George's position of using cameras in Chicago taxi cabs.
George,
You advocate an intrusion of our workplace by one of the greatest offenders. The partition in the Globe cab I drive doesn't report my actions back to the city.
The day the cameras you have endorsed are in fleet use is my last day on the job. I don't need or want big brother watching me. This has the potential to be a civil rights violation of taxi drivers yet you are a chief advocate? I thought you fought for our rights, not gave them away. Johnny Z.
Neither your response, nor Ms. Thigpen's comments that you paraphrased addresses these central concerns:
"Studies from around the world have shown that surveillance cameras DO NOT prevent or reduce crime."
"Surveillance cameras also DO NOT appear to be deterring crime in San Francisco communities."
"Crime has INCREASED in more than half (8 of 15) of the locations where cameras have been installed."
If DCS has access to the VS tapes, who is to say they won't use the taxi tapes as a revenue generation tool, like the intersection cameras that generate million of dollars?
Can we put in VS in your office, to watch your every move? How about audio so we can catch every word you say?
Remember, the subject is safety and security. There is one and only sure-fire way to find out how well or how badly VS works as a deterrent. Outfit about one third of the entire taxi rolling stock in Chicago. Then watch to see what happens for about a year.
This is city so dam slow on helping the cab business get better. Instead, they have messed it all up with all them stupid rules. The city finally got heart and soul on giving us a raise. Now, let's all us cabbies get rid of the credit card law. It sucks and I know all cabbies hate losing money with the rip off credit card companys suck. I wish, this world was just cash everywhere. I know. Someone, can rob you. But, I saw carry a gun, knife, Or, just hope your camera in your cab gets picture of that guy and the police do there job. On, finding that person. Instead cops just eat donuts, and write out to stupid tickets for use for no reason. So, Daley and the city can get rich off of us hard working cabdrivers.
Re: I know. The city is very slow - and so is George
Nooooo comments about the video cameras George? Cat got your tongue? You should go visit the OSHA blog and see what drivers and other professionals have been saying about cameras in cabs.
Oh, it's Mike's turn to tear into the UTCC? How common. One dog takes a break because he has no bite and no bark left and lets the other dog howl at the UTCC. You guys are so pathetic, it's a good thing you don't have guns, you'd only shoot your silly selves in the foot, or higher up....
The raise wasn't approved fellow drivers. They said we still need to wait for six months or so.By accepting the surcharge we cannot get a real raise for 1 year. This is why there was a lawsuit filed shortly after the surcharge went into effect.
The delay was to make sure the costs were low for people visiting Chicago for the proposed 2016 Olympics. The raise will not go into effect until after the Olympic decision is made.