Not Flowers, Only Taxi Receipts in my Hair
Writing from the not-unpleasant confines of my 16th & Valencia (Mission District) hotel room. I am here in the Bay Area meeting with my longtime writing comrade Jake, fine-tuning the pages of my newest book, "To Age 13." He is helping me install some software that speeds up the editing. I am dead serious about this book getting the publishing deal it well deserves. That's why I am here, along with visiting the De Young, eating Chinese dumplings and Mission District burritos. I love San Francisco. I hate Seattle.
He Grew Tired of Killing Himself for $5000.00 a Month
As I have always said, there's money to be made, lots of money driving a taxi in Seattle and King County but the hours and expenses associated with driving a cab are a killer, prompting a taxi buddy, after his leased cab was totaled by an errant driver, to hightail it to northern California east of Redding. Part of the issue was, after a more stable (and cheaper) housing situation disappeared, he found himself in a $ 2000.00-a-month Sea-Tac motel room. And with a $500.00 weekly taxi lease, along with the high cost of gasoline, all the money he was making was flushed down the proverbial toilet, never allowing him to get ahead, never saving some of that hard-gained money. The car required an over $10,000 repair, which the owner simply couldn't afford to repair or replace.
Now my friend is living outside of a small town renowned for its magnificent waterfall. Last time I spoke to him he was applying for a job at an auto parts store. Sounds like a good match, having spent the majority of his adult life driving a car. He certainly knows about repairs, and in his case, repairing himself from the many damaging years driving a cab. I too know all about that subject, finding myself as only another dented body in life's wrecking yard. Who wants to be there?
Racial Bias Found in Uber Driver Deactivations
A University of Washington study found patterns of racial discrimination when Uber deactivated operators from their platform, a problem affecting thousands of drivers, a simple unsubstantiated complaint often resulting in serious consequences. In Seattle, a ten-year Uber veteran was deactivated last September after dealing with two drunk passengers first vomiting in his car, then attacking him once he pulled over, all the blame falling upon him. It was only this month that he has been reactivated, costing him many months in lost wages. Luckily for him, a new WA State law creating a TNC driver resource center assisted him and others in dealing with an opaque Uber bureaucracy. For Uber drivers in other states, watch out is the best anyone can say, Uber is not always your best friend.
Robotaxis on the Loose
On August 10th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in a 3-1 vote, gave approval to GM Cruise and Waymo to expand their operations 24/7 in the city of San Francisco, removing all previous restrictions. One of the claims made by Cruise and Waymo is that their service will save lives but all passengers must first sign a waiver exempting the companies from liability if the robotaxi kills them in an accident. On the very next day after the CPUC decision, ten Cruise robotaxis stalled all in a row, blocking a narrow street.
This is my prediction. Within the next year, passenger or passengers will die in a robotaxi due to some kind of malfunction, setting off lawsuits and the cancellation of the service. And I won't be surprised if the CPUC itself is sued. As one might rightfully say, the responsibility is all theirs.
Amare Geda GoFundMe site
Last Tuesday, a longtime taxi/TNC driver was murdered at the corner of 1st South and South Walker at 3:30 AM. The suspect, an 18-year-old woman, was later arrested and is being held under a $2 million bail. She stole his car, driving it for 3. days. A Go Fund Me page has been set up for him. I urge everyone who can donate to assist his widow and three children.
https://gofundme/41943347
A Winning Team Helps
2023 Mariner's attendance is up this year, so far averaging over 30,000 fans, an average of just over two thousand from last year's totals. More fans equal more money for everyone picking them up. Go team!
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