I rarely get truly outraged by local issues, but today I am very angry at Washington DC cab drivers, even though I support their general position.
Mayor Fenty is changing the cabs from zones to meters. This benefits nobody, neither the driver nor the passenger, which can be proven by the fact that it's cheaper to take a zoned cab from DC into Virginia than to take a metered cab from Virginia to DC. The cabbies also loose, because their rates are now set and if they take fares going a short distance, they will get less under the metered system, so I would be inclined to support their protest, but the timing of the protest is infuriating.
The cabbies are threatening to strike today. This, they think correctly, will get a lot of attention, but it will come at a high cost. Like it or not, a lot of people get drunk on Halloween. This is especially true in Georgetown, where there are always a lot of sidewalk Halloween parties going on. Cab drivers usually do a great business, because thankfully a lot of people choose not to drive to Georgetown, but to take a cab if they are planning to drink a lot and a cab home. It will be inevitable if the cab drivers strike tonight that there will be a lot of drunk drivers, and they will be driving where there will be a lot of pedestrians. It's a moral outrage to pick tonight to strike. Yes, it will get a lot of attention, but the cost will be way too high.
If they go through with it, they will lose a lot of support. I am one of those people who support them on the merits who will not be able to support them any more if they act so irresponsibly.
Mayor Fenty is changing the cabs from zones to meters. This benefits nobody, neither the driver nor the passenger, which can be proven by the fact that it's cheaper to take a zoned cab from DC into Virginia than to take a metered cab from Virginia to DC. The cabbies also loose, because their rates are now set and if they take fares going a short distance, they will get less under the metered system, so I would be inclined to support their protest, but the timing of the protest is infuriating.
The cabbies are threatening to strike today. This, they think correctly, will get a lot of attention, but it will come at a high cost. Like it or not, a lot of people get drunk on Halloween. This is especially true in Georgetown, where there are always a lot of sidewalk Halloween parties going on. Cab drivers usually do a great business, because thankfully a lot of people choose not to drive to Georgetown, but to take a cab if they are planning to drink a lot and a cab home. It will be inevitable if the cab drivers strike tonight that there will be a lot of drunk drivers, and they will be driving where there will be a lot of pedestrians. It's a moral outrage to pick tonight to strike. Yes, it will get a lot of attention, but the cost will be way too high.
If they go through with it, they will lose a lot of support. I am one of those people who support them on the merits who will not be able to support them any more if they act so irresponsibly.
