First let me address Mr. Budzynski's post.
"If you look to the bottom of Mr. Faraax letter, you'll see the initials wjw. What does that tell you? It tells me that was Wolfgang J. Weiss. Don't let Mr. Faraax fool you. Have you ever met Mr. Faraax? Nobody has."
You saw the initials attached to Mr. Wolfgang's response to my original post, not my post. I suggest you pay better attention next time. As for meeting me, I have two jobs, five kids, a wife and a few close friends. I don't get much time to hang around and socialize. So, let me assure you, Mr. Budzynski, I am very much a real person and my name was given to me by my parents, so please don't assume I'm not real just because you haven't met me. Unless you know every cabdriver in the City of Chicago? Do you know every cabdriver in the Chicago?
Now, on to this Mr. Foulks.
If you would have read my post, you would know that I am a cabbie leader. I lead myself, and my point was that we can all be cabbie leaders if we lead ourselves first. Before entertaining any organizational ideas, let's do some in-house cleaning first.
"There are dozens of independent cabdrivers organizing cabdrivers RIGHT NOW." So what! Not too long ago, I read about the new CPTDA and how they were going to organize cabdrivers. What happened to that? Then I read about this Ms. Callahan and her elections for a new organization. What happened to that? Now I'm sure your going to tell me how you and your friends are starting another cabbie organization and again, I will ask you what will happen with that? It's nice to form little clubs and meet at clubhouses, but if you think you're going to start a cabdriver union, you are sadly mistaken. But please, do feel free to try to prove me wrong and I will be the first to congratulate you and apologize for my misgivings.
"What type of leadership would you support and what would you expect them to do for you?" I'm pretty sure I answered this question in my post, but since you must have missed it, I'll say it again. I support a driver who leads his or her self. I don't expect them to do anything for me, nor do I want them to. This is exactly what I am talking about. You must get away from this notion that someone is going to do something for you. NO ONE WILL HELP YOU, YOU MUST HELP YOURSELF. Self-reliance is what I'm stressing here. If you grew up in my village, you would know just how important self-reliance can be. Many a schoolmate of mine learned the hard way what can happen when you stop depending on yourself and start depending on others. The outcome of their decisions is something I hope you never have to witness.
"Are you a registered voter?" Yes. It's one of the reasons why I came to this country in the first place.
"How do you think this "industry" should change?" Some of these questions make me wonder if you actually read what I wrote. I think the first change that must happen is in drivers. We need to act like professionals. Why do you think we have not gotten much support for a fare increase, both from the government, the public, even our fellow drivers? Is it because they are out to get us? Because they're evil monsters set on destroying cabdrivers for their own personal gain? Why do you think the public has such a negative opinion of us? Is it always unwarranted?
"It is not better to own if the outlook on the business is not good. It is not good to buy if the market price is artificially inflated." Are you in this business for the long run or is this just a job until you find another one? If the answer is yes to the second part, continue to lease. But if you said yes to the first part, it is better to own.
"Most cabdrivers do not even go to either airport even once a week; you are talking to a minority of cabdrivers." Agree to disagree I guess. I know of plenty of drivers who exclusively work the airports.
My point with my nephew who is a bartender is that he, unlike many in this business, understands the service nature of his business. All I'm trying to say here is that we can make just as much money as any other service-industry provider.
"Don't be so proud of your excellent service to think that the majority of cabdrivers do not meet the minimum standards." No, Mr. Foulks, I will be proud of my excellent service. I work long and hard to provide it. Meeting the minimum standard isn't enough. This is exactly my point. Which is better: meeting the minimum standard and complaining about how you need help, or surpassing the minimum standard and helping yourself?
To answer your question about a meter increase and when it will come, I have no answer and to be honest, I don't care. I don't waste my time complaining and begging for a meter increase. While I think it would be nice to have one, and I disagree with the red-tape we must cut to get one, I can't worry about those things I have no control over. I think that the meter rate could stay the same and I would continue to make money by being a PROFESSIONAL and conducting myself and my business as such.
Regarding drivers starting out now, I think Mr. Wolf said it best in his post about training.
"The City has taken money from your children by not properly adjusting the meter rate to reflect the dramaticly increased cost of gasoline." No, the city has not taken any money from my children because I won't let them. I will pay my share to the government like any other citizen, but that's it. How are they taking money again? By not adjusting the meter rate to reflect gasoline? Maybe the problem is that we have not given them a reason to adjust it? Oh and by the way, I am not making a lot less than two years ago, although I find it amusing that you claim to know my finances. Is my checkbook balanced? Can I afford that new TV? I ask you since you have announced yourself as my accountant.
"You are an irresponsible "professional" and father not to encourage other cabdrivers to organize (in a group) to effect this need for economic and social justice."
Let me stop you right here, Mr. Foulks. I don't know you anymore than you know me. While I have no problem exchanging ideas with you and listening to your criticism of me and my points, here is where I draw the line. Let me make this perfectly clear: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE ASSUME THAT I AM AN IRRESPONSIBLE FATHER BECAUSE I DON'T SUPPORT YOUR BULL**** ORGANIZATION. I TAKE GREAT OFFENSE TO THIS. I HAVE WORKED LONG AND HARD TO SUPPORT MY WIFE AND MY CHILDREN. I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BUY THEM EXPENSIVE GIFTS, BUT EACH ONE OF MY KIDS KNOWS THEY HAVE A FATHER WHO LOVES THEM DEARLY AND WILL DO ANYTHING FOR THEM. HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY PARENTING!!! YOU CLEARLY DON'T HAVE CHILDREN YOURSELF OR ELSE YOU WOULDN'T SHOOT YOUR MOUTH IN SUCH A MANNER. I SUGGEST ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WE MAY HAVE IS DONE SO WITHOUT YOU MAKING ANY FURTHER INSULTS.
"Quit inhaling the fumes from your cleaning products and wake up. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. I hope you pick number one or number two."
I'll ignore your poor attempt at humor and address this point directly. Do you really think you are leading anyone with your generic sports saying? "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Don't make me laugh! Who do you think you're leading? Where were all your followers? Were they at the hearing with you cheering you on when you testified, threatening aldermen with electoral power you don't have? (great bargaining tool by the way: "Give us a fare increase or we'll vote you out of office!" That made me laugh. Do you think you could pull that off, because if so it is you who needs to be realistic.) Were your followers outside, circling City Hall in their cabs? No they weren't there either. In fact, few cabdrivers actually attended. I counted 20 or so. What an impressive show of force!
The truth of the matter is that you can't lead cabdrivers any more than I can lead cabdrivers. The only driver you can lead is yourself. Start there first.
Faarax J. (so no one thinks it's someone else)
Mr. Faraax,
I am not starting a "club" or a "union" or a "bull****" organization. I am, out of a sense of fairness, prudently waiting for the Chicago Dispatcher to publicize what I think is an important next step for those who care to do something about the City's indifference. Please read this next issue carefully. I will use, and encourage others to start using, this Cabmarket.com site for some public discourse, but, to effectively communicate with others, many leaders using many different media will be needed. Perhaps you will reconsider your self-limiting philosophy of not interacting with other cabdrivers to the extent of working together to have more power, and become more than an "Army of One" and join a unit in some way. You are correct in your analysis of previous failures, but you are wrong to conclude that all current and future efforts are futile.
I did not intend to insult you or offend you; you're post is so complex that I cannot justify addressing each and every point.
I am glad that you are a registered voter. Did you know that most people think that almost all cabdrivers are not even eligible to vote? (And that those who are, don't?) This is one reason why politicians are not more proactive with our needs. Where do you live (what Ward) and who represents you (which Alderman)? Did you vote for them or somebody else? Have you communicated to them anything about this business?
You do have control over a fare increase, you just stated that you don't want to 'waste the time' to 'cut through the red-tape' to get one. If you or I spend a few hours each week or month, or a few days each year to assist or influence the politicians in making the right decisions, and that results in an increase in our incomes, isn't that like paying ourselves for our services or time?
I know for a indisputable fact that you are paying hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars more each month for gasoline, and that the general cost of living has gone up significantly. You are being paid the same rate legally allowed for your service as a cabdriver, tips included. Mr. Faraax, however much you are making now will be continually eroded by a gas price that is expected to climb, unless the politicians are given a consequence for ignoring us. Despite your sensitivities about your wife and child, I must insist that your loved ones are directly affected by just how much you are taking home. There is nothing amusing about that. If pointing this fact out angers you, look deeply into the mirror before you decide to lash out or blame me for your failure to do everything that can be done to change this situation. My house, my conscience, and my cab are all sufficiently clean.
I believe I can lead cabdrivers better than you (simply because I am trying), but to reflect your sentiments about how you will congratulate me if I am successful, let me say that I wish that you could lead cabdrivers better than me. Even better, I wish that you and I could lead cabdrivers together. It's obvious to me that you are a professional, caring cabdriver. Most of us are.
I am going to ignore your comments about leasing vs. owning, not necessarily because I agree or disagree with you, but because the price and problem of gasoline is the same in both cases. Leasing vs. owning is a much less important discussion right now.
The truth is, I have experienced the satifaction of removing a prominent politician from office, by doing a lot more than just casting my lone vote. We cabdrivers have that same collective ability. I have been publicly elected to a ward committeman post for, and have been employed by, the Democrats. I have met with politicians of every stripe and I have a good idea of what makes them tic. What would you pledge to do to support an Alderman who supports a fare increase (besides making sure you wait in the line to get your meter adjusted)?
I intend to drive a cab for many, many years to come. I don't have children of my own (that I know of), but I would be an irresponsible elder cousin to instruct my baby cousins to simply rely on themselves and not work together with others to meet common goals, like ensuring the health of their chosen profession.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
We can unite, we must unite, we will unite.
You can't stop us.
-MIKE FOULKS
If Faarax J is "irresponsible" then we all are.
Right on brother Faarax.
I know you know the difference between "discourse" and what happens on this blog.
Cheeses! Give a guy a keyboard and an internet hook-up and what happens? Some just run hog wild AND BLOG BEFORE THEY THINK. (OK, me too.)
Before "http//www.something dot com," we used to refer to such "discourse" as "Diarrhea of the mouth...."
Don't take Ted to heart.
And don't give credence to male bovine species feces found in profusion herein.
Bless you and your family, sir.
