Hello from Sunny Los Angeles
On my way to Mazatlan, joining "she-who-can't-be-named," where she is seeing the same dentist I saw back in December 2020, having had enough of stateside dentists. My flight out of Seattle was early, so I caught a Yellow cab, my friend David, a 27 year veteran of the top-light, who got me to Sea-Tac on time, someone planning on getting out of the business in a year or so. And once I reach Mazatlan, I will be cabbing it into town. Once there, when needing vehicle transportation, due to the coronavirus, we will be taking cabs instead of buses. Always enjoy supporting my brethren, whether in the USA, Mexico or where ever I find myself. But I think walking is what we will be doing most, as I need to rid myself of some of this taxi weight gained over the years, being at least 30 pounds over my normal, my waistline telling me exactly how unhealthy taxi is. She keeps telling me that taxi is killing me. Yes that is completely true.
Taxi Merger Coming Seattle's Way
While negotiations continued into last week, it appears that Seattle's second largest taxi association is merging with Yellow, leaving no one else for Seattle customers to call when needing a cab. Orange is gone, having closed down completely, a few lingering operators still flying their colors but that's it, no dispatch, nothing, gone, kaput, leaving Seattle this new combination of green and yellow cabs patrolling the taxi streets. I heard our once rivals were down to 40-50 cabs so I suppose it makes sense for everyone to circle the wagons and fight for our taxi lives.
Once I am clear on the arrangements made, I will fill in the details but "oh, how the mighty have fallen," the company once Seattle's taxi leader, knowing first hand from when I drove Cab 88 for them back in the late 80s. They had incredible business, remembering 60 fares or more waiting downtown on a typical early afternoon lunch hour. And the reason I am not naming them is because I was told to wait, so the old news will be fresh off the presses in the next post originating from Mexico. Adios.
Really sad what has happened to the taxi industry because of Covid. The Green's are a shell of what they were even before Covid hit. I wonder how the differing rates for their business from the same sources will go. Yellow seems to charge more. Also, what will happen to management from the Green's?
ReplyDeleteAnd will both companies retain their colors, or will they be forced to switch sides? There should be a similar reckoning for all the For Hire cabs out there too as Eastside is barely or non functional now. Especially when the new Airport contracts or situation comes around and they're possibly forced out back to the County and City.
ReplyDeleteIt's really all a mess now. But hopefully with this consolidation Yellow can get more of the retail business back as they'llhave more bodies out on the roads. Allowing drivers not to have to do so much deadheading. Because there's always tons of other sharks and fish circling the same contracts that keep cab drivers in this gig still, and it will sadly continue to get more competitive.