42 Comments - Biography - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:24 pm: It does not take a genius to see why these neighborhoods are “underserved.” - Lovie - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:26 pm: She lives in an exclusive North Lake Shore Drive Condo, she doesn’t have to hail a cab. They’re right at her door. - Ahoy! - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:27 pm: I have never rode in a cap and thought the driver was an ambassador to the city, ever. Also, some regulation is needed, but aren’t we over-regulating the taxi industry? These politicians need to realize they are in the 21st century dealing with 1980 regulations on taxis. These ride sharing companies are a great think and the last thing we need is government ruining a good service. - anonymous - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:27 pm: Let’s not pretend there is a level playing field for taxis and ride shares in Chicago. There’s a court case going on now that will likely end up in the cab industry’s favor as a result of Mayor Emanuel’s caste system for cabs. Take the blinders off, Ms. Washington. - Why o why - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:29 pm: Why do we immediately jump on the race card? Not everything is about race. And, I sincerely doubt that LW was ever denied a ride in a cab based on race. - A guy - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:33 pm: ====I sincerely doubt that LW was ever denied a ride in a cab based on race.==== I’ll take that bet. Often. - ChicagoR - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:34 pm: The taxi cartel has had too much power for too long, with a limited supply of medallions making bad service (and failure to serve vast swaths of the city) go unpunished. I can’t tell you how many times I called a cab and it just never showed up. Now, I press a button on my phone and a Lyft car shows up in a couple of minutes. I have NO sympathy for cab companies complaining about the competition now. - .... - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:35 pm: I think this is someone republicans should jump in front of and say that the democrats support the taxi companies and the unions… Republicans want to open the free market up to the underserved areas. - Rich Miller - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:36 pm: ===I’ll take that bet. Often.=== Me too. Look, I ride in taxis. But they’re just not reliable if you’re outside a city center. And that’s almost every city. They need to change. Now. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:36 pm: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154048290072319&set=a.10150210356262319.327957.520652318&type=3&theater - The Muse - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:38 pm: I think what he means is that the cab industry has filled up his war chest nicely with campaign donations throughout the years. The cab industry is having an exceptionally tough time dealing with a very disruptive force to their industry - on-demand car service that provides your fare before even getting in the vehicle. Should there be some more regulation for Uber and Lyft? Yes, and it’s probably not too far off. However, Uber was recently valued at $51 billion. If I were a betting man, I’d be pretty confident they’re going to be filling up other people’s war chests soon enough. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:44 pm: It’s a pretty neat trick to “solve” problems borne of underenforced regulations by simply lifting them. - Annonin' - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:47 pm: We find ridin’ in cabs very scary. Try in Springfield or Peoria — both fine communities — but some of THE most terrifyim’ cabbies on the planet. - DriXander - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:47 pm: The South Side Weekly did this piece last year on rideshare & underserved areas, Wicker Park is included, for one: http://southsideweekly.com/underserved-and-under-the-spotlight/ Also of note, this weekend in Austin, a pretty diverse coalition (https://www.ourcityoursafetyourchoice.org/) beat Prop. 1, which Uber & Lyft backed to avoid fingerprint checks: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/05/07/early-voting-austin-proposition-against/ - Rich Miller - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:50 pm: === some of THE most terrifyim’ cabbies on the planet. === lol Also, their cars are horrific. - Distant Viewer - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:52 pm: I’ve had cabbies that were the opposite of ambassadors in that they warned me against going to neighborhoods away from the Loop and the north side. Uber and Lyft are much better about driving to these places. I’d still like more regulation though. - Rich Miller - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:53 pm: ===Why do we immediately jump on the race card?=== Try asking a black person about experiences hailing cabs. Sometimes, it’s all about race. Get outside your own little (pointy) head. - Sick & Tired - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:55 pm: Not black, but I’ve lived in “underserved” areas - waiting 20+ min for a cab is ridiculous when I could wait less than 10 for an Uber and be able to pay by card. I’ve tried calling many cabs in my day and can say that Uber and Lyft have been a godsend. - SOIL M - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:58 pm: Why shouldnt Uber and Lyft have to abide by the same licensing and insurance regulations as taxis and other vehicle for hire services? I do not know the State statutes that regulate such businesses, but think they should apply to Uber and Lyft as well. Also, do Uber drivers carry insurance for a bussiness or just a normal auto policy? - Anonymous - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 3:58 pm: Leave uber and Lyft alone. They are self regulating because it is in their self interest and profits to ensure their drivers are safe and courteous. Every rider can rate their ride immediately and not have to call a city bureaucrat to complain. - ArchPundit - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:06 pm: ===Why shouldnt Uber and Lyft have to abide by the same licensing and insurance regulations as taxis and other vehicle for hire services? I Or reduce the unnecessary restrictions on cabs like the ridiculously expensive medallions. Seriously, yes, we need to have basic standards for any sort of car for hire service. We should have background checks on drivers, licensing, and basic car safety and quality standards, but there is no need for price controls up and down or a limited number of medallions which is simply anti-consumer. Charge $100-$200 for licensing, background check, and car safety check and let’s get out of the way after that. - ArchPundit - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:07 pm: === Leave uber and Lyft alone. They are self regulating because it is in their self interest and profits to ensure their drivers are safe and courteous. Every rider can rate their ride immediately and not have to call a city bureaucrat to complain. So what happens when a competitor enters who is not keeping up with their standards? I think we can do this with a lot less regulation than is there now, but saying no regulation ignores some real safety problems. - Angry Chicagoan - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:10 pm: There’s both a race factor and a class factor when it comes to Chicago’s taxicab geography. In the ward where I live, Uber and Lyft are a godsend. The traditional cab industry is very stuck in its ways, acts like a rent-seeker and is distorted by the state of the medallion market. Of course, part of the story is the way in which the cab industry itself is regulated; medallions in Chicago have become ridiculously expensive and in New York they are beyond the wildest bounds of insane. And then there are the huge surcharges to already high licensing fees to be allowed to serve airports. Not to mention the arbitrary geographical cutoffs imposed by having the cab industry regulated by cities, rather than counties or states. If the traditional cab industry operated without the arbitrary geographical limits, medallion shortages and excess licensing fees, the cab/ride-sharing equation would look a lot different–as would the geography within which the cab industry is interested in operating. Meanwhile in Springfield the cab industry is being thrown a lifeline by the city and feds opting to rebuild the 10th street rail line instead of the 3rd street one. No more quick walk from statehouse to train station. The cabbies in a suddenly much stronger position to pick up business. You’ll have a new perspective on Uber and Lyft when that happens, I’m sure. - Anonymous - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:11 pm: So what happens when a competitor enters who is not keeping up with their standards? The public consumers will drive them out of business. - Jake From Elwood - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:12 pm: I do feel a certain sense of sympathy for the cab drivers in some towns who have bought their own medallions just before the ride-sharing wave took over. Ouch. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:12 pm: ==Every rider can rate their ride immediately and not have to call a city bureaucrat to complain. == Sorry, Yelp is no substitute for restaurant public health inspections. Silicon Valley libertarianism is no replacement for working infrastructure. And “disruption” is no substitute for “improvement.” - Educ - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:17 pm: “Leave uber and Lyft alone. They are self regulating because it is in their self interest and profits to ensure their drivers are safe and courteous. ” Wow, this is not true at all. It’s in their self-interest to push off the full costs of insurance (most Uber and Lyft drivers are not adequately insured — or insured at all — for commercial service) so that injured passengers and third parties can’t get adequate compensation, and Uber has actively fought any regulations requiring adequate insurance because their profit margins depend on cutting corners. And it’s in Uber’s interest to fail to do complete background checks so they don’t have to take on liability for drivers who assault passengers. They are very explicit that their strategy is to NOT take on these traditional costs of running a business by keeping drivers as arms-length contractors who earn money for Uber, but who accrue little or no liability to Uber. Their business model definitely does not depend on safety and quality for passengers. It depends on exactly the opposite — legally avoiding any responsibility for safety or quality for passengers. - Rich Miller - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:18 pm: ===and be able to pay by card=== Yep. I can’t tell you how many times cab drivers have strongly discouraged me from paying by credit card. - Derrick Morgans Brother - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:21 pm: @rich 3:53: Thank you, couldnt have said it better. - Fred - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:32 pm: Ride shares may mitigate racial/neighborhood discrimination. The drivers know there is a fare, the fare has a credit card, and is traceable. That probably encourages pickups they might otherwise shy away from. - Belle - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:36 pm: It used to be difficult to grab a cab around here back in the olden days so I cannot imagine other areas. As far as the drivers being accommodating? It’s rare. And, I think I get along with them pretty well. Paying with a card is a world-wide issue that I’ve had the exact same issue in multiple countries…most anywhere I have ever visited. They want cash. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:40 pm: ==Ride shares may mitigate racial/neighborhood discrimination…the fare has a credit card== One of these things is not like the other. - Zonker - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:44 pm: I’ve used Uber, or similar services, in Europe and the US, and you’re far more likely to get a driver who speaks English and knows the neighborhood with Uber. This whole thing is about the medallion system which is so expensive that it keeps competition down and lets the fatcats call the shots. Suburban cabs give fixed prices to places like the airports, and they’re much better than Chicago cabs. Do Chicago cabs still have that ridiculous rule that there’s a “straight” price to go to a suburbs bordering Chicago, but if you go a few blocks further they double the rate? - Zonker - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:47 pm: Once I took a cab from OHare and when I read about the “double” rate I had the cab drop me off in a border suburb instead of my house and had someone pick me up. It was only about a mile away. The cabbie, obviously, was po’d. He never mentioned the rate rip-off when I first told him of my destination, so I had no sympathy. - crazybleedingheart - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:47 pm: ==you’re far more likely to get a driver who speaks English== In hundreds of rides, I have never had a Chicago cab driver who didn’t speak sufficient English. Nice to know how normalized discrimination is on both sides of the transaction, I guess. - Zonker - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 4:51 pm: Gotta be careful with giving your credit card info to a Chicago cabbie, especially if they take an imprint instead of sliding. Great opportunity for identity theft. Unless I pre-pay, I always pay cash and get a receipt. - SweetLou86 - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 5:03 pm: Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing Uber disappear. I hate their business model that’s dependent on flouting regulations and not paying taxes. That said, the consensus amongst my friends who’re african american is “I’ve never been denied a ride by an Uber driver” and to that I have no response. Honestly, there is no good guy in this fight. - Cheryl44 - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 8:00 pm: I have never used either Uber or Lyft but I understand why these companies are a godsend to people in some neighborhoods. They do need to be better regulated though. - Regular democrat - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 8:40 pm: If you live in Chicago uou have to agree with everything she wrote. She is spot on for sure. It had to be said and she did s great job saying it - NoGifts - Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 8:49 am: ” In April 2014, thirteen medallions were sold in Chicago, for an average price of $342,150.” Chicago Tribune. That is not reasonable legislation. It is designed to eliminate competition. - NoGifts - Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 8:50 am: I mean regulation, not legislation. - NoGifts - Tuesday, May 10, 16 @ 8:55 am: http://ij.org/action-post/taxi-medallions-in-chicago-will-cost-at-least-360-000/ Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.