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| The Cab Files October 2007
Autumn has finally arrived and I’m so happy. I can turn off that power efficient air conditioning unit and breathe a sigh of relief when the power bill arrives. Instead of shrieking and blaming the old lady for watching too many damn movies. Or poor Luigi for playing Nintendo. Even though they blame me for being a computer nerd! I honestly tried to keep my bill down around 200 bucks and I did in June and July, but when the bill for August arrived it was $420? No way! So I called the power company, read the meter’s numbers backward to the customer service agent (secret code-you know this?) But she said everything was Jake! Who am I too fight the power? I planned on writing a Halloween story for you guys but I’ve been working on my Children’s novel (should be finished by the time you read this column) and helping with my son’s little league team. Yes, he’s playing Fall Ball. Not to mention my eldest daughter Tinka getting married on October 13th. Instead I’ll share two important e-mails from a couple of drivers which relay a common concern. What do the cab drivers want? Here’s an e-mail from Pakistan Billy (I’m guessing that’s not really his name) who asked me not to alter the content…sheesh it’s my column but here it is anyway: How would/can the cabbies get together to show their strength? It has only been done once before and that was the trip down Las Vegas blvd that scared the governor into vetoing the bill to stop the kickbacks. The union is doing the best it can but we would like to hear from the drivers themselves. Someone must have an answer to how to unify the drivers and make them strong. Some possible demands: 1) Bring back the last T.A. Administrator 2) remove all those extra cabs from the street 3)Demand that the city provide safe dropping spaces for the cabs 4)Put back the bulletin board for the drivers at the airport! Many of Billy’s questions I can’t answer, but let me try 1, 2, 3 &4 1) Bring back the last TA Administrator. Richard Land, I suppose that’s who he was talking about, but what for? It’s too late the damage is done! 2) Removing the extra cabs? I don’t think that’s going to happen, in fact expect more and more cabs in the near future. 3) Demand the City provide safe dropping spaces. Oscar wants a brothel or two; maybe those will have safe dropping spaces! 4) Bring back the bulletin board at the Airport’s Pit. What a great idea and what a great way for the drivers to keep up with daily issues. Great for us bad for them. Did we abuse the old bulletin board? Or did we use it for our benefit? Does that really matter? It was for us drivers and they showed us who was in charge when they it took away. And that’s really too bad for us because not too many cabbies use the Internet to read the cyberspace message boards which are out there. Any suggestions? Send them in to Trip Sheet Magazine or post them on the internet, but please include your info so we can use them. Or e-mail them to me. Now on to the second e-mail. The Man Seeking a Change Year after year things have gotten worse for the taxi drivers of Las Vegas Cabbies. Many of you know this, but there is one man in particular who is tired and seeks to change this. Perry Butters, Web-Master from “A Night in the Ruts.” Whether you agree with him or not, the fact remains he has started collecting signatures on a petition and has been speaking with many drivers about something he truly believes in. But read it for yourselves and raw your own conclusions: USW-711A sends a large portion of cab driver’s union dues every year, to their headquarters in Pittsburgh. Ruthie Jones makes a nice big salary every year. The Alliance spent a large amount of money for their billboard on Paradise Road. 20 years of failed leadership, and what a price tag. Only cabdrivers should be allowed to spend their money like drunken sailors. It’s time for this craziness to end and it should start right now at YCS. This is not an anti-union movement. This is a movement to throw out the do-nothing ITPE union and start a new union. A new union run by cabdrivers for cabdrivers. And most importantly, its time for cabdrivers to take control of their own dues money and spend it fighting for cabdrivers. For instance, how about initiating legal action to stop the illegal staging of limos? Maybe this would benefit you? Want to help? If 500 YCS drivers sign a petition asking for a vote, the NLRB will hold one. Have any of you ever had the chance to vote for or against Ruthie as your union leader? Would you like one? This is America, right? Please sign the petition as it circulates. If you choose not to sign, you are still making a choice. You are choosing more of the same! Perry Butters Well there you have it. You are now in the know. And don’t think Perry Butters didn’t do his homework, the part-time UNLV student is serious and if you think about, shouldn’t you be? Showcase Mall, M&M, Coke, Taxi-Stand? Long time friend of mine Martha Flanagan took a cab over to the M&M store and loaded up on the candy coated chocolate treats to take home to her family. She shopped until she dropped with barely enough strength to reach the Coca Cola store to buy even more souvenirs. With her arms weighed down, she wobbled like a turkey out of the Showcase Mall to catch a cab. She went to the right; she walked to the left, but didn’t find a taxi. She walked out to the curb and attempted to flag one down, but with her arms carrying all those bags of goodies, she failed. Asking the store clerks for help, they suggested to her to catch the cab at the MGM. “That’s what most people do.” So after a long walk through the Casino, fighting the crowds, maneuvering around hundreds of slot machines, she made it to the MGM’s cab-line. She caught a cab back to the Imperial Palace at 3:30 in the afternoon. The cab driver took her down The Strip and after 15 minutes, they reached the Harley Davidson corner. After 10 more minutes they reached the Imperial Palace. She asked the cab-driver two questions; why don’t the M&M and Coca Cola stores have a drop-off/pick-up stand? Now that’s a good question. How about it Coke and M&M? How about making it easy for your customers and also the cab-drivers by making a TAXI-STAND! Maybe this should be a question for the Showcase Mall honchos, but either way, something needs to be done. Please do it for the Martha Flanagan’s of the world and your local cabbies! Oh, and I forgot to tell you Martha’s second question for the taxi-driver which was, “Why didn’t you go through the backstreet?” Happy Halloween! |
| Here's my article for October's Trip Sheet Magazine the way I submitted it for print..FAL |