[Jesse S @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:32PM]

I was in a Taxi with the GPS, and it sucks. All it is is ads, and a ticker for NBC news. You can extend the map to block the ads. But the map doesn't have a way for anyone to input directions, so you really cannot have an idea if you are getting ripped off or not.

It sucks, and it should not be manditory. It is too expensive, for no benefit to anyway.

[Mike @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:44PM]

Isn't the real benefit to the customer the ability to pay with credit cards? Every cab I've been in in Europe has this, it makes life so much easier to not have to worry if you have enough money to get back to the hotel in an unknown city. As for the GPS and ads... everything has ads plastered all over it now anyway, I'm waiting for the ads to start scrolling in my own car.

Anytime you turn a cash business in to an electronic business (tracked) you're going to upset the people who exploit the system (under report to the IRS).

The otherside is that NY Cabbies just don't like to be told what to do. There are lots of places were cabbies are polite and actually want your business, as opposed to considering you an unfortunate byproduct of their business.

[j.R @ Oct 22nd 2007 12:58PM]

@Mike

DC: Cabbies threaten to strike because they have to start using meters as opposed to the unfair and antiquated zone system

Philadelphia: Cabbies pretend that their credit card system is broken, deny you service if they dont think it's worth their while, or my personal favorite, drop you off at Wawa to get cash from the ATM and wait outside with the meter running

Boston: ... well I just assumed everyone there is a douchebag


Good luck trying to find those nice cabbies in the NEast

[Jesse S @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:14PM]

Mike, in every cab I've been in for at least the past 10 years, there has been a credit card reader.

And if the GPA goes down, so does the meter, and the credit card reader.

This has no benefit to the consumer or driver. Waste of time and money.

Also: http://tinyurl.com/2wsurn

[Christopher Grant @ Oct 22nd 2007 1:40PM]

j.R:

That's happened to me in Philly. I just refused to pay him and told him to call the cops. The Philadelphia Parking Authority requires that all customers be given access to that payment option. Refusal is not allowed.
http://www.philapark.org/taxi_limo/taxi_limo_regulations.aspx

[James @ Oct 22nd 2007 3:20PM]

Everybody read Jesse's link (from tinyurl) -- it goes to an NYT article by a NY cabbie about what a bad idea these things are.

In short. They're really expensive, and they do nothing to benefit the consumer that they don't already get. It's an *unfunded mandate*, the worst sort of regulation. Pretty much any NY cab already takes credit cards, and the *market* lets them decide what merchant service provider to go through. This would lock everybody into the same provider, and force them to whether they want to or not. It doesn't give directions, and if an individual cab line wants to track their drivers, they could make that part of the contract to use any system they (the company) chose, and there are several "fleet trackers" on the market. This is one-size-fits all fiat, and the primary beneficiary is neither the customer nor the cabbie nor the cab company, but the people that make this bloated POS console.

At least, that's what I've seen every time I go looking for any sort of detail on the subject.