thats not true. you must talk to the drivers. there are many drivers for carriage who are long time drivers, respectful and dignified, who follow the rules. you cant' talk about companies like that only about individual drivers who need training

Let me point out a difference that all might not have realized. I said the worst company in the city. I did not say worst drivers, although they do have more than most. My comments were worst company. Period.

But where is that Ola Shalom?

I am not surprised that drivers know so little about how to defend themselfes. Not the City nor the owner want to help the drivers. Without knowing to much about Carriage, I read the article and I saw that drivers cry because of their high leases that they have to pay. Don't they know that the City of Chicago has standard maximum lease price? Go to page 30 on the next link and see what is all about. That link is from the City of Chicago, Department of Consumer Services. Why do you have to go in strike and pray for a fair lease, when you can complain to Consumer Services about what a driver has to endure?



The following link is a good one for every cabdriver:

http://199.253.140.81/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/Medallion-Rule_Reg-05012008.pdf


The maximum lease an owner can charge a driver it can be as follows:
MAXIMUM TAXICAB LEASE RATES INCLUDING CITY AND
STATE TAXES

Including
Repairs &
Maintenance

12-Hour Lease $57.00
24-Hour Lease 78.50
Weekly 473.00
....not 97/day or 565/week

If there is any advertisemnt, then 35 percent of such income shall be returned to the lessee (the driver).

Good luck you all in your fight!

These guys have all sorts of ways they can get around the laws. Yellow charges over 600.00 a week for a later model vehicle lease. I can tell you from my part though, I would lose money to rent to a driver for 473.00 a week. I am an owner operator and am just making enough to scrape by. My vehicle would need a thousand dollars worth of repairs after being torn up by some of these so called drivers over a few weeks time.

It will never happen, but I would sell my cab and lease one if it ever does. A lease that is charged by ones record as a driver. Just a dream I guess.

Bottom line, the city is responsible for our hard times. They are not letting us charge fair rates of fare. We are real low compared to other large cities. Our expenses are some of the highest in the nation. If we can charge fair rates of fare to our customers many of our other problems will seem smaller once we're earning our fair share! Putting the companies into bankrupcy isn't my idea of fixing a broken business. Charging enough to make a decent living is.