-Day Taxi Strike
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