VOL. 17, NO. 9 “The Voice of the NYC …Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 392-7000 † Fax: (718)...
Transcript of VOL. 17, NO. 9 “The Voice of the NYC …Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 392-7000 † Fax: (718)...
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1
VOL. 17, NO. 9 “The Voice of the NYC Transportation Industry.” SEPTEMBER 2016
JULY 2010 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1
INSIDER
(Continued on Page 4)
EDITORIALBy David Pollack
TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOW
WOR-710AM8:00 – 9:00 PMEVERY SUNDAY!
Letters To The EditorPage 3
•Insider News
Page 6•
Taxi AttorneyBy Michael Spevack
Page 7•
PuzzlePage 7
•Commissioner’s Corner
By Merra JoshiPage 15
•Quotabel Quotes
Page 15•
Enough Is EnoughBy Nat Goldbetter
Page 17•
CurrentRevenge...Not So Sweet
By Larry FisherPage 23
•NYC Hotels
Page 26•
NYC EconomyPage 27 & 38
•Insider Directory
Page 29•
Book SigningsPage 34
•Broadway and
Off Broadway ShowsPage 37
(Continued on Page 24)
Driving Yellow Means Making GreenSeptember is back to school time folks, so
DRIVE EXTRA CAREFULLY!Allow me to clarify some industry
rumors:Taxi Insider is hearing that Yellow
taxi drivers are making more money than Uber X drivers and are making even more extra money with the extra .50 cents per fare paid on every single fare if, you drive an accessible taxi. Drive an accessible taxi now because the .50 may be going up!
TLC assures there is plenty of money to pay new owners of wheelchair accessible taxis $14,000, and drivers $25,000 a week for .50 cents on every fare!
Driving Yellow MeansMaking Green!
The Taxi & Limousine Commission will not be granting any more vehicle extensions due to
the current inventory levels of the NV-200 (Taxi of Tomorrow) wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs). Inventory and shipment data shared by NISSAN includes 139, 2016 WAVs and 88 in the process of converting from non acces-sible NV-200s into WAVs. There are also 271, 2015 non-accessible NV-200s available at New York dealers and in NISSAN inventory.
For structural reasons, the partition in the NISSAN NV-200 better known as the Taxi of Tomorrow (TOT) CANNOT come out, even though many drivers prefer a camera to a partition. The
Daus Releases CUNY Report with Blueprint for “Leveling the Playing Field” Between TNCs and
Taxicabs/For-Hire VehiclesBy Matthew W. Daus, Esq.
It is my pleasure to an-nounce that I have recently completed a comprehensive report entitled: “Post-TNC Transportation Policy & Plan-ning: Who and What Should be Regulated & How to “Level the Playing Field” with Taxi-cabs and For-Hire Services?” (“Leveling the Playing Field Article”), through the Univer-
sity Transportation Research Center (Region 2) at The City College of NY, of the City University of NY, which will be available on the UTRC website at http://www.utrc2.org/. A condensed version will also be published as a sidebar in Volume 82, Issue 4 of the Journal of the American Planning Association, and will be available on the Ameri-can Planning Association website at https://www.planning.org/japa/. An edited version of this white paper is also scheduled for re-publication
PAGE 2 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
36-16 Skillman AvenueLong Island City, NY 11101
(718) 392-7000 • Fax: (718) 472-0925
LOG ON! www.PlazaToyota.com
FLEET SERVICE FROM FACTORY TRAINED PROFESSIONALSYAWAR SYED, FLEET MANAGER • 347-554-6215 or 347-554-6000
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TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOW
WOR-710AMEVERY SUNDAY!8:00 – 9:00 PM
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Call: 877-360-0019WWW.NYCTAXINEWS.COM
139-30 Queens Blvd., Briarwood, NY 11415(718) 658-9800
www.melrosecu.org
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 3
Publisher &Editor-in-Chief
David Pollack
ColumnistsMarc Albert
Matthew Daus, Esq.Tony FaleseLarry Fisher
Nat GoldbetterIra Goldstein, Esq.
Abe MittlemanAlan Plafker
Michael Spevack, Esq.
Layout & GraphicsDragonfl y Graphics LLC
Taxi Insider14 Alexander Drive
Washingtonville, NY 10992Phone: (718) 706-TAXI(8294)
—E-mail:[email protected]
Copyright © 2016 by TAXI INSIDER. All rights reserved. Neither this newspaper nor any part therof may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, mi-crofi lming, recording or by any information retrieving system without the express written permission of the publishers. The copyright is extended to the design and text created for advertisements. This publication will not be responsible for errors in advertise-ment beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Bylined articles represent the sole opinion of the writer and are not neces-sarily in accordance with the views of TAXI INSIDER.
This Publication reserves the right to limit or refuse advertising it deems objec-tionable.
TAXI INSIDER is published monthly at a subscription rate of $48.00 per year.
JULY 2010 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 1
INSIDERLETTERS
(Continued on Page 12)
Distracted DrivingDear Taxi Dave,
It is no longer uncommon for people to go one foot outside their lane on the highway. It makes it dif-fi cult to be a patient driver. It is happening too often. KOJAK used to call His brother fatso. In the 1970’s a fatso was very unusual . Today it is common. We have to be involved with these careless people. If we hit the brakes to put a distance between oneself and the distracted driver we can quickly fi nd ourselves involved with another coming up from behind. But there are times when we can easily be patient. We need to understand we are being pressed to be impatient.
From Frank(who loves ya baby)
Hybrid And Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
Dear Taxi Dave,The TLC limits our choices to what cars we can
buy. EHailers aren’t restricted .The TLC makes that decision because it rationalizes that for the public good , certain vehicles are better than others in service to the public. For example , hybrid cars and wheelchair accessible vehicles. That may be a good decision for the public good but that’s not always a good business decision for taxis. By allowing EHailers to make their own car choices without restrictions is s clear business disadvantage for taxis.
Michael Simon
Where is The TLC ?Hi Taxi Dave;
There are over 2000 gypsy cabs with UBER and LYFT signs and private plates roaming the streets making pickups. I don’t see any enforcement .....
Frustrated Driver, Michael
What’s Going On?Dear Taxi Dave,
It is extremely demoralizing when people with bags by their feet wait for a black car while I sit by Bed Bath And Beyond readily available.
Frank
Disaster!Dear Taxi Dave,
I just dropped off a family that stated that there home was struck by lighting. I picked them up from port Authority and were dropped off on the lower east side to see extended family. They stated that they were from Paramus New Jersey.
John Leon
Way2Ride Dear Taxi Dave,
We need to continue to refi ne Way2Ride to al-low people to know the type of cab they are hailing. Someone with 4 big bags needs a larger cab.
Frank
Credit CardApproval Codes
Dear Taxi Dave,I am livid right now! This morning (Aug 14) at
3:45am, I picked up a passenger at the corner of 45th St. and 11th Avenue, outside of a club, and delivered him to Staten Island. With $73.42 on the meter, his card was declined. He then asked me to wait for him while he went into a 24 hr. laundromat to use the ATM. He escaped out the back exit. I’m sure he’s pulled this ruse before.
What is my issue? Years ago, I suggested to the meter companies that they add a credit card approval system. I also suggested it directly to the TLC, and it was in fact printed in the Taxi Insider years ago that it was under consideration. This is NOT a new concept. In my own experience, in the 1990’s, I was getting credit card approval for clients when I was in club management. A high-roller client would come in, and request a tab. I then, would get an approval number for an over-estimate of what I was sure he would spend. Once approved, he could then run a tab freely with no risk of losing money to the business.
Why is it that the meter companies didn’t add this addition from the beginning? They certainly knew about it! Credit card approval was added as a protective measure so that businesses would continue to accept credit cards. Why are yellow cabs treated differently? If I had run an approval check with the card company on my passenger this morning, and it was declined, I could have saved myself the time and expense of a fruitless trip to Staten Island. Instead, I must shell out for gas, the MTA tax, the IMP tax, and the tolls which added up to $16.62, my time and effort notwithstanding. How many other drivers have taken trips to the airport, or other longer distance trips only to discover the passenger’s credit card(s) was declined and then they claimed to have no cash? What to do if there’s no police around?
Another driver who is no longer in the busi-ness took a client to Greenwich, Connecticut for an agreed upon fare of $125.00. When they arrived, both of his credit cards were declined, and he claimed to have no cash, and tried to exit the cab. The driver then locked the doors on the passenger and sought the police. When the police demanded the passenger empty his pockets, he had more than enough cash to pay for the fare.
This is not the fi rst time I’ve had issues with declined cards. My profi ts have been dwindling. And as of November, I won’t be able to make up for my losses with extra time. Yellow cab drivers seem to be an easier target to penalize when the TLC or the DOT want to get their names in the paper to convince the public that they’re doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. This may take some of the public’s heat off of THEM, but as for me, it might just be time to check out opportunities with the competition.
(Am withholding my name)
Here Another Hard TimeDear Taxi Dave,
Here is another example of the city causing hard times for Passengers and drivers: 23rd Street east to west was converted to a bus lane street on both sides. Taxis and black cars are already getting tickets for pick-ing up and dropping off fares. And, from 6th Avenue to 11th Avenue on both sides NO RIGHT TURN or NO LEFT TURN was created to give drivers tickets. My advice for drivers is to download the WAZE app. It warns you about hidden cops...
Peace and love,Avi H
PAGE 4 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
Driving Yellow(Continued from Page 1)
reason being that air conditioning controls are built into the partition and let us not forget that the partition was crash tested. The partition comes with the car and NISSAN has no plans to reengineer the partition at this time.
If you drive a WAV and want to make more money and collect the 50 cents on EACH and EVERY fare, you will need to fill out an application. All the money you earn through the program will be deposited, at no cost to you, onto a TLC prepaid debit card. Simply follow the instructions at this TLC website link: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/taxi_improve-ment_fund_driver.shtml
The TLC stated they are currently paying 900 drivers $50000 every two weeks in 50 cent fare payments!
Smart drivers now drive accessible yellow taxis.If you are a medallion owner or a driver who purchases your own vehicle,
I cannot begin to tell you how important it is to have accurate information on your tax returns. We all know that getting a loan using the NYC taxi me-dallion in the past was as easy as peas. Financing for vehicles in the current atmosphere is crucial and much different than ever before. Today there are requirements and procedures that are used to protect against an unqualified borrower and helps maintain medallion values. Besides a financial state-ment from your accountant, you will need to show two years of tax returns. Let’s face it, nobody likes paying taxes but you must show all income and expense in a true manner.
Here are a few examples of what you should NOT do: If your credit card income is $10 for the year, never claim less and do not forget to add your cash income, If you drive a hybrid vehicle –do not claim gasoline expense of $100 a day for one 12-hour shift, never claim that you wash your taxi 16 times a day, do not show total income that is less than your rent or mortgage (DUH). Simply telling the truth will help to avoid an audit and help YOU to attain a much needed loan in the future.
For anyone considering getting a license to drive a yellow taxi, all applications for a New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) Driver’s license must be submitted online. For those NEW drivers wanting a license to drive a yellow taxi, you must fill out an application first: Go to https://www1.nyc.gov/lars/?submit=TLC+Online+Application+Site
• You will need your DMV license, valid email address and Social Secu-rity number to apply.
• All application fees must be paid online. Do NOT mail application fees to the TLC. TLC will return any mailed in fees.
• Application fees are non-refundable.STEP 2: Submit your required documents to the TLC within 90 days
of submitting your online application.• By e-mail to [email protected]. This is the fastest way to submit
your documents.• By fax: (646)-500-6923. Please keep your fax confirmation page.• By mail to:NYC TLC Licensing and Standards Division Attention: New Driver Application Requirements31-00 47th Avenue, 3rd floor Long Island City, NY 11101You may not submit required documents in person at the TLC.You must include your state driver’s license number on all documents
submitted to the TLC.TLC will notify you if additional documents are needed.Your application will be denied if you fail to submit your documents
within 90 days of submitting your online application.STEP 3: Complete all requirements within 90 days of your online
application.To complete all requirements for a TLC license you will need to:• Take a drug test• Have your fingerprints and photo taken• Complete the education requirements. Details on how to complete these requirements are listed below and will
be emailed to you after you submit your online application: Medallion Driver Requirements (Yellow, Green and FHV applicants)
Qualifications - The following will be confirmed during the back ground review.
You will need to submit the following:
You must complete:
(Continued on Page 14)
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 5
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PAGE 6 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
Insider NewsDiNapoli To MTA:
Collect On Your FinesIn an audit released Thursday morn-
ing, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said the MTA bureau that collects fi nes for infractions like fare evasion and smoking on the subway isn’t collecting enough cash.
By the comptroller’s estimation, as of December 31, 2015, the bureau had accumulated “approximately 1.7 mil-lion summonses with outstanding fi nes and fees totaling $383.2 million.” And between, January 1, 2013 and June 6, 2015, the bureau collected only $17 million of the $30.4 million it was due in fi nes associated with more than 320,000 summonses.
Part of the problem, said DiNapoli, was that the the bureau didn’t try hard enough. And part of the problem, he said, was that the NYPD didn’t always collect accurate information.
The MTA, though, was unimpressed with DiNapoli’s work.
In a statement, MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said DiNapoli’s report “is akin to trying to judge a car’s speed performance while it’s having a tire changed. The audit was conducted while
[New York City Transit’s] collections bureau was in the process of moving IT operations over from an external vendor to an in-house operation in order to im-prove effi ciency and collection rates. As a result, the audit, because of its timing, does not provide an accurate representa-tion of our collection efforts.”
“The math OSC uses is fuzzy,” he continued. “For example, the audit includes the 15 percent of cases that were dismissed (and shouldn’t have been factored in as outstanding col-lections) and didn’t include accurate numbers for fi nes that were reduced for various reasons. It also counted penal-ties in the overall rate of collections. The facts are that total collections in the two most recent years of complete operation (2014 and 2015) compared to the two prior years (2012 and 2013) show an increase in collections of over 10 percent.”
Read the audit here: http://bit.ly/2b8R1u3<http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8477216b1322d4a77a860d8c7e28e774adefcd1e8e772b8eb3aa5d-b0cd0189b1>
TLC Adds 2015 For-Hire Trip DataTo Open Data Repository
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) is pleased to announce the addition of nearly 64 million For-Hire Vehicle (FHV) trip records to the over 1.2 billion Yellow Medallion and Green (Street Hail Livery) Cab records now available to the public online. TLC began collecting these records to ensure the accountability of its licensees and their compliance with its rules and regulations, and now the public can easily access this data as well.
“The value of this data to the TLC in protecting consumers and guarantee-ing the accountability of our licensees is enormous,” said TLC Commissioner and Chair Meera Joshi. “But thousands of academics, data specialists, civic groups and others have used the yellow and green taxi data to gain a totally unique perspective on how these vehicles keep our city moving, and I expect the FHV data to make a similar splash. We anticipate hearing about some very interesting projects arising from this data release, and we’re excited about the possibilities.”
About the Data:The data may be accessed from the TLC web site’s Trip Records page:http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/about/trip_record_data.shtmlThe FHV trip records, which will be updated on a semi-annual basis,
include the dispatching base number, the pick-up date and time, and a zone-coded pick-up location (when the base provided GPS coordinates in the trip record).
Of the 64 million trips represented in the release, around 45 million are black car trips, 17 million are livery trips, and 2 million are luxury limousine trips.
Industry Notice #16-15Improvement Surcharge Payment
Process for Street Hail Livery Permit Owners and Medallion Owners and
Agents Has ChangedStarting on July 25, 2016, you will no longer receive a statement from your
TPEP/LPEP provider that lets you know the amount owed for the current quarter’s Improvement Surcharge. Instead, the TLC will post the Improvement Surcharge amounts that are owed directly onto the TLC’s License Applications, Renewals & Summonses system (LARS). This change will start with the second quarter of 2016 for trips that are done between April 1 – June 30, 2016.
To fi nd out the exact amount you owe, please visit LARS. You will continue to make payments using the TLC’s On-line Transaction system (LARS), which can be found on our web site at https://www1.nyc.gov/lars.
The timeline for payment of the second quarter of 2016 Improvement Sur-charge is as follows:
• July 25th, 2016 – Owners and Agents will be able to view amounts owed on LARS, and begin making payments.
• July 25th, 2016 – Challenge Period begins. Owners and Agents should direct all questions or challenges to:
[email protected] – for Taxicab Improvement Fund related [email protected] – for Street Hail Livery Improvement Fund
related issues• August 5th, 2016 – Challenge Period ends. Amounts due are fi nalized.• August 15th, 2016 – Full payment is due to the TLC. Payments may only
be made using (LARS) system which can be found at: https://www1.nyc.gov/lars/. Failure to submit full payment by August 15th, 2016 will result in fi nes and/or possible suspension of your license.
NEW YORK CITY TAXI & LIMOUSINE COMMISSION
Notice of Commission Meeting The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission will hold a Commission Meeting on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., at 33 Beaver Street, 19th Floor, New York, New York. PLEASE NOTE: The first item on the agenda is a motion to enter into executive session. Should this motion pass, the Commission will immediately enter into executive session, closed to the public. Following the executive session, the public Commission Meeting will resume at 10:00 a.m. Live webcast is available here: https://livestream.com/nyctaxi The facility is wheelchair accessible and CART will be provided in the meeting room. Materials in alternative formats, ASL interpreters, and other accommodations will be made available upon request. Please contact TLC at 212-676-1135 or at [email protected] by Friday, September 9, 2016 to ensure availability. Access: Request:
Public transportation:
to Wall Street to Bowling Green to Whitehall Street to Broad Street
If you speak limited English and need assistance understanding what was discussed at the meeting, please email: [email protected].
Listen to Podcasts ofThe Taxi Dave Showand Read Taxi Insider
on-line @NYCTAXINEWS.COM
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 7
The Taxi Attorney
T N E C 0 5 N R A E A I D S R S N I Y A T P S M T RO A T R S E S I D R F F AN F P U C S O T I E I C UE T E T H A T I S V A L GV R P E O T E O N I S S AE N O R O F T S D R 3 3 LT A X E L S R $ 7 0 C N IR L G N S R E R F 0 S O LA I S H O A E T A N C I NF L E T P E N N S T A T UF L I S T Y I C O O T E NI C M E T 0 E O H A L P NG I M A R 2 N D C P S O EH T E R O F D E S O L C L
• SCHOOLS OPEN • RATES •• PARTITIONS TO STAY • DEALS •
• LAGUARDIA TRAFFIC • TNC •• PENN STATION 33RD STREET •
• 20 YEARS FOR ONE TRAFFIC LIGHT •• LINCOLN TUNNEL CLOSED FOR EMMIES •
• DRIVERS EARN 50 CENTS ON EVERY FARE •• TAX RETURNS • ENGLISH TEST •
• ESTATES • TPEP • PLATE •• $700 FARE • INCOME •
Do you know the stories behind each word?You would if you listened to Taxi Dave’s Radio Show, Sunday’s at 8:00 PM on WOR710. Brought to you by Melrose Credit Union. You will also understand the puzzle better if you read our articles.
Find the following words/accronyms in the puzzle above
September Taxi Driver PuzzleHello everybody, I hope that you
are working hard and making good money. This month I want to talk about eight topics.
First, in my experi-ence the TLC is start-ing to really handout whopping summonses to drivers (and owners) who aren’t yellows and pick up street hails. That is indeed good news for the yellow business, be-cause yellows have the exclusive right to pick up hails in the streets in Manhattan below 96th Street and 110th Street, and at the airports. It is also good news for green cabs. I do defend such drivers and owners because everyone is entitled to due process in the US and before TLC, but it is very dangerous now to for a driver who receives such a summons, because on a third offense TLC may soon seize a vehicle under civil forfeiture law and impose a $10,000 fine and revocation of TLC and DMV license. This is a very severe penalty, as it should be. Just be aware that TLC is starting to do its part to protect the rights of the yellow cab businessmen and women. Good to know, and about time!
Second, I am working with a prestigious and reasonably priced bankruptcy firm in case you need to file for Chapter 7, 13 or 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. I understand the Industry and am glad to try to save your assets or liquidate your assets as the case may be if you need that type of service. A basic Chapter 13 which will generally allow you to keep your home and car etc. is around $3500 for lawyer’s fees. Chapter 11s are more and Chapter 7, when you liquidate your assets, are less. If you need this type of service or if you are considering it, I am glad to talk to you about it and you may contact me at my office during busi-ness hours at 212.754.1011 or 866.LAW.MIKE or 866.529.6453.
Third, if you are arrested and you possess a TLC license, it is impera-tive that you hire the best criminal attorney that you can afford. This is so because TLC will hold your license until the criminal case is finished and the TLC will take it permanently from you if the criminal matters is NOT resolved to the TLC’s satisfaction. I work with a very high quality criminal attorney who can speed up criminal matters and obtains excellent results, so please call me at 212.754.1011 if you get arrested.
Fourth, please listen to the Taxi Dave radio show on 710 am WOR, on Sunday evenings between 8pm and 9pm. David Pollack is the host. He is smart, entertaining, informative and best of all, knows the truth about what is happening in your Industry. Moreover, he has the highest rated show on radio in his time slot in the
Would You Like To Receive......• Weekly Traffi c Advisories
• Important Messages from The TLC• Important Industry Notices
E-mail: [email protected] we will place you on our
Industy E-Mail List.
NYC Metro area! So, please tune in to listen.
Fifth, remember to bring me your DMV and TLC tickets. It is important to fight all your DMV (issued by NYPD) and TLC tickets. Be careful. Don’t skimp on the lawyer only to lose your license later. Please fight every yel-low or pink ticket you receive from NYPD and every TLC ticket you receive. If you are uncer-
tain whether to use an attorney for a particular ticket, please come see me and I will tell you, no charge, if the ticket has points and you do or do not need an attorney or representative for a particular summons.
Sixth, please take the defensive driver course every 18 months. Do not wait three years to take the DDC class that takes points off of your NYS driver’s license. Please take the course every 18 months so if TLC sends you a letter to suspend or revoke your Hack or TLC license you will have taken the class before you get such TLC letter. Now TLC is allowing you to take a course which takes 3 points off your DMV record according to TLC calculations after you get a letter from TLC saying you have a suspension or revocation coming to you. Also, if you get found guilty of a DMV summons it may be best to take a DDC course AFTER the guilty finding at TVB or in other NYS traffic court. Moreover, there is a persistent violator course available to reduce TLC points which are now being combined with DMV points and can result in your losing your TLC license very quickly if you speed or talk on your cell phone while driv-ing. Basically, any moving violation now puts you in jeopardy. Call me at 212.754.1011 if you want to discuss your DMV or TLC tickets.
Also, please note that I will do an excellent job advocating for you at a fair and reasonable price, and I have been doing this business for 20 years now and really know what I am do-ing. Please call me at 212.754.1011 or 866.LAW.MIKE to discuss your DMV or TLC problem.
Seventh, the weather is getting cooler, hopefully, and the busy season/Christmas season is rapidly approaching with the end of sum-mer. That means more New Yorkers are in the City looking for cab rides, hopefully. Be careful of blocking the box tickets and failure to yield to pedestrian tickets which the NYPD is cracking down on. Be sure to watch the street signs as they are rapidly changing and being enforced vigor-ously in Manhattan. If you need me, please call me at 212.754.1011 to discuss your situation.
Eighth, if you receive a pink sum-mons, please call me at 212.754.1011
to discuss it. Sometimes it makes sense to use a lawyer to help you fight a pink summons, which is a criminal summons with ramifications beyond DMV points, and sometimes you can simply pay such a summons without any negative consequences. My fee is reasonable to go to court for you for pink summonses, and you most often do not need to go to court and I can obtain zero points for you. But, please call me to discuss this with me and don’t wait for the day before court to call me.
Thank you for reading this article. Call me at 212.754.1011 for all your legal needs. Until next month, be well.
Mr. Spevack thanks you for read-ing this article which is for enter-tainment purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice, contact Mr. Spevack.http://www.trafficticketnyc.com .
See his advertisement on page 30 of this issue.
This article does not reflect the opinion of the publisher.
PAGE 8 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
MANHATTAN POLICE PRECINCTS
BRONX POLICE PRECINCTS
BROOKLYN POLICE PRECINCTS
QUEENS POLICE PRECINCTS
STATEN ISLAND POLICE PRECINCTS
Precinct Address Direct line16 Ericsson Place 1-212-334-0611
19 Elizabeth Street 1-212-334-0711
233 West 10 Street 1-212-741-4811
19 1/2 Pitt Street 1-212-477-7311
130 Avenue C 1-212-477-7811
230 West 20th Street 1-212-741-8211
230 East 21st Street 1-212-477-7411
MSP 357 West 35th Street 1-212-239-9811
167 East 51st Street 1-212-826-3211
MNP 306 West 54th Street 1-212-767-8400
153 East 67th Street 1-212-452-0600
120 West 82nd Street 1-212-580-6411
86th St & Transverse Road 1-212-570-4820
162 East 102nd Street 1-212-860-6411
151 West 100th Street 1-212-678-1811
120 East 119th Street 1-212-860-6511
520 West 126th Street 1-212-678-1311
2271-89 8th Avenue 1-212-678-1611
451 West 151st Street 1-212-690-8811
250 West 135th Street 1-212-690-6311
2207 Amsterdam Avenue 1-212-927-3200
4295 Broadway 1-212-927-9711
257 Alexander Avenue 1-718-402-2270
1035 Longwood Avenue 1-718-542-4771
830 Washington Avenue 1-718-402-3887
900 Fteley Avenue 1-718-542-0888
2 East 289th Street 1-718-590-5511
2877 Barkley Avenue 1-718-822-5411
2120 Ryer Avenue 1-718-220-5211
4111 Laconia Avenue 1-718-920-1211
450 Cross Bronx Expressway 1-718-299-3900
2121 Eastchester Road 1-718-918-2000
3450 Kingsbridge Avenue 1-718-543-5700
3016 Webster Avenue 1-718-220-5811
2951 West 8th Street 1-718-946-3311
2575 Coney Island Avenue 1-718-627-6611
1925 Bath Avenue 1-718-236-2611
1844 Brooklyn Avenue 1-718-258-4411
5822 16th Avenue 1-718-851-5611
2820 Snyder Avenue 1-718-287-3211
333 65th Street 1-718-439-4211
9720 Foster Avenue 1-718-257-6211
154 Lawrence Avenue 1-718-851-5511
421 Empire Boulevard 1-718-735-0511
830 4th Avenue 1-718-965-6311
1470 East New York Avenue 1-718-495-5411
1000 Sutter Avenue 1-718-827-3511
191 Union Street 1-718-834-3211
127 Utica Avenue 1-718-735-0611
65 6th Avenue 1-718-636-6411
263 Tompkins Avenue 1-718-636-6611
30 Ralph Avenue 1-718-574-0411
480 Knickerbocker Avenue 1-718-574-1605
301 Gold Street 1-718-875-6811
298 Classon Avenue 1-718-636-6511
211 Union Avenue 1-718-963-5311
100 Meserole Avenue 1-718-383-3879
92-24 Rockaway Beach Blvd. 1-718-318-4200
16-12 Mott Avenue 1-718-868-3400
87-34 118th Street 1-718-805-3200
168-02 P.O. Edwaard Byrne Ave. 1-718-657-8181
64-02 Catalpa Avenue 1-718-386-3004
92-08 222nd Street 1-718-776-9090
103-53 101st Street 1-718-845-2211
71-01 Parsons Boulevard 1-718-969-5100
5-47 50th Avenue 1-718-784-5411
37-05 Union Street 1-718-321-2250
94-41 43rd Avenue 1-718-476-9311
45-06 215th Street 1-718-279-5200
68-40 Austin Street 1-718-520-9311
167-02 Baisley Boulevard 1-718-712-7733
34-16 Astoria Boulevard 1-718-626-9311
92-15 Northern Boulevard 1-718-533-2002
78 Richmond Terrace 1-718-876-8500
2320 Hylan Boulevard 1-718-667-2211
116 Main Street 1-718-948-9311
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Police PrecinctsIn New York City
Taxi Insider Info
Questions? Comments?E-Mail Taxi Insider at
321 East 5th Street
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 9
PAGE 10 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
36-01 43 Avenue, LIC, NY 11101 • Tel: 718-361-9191 • Fax: 718-361-6243rd
Hereford Insurance CompanyEstablished 1982 • Licensed by the New York State Insurance Department
y p
DEFENSIVE DRIVINGCOURSE SCHEDULE
Classes will be offered the following Saturdays:
November 19, 2016February 25, 2017
May 20, 2017August 26 2017
All Hereford insured will receive the course at no cost:Classes will be held in the third floor event room at:
HEREFORD INSURANCE COMPANY36-01 43RD AVENUE, LIC, NEW YORK 11101
Our classes are recognized by:• Taxi and Limousine Commission for required license renewals.
• Department of Motor Vehicles for the Point Reduction.• Insurance carriers for rate reduction.
ALL CLASSES BEGIN AT 9:00A.M., AND END AT 3:00P.M. Reservations Are Necessary.
All drivers must provide proof of Insurance.For additional information please contact:
BERTRAM MERLING - Loss Control Coordinator718-361-9191 EXT. 7235
DRIVER SAFETY • Please do not argue with any passengers over a fare • Please do not leave your vehicles if a passenger leaves the vehicle and at-
tempts to fl ee without paying a fare• Please do not roll your driver side window down to collect a fare and always
attempt to collect fares while passengers are in your vehicle• Please when applicable negotiate your fare prices prior to beginning your
trip so there is no confl ict at the conclusion of the trip• If you operate a vehicle with a partition consider the hours you are working
to determine if the partition will best serve you when CLOSEDThere has been an increase of crime and violent attacks on drivers in recent
months. Please always place your SAFETY as your primary goal for your work shift. Your families and peers appreciate the valuable contributions and sacrifi ces you make every day for them and New York City.
PLEASE BE SAFE
Extreme Heat Alert: • Drink plenty of water(at least 2 liters a day during a heat wave.• Check your vehicle fluids & belts prior to your shift.• Keep your vehicle cool for passengers.• Remember not all drivers have air conditioning and the extreme heat
can easily cause Road Rage.• Remember many pedestrians may be light headed or dehydrated and
they may act in an unsafe manner.• Help Senior Citizens in and out of your vehicles and ask them if they
are OK or need any assistance. • Remember children may be playing in the street at open fire hydrants• Do not loose your temper if your vehicle is sprayed with water from
an open fire hydrant.• Be patient with Con Edison workers disrupting traffic as they are pro-
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 11
Extreme Heat(Continued from Page 10)
Diamonds In The Rough!
Taxi Dave with TLC’s Allan Fromberg, the Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs was recently honored for his 20 years of service with the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission. Allan has worked through 5 TLC chairs! Allan has also lasted longer than 3 mayors! Allan is proud to say that after 20 years, he still loves his job as much as he did on day one. Allan loves the people he has become friends with over the years and has never been more comfortable, than when he is engaged with taxi and FHV drivers, owners and advocates. Congrats my friend! Taxi Dave wishes you 20 MORE years!
Taxi Dave with Deputy Commissioner of Licensing Gary Weiss has been with the TLC for 10 years. Gary is a one of best public servants in city administration. Gary always listens, is reasonable and works with people to make sure drivers or owners have what they need to keep working. Gary is another shining example of public service.
IT IS BACK TO SCHOOL TIMEONCE AGAIN!
• Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the steering wheel.• Watch out for children standing or walking along side of the road and
crossing the streets.• Always remember to STOP if you are approaching a school bus with a Stop
Sign, or Flashing Red Lights, either from the front or behind. It is the LAW.
viding an essential and often. Life Saving service to all of us during a HEAT WAVE!
• Make a mental note of all the Schools, playgrounds, and other locations frequented by children; you may be passing in your usual work shift.
• Watch out for children walking and looking at their hand held devices
PAGE 12 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
LETTERS(Continued from Page 3)
23RD Street
Hey there Dave,Just noticed that you can no longer make a left
turn from 23rd St onto 6th and 8th Ave. Time to get the DOT Commisioner back on your
show again.Pat
Dear Taxi Dave,It isn’t bad enough the DOT is cutting the legs from
taxi drivers but what does it take for them to under-stand that what they are doing by not allowing turns on certain streets/avenues now means more congestion and traffi c at other intersections. It’s one thing we can’t make left turns but now we can’t make a right turn onto 6ave from 23 st. So now drivers are gonna congest not only 8th ave but also 21 st, 19 st because there is no thru roadway thru Madison park if I need to drop someone off on 6 ave and 24 or 25 st.
What makes this more irritating is that tlc has stopped sending us notifi cations and emails onto our meters to let us know of road changes. Instead of work-ing with us and helping us. They work against us.
Tommy
Refusal To Pay
Hello Taxi Dave,This customer requested for me to take him to
505 west 37th street. I was able to snap a picture of him while he was in the lobby. As I approached the building, he came out. I specifi cally stated “Excuse me sir you forgot to pay. He mad a hand gesture with
his fi nger waving no as a suggested gesture to refusal to pay. I countered this gesture by saying sir you have only two options at this point,
A) Pay the metered fare OrB) I will call the police and submit the photo to
law enforcement which will lead to imprisioent.He quickly cooperated to pay. Payment is resolved.
John L
Is The Law!Above The Law!
Dear Taxi Dave,Almost everyday I see this vehicle (CTX9158) is
parked at the fi re hydrant or on cross walk in Astoria neiborhood (11102). An NYPD staff is breaking the law almost everyday. What would be happened if a general public parked like this?
Sincerely,Abul Asad Khan
Illegal Taxi Hail
Hello Taxi DaveThis vehicle illegally solicited these passengers
on the West Side Highway on Greenwich street @ 2:26 am.
John L.
Laguardia
Dear Taxi Dave,The Laguardia Airport Terminal Main bathrooms
are disgusting. Not even 3rd world countries have bathrooms as fi lthy and unhygienic as the one in Terminal Main I’ve attached a Pakistani Newspaper which talks about the bathrooms and a separate at-tachment with the English translation.
Khawaja Farooq
(Continued on Page 18)
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 13
404 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016between 28th and 29th Streets
ALL MOVING
VIOLATIONS
PERSONAL INJURY
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IN OFFICE
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SUSPENSIONS & WARRANTS LIFTED
CRIMINALLY RELATED MATTERS
SAFETY HEARINGS
Throughout New York State
— We Accept Credit Cards —
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Reckless Driving;
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(718) 979-5360
30 East 33RD Street4TH Floor
New York, NY 10016EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.NewYorkTraffi cLawyer.com
Fluent in French and Spanish
ALL MOVING VIOLATIONS
THROUGHOUT
NEW YORK STATE
(Continued on Page 17)
Uber’s First Self-Driving Fleet Arrives in Pittsburgh This Month
Near the end of 2014, Uber co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick flew to Pittsburgh on a mission: to hire dozens of the world’s experts in autonomous ve-hicles. The city is home to Carnegie Mellon University’s robotics depart-ment, which has produced many of the biggest names in the newly hot field. Sebastian Thrun, the creator of Google’s self-driving car project, spent seven years researching autono-mous robots at CMU, and the project’s former director, Chris Urmson, was a CMU grad student.
“Travis had an idea that he wanted to do self-driving,” says John Bares, who had run CMU’s National Robot-ics Engineering Center for 13 years before founding Carnegie Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based company that makes components for self-driving indus-trial robots used in mining, farming, and the military. “I turned him down three times. But the case was pretty compelling.” Bares joined Uber in January 2015 and by early 2016 had recruited hundreds of engineers, robotics experts, and even a few car mechanics to join the venture. The goal: to replace Uber’s more than 1 million human drivers with robot drivers—as quickly as possible.
The plan seemed audacious, even reckless. And according to most ana-lysts, true self-driving cars are years or decades away. Kalanick begs to differ. “We are going commercial,” he says in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. “This can’t just be about science.”
Starting later this month, Uber will allow customers in downtown Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones, crossing an important milestone that no automo-tive or technology company has yet achieved. Google, widely regarded as the leader in the field, has been testing its fleet for several years, and Tesla Motors offers Autopilot, essentially a souped-up cruise control that drives the car on the highway. Earlier this week, Ford announced plans for an autonomous ride-sharing service. But none of these companies has yet brought a self-driving car-sharing service to market.
Uber’s Pittsburgh fleet, which will be supervised by humans in the driver’s seat for the time being, consists of specially modified Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicles outfitted with dozens of sensors that use cam-eras, lasers, radar, and GPS receivers. Volvo Cars has so far delivered a handful of vehicles out of a total of 100 due by the end of the year. The two companies signed a pact earlier this year to spend $300 million to develop a fully autonomous car that will be ready for the road by 2021.
The Volvo deal isn’t exclusive; Uber plans to partner with other automakers as it races to recruit more engineers. In July the company
reached an agreement to buy Otto, a 91-employee driverless truck startup that was founded earlier this year and includes engineers from a number of high-profile tech companies at-tempting to bring driverless cars to market, including Google, Apple, and Tesla. Uber declined to disclose the terms of the arrangement, but a person familiar with the deal says that if targets are met, it would be worth 1 percent of Uber’s most recent valuation. That would imply a price of about $680 million. Otto’s current employees will also collectively re-ceive 20 percent of any profits Uber earns from building an autonomous trucking business.
Otto has developed a kit that allows big-rig trucks to steer them-selves on highways, in theory freeing up the driver to nap in the back of the cabin. The system is being tested on highways around San Francisco. Aspects of the technology will be incorporated into Uber’s robot livery cabs and will be used to start an Uber-like service for long-haul trucking in the U.S., building on the intracity delivery services, like Uber Eats, that the company already offers.
The Otto deal is a coup for Uber in its simmering battle with Google, which has been plotting its own ride-sharing service using self-driving cars. Otto’s founders were key members of Google’s operation who decamped in January, because, according to Otto co-founder An-thony Levandowski, “We were really excited about building something that could be launched early.”
Levandowski, one of the original engineers on the self-driving team at Google, started Otto with Lior Ron, who served as the head of product for Google Maps for five years; Claire Delaunay, a Google robotics lead; and Don Burnette, another veteran Google engineer. Google suffered another departure earlier this month when Urmson announced that he, too, was leaving.
“The minute it was clear to us that our friends in Mountain View were going to be getting in the ride-sharing space, we needed to make sure there is an alternative [self-driving car],” says Kalanick. “Because if there is not, we’re not going to have any business.” Developing an autonomous vehicle, he adds, “is basically existential for us.” (Google also invests in Uber through Alphabet’s venture capital division, GV.)
Unlike Google and Tesla, Uber has no intention of mass-producing its own cars, Kalanick says. Instead, the company will strike deals with auto manufacturers, starting with Volvo Cars, and will develop kits for other models. The Otto deal will help; the company makes its own laser detec-tion, or lidar, system, used in many self-driving cars. Kalanick believes that Uber can use the data collected
from its app, where human drivers and riders are logging roughly 100 million miles per day, to quickly improve its self-driving mapping and navigation systems. “Nobody has set up software that can reliably drive a car safely without a human,” Kalanick says. “We are focusing on that.”
In Pittsburgh, customers will re-quest cars the normal way, via Uber’s app, and will be paired with a driver-less car at random. Trips will be free for the time being, rather than the standard local rate of $1.30 per mile. In the long run, Kalanick says, prices will fall so low that the per-mile cost of travel, even for long trips in rural areas, will be cheaper in a driverless Uber than in a private car. “That could be seen as a threat,” says Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson. “We see it as an opportunity.”
Although Kalanick and other self-driving car advocates say the vehicles will ultimately save lives, they face harsh scrutiny for now. In July a driver using Tesla’s Autopilot service died after colliding with a tractor-trailer, apparently because both the driver and the car’s computers didn’t see it. (The crash is currently being investi-gated by the National Highway Traf-fic Safety Administration.) Google has seen a handful of accidents, but they’ve been less severe, in part because it limits its cars to 25 miles per hour. Uber’s cars haven’t had any fender benders since they began road-testing in Pittsburgh in May, but at some point something will go
wrong, according to Raffi Krikorian, the company’s engineering director. “We’re interacting with reality every day,” he says. “It’s coming.”
For now, Uber’s test cars travel with safety drivers, as common sense and the law dictate. These profession-ally trained engineers sit with their fingertips on the wheel, ready to take control if the car encounters an un-expected obstacle. A co-pilot, in the front passenger seat, takes notes on a laptop, and everything that happens is recorded by cameras inside and outside the car so that any glitches can be ironed out. Each car is also equipped with a tablet computer in the back seat, designed to tell riders that they’re in an autonomous car and to explain what’s happening. “The goal is to wean us off of having driv-ers in the car, so we don’t want the public talking to our safety drivers,” Krikorian says.
On a recent weekday test drive, the safety drivers were still an es-sential part of the experience, as Uber’s autonomous car briefly turned un-autonomous, while crossing the Allegheny River. A chime sounded, a signal to the driver to take the wheel. A second ding a few seconds later indicated that the car was back under computer control. “Bridges are really hard,” Krikorian says. “And there are like 500 bridges in Pittsburgh.”
Bridges are hard in part because of the way that Uber’s system works. Over the past year and a half, the
PAGE 14 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
By AppointmentOnly
* At BeaverStreet ONLY!
After your application has been completed:We will review your background and will research the following:
TAXI DAVE’SRADIO SHOWWOR-710AM EVERY SUNDAY! 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Driving Yellow(Continued from Page 4)
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 15
“Call Sunny Save Money”&
NYS DMV Point SystemSpeeding (mph over posted limit)
Reckless Driving
Failure to stop for a School Bus
Following too closely (tailgating)
Inadequate Brakes
Failing to Yield Right-Of-Way
Violation Involving Traffic Signal,
Stop Sign, or Yield Sign
Railroad Crossing Violation
Improper Passing or Lane Use
Leaving scene of an incident involving property
damage or injury to an animal
Safety restraint violation involving person
under 16
Any other moving violation
1 to 10 . . . 3 points
11 to 20 . . 4
21 to 30 . . 6
31 to 40 . . 8
More than 40 . . 11
. . . . 5
. 5
4
. . 4
(while driving employer's vehicle)2
. . . 3
. . . 3
3
. . 3
. . 3
. 3
2
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
points
pointsNote: Speeding when speed not indicated is 3 points
Quoteable Quotes
Commissioner’s CornerBy Meera Joshi
“I take umbrage at Mr. Trump’s comments denigrating your religion, denigrating your sacrifi ces.”
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, at an NYPD Muslim Offi cers’ Society event in Queens.
“That’s why God made scotch.”Rep. John Katko on sharing a ticket
with Donald Trump.
“If Congress doesn’t act, there are going to be a lot of happy terrorists out there in the world.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio, on federal anti-terrorism funding.
“I do believe that the level of response was far heightened because I’m a black man - no question.”
Assemblyman Michael Blake, who says he was roughly handled by the NYPD.
“This is probably bigger than Wa-tergate.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio, mocking the Rivington scandal.
“NYC Parks stands fi rmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks,
no matter how small.”NYC Parks on Trump statue in Union
Square.
“The mayor can disagree with me but he can’t disrespect me,”
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer on his ongoing spat with de Blasio.
“Hillary Clinton is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as hu-man beings worthy of a better future.”
Donald Trump.
“You don’t have any credibility on how to deal with the violence every other day cause you can’t work on even one day.”
NY1 anchor Errol Louis to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, State Senator Kevin Parker and City Council members Jumaane Williams and Laurie Cumbo, re: J’Ouvert.
Greetings, everyone! We hope you had a fantastic summer. I am pleased to share with you some of the latest developments at the TLC this fall.
SAFETY HONOR ROLLWe hope you will join us this month
in celebrating the work of TLC-licensed drivers with exemplary safety records, as well as the drivers and businesses who provide exceptional service to our city’s many wheelchair users. The TLC will hold its third annual Safety Honor Roll ceremony on September 14. The ceremony will honor drivers who have no traffi c violation or safety-related TLC rule convictions on their records, and have not been in any crashes with injuries for four years or longer. These hardworking drivers have kept safe their passengers, themselves, and those they share the street with while logging millions of miles. We are proud to recognize this amazing achievement, and greatly appreciate their support in making the city’s streets safer for all of us.
ACCESSIBILITYI would also like to share some good
news with you on our City’s progress in becoming more accessible to people with disabilities. At the end of July, there were 909 wheelchair-accessible medallion taxis, up from 237 in 2013. Almost 300 of these cabs went into ser-vice in the six fi rst months of 2016!
Our accessible dispatch program, where passengers can request a wheel-chair-accessible taxi through a phone call, text, app, or website, is also hitting new milestones. Since its fi rst full year in 2013, the program has more than doubled the number of monthly trips it services. In June, the program had 6,042 requests, and 6,102 in May.
The advent of accessible dispatch citywide is also advancing. Currently, the service takes passengers citywide, with trips beginning in Manhattan. We expect full citywide services to begin early in calendar year 2017, with trips beginning anywhere-- as well as more and more wheelchair-accessible cabs to keep hitting the road.
STUDY GUIDEWhen drivers apply for a TLC
license, they can now access a compre-hensive study guide in four languages from the TLC to prepare for the exam. Available in English, Spanish, Bengali, and Urdu, the guide is a major resource for drivers on TLC rules, geography (including points of interest and the directions of streets and avenues, as well as the location of transit hubs and major river crossings), and Vision Zero, the City’s plan to end traffi c fatalities. The guide assists drivers in reviewing the speed limit, red light turns, aware-ness of bike lanes, and the top reasons why licensees get critical driver points, such as moving violations and electronic device usage. We are confi dent this guide will assist you in becoming a more professional and knowledgeable driver, who will make our City’s streets better with his or presence.
UNIVERSAL LICENSEWe will vote this month on the uni-
versal TLC driver’s license, and appre-ciated the industry’s helpful feedback during a July hearing on the proposed rule changes. The universal license will give drivers the fl exibility to move seamlessly between the sectors of the industry that we regulate, whether they want to drive yellow, green, or black. We are excited that this change will optimize drivers’ earning potential, as well as open new channels for them to fi nd the work environment that is best for them at this stage in their lives.
LOSS OF OUR COLLEAGUEWe were greatly saddened to lose our
colleague Glenell Sullivan last month. Glenell joined the TLC in June last year as a case manager for our prosecution division, and worked previously at the 311 Call Center, starting in 2009. Glenell had an outgoing, friendly spirit, greeting everyone with a smile or pleas-ant hello. She was recently promoted to Supervisor of Case Examiners, and we will greatly miss her exemplary work and dedication. She will be truly missed, and we thank her for her service at the TLC and 311.
DRIVER APPLICATION We learned recently that the new
driver application status look-up on our website is the most popular New York City government dataset, and are grati-fi ed that it has been a helpful tool for thousands of applicants. If you or some-one you know has applied for a TLC driver’s license, you can check the sta-tus here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/industry/new_driver_app_lookup.shtml. We hope innovations like these will make the licensing process more convenient for our applicants.
Until next time, be safe and drive like your family lives here!
NEED AN ACCOUNTANT?SEE
THE TAXI INSIDER DIRECTORY ON PAGE 29
PAGE 16 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
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TLC Prepares For Taxi Tv’sTermination By Testing Tablets With
Wi-Fi And Valuable Apps
Taxi TV, already on the brink of cancellation in the city, could give way to sleek tablets packed with apps — allowing passengers to make res-taurant reservations or stream music from the backseat of a cab.
Verifone, one of the companies that brought Taxi TV to cabs in 2007, shared with the Daily News a few of the changes that could be at commuters’ fi ngertips by the end of the year.
The Taxi & Limousine Commis-sion is testing Verifone’s passenger information system, which would re-place the bulky TV touchscreen with a sleek 10-inch Android tablet.
“I like to think of this as a dash-board for your taxi ride,” said Jason Gross, global head of product and marketing for taxi systems at Veri-fone. “It may just be the information you want or need to understand where you’re going, how much it’s costing, but it also gives you some tools.”
Those tools could include apps to book a table at a restaurant, buy a movie ticket and stream music — so passengers can ride to their favorite tunes right from the backseat.
The company is also tinkering with free Wi-Fi and the ability to make calls on the tablet. It’ll also take
smartphone tap-to-pay technology such as Apple Pay.
“What we’re really hoping to do is partner with the Googles, the OpenTables, the Pandoras of the world and allow the marketplace to determine what consumers want to do,” Gross said.
The TLC approved a pilot in Oc-tober that allowed companies to build their own alternative to Taxi TV, as long as it met certain requirements, like collecting trip records and han-dling credit card payments.
New Yorkers would welcome the tablet option.
“I can save my battery and just listen to music in the cab,” Tara Little said Saturday, as she waited for a
taxi near the Atlantic Terminal Mall in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
The new system would also feature a GPS taxi meter that communicates with satellites to calculate fares. There will be a security camera, a fingerprint scanner for cabbies to start their shifts and panic buttons for drivers.
Sarah Kaufman, associate direc-tor of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, said that new taxi technology should offer customized real-time information — like train departures at Grand Central Ter-minal, for example — that today’s transit riders crave and agencies are delivering.
(Continued on Page 17)
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 17
It does not take a traffic expert to realize that traffic in New York City is worse than it ever was. Ihave been driving in New York City for over 50 years and traffic is not only heavier than ever it is almost beyond belief. The problem is simply that the City Council,the New York City Department of Trans-portation and the Mayor’s Office do not seem to want to do anything about it.
A recent article in the Daily News headlined “Crashes soar alongwith “Uber’’ boom”. The News article cited some very relevant statistics in regard to crashes involving Black Cars. The total amount in July of 2014 was 534. One year later inJuly
Enough Is EnoughBy Nat Goldbetter
of 2015 that amount nearly doubled to 1,057. The latest figure from June 2016 that amount swelled to 1,672 and prob-ably still growing. Crashes involving fatality, from the same dates from 1in 2014 to 3 in 2015 to 5 in 2016. The article goes on to say that there have been no crashes involving a fatality with yellow taxis in 2016.
It is not coincidence that these numbers have risen in dramatic fashion since the explosion of TLC licensed vehicles,primarily due Ubers and other app companies. We do know for sure it is not the regular black and livery cars that are increasing,as they are getting hit just as hard as the yellow industry as far as losing
business.Here is the question that needs
to be answered. At what point does the City of New York say enough is enough. There are probably three to four times more Black Cars and Liv-ery Cars on the streets than there are Yellow Cabs. You can’t drive on half block in the city without seeing TC plates in your face. Iam not sure who did the two million dollar study to see if the Ubers and other app companies have caused more traffic congestion but whoever they are,they need to have their vision checked.
Mayor DiBlasio’s Vision Zero is obviously not working simply be-cause of the horrendous clogging of the New York City streets. Between the Bike Lanes and the Pedestrian Plazas the space in which drivers need to negotiate driving roads is shrinking day by day. In a recent Tax Dave Radio Show, I thought Dave was goingto have a heart attack while he
was talkingabout one of the newer Pedestrian Plazas, that being West 33rd St. between Seventh and Eighth Aves. We can only assume that this is the brain storm of the Department of Transportation, but they appear to be oblivious to what is going on with traffic. In case they can’t figure it out squeezingdown streets and roads will bring more accidents, injuries and fatalities and recklessly closing off streets and lanes is going to keep all those previously mentioned statistics moving higher.
Once again when is enough, enough?
Mayor DiBlasio, City Council,New York City Department of Transpor-tation and New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission this ques-tions needs to be answered. Isit 100,000,200,000,500,000 or even 1,000,000 it really needs to be ad-dressed.
Wake up and smell the fumes!
Uber’s First(Continued from Page 13)
company has been creating extremely detailed maps that include not just roads and lane markings, but also buildings, potholes, parked cars, fire hydrants, traffic lights, trees, and anything else on Pittsburgh’s streets. As the car moves, it collects data, and then using a large, liquid-cooled computer in the trunk, it compares what it sees with the preexisting maps to identify (and avoid) pedestrians, cyclists, stray dogs, and anything else. Bridges, unlike normal streets, offer few environmental cues—there are no buildings, for instance—making it hard for the car to figure out exactly
where it is. Uber cars have Global Positioning System sensors, but those are only accurate within about 10 feet; Uber’s systems strive for accuracy down to the inch.
When the Otto acquisition closes, likely this month, Otto co-founder Le-vandowski will assume leadership of Uber’s driverless car operation, while continuing to oversee his company’s robotic trucking business. The plan is to open two additional Uber R&D centers, one in the Otto offi ce, a cavernous garage in San Francisco’s Soma neighborhood, a second in Palo Alto. “I feel like we’re brothers from another mother,” Kalanick says of Levandowski.
The two men first met at the TED conference in 2012, when Levan-
dowski was showing off an early version of Google’s self-driving car. Kalanick offered to buy 20 of the pro-totypes on the spot—“It seemed like the obvious next step,” he says with a laugh—before Levandowski broke the bad news to him. The cars were running on a loop in a closed course with no pedestrians; they wouldn’t be safe outside the TED parking lot. “It was like a roller coaster with no track,” Levandowski explains. “If you were to step in front of the vehicle, it would have just run you over.”
Kalanick began courting Levan-dowski this spring, broaching the possibility of an acquisition during a series of 10-mile night walks from the Soma neighborhood where Uber is
also headquartered to the Golden Gate Bridge. The two men would leave their offices separately—to avoid being seen by employees, the press, or competitors. They’d grab takeout food, then rendezvous near the city’s Ferry Building. Levandowski says he saw a union as a way to bring the company’s trucks to market faster.
For his part, Kalanick sees it as a way to further corner the market for autonomous driving engineers. “If Uber wants to catch up to Google and be the leader in autonomy, we have to have the best minds,” he says, and then clarifies: “We have to have all the great minds.”
Reprinted with permission from Bloomberg News.
Committee For Taxi Safety Calls Uber’s L Train Proposal A Street
Safety Disaster Waiting To HappenToday, Uber’s Josh Mohrer pub-
lished a Newsweek op-ed proposing a temporary deregulation of Uber in New York during the 2019 L train shutdown.
In response to Uber’s proposal, Da-vid Beier, president of the Committee for Taxi Safety, released the following statement:
“Uber’s absurd proposal is a street safety disaster waiting to happen. The company has once again revealed its utter disregard for Vision Zero and regu-lations that exist to keep riders safe.
“In his op-ed today, Uber’s Josh Mohrer made it clear that he believes TLC licensing, fi ngerprint background checks, driver training and proper insur-ance serve no purpose at all. He thinks literally anyone should become an Uber
driver, regardless of their driving record, criminal record or mental fi tness. That must be why crashes have surged among Uber and other ridesharing services over the past two years.
“If the TLC even considers this dangerous proposal, it will be turning its back on public safety and everything Vision Zero stands for.”
BACKGROUND: It was recently reported that crashes among Uber and other ridesharing and black car services more than tripled between July 2014 and June 2016. According to the report, crashes among these drivers increased from 534 in July 2014 to 1,672 in June 2016. It was also reported that there were fi ve fatal crashes involving black car drivers between May and June of this year — just two less than all of 2015.
Listen to Podcasts ofThe Taxi Dave Show and Read
Taxi Insider on-line @NYCTAXINEWS.COM
TLC Prepares(Continued from Page 16)
And as the Ubers and Lyfts of the city continue to curb traditional taxi business, Kaufman said the Taxi TV alternatives are a sign that the industry wants to meet the needs of riders, instead of letting Uber and other e-
hail apps snatch them up.“Taxi TV was a novelty at the time
when it came out,” she said. “But at this point, it has matured past the point of being welcome. Most New Yorkers turn off Taxi TV within a few minutes of entering a taxi.”
Reprinted with permission from The Daily News.
Photo by David Pollack
PAGE 18 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
(Continued on Page 28)
Current Medallion AgentsA0003
Cab Management Corp27-34 Jackson Avenue
LIC, NY 11101(718) 937-8668
A0011J & I Maintenance Corp.
341 Bergen StreetBrooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 858-3502
A0014Midtown Operating Corp.
42-50 24 StreetLIC, NY 11101(718) 937-2080
A0017521 West 21st St Management Corp.
415 West 127 StreetNew York, NY 10027
(212) 665-4900
A0110Winners Garage Inc.
34-14 64 StreetWoodside, NY 11377
(718) 458-7000
A0113Checker Management Corp.
22-10 Jackson AvenueLIC, NY 11101(718) 361-6300
A0201Green Apple Management Corp.
34-20 31 StreetLIC, NY 11106(718) 361-5555
A0202All Taxi Management Inc
41-25 36 StreetLIC, NY 11101(718) 361-0055
A0204B. Taxi Management Inc.
314 West 53 StreetNY, NY 10019(212) 957-0033
A0206AJB Taxi Management Inc.
662 10 AvenueNY, NY 10036(212) 956-3177
A0213J T L Management Inc.36-16 Skillman Avenue
LIC, NY 11101(718) 392-7000
A0217Medallion Maintenance Inc.
11-38 44 RoadLIC, NY 11101(718) 472-9000
A0224S & R Medallion Corp.
625 West 51 StreetNew York, NY 10019
(212) 957-9200
A0232Wailing Management Inc.31-08 Northern Boulevard
LIC, NY 11101(718) 472-1800
A0236 D & J Management Of Queens Inc. 34-14 64 Street
Woodside, NY 11377(718) 458-6609
A0249On Our Way Management Corp.
6814 5 AvenueBklyn, NY 11220(718) 833-8125
A0255Kim Cab Leasing Corp.3864a Flatlands Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11234(718) 252-8300
A0259Mc Guinness
Management Corp330 Mc Guinness Boulevard
Bklyn, NY 11222(718) 389-4483
A0280Eddie’s Management Corp.
40-08 24 StreetLIC, NY 11101(718) 707-0072
A0289Boulevard Taxi Leasing Inc.
32-56 49 StreetLIC, NY 11103(718) 932-3312
A0290United Taxi Mgmt. Group, Inc.
43-10 39 StreetLIC, NY 11104(718) 392-4600
A0292City Transport Mgmt
54-18 BroadwayWoodside, NY 11377
(718) 507-4840
A0301Napasei Management Corp.
607 West 47 StreetNew York, NY 10036
(646) 641-8307
A0307Taxifl eet Management LLC
54-11 Queens BoulevardWoodside, NY 11377
(718) 779-5000
A0308Taxifl eet Management LLC.
34-14 31 StreetLIC, NY 11106(718) 361-6363
A0312Gotham Yellow LLC.75 Canal Street West
Bronx, NY 10451(718) 993-8100
A0313Northwestern Management Corp.
35-11 43 Avenue 2nd FloorLIC, NY 11101(718) 482-8181
A0322NYC Interboro Management Inc.
36-02 21 StreetLIC, NY 11106(718) 392-0250
A0324AstoRia Taxi Leasing Corp.
32-56 49 StreetLIC, NY 11103(718) 932-3312
A0326Gotham Yellow LLC.
134-02 33 AvenueFlushing, NY 11354
(718) 993-8100
A0336Taxi World Inc.
627 West 51 StreetNew York, NY 10019
(212) 265-4022
LETTERS(Continued from Page 12)
Autonomous Taxis And Medallion Rights
Dear Taxi Dave,The predicted future is likely to include au-
tonomous taxis. There won’t be a need to have a partition in a
taxi because there wouldn’t be a need to protect the driver.
Black cars and taxis both wont have parti-tions.
Taxis will may still accept cash with the addi-tion of a cash payment machine.
These vehicles or a certain portion will be au-tonomous wheelchair accessible vehicles , capable of loading and securing a wheelchair.
A equal percentage will be in both taxis and black cars.
So no difference there. In the future there is no difference between them.
The issue of taxi medallions will be obvious. The
city would have sold these rights to some while giving away these rights to others. The government will will be force to accept and choose that either taxi medallion owners be the only ones allowed to perform this service or the government compensat-ing their owners.!!!
Michael Simon
Fare AppsDear Taxi Dave,
I am an owner driver and have answered and taken three Arro-app fares. Two of the three got out of my car without paying me! I went to Arro and they are some how reimbursing me. Many of my friends are experiencing the same thing with both apps. My friends that use Way2Ride are having the same thing with passengers not paying at the destination but they are not getting reimbursed. This is not fair.
Mr. Singh
Taxi dispatchersHey Taxi Dave,
Great show! GREAT calls about the FIASCO at LaGUARDIA and the non-existant ‘planning’ and traffic NIGHTMARE!
I live about FIVE BLOCKS from LaGuardia and can’t remember ANY serious discussion with neighborhood leaders and Port Authority about this HORRIBLE construction disaster!
WHO IS TO BLAME ??Coumo and de Blasio are ONCE AGAIN taking
our VALUED tourists for granted - and these guests MAY not come back after being TORTURED at our airports !!
Also - Taxi dispatchers should be REQUIRED to have Taxi and / or Limo licenses...
And yellow cab drivers should be required to speak AT LEAST basic English....
WE ARE NOT clueless UBER rookie DRIV-ERS! We are PROFESSIONALS!
Anyway - back to work we go!Sincerely,JFK Mike
Wheelchair PassengerHello Taxi Dave,
Today I was driving in the Bronx around 3am on
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 19
PAGE 20 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
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Photos by David Pollack
Interesting FactsAbout one-third of New York City’s
public park system — or about 10,000 acres — is made up of forests, wood-land, wetlands and marshes that would be more at home in a rural outpost like, say, the Catskills or the Adirondacks than in the middle of a metropolis. These so-called natural areas lie within exist-ing parks around the city, including Van Cortlandt and Pelham Bay Parks in the Bronx, Forest and Cunningham Parks in Queens, Marine Park in Brooklyn and the Greenbelt on Staten Island.
• • • • •More than 2.8 million people
received health insurance through New York State of Health, the online exchange created by the Affordable Care Act.
• • • • •The NYPD fi nally cracked down on
the Mercer Playground, where drugged-out bums would urinate in public, keeping children away all spring and summer. Taxi Dave is glad to report the Greenwich Village playground is now waiting for the children to return, and will have a police presence from now on.
• • • • •
Summertime Thefts
A Bonnie-and-Clyde duo coolly hit up Taxi Dave’s friend John Catsi-matidis’ Gristedes store in Chelsea, stuffi ng 80 cartons of Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream into four bags before making for the door. Police said the man and a woman swiped 49 cartons of Häagen-Dazs and 31 of Ben & Jerry’s at the Ninth Avenue location and resold them.
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 21
PAGE 22 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 23
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139-30 Queens Blvd.718 523-1300 Extension 1037
Revenge....Not So SweetBy Larry Fisher
As all of us in the legitimate taxi industry are frustrated, angry, and depressed about the bla-tant hijacking of our business, it’s time to gather our resources, brainstorm and come up with ideas beyond law-suits that are pending, or lobbying the politicians. The sight of ugliness in the violence across Europe and Mexico is unappealing to many of our peace-loving brethren. We need to find other ways to combat this scourge. For example, Lyft accused Uber a couple years ago of sabotage by requesting many cars through the app and then cancelling after the drivers already started to arrive at the pick-up. There have also been ac-cusations flying back and forth re-garding hacking attempts to sideline the technology for periods of time.
The legitimate taxi industry has informally discussed videotaping Uber and Lyft drivers making il-legal street hails, but the TLC still must enforce the laws, and despite the City Council’s increase in fines, enforcement is pretty pathetic. By allowing the law-breaker to settle in the OATH court for $250.00, as op-posed to $2,000.00, is a joke on us, the legitimate taxi industry. Now, it
appears that Wageworks will partner with Uber to provide rides using pre-tax dollars. So now our tax dollars are sub-sidizing this company’s business. The sickening feeling in my stomach is consistently aroused whenever I read of po-litical forces in bed with Uber. And, it’s not as if
one has to look far. In Chicago, where the Mayor’s brother is one of the early investors in Uber, the legitimate taxi industry has been decimated. In NYC, where the prior administration’s TLC Deputy Commissioner, Ashwini Chhabra, has gone on to Uber as Head of Policy Development, it is likely that his influence at the TLC hasn’t disappeared. The crumbs that the current TLC Chair, Ms. Joshi, has thrown our way so as not to ap-pear one-sided have done little to stop the flow of blood. Eliminating the English proficiency exam, and establishing the universal license are two recent examples of crumbs.
So while some of us will be taking the weekend of Labor Day to frolic with friends and family, others may be hard at work on the mean streets of the city. All of us need to think of ways to exact revenge peacefully on these bandits. One idea is for many of us to
open accounts with Uber, and fi nd the most heavily traffi cked short trips, so that the drivers’ pay will be affected negatively. We can enjoy watching the steam coming out their ears instead of our own as we traverse from river to river in rush hour traffi c. Then, make sure you give the driver one star for making the trip so unbearable.
Or take some video of the hotels in NYC that continue to have doormen taking payoffs from Uber drivers in exchange for feeding them airport and other lucrative fares. Since the TLC doesn’t regulate the hotels, maybe other agencies of the city would be interested in the corruption sur-rounding this issue. I have heard on
numerous occasions that trips to the airports have become virtually non-existent, so here’s your opportunity to do something about it.
Or, go out with a few friends for a night of excessive drinking. Make sure before you call your Uber to take you home, you have an alternative means to travel. To drown your sorrows, make sure to have an additional shot of Patron, so that you’re suffi ciently inebriated and maybe a bit nauseated. It wouldn’t hurt if you use Uberpool because the results of the nausea might be better served if it is sprayed all over the other passengers as well as the vehicle itself. And don’t forget to give the driver one star.
NCUA Warns of Text Phishing ScamThe National Credit Union Administration has received consumer calls
about a suspicious text message claiming to come from the agency. The message reads: “National Credit Union Administration Alert for (recipient’s phone number). Contact 844-234-5445.” This is not a communication from NCUA. The agency does not seek personal information through the internet or on the telephone.
Please contact NCUA’s Consumer Assistance Center at 1-800-755-1030 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern if you receive one of these messages. NCUA also recommends contacting your credit union and local law enforcement.
You may also contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center. NCUA operates an online Fraud Prevention Center that of-fers information about avoiding frauds and scams on its MyCreditUnion.gov website.
If you suspect you may have become a victim of identity theft as a result of this scam, you should immediately contact the three major credit bureaus and request a fraud alert be placed on your credit report: Equifax (866-640-2272), Experian (888-397-3742), and TransUnion (855-681-3196).
Phot
o by
Dav
id P
olla
ck
PAGE 24 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
(Continued on Page 34)
Don’t risk a summons trying to fi nd a Relief Stand on the list that the TLC web site provides. Texting or searching on-line while in your cab is against the law. Keep this list in your taxi for future use!
TAXI AND FOR-HIRE VEHICLERELIEF STANDS
DOT is not responsible regulating taxis. Taxis are regulated by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. DOT does regulate taxi relief stands
Taxi relief stands allow drivers to park their vehicles for up to one hour. This affords drivers the opportunity to leave their vehicles and take care of personal needs. Taxi relief stands should not be confused with taxi stands, which are locations where drivers can wait, in their cars, to pick up passengers.
The type column indicates if the relief stand is for taxis alone, or both taxis and For-Hire Vehicles (FHVs). Staten Island currently has no relief stands.
BRONXTYPE LOCATION CROSS STREETTaxi Jerome Ave. (E. Side) Eliot Pl. & E. 170th St.Taxi Metropolitan Ave. (N. Side) Purdy St. & Red Oak Dr.
MANHATTAN EAST SIDE ABOVE 23RD STREETTaxis E.77th St.(N. Side) First & Second Aves.Taxis E. 86th St. (N. Side) Henderson Pl. & York Ave.Taxis E. 78th Street (N. Side) Lexington & Third Ave.Taxis E. 78th St. (S. Side) Lexington & Third Ave.Taxis & FHVs E. 29th St. (S. Side) Madison & Fifth Ave.Taxis E. 27th St. (N. Side) Park Ave. S. & Madison Ave.Taxis & FHVs E.28th St. (N. Side) Park Av. S. & Lexington Ave.Taxis & FHVs Madison Ave. (W. Side) E. 26th & 27th St.Taxis E. 26th Street (S. Side) Third & Second Aves.
MANHATTAN WEST SIDE ABOVE 23RD STREETTaxis W. 55th St. (S. Side) Tenth & Eleventh Aves.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W.Side) W. 55th & 56th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Eighth Ave. (E. Side) W. 52nd & 53rd Sts.Taxis Broadway (E. Side) W. 48th & 47th Sts.Taxis Eighth Ave. (W. Side) W. 46th & 47th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W. 39th & 40th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W. 38th & 39th Sts.Taxis Broadway (E. Side) W. 43rd & 42nd Sts.Taxis Ninth Ave. (E. Side) W. 42nd & 41st Sts.Taxis West 39th St. (S. Side) Eighth & Ninth Aves.Taxis Ninth Ave. (E. Side) W. 30th & 29th Sts.
MANHATTAN BELOW 23RD STREETTaxis E. 23rd St. First & Second Aves.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W. 22nd & 23rd Sts.Taxis Third Ave. (W. Side) E. 14th & 15th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Third Ave. (W. Side) E. 15th & 14th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Sixth Ave. (W. Side) W.13th & 14th Sts.Taxis Sixth Ave. (W. Side) Thompson & Grand Sts.Taxis & FHVs Canal St. (N. Side) E. Broadway & Essex St.Taxis Park Row (SE. Side) Ann & Beekman Sts.Taxis & FHVs Fulton St. (S. Side) Broadway & Church St.Taxis & FHVs South St. (N. Side) Old Slip & Broad St.Taxis & FHVs Water St. (W. Side) Whitehall & Broad Sts.Taxis Whitehall St. (W. Side) South & State Sts,
BROOKLYNTaxis N. Sixth St. (N. Side) Berry St. & Wythe Ave.Taxis Fourth Ave. (W. Side) Third & Sixth Sts.
QUEENSTaxis & FHVs 43rd Ave. (N. side) 11th & 12th Sts.Taxis 44th Rd. (N. Side) 21st & 11th Sts.Taxis & FHVs Hunterspoint Ave. 27th & 30th Sts.Taxis 31st St. (W. Side) 34th & 35th Aves.Taxis & FHVs 43rd Ave. 36th & 37th Sts.Taxis 34th St. (W. Side) 37th & 38th Aves.Taxis Skillman Ave. 37th & 36th Sts.Taxis Queens Blvd. (S. Side) 50th & 51st Sts.Taxis Queens Blvd. 55th & 54th Sts.Taxis & FHVs 45th Ave. (S. side) Jackson Ave. & 23rd St.Taxis & FHVs Pearson St. (W. Side) Jackson Ave. & dead endTaxis 49th St. Newtown Rd & Northern Blvd.Taxis 55th St. Queens Blvd & Roosevelt Ave.Taxis Van Dam St. Queens Blvd & Skillman Ave.Taxis & FHVs 36th St. Skillman & 43rd Aves.
in the November-December 2016 edition of the Municipal Lawyer of the International Municipal Lawyers Association. The article provides an analysis and evaluation of develop-ments to transportation policy and planning since the proliferation of Transportation Network Companies (“TNCs”), and how to effectively approach “leveling the playing field” between taxis, for-hire vehicles (“FHVs”), and TNCs.
The term “Leveling the Play-ing Field” (between TNCs and taxi companies) was coined in early 2015 during a conference of regulators that I organized (i.e., the International As-sociation of Transportation Regulators www.iatr.global), and is now common parlance among the incumbent indus-try stakeholders, elected and appointed offi cials, the media, and academics. This new term of art seeks to address the regulatory and fi nancial resource competitive advantages that TNCs have over small businesses (i.e. the incumbent taxicab, FHV and limousine industries), all of which are engaging in virtually the same exact regulated ac-tivity (i.e. transporting passengers for compensation from point A to point B), albeit with different standards. There are many ways a “level playing fi eld” can be accomplished, and the bigger question is: do policymakers apply a “Band-Aid” approach with cosmetic surgical transportation enhancements that do not narrow the equity gap, or do they engage in radical, but neces-sary, reconstructive surgery to perma-nently fi x the underlying conditions directly?
This white paper contains a col-loquy on the variety of regulatory approaches available, as well as the adverse impacts that TNCs have had on overall transportation policy and planning, and demonstrates that with more funding, collaboration, and a more thorough and comprehensive approach, there are solutions to en-sure a stable, efficient, and sustain-able transportation future. As fully explained in the report, the key issues to address in order to level the playing field are as follows:
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS - NAMES CHECKS
OR BIOMETRICFINGERPRINTS
• The use of biometrics – finger-prints – by regulators in the driver vetting process provides efficient, cost-effective, and the most compre-hensive results.
• Equal standards should be required, regardless of the class or type of license being sought by the driver-applicant.
INSURANCE – 24/7COMMERCIAL OR
SUPPLEMENTAL APP ON/OFF COVERAGE
• Using a personal motor vehicle (“PMV”) policy, which contains commercial or for-hire exclusion provisions, to provide for-hire TNC
Daus(Continued from Page 1)
services is not sufficient or fair.• The same product should be
offered and afforded to all who fit into certain underwriting categories, including workers’ compensation coverage and supplemental policies, as long as the new model proves to make sense over time and provides realistic coverage.
HIGH TNC LICENSE FEES = ANOTHER MEDALLION
SYSTEM?• High TNC licensing fees, which
exceed half of a million dollars in some jurisdictions, serve as a bar-rier to entry, create an even more uneven playing field, and may result in the creation of a new TNC quasi-medallion system.
• Licensing fees in most jurisdic-tions must bear a rational relationship to the government’s expenditure of time and resources on the issuance and policing of licenses.
DATA SECURITY ANDPRIVACY PROTECTIONS• Standards are in place for taxi-
cabs and limousines to ensure that the use of credit and debit cards are secure, and that passengers’ personal and private data is not hacked or breached.
• There have been incidents of TNC data being hacked and accessed, and the same security measures that apply for data security standards (such as Payment Card Industry - or PCI compliance – standards) should be put in place for TNCs as well.
ENSURING SUSTAINABLE & SHARED MOBILITY GROWTH
• Unbridled and unprecedented growth is not good for the environ-ment and driver economics, and could lead to market failures as well as increased traffic congestion and externalities.
• The best way to level the play-ing field is to monitor TNC growth and restrict it under certain circum-stances, or mitigate it using incentives to promote greater sustainability and accessibility.
ENSURING EQUITY - AFFORDABLE RIDES AND
FAIR COMPETITION FOR ALL • “Surge” pricing raises serious
issues as to price transparency for consumers, and incentivizes drivers to work during peak demand times that may include rush hour in central business districts.
• To level the playing field, there are two possible solutions: (1) elimi-nate double and triple demand pric-ing for TNCs; or (2) allow taxicabs to engage in demand pricing on a similar scale.
WHEELCHAIRACCESSIBILITY & PUBLIC PARATRANSIT REFORMS• TNCs, unlike taxicabs and other
FHVs, are not required to provide equivalent service to passengers with disabilities, and should be mandated to maintain a ratio of wheelchair ac-cessible vehicles to the percentage of the population, in accordance with demand.
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 25
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PAGE 26 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
TAXI INSIDERMANHATTAN HOTEL LIST !!!Dear Readers of Taxi Insider,Drivers always tell me that they cannot know the location of every hotel in
Manhattan. A lot of work went into the list of Manhattan Hotels below. Drivers,please send Taxi Insider any corrections or additional hotels not mentioned.Also, when you are finished reading this issue of Taxi Insider, do not throw thisnewspaper in the garbage, give it to another taxi driver ! Thank you !
(Continued on Page 28)
60 Thompson StreetBetween Broome and Spring Streets
Algonquin Hotel59 W 44th Street
between 5th & 6th Avenues
Americana Inn Hotel69 W 38th Street
between 5th & 6th Avenues
Ameritania Hotel230 W 54th Street at Broadway
Amsterdam Inn Hotel
340 Amsterdam Avenueat W 76th St.
Beacon Hotel2130 Broadway at 75th Street
Belvedere Hotel
319 W 48th Streetbetween 8th & 9th Avenues
Benjamin Hotel
125 E 50th Street at York Avenue
Bentley Hotel500 E 62nd Street at York Avenue
Best WesternConvention Center Hotel
522 W 38th Streetbetween 10th & 11th Avenues
Best Western Hospitality House 145 E 49th Street
between 3rd & Lexington Avenues
Best Western President Hotel234 W 48th Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues Best Western Seaport Inn Hotel
33 Peck Slip at Front Street
Bryant Park Hotel40 W 40th Street
between 5th & 6th Avenues
Carlyle Hotel35 E 76th Street
between Madison & 5th Avenues
Carnegie Suites Hotel229 W 58th Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
Casablanca Hotel147 W 43rd Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Chelsea Hotel222 W 23rd Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
Chelsea Savoy Hotel204 W 23rd Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
Chelsea Star Hotel300 W 30th Street at 8th Avenue
Comfort Inn Central Park Hotel31 W 71st Street between
Central Park West & Columbus Ave.
Comfort Inn Manhattan Hotel42 W 35th Street
between 5th & 6th Avenue
Comfort Inn Midtown Hotel129 W 46th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Comfort Inn New York Hotel442 W 36th Street
between 10th & Dyer Avenues
Courtyard Manhattan 5th Avenue3 E 40th Street
between Madison & 5th Avenues
Courtyard Midtown East Hotel866 3rd Avenue
between 51st & 52nd Streets
Courtyard Times Square Hotel114 W 40th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel1605 Broadway
between 49th & 50th Streets
Crowne Plaza UN Hotel304 E 42nd Street
between 1st & 2nd Avenues
Doubletree Times Square Hotel1568 Broadway
between 47th & 48th Streets
Edison Hotel228 W 47th Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
Elysee Hotel60 E 54th Street
between Park & Madison Avenues
Embassy Suites Hotel 102 North End Ave.
World Financial Center, Manhattan
Fairfi eld Inn & Suites Chelsea- 116 W. 28th St(near 6th Ave)
Four Points Manhattan SoHo-
66 Charlton St.(near Spring St)
Fairfi eld Inn & Suites Times Square
330 W. 40th St(near 9th Ave)
Fairfi eld Inn & Suites Fifth Avenue
21 W. 37th St
Four Points Sheraton Chelsea Hotel160 W. 25th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Four Points Midtown Times Square326 W. 40th St (near 9th Ave)
Four Seasons Hotel
57 E 57th Streetbetween Park & Madison Aves.
Flatotel International Hotel135 W 52nd Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Gramercy Park Hotel2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street
Grand Hyatt New York HotelPark Avenue & 42nd street
Grand Union Hotel34 E 32nd Street
between Park & Madison Avenues
(Hampshire Hotel)Quality Times Square Hotel
157 W 47th Streetbetween 6th & 7th Avenues
Hampton Inn
Times Square Hotel851 8th Avenue at 51st Street
Hampton Inn SoHo
54 Watts St(near Varick St)
Helmsley Carlton House Hotel
680 Madison Avebetween 61st & 62nd Sts.
Helmsley Middletowne Hotel
148 E 48th Streetbetween Lexington & Park Aves.
Helmsley Park Lane Hotel
36 Central Park Southbetween 5th & 6th Avenues
Hilton Garden Inn Time Square
790 8th Avenuebetween 48th & 49th Streets
Hilton New York Hotel
1335 6th Avenuebetween 53rd & 54th Streets
Hilton Times Square Hotel
234 W 42nd Streetbetween 7th & 8th Avenues
Holiday Inn
Downtown Hotel138 Lafayette Street
between Howard & Canal Streets
Holiday Inn Martinique HotelBroadway & W 32nd Street
Holiday Inn Midtown Hotel440 W 57th Street
between 9th & 10th Avenues
Holiday Inn Wall Street Hotel 15 Gold Street at Platt Street
Hudson Hotel
356 W 58th StreetBetween 8th & 9th Avenues
Inter-Continental Barclay Hotel
111 E 48th Streetbetween Lexington
Park Avenues
Iroquois Hotel49 W 44th Street
between 5th & 6th Avenues
JW Marriott Millennium160 Central Park South
between 6th & 7th Avenues.
Kitano Hotel66 Park Avenue at 37th Street
La Quinta Manhattan Hotel
17 W 32nd Streetbetween 5th & 6th Avenues
Le Parker Meridien Hotel
118 W 57th Streetbetween 6th & 7th Avenues
Lucerne Hotel
201 W 79th Street atAmsterdam Avenue
Manhattan Broadway Hotel
273 W 38th Streetbetween 7th & 8th Avenues
Manhattan Seaport Suites Hotel
219 Front Streetbetween Pine & Wall Streets
Maritime Hotel
363 W 16th Street at 9th Avenue
Marriott Financial Center Hotel85 West Street
between Albany & Carlisle Streets
Marriott East Side Hotel525 Lexington Avenue
between 48th & 49th Street
Marriott Marquis Hotel1535 Broadway at 44thStreet
Mayfair Hotel
242 W 49th Streetbetween 7th & 8th Avenues
Metro Hotel
45 W 35th Streetbetween 5th & 6th Avenues
Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel
569 Lexington Avenue at 51st Street Michelangelo Hotel152 W 51st Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Milford Plaza Hotel270 W 45th Street at 8th Avenue
Millenium Hilton Hotel
55 Church Streetbetween Fulton & Day Streets
Millennium Broadway Hotel
145 W 44th Streetbetween 6th & 7th Aves
Millennium UN Plaza Hotel
1 United Nations Plazaat 1st Avenue & 44th Street
Murray Hill East Suites Hotel
149 E 39th Streetbetween 3rd & Lexington Avenues
Murray Hill Inn Hotel
143 E 30th Streetbetween Lexington & Park Avenues
Photo by David Pollack
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 27
NYC ECONOMYAverage Gas PricesAs of September 8, 2016
New York Regular Mid Premium DieselCurrent $2.452 $2.05 $2.893 $2.767Week Ago $2.462 $2.711 $2.899 $2.780Month Ago $2.457 $2.705 $2.893 $2.756Year Ago $2.755 $3.019 $3.209 $3.241
(Continued on Page 38)
Transit RidershipTotal ridership on MTA New York City subways and buses in June 2016 was
205.1 million, a 1.2% decrease from June 2015. Subway ridership fell 0.8% since last June, and bus ridership fell 2.1%. The greatest growth in ridership was for MTA Bridges and Tunnels, which saw an increase of 4.3% from last June, reaching 27.3 million.
Source: Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Air Traffi cIn June 2016, 11.7 million passengers fl ew into and out of the New York City
region’s airports, an increase of 5.5% from June 2015. There were 79,088 domestic fl ights, carrying roughly 7.6 million passengers in July 2016. This compares to the 25,583 international fl ights carrying 4.1 million passengers. Freight transport also increased at regional airports, rising 0.8% from May 2016. This increase was led by domestic freight, which grew 19.5% from last month.
Source: Port Authority of New York.
Broadway Ticket SalesTotal Broadway attendance was 1,239,086 during the four weeks ending
August 2, 2016, down 3.0% from the same period last year. Broadway revenues during this period were roughly $130.1 million, down 5.5% from last year. This was the result of average ticket prices falling to $105 from $108 last July, as well as decreased attendance.
Source: The Broadway League Note: Gross revenue and attendance fi gures may not include all shows.
Hotel OccupancyIn May 2016, the average daily hotel room rate was $305, a 4.6% decrease
from May 2015. Hotel occupancy was 90.0% in May 2016, down from 93.2% in May 2015. These declining room and occupancy rates were present across all price classes and submarkets.
Source: PKF Consulting Note: Based on latest available data.
EmploymentPrivate sector jobs in New York City rose by 21,500 in July, following June’s
gain of 12,800. Government jobs increased by 200, resulting in overall gains of 21,700 jobs between June and July 2016. The fastest-growing sectors were Education and Accommodation and Food Services, which gained 7,200 jobs and 5,200 jobs, respectively. Since July 2015, private sector employment has risen by 93,800 jobs, an increase of 2.6% (more than the national growth rate of 1.9%). The City’s unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in July 2016, up from 5.0% in June.
Innovation Index How does one measure innovation in New York City? How innovative is our city? What does so-called “innovation” entail? The Economic Research & Analysis (ERA) team at NYCEDC answers these questions with a simple index—the Innovation Index1—that can help quantify innovation growth over time. Index inputs show metrics that contribute to the creation of innova-tive products, and the outputs show metrics that track economic growth in New York City. According to ERA’s fi gures, innovation has increased by 38% since the index began in 2003, growing at a compound annual rate of 2.7%. In short, New York City has seen substantial growth in innovation in recent years.
https://www.nycedc.com/sites/default/fi les/fi lemanager/4420-RES-Econ-Snap_Aug2016_charts1.png
• Inputs used to measure innovation can be broken down into fi nance, research and development (R&D) spending, and human capital, which collectively grew 2.2% between 2014 and 2015 and 46% overall between 2003 and 2015.
• Human capital in the science and engineering fi elds (S&E), measured by graduate student enrollment and employment, has grown less prominently rela-tive to the other input metrics, increasing 18% between 2003 and 2015. While the number of graduate and postdoctoral students in S&E professions grew by 5% between 2010 and 2015, the actual number of S&E employees in New York City grew by 14%, indicating that students are migrating to the City for work. Roughly 44% of the STEM workforce in New York City is foreign-born, further suggesting that a large portion of labor in the innovation economy is imported from abroad.
https://www.nycedc.com/sites/default/fi les/fi lemanager/4420-RES-Econ-Snap_Aug2016_charts2.png
• Real GCP (in 2009 dollars) within high-tech sectors exceeded $26 billion in 2015, which is more than double the 2003 value.4 Workers in the high-tech industries have also become more productive over the years, as the amount of GCP per worker steadily grew at a compound annual growth rate of 2.2% be-
tween 2003 and 2015.https://www.nycedc.com/sites/default/fi les/fi lemanager/4420-RES-Econ-
Snap_Aug2016_charts3.png
Manhattan Offi ce Market In July 2016, the Manhattan Class A direct vacancy rate rose to 8.6% from
8.5% one-month prior, while the average rental rate remained at $81 per square foot. While month-to-month vacancy and rental rates have been steady, rental rates are up 4.7% over the last year. The Class A sublease rental rate rose by $2 from one-month prior, led by the Midtown and Downtown markets.
Construction For the 12-months ending July 2016: The number of residential construction
projects fell by 1.1% for the twelve-month period ending July 2016. Further, non-building construction projects saw a 21.5% drop over this time. Only non-residential building projects have seen gains, rising 0.4% over the last twelve months. Both the value and square footage of construction projects were down from July 2015 totals. Total new building square footage was down 36.0%, while the corresponding value of new building projects was down 35.2%. 1,847 dwelling units began development across the City in July 2016.
Source: Cushman and Wakefi eld Note: based on latest available data.
Millions In Uncollected Fines By MTA!
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority failed to collect more than $13 million in fi nes over two years for public transit-related offenses such as dodging fares. ‘With trains bursting at the seams and delays on the rise, Transit needs every dollar it can get to improve the subway service for straphangers,’ Mr. DiNapoli. “Fines are meant to deter bad behavior, but when Transit fails to enforce its own fi nes, it risks sending the message that its rules are made to be broken.’ The audit found the authority’s Transit Adjudication Bureau, which handles violations of city transit rules, processed more than 320,000 summonses with fi nes worth more than $30 million from January 2013 to June 6, 2015, but collected about $17 million. In addition, Mr. DiNapoli’s offi ce found, city transit offi cials often didn’t record adequate information on the summonses that would be needed to track down alleged violators.”
City Summonses JumpDe Blasio Vowed Cutback
“City agencies that issue sum-monses besides parking tickets handed out 633,501 violations in the first 11 months of fiscal 2016 - more than the entire previous year and the most since 2010. In that year, New Yorkers were hit with 694,273 sum-monses for offenses ranging from dirty sidewalks to dirty restaurants. While running for mayor, de Blasio ripped the Bloomberg administration for giving out too many nuisance sum-monses unnecessarily and promised to institute reforms. ‘The thing that we’re
focused on immediately is ending the arbitrary ticket blitzes that were revenue-based,’ the mayor said in Feb-ruary 2014, two months after taking office. ... The Sanitation Department - which accounts for two-thirds of the summonses - carpeted the city with 417,252 from July 2015 through May 2016. During the previous two years, it handed out 368,577 and 419,590, respectively. Summonses are also up at most of the nine other agencies that fall under the ECB umbrella, from Parks to Environmental Protection.”
IRS ScamBeware of any phone calls from
con-artists claiming they are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Scam-mers have been known to trick residents nationwide into sharing private infor-mation, and often alter caller ID to look like the call is coming from the IRS in
Washington. Victims have claimed the callers often threaten to send police or begin the home foreclose process after receiving a lack of cooperation. The IRS never employs these tactics as they have formal procedures in place
PAGE 28 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
Manhattan Hotel List(Continued from Page 28)
Muse Hotel130 W 46th Street
between 6th & 7th Aves.
Palace Hotel455 Madison Avenue
between 50th & 51st Streets
Novotel Hotel226 W 52nd Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
Paramount Hotel235 W 46th Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
Park Central Hotel870 7th Avenue at 56th Street
Park Savoy Hotel158 E 58th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Peninsula Hotel700 5th Avenue at 55th Street
Pennsylvania Hotel401 7th Avenue
between 32nd & 33rd Streets
Pierre Hotel2 E 61st Street at 5th Avenue
Plaza Hotel
768 5th Avenue at Central Park South
Plaza Athenee Hotel37 E 64th Street
between Madison & 5th Avenues
Radio City Suites Hotel142 W 49th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
Radisson Lexington Hotel511 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street
Ramada New Yorker Hotel481 8th Avenue at 34th Street
Renaissance Hotel714 7th Avenue at 48th Street
Regency Hotel540 Park Avenue at 61st Street
Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Avenue at 47th Street
Roger Williams Hotel131 Madison Avenue at 31st Street
Roosevelt Hotel
45 E 45th Street at Madison Avenue
Salisbury Hotel123 W 57th Street
between 6th & 7th Avenues
San Carlos Hotel150 E 50th Street
between 3rd & Lexington Avenues
Sheraton Manhattan Hotel790 Seventh Avenue
between 51st & 52nd Streets
Sheraton New York Hotel811 Seventh Avenue
between 52nd & 53rd Streets
Sheraton Russell Hotel
45 Park Avenue at 37th Street
Sherry Netherland Hotel781 5th Avenue at 59th Street
Shoreham Hotel33 W 55th Street
between 5th & 6th Avenues
Skyline Hotel725 Tenth Avenue at 49th Street
Sofi tel Hotel
45 W 44th Streetbetween 5th & 6th Avenues
SoHo Grand Hotel310 W Broadway
between Canal & Grand Streets
Solita SoHo Hotel159 Grand St
St. Regis Hotel
2 E 55th Street at 5th Avenue
Travel Inn Hotel515 W 42nd Street
between 7th & 8th Avenues
TriBeCa Grand Hotel
2 6th Avenuebetween White & Walker Streets
Trump International Hotel
1 Central Park West at Columbus Circle
W Court Hotel
130 E 39th Streetbetween Lexington & Park Avenues
W New York Hotel
541 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street
Waldorf Astoria Hotel301 Park Avenue
between 49th & 50th Streets
Warwick Hotel65 W 54th Street at 6th Avenue
Westin NEw York Grand Central
212 E 42nd Streetbetween 2nd & 3rd Avenues
LETTERS(Continued from Page 18)
149th street near Morris avenue. A man arrived by my vehicle requesting for a WAV vehicle. I didn’t have the ramp and I asked him to contact a local car service or call 311. He stated that his phone battery was depleted. At that point I felt sorry for him and proceeded to call 311. Operator stated that TLC doesn’t provide immediate service in all the Boros except Manhattan. The number I called was (646) 599-9999. The operator offered a Bronx car service number to me as an alternative. I called the Bronx number and they stated immediate service for a WAV vehicle is unavailable. It must be by appointment only. The man in the wheelchair was yelling and stating that he will never get home. I understood his frustration. The rain was coming down and the man waited outside with the hope of a WAV vehicle to come. This was so heart wrenching for me as I felt the feeling of what a wheelchair customer must go through to catch a cab in New York City. I tried to keep him calm as he was shouting with disbelief that a WAV cab wasn’t available. I became more motivated to help him. I googled car service in the Bronx and obtained a substantial directory for the Bronx area. I called each base and quickly learned that there wasn’t a WAV vehicle on duty at that hour. This troubled me as the man became more irate. I didn’t want to leave him until I found assistance. I spotted a total of two green WAV vehicles during this time and both drivers stated they were unavilible. I felt emotional as a tear started to come out of my eye. I started to feel the hopelessness feeling that the wheelchair person was having sinking into the core of my heart. This was in a span of approximately 30 to 45 min and I was unsuccessful. I didn’t like the feeling of failure. Then he said “ I might as well stay on the street tonight since I’m unable to make it home. These words penetrated my soul. I hated the feeling of helpnesses. I started to feel angry inside. The wheelchair person started to leave and I ask him where are you going? He didn’t want to talk me. He kept moving towards Lincoln Hospital. I assumed that he was headed to the emergency room but he ignored me due to the frustration he had of not being able to catch a taxi like anyone else. So sad
John L.
Raising Your ArmDear Taxi Dave,
Taxis did not buy the motion of raising your arm, nobody buys such a thing . We bought street hail , we bought the right to be the taxis of NYC. What else does street hail mean? except the fact that if the city needed taxis we were the ones that would be the ones. Thats what we bought . We were/are the common man , buying a common business of a taxicab .
The city owes us the right to be the exclusive taxi.
Michael S.
Illegal HailDear Taxi Dave,
On Any saturday morning when the cruise ships come in. Between 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM, on
West 48th street and 12th avenue (south east corner facing north). You will find black cars parked on 48th street facing east and black cars parked north east corner of 48street facing north. These black cars and livery cars are parked near the yel-low cabs. A group of about 20 different hustlers stand in front of the yellow cab line and taxi stand, They solicite/steal passengers away into black cars. They usually take all of the big jobs and leave the yellow cabs with the small penn station/Grand cen-tral/Port authority jobs. furthermore, they pay the workers on the cruise ship traffice patrol to bring them the jobs instead of coming to the yellow cab taxi stand. I’ve been informed by many yellow cab drivers that this is something that is pretty normal and has been going on for years.
Tanveer
DiscriminationDear Taxi Dave,
The TLC mandates that we except cash. There-fore needing more security apparatus.The TLC also mandates that black cars limit their cash.Therefore needing less security apparatus. This need for more security in taxis renders our vehicles less comfort-able. Taxis , in exchange for obeying regulations that serve the public, are discriminated against by
the city which allows direct competition that does not have to serve the public.
Michael
When It RainsDear Taxi Dave,
Thirsty and on the run, I jumped in a yellow cab and quickly opened my extra large bottle of seltzer water, immediately drenching myself and the entire interior (floor to ceiling) of the cab.
Thankfully, Cabby stayed dry behind the plastic divider, but as he took the next street super fast, I sort of panicked, wondering if he was annoyed about the carbonated back-seat nightmare.
Soaking in soda and shame, I threw open my purse and grabbed the first thing I found — a giant maxi-pad — which I hastily began using to absorb the results of my bubbly water explosion. I was still detailing the plastic divider with the maxi-pad wings when the cab stopped across town.
As I sheepishly handed him soggy cash, Cabby tapped his head, pointed at the waterlogged maxi in my hand and laugh-yelled in a thick Russian accent: “Very inventive! That is why women rule the world!”
LisaReprinted with permission from The New York
Times.
Photo by David Pollack
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 29
LICENSEDREPRESENTATIVES
AND ATTORNEYSTony Falese, Industry Rep.
TIXFIX(718) 361-3081
Michael Spevak, Esq.97-77 Queens Blvd., Suite 1120
Rego Park, NY 11374(212) 754-1011
Karen Friedman, Esq.30 East 33rd Street • 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016(212) 213-2145
NYCDAC34-11 Queens Blvd.
Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 729-4700
Celeste Katz, Esq.Law • DMV • Criminal TLC
[email protected](917) 548-9907
ACCIDENT ATTORNEYSMarc Albert
(347) 472-5080www.MSAINJURYLAW.com
ACCOUNTANTSAction Tax Services21-03 44th Avenue
LIC, NY 11101(718) 932-3737
TOW TRUCKMastermind Towing
24-Hour Towing ServiceReasonable Rates for TAXIS
Call 718-926-0616(888) SEND-1-TOW
BUY A TAXI CABKoeppel Nissan
74-15 Northern Blvd.Flushing, NY 11372
(718) 898-7800
Hudson Toyota599 Route 440Jersey City, NY(877) 422-0289
Lees Toyota139-65 Queens Blvd.Jamaica, NY 11435
(718)
Plaza Toyota2721 Nostrand AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11210
(347) 554-6215(347) 554-6000
MV-1(877) 681-3678
LEASE A TAXIAll Taxi Management
41-25 36th StreetLong Island City, NY 11101
(718) 361-0055TLC#202
D&J Management of Queens34-14 64th Street
Woodside, NY 11377(718) 458-6609
TLC#236
Eddie’s Management40-08 24th StreetLIC, NY 11101(718) 707-0072
TLC#A0280
JTL Management36-16 Skillman Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 392-7000
TLC#213
McGuinness Management330 McGuinness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-8448TLC#A0259
On Our Way Management Corp.6814 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11220(718) 833-8125TLC# A0249
S & R Medallion625 West 51st StreetNew York, NY 10019
(212) 957-9200 TLC# A0224
Taxifl eet Management LLC54-11 Queens Boulevard
Woodside, NY 11377(718) 779-5000
TLC#307
Taxifl eet Management LLC34-14 31st Street LIC, NY 11101(718) 361-6363
TLC#A0308
Winners Garage34-14 64th Street
Woodside, NY 11377(718) 458-7000
TLC#110
LICENSED BROKERS TOBUY MEDALLIONS
Briarwood Transfer Services LLC@Melrose Credit Union Center
139-30 queens Blvd.Briarwood, NY 11435
(718) 658-9800 ext. 1019TLC# R0057
Chelsea Taxi Brokers287 10th Avenue
NY, NY(212) 947-9833(212) 695-0601
TLC#R0004
Jericho Taxi Brokers36-16 Skillman Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 392-7000
TLC#R0001
LOMTO Generation Brokerage435 West 45th StreetNew York, NY 10036
(212) 582-5721TLC#R0018
Mystic Brokerage Inc.330 McGuinness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-7610TLC#R0050
Pearland Transfer Corp.36-01 43rd Avenue
LIC, NY 11101(718) 361-0033
TLC#R0020
Westway Medallion Sales657 Tenth Avenue
NY, NY 10036(212) 977-4590
TLC#R0039
Friendly Group Ltd.287 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10001(212) 947-9833
INSURANCECOMPANIES FOR
WORKER’S COMPENSATION:Hereford Insurance Company
36-01 43rd AvenueLong Island City, NY 11101
(718) 361-9191
LOANS/FINANCINGAll Boro Funding, LLC330 McGuinness Blvd.Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-8448
Bay Ridge Federal Credit Union1750 86th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11214(718) 680-2121
LOMTOFederal Credit Union
50-24 Queens BoulevardWoodside, New York 11377
(212) 947-3380
Melrose Credit Union139-30 Queens Boulevard
Briarwood, NY 11435(718) 658-9800
Rapid Funding657 Tenth Avenue
NY, NY 10036(212) 977-4083
TLC FACILITIESTLC Headquarters33 Beaver Street,NY, NY 10006
(212) 676-10003
Licensing and Adjudications32-02 Queens Boulevard
LIC, NY 11101(212) 852-4636
Uniformed Services Bureau24-55 BQE West
Woodside, NY 11377(718) 267-4555
TAXI TECHNOLOGYVeriFone Transportation Systems
(d/b/a Taxitronic)37-01 21st StreetLIC, NY 11106(718) 752-1656
CMT(Creative Mobile Technologies)
11-51 47th AvenueLong Island City, NY 11101
(718) 349-7700
PRINT & GRAPHICSSERVICES
Dragonfl y Graphics LLC4 Court Square • 2nd Floor
Long Island City, NY 11101(718) 392-7042
PAGE 30 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
������������������
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PAGE 32 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
NEW 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS V
NEW 2016 TOYOTA CAMRY LE
NEW 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
TAXI CAB OUTLET
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 33
NYCNYCRecommendations to passengers always increase the opportunity for a big tip!
Here is is a listing that will help keep all taxi drivers in the loop on what's going onin New York City! Mention these events & promotions and watch the tips grow !
EVENTS AND MORE IN THE BIG APPLE
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Movie Guide For New York CityThursday, September 16
“Ghost”: LIC Landing at Hunters Point South Park, Hunts Point, Long Island City - Sundown
NYC FUN! beach and Boardwalk, cling to each other on the rides in Luna Park and scarf down hot dogs at Nathan’s (and please stick to that order—hot dogs followed by a roller-coaster ride may have decidedly non-romantic results).
Rockaway Beach: Immortalized by the Ramones, this sunny Queens spot has two surf beaches, seaside restaurants and hip bars like Connolly’s and Low Tide Bar.
Cinephilic CoupleCool down at the Syndicated, Metro-
graph or Nitehawk theaters: these are not your Regals or AMCs. The newish hybrids pack in charming decor, full menus and bar offerings along with cu-rated movie pickings.Young-at-Heart Couple
Mini Golf at Pier 25: If you want to feel like you’re visiting a campy beach town within NYC, head to Pier 25 in Tribeca.
Royal Palms Shuffl eboard: OK, you might imagine this Florida-inspired bar
to be more for the old at heart—but it will bring out your childlike competitive side with shuffl eboard lanes, Connect Four and oversize Jenga (plus there are DJs and food trucks).
Summer Streets: The roads of NYC turn into a giant playground for three Saturdays in the summer. Bring your paramour zip-lining, rock climbing or water sliding along roughly seven miles of open pavement.Theater-Going Couple
Broadway in Bryant Park: Get free front-row seats to musical numbers from shows like Waitress, Fun Home and Something Rotten on Thursdays in Bryant Park. Savings are romantic, right?
Governors Island: Sound of Music geeks can twirl with arms wide open on the island’s new hills and even ride their vintage bicycles under tree-lined streets. Wearing outfi ts made out of window curtains is up to you.
Reprinted with permission from NYCgo.com.
Riverside strolls, gourmet picnics and beach getaways are just a few of the romantic dates couples visiting New York City can try this summer. The rich culture and diverse topography mean that every pair can sneak in a little summer lovin’ once the weather heats up. We’ve picked a wide range of activities so the two of you can mix and match (but together, of course); read on to fi nd swoon-worthy NYC summer dates for every type of couple.
Sporty Spice CoupleFree kayaking: Grab a paddle at
Tribeca’s Pier 26 Boathouse and get out on the Hudson River for roughly 20 minutes. In Queens, check out the Long Island City Community Boathouse and row on the East River.
Running: Take advantage of the City’s stunning vistas and work up a sweat with these running trails in all fi ve boroughs. Experts claim that couples who work out together forge a special bond.
Baseball game: Prefer to be a specta-tor? Head to a Mets or Yankees game for an all-American date.
Food-Loving CoupleGrand Banks: Dine on a refurbished,
refi ned schooner docked off Pier 25 in the Hudson River. The seafood-centric restaurant is particularly popular for its lobster rolls.
Shake Shack: If you want to do some-thing more low key (fi rst date, maybe?), the original Shake Shack is a good bet. Grab the famous burgers and shakes and eat under the twinkly lights in Madison Square Park.
Smorgasburg: In Brooklyn, Smorgas-burg and summer are almost synonymous. Over the years, the weekly outdoor food festival has expanded in its home borough to two locations (Williamsburg and Pros-pect Park), plus one in Lower Manhattan at the Seaport. Try dishes from several different food trucks and create your own gourmet picnic. After all, studies have shown that trying new things together helps relationships thrive.
Consider as well these places to eat outside.
Romantic CoupleBrooklyn Heights Promenade: Stun-
ning views of Lower Manhattan serve as the backdrop here, while blooming fl ow-ers, trees and the brownstones of Brooklyn Heights serve as the, um…frontdrop? Park yourselves on a bench and watch all the other heart-eyes-emoji couples walk by. Or just recreate moments from romantic comedies like Moonstruck, which fi lmed scenes here.
The High Line: This elevated garden and pathway is always picturesque, but you’ll get extra points from your sweetie if you catch the sunset over the Hudson River. Plus, most of the crowds should have cleared out by then.
Rowboat in Central Park: Did you really think we could leave this off the list? Up the dreaminess by dining at the Central Park Boathouse and crossing over Bow Bridge.
Wave Hill: Check out this beautiful green space—which includes a garden, park and art gallery—that overlooks the Hudson River in the Bronx. Artistic-Minded Couple
Frick Collection: Immerse yourself in the romance of the rococo Fragonard Room, home to the French painter’s Prog-ress of Love cycle—and lavish period decor to match.
The Met Roof Garden Bar: After strolling through the behemoth Met Fifth Avenue museum, head up to the rooftop bar and garden to see views of Central Park and this year’s art exhibit, Transi-tional Object (PsychoBarn) by Cornelia Parker. While you’re there, sip on themed drinks like the Red Barn sangria and the Corpse Reviver.
The Met Cloisters: The historic arches and central garden of the Met Cloisters almost upstage the medieval art that fi lls up this museum in Fort Tryon Park.
Stuart Davis at the Whitney: In spring 2015 the new, glass-paned Whitney opened in the Meatpacking District. It’s still a hot spot. One of the biggest exhibits this summer is Stuart Davis’ jazzy In Full Swing. While you’re there, grab a bite to eat at Danny Meyer’s Untitled, the lobby-level restaurant, or sip cocktails outside on the eighth-fl oor Studio Café balcony.
Musical DuoCelebrate Brooklyn: Check out this
series in the Prospect Park Bandshell. In addition to the bands, the food menu is pretty great.
MoMA PS1 Warm-Up: This alter-native concert series includes sets by experimental musicians and DJs in the courtyard and admission to the museum; you can also buy food and drink from M. Wells Dinette.
SummerStage: Catch (mostly) free concerts in virtually every genre at this fi ve-borough summer series.
Retro Couple Flea Markets: Shop for vintage duds
and accessories together at outdoor fl ea markets around the City. Brooklyn Flea and LIC Flea & Food are among the big ones.
Jazz Age Lawn Party: The fi rst week-end of the 1920s fest has passed, but you have plenty of time to style your bob and work on your Charleston for August 13–14 on Governors Island.
Midsummer Night Swing: Lincoln Center throws footloose and fancy-free lessons focused on swing, ballroom and jazz dancing.A Couple of Beach Bums
Coney Island: Get some sun on the
PAGE 34 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
September Book Signings
Abby Wambach, US women’s soccer starsigning copies of Forward
9/12/16 7:00 PM at Book Revue New York Avenue. Huntington, NY. 9/13/16 Noon at Barnes & Noble
Fifth Avenue. New York, NY. 9/15/16 6:00 PM at BookEnds
East Ridgewood Avenue. Ridgewood, NJ. 9/16/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble
Mt. Hope Avenue. Rochester, NY.
Mike Love, founding member of The Beach Boys,signing copies of Good Vibrations
9/13/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & NobleUnion Square. New York, NY.
Roger Bart, Rachel York, and other cast memberssign copies of Disaster!
9/14/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & NobleEast 86th Street . New York, NY.
Elizabeth Vargas, ABC News correspondentsigning copies of Between Breaths
9/14/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & NobleUnion Square. New York, NY.
Mara Wilson, star of “Matilda” and “Mrs. Doubtfi re”signing copies of Where Am I Now?
9/14/16 7:00 PM at The Astoria Bookshop 31st Street. Astoria, NY.
9/17/16 Noon at Ample Hills CreameryNevins Street. Brooklyn, NY.
Jamie Lee Curtis, fi lm and TV starsigning copies of This Is Me
9/19/16 6:00 PM at BookEnds East Ridgewood Avenue. Ridgewood, NJ. 9/20/16 4:00 PM at Barnes & Noble
East 86th Street. New York, NY.
Norm MacDonald, former “Saturday Night Live” star,signing copies of Based On A True Story
9/21/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & NobleUnion Square. New York, NY.
Brian McKnight, R&B singer-songwritersigning copies of An Evening With Brian McKnight
9/23/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & NobleEast 86th Street. New York, NY.
Idina Menzel, Broadway & fi lm starsigning copies of idina.
9/23/16 1:00 PM at Barnes & NobleFifth Avenue. New York, NY.
Carli Lloyd, US women’s soccer starsigning copies of When Nobody Was Watching
9/26/16 3:00 PM at Barnes & NobleFifth Avenue. New York, NY.
9/26/16 7:00 PM at BookEndsEast Ridgewood Avenue. Ridgewood, NJ. 9/29/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble
Haddonfi eld Road. Cherry Hill, NJ.
Alton Brown, star of “Good Eats” and “Cutthroat Kitchen”signing copies of EveryDayCook
9/27/16 7:00 PM at Book Revue New York Avenue. Huntington, NY.
9/28/16 7:00 PM at Barnes & NobleUnion Square. New York, NY.
Daus(Continued from Page 24)
• Public paratransit subsidies, which are not efficiently used on multi-passenger vans that operate on non-fixed routes, could be directed to wheelchair accessible taxicabs and FHVs.
UNIVERSAL TAXICAB APPS• An easy-to-use universal e-hail
application gives customers access to, and the ability to electronically hail the entire fleet of locally available taxis through a single smartphone or mobile device application, which al-lows local taxi industries to maintain high revenues for drivers and fast and reliable service for consumers, and in doing so, to more effectively compete with TNCs.
SELF-REGULATION GOVERNMENT REGULATION
OR A HYBRID-TECHBASED MODEL?
• In general, governments, and not private parties, should be the ones who regulate; but if TNCs are allowed to engage in self-regulation due to the lack of government resources, they should be required to pay for the enforcement resources and turn over their data to facilitate auditing and compliance.
• Strong local enforcement efforts coupled with stringent and uniform safety, consumer protection, and li-censing standards at a state level is ideally how such a regulatory system would work.
With every cloud, there is hope for a silver lining. With TNCs, the solution could be an awakening of high-level transportation policy plan-ning that re-imagines the transporta-tion ecosystem for our sustainable future, with all modes and technology in mind. In order to make progress in leveling the playing field, certain safety and accountability standards must be raised for TNCs on back-ground checks and insurance, and these standards must apply to all. While universal apps and many
smaller measures could help, the most significant impact would be: (1) to institute growth limitations coupled with incentives that promote clean air, accessibility and service to un-derserved areas; (2) to equally apply, limit and/or eliminate surge pricing; and (3) to reform public paratransit by redirecting wasted multi-passenger van subsidies to wheelchair acces-sible taxicabs and for-hire vehicles with uniform dispatch systems or apps. In terms of planning these changes, transit planning agencies, airports, business improvement dis-tricts, incumbent for-hire and taxi industries, TNCs and others must all be at the table working together, with government taking the lead.
FOOTNOTES1. Andrew P. Matera, an associate at-torney with the law fi rm of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP, assisted in the preparation of this article. 2. A study released in May 2015, that I co-authored, was peer reviewed by a blue ribbon panel of academics, crimi-nologists, law enforcement offi cials, and security experts, who provided approval for the conclusions reached. See: http://www.whosdrivingyou.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/back-ground_check_report.pdf. 3. PCI standards include building and maintaining a secure network; policies for protecting cardholder data; maintaining vulnerability management programs, such as antivirus programs; implementing strong access controls; regular system monitoring and main-taining an information security policy. See: http://searchcompliance.techtar-get.com/defi nition/PCI-compliance. 4. For example, all of New York City’s for-hire vehicle bases, including black car and luxury limousine bases, must have the capability to dispatch a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. See: http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/faq/faq_access_veh.shtml. http://nuridetransportationgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Accessible-Transportation-Reform-Study-Daus-Mischel-7.30.14-2.pdf.
Photo by David Pollack
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 35
THE TAXI DAVESHOWBrought To You by
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PAGE 36 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
Defensive Driving ClassAvailable Free
Choose Your Car
Injured Bicyclist Sues Dinkins
Former mayor accused of breaking deliveryman’s ankle in hit-and-run -- New York Post: “Former Mayor David Dinkins struck a bicycle-riding food deliveryman with his car and drove off, leaving the man lying injured on the roadway, a lawsuit fi led Friday charges. Dinkins, 89, was driving his 2013 ¬Cadillac south on York Avenue at about 11:50 a.m. on June 30 when he struck Rodrigo Garcia, according to a lawyer for the alleged victim, who is suing in Manhattan Supreme Court. Dinkins told cops the bicyclist drove into the side of his car. Garcia told po-lice he was pedaling north on York to make a delivery and was about to turn left onto East 69th Street when, the suit alleges, Dinkins’ Caddy caught the front basket of Garcia’s bike, throwing him to the ground.”
STATSSTAT OF THE DAY -- 937: Num-
ber of people in New York City who unintentionally overdosed on drugs in 2015, compared with 541 in 2014
STAT OF THE DAY -- 23%: How many of murders, rapes, robberies and assaults in city parks increased in the nine months through March, compared to a year earlier, according to Wall Street Journal
CITY PAYS DEAD - “An audit of the state Medicaid system by the state comptroller’s office found $2.3 million in payments for dead patients, part of some $12.1 million in inap-propriate payments made between April 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2015. The audit found that New York State of Health, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace, enrolled 119 people who were deceased into the Medic-aid program and did not automati-cally terminate 1,177 enrollees who died after enrollment. Nearly 4,900 claims totaling almost $2.3 million on behalf of 966 enrolled recipients were paid out. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office said 766 of the dead enrollees still had active Medicaid coverage at the end of its fieldwork, and a subsequent state Department of Health review found that four of those people were actually still alive. The other 762 accounts were closed.”
Sidewalk In Brooklyn Double Parked in Queens
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 37
Events For You and Your Passengers in The Big Apple
Broadway Shows Off Broadway ShowsALADDIN
New Amsterdam Theatre214 West 42nd Street
AN ACT OF GODThe Booth Theatre
222 West 45th Street
AN AMERICAN IN PARISPalace Theatre1564 Broadway
BEAUTIFULTHE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
Stephen Sondheim Theatre124 West 43rd Street
BLACKBIRDBelasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
BRIGHT STARCort Theatre
138 West 48th Street
CATSNeil Simon Theatre
250 West 52nd Street
CHICAGOAmbassador Theatre219 West 49th Street
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PARAMOURLyric Theatre
214 West 43rd Street
DEAR EVAN HANSONBelasco Theatre
111 West 44th Street
FIDDLER ON THE ROOFBroadway Theatre
1681 Broadway
FINDING NEVERLANDLunt-Fontanne Theatre205 West 46th Street
FUN HOMECircle in the Square Theatre
West 50th Street
HAMILTONRichard Rodgers Theatre
226 West 46th Stret
HOLIDAY INNStudio 54
254 West 54th Street
JERSEY BOYSAugust Wilson Theater245 West 52nd Street
KINKY BOOTSAl Hirshfi eld Theater203 West 45th Street
LES MISERABLESImperial Theatre
249 West 45th Street
LONG DAY’S JOURNEYINTO NIGHT
American Airlines Theatre227 West 42nd Street
LOVE. LOVE. LOVELaura Pels Theatre
111 West 46th Street
MATILDATHE MUSICALShubert Theater
225 West 44th Street
NAPOLI, BROOKLYNLaura Pels Theatre
111 West 46th Street
NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812
Imperial Theatre249 West 45th Street
ON YOUR FEET!THE STORY OF EMILIO AND
GLORIA ESTEFANMarquis Theatre1535 Broadway
SCHOOL OF ROCKWinter Garden Theatre
1634 Broadway
SHE LOVES MEStudio 54
254 West 54th Street
SHUFFLE ALONG, or THE MAKING OF THE MUSICAL
SENSATION OF 1921 AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED
Music Box Theatre239 West 45th Street
SOMETHING ROTTENSt. James Theatre
246 West 44th Street
THE BOOK OF MORMONEugene O’Neil Theatre
230 West 49th Street
THE CHERRY ORCHARDAmerican Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
THE COLOR PURPLEBernard B. Jacobs Theatre
242 West 45th Street
THE CRUCIBLEWalter Kerr Theatre219 West 48th Street
AVENUE QNew World Stages
340 West 50th Street
BLACK ANGELS OVER TUSKEGEE
Actors Temple Theatre339 West 47th Street
BLUE MAN GROUPAstor Plae Theatre
424 Lafayette Street
CAGNEYWestside Theatre
407 West 43rd Street
DRUNK SHAKESPEAREThe Lounge at Roy Arias Theatre
300 West 43rd Street
FUERZA BRUTAThe Daryl Roth Theatre
101 East 15th Street
GAZILLION BUBBLE SHOWNew World Stages
340 West 55th Street
HIMSELF AND NORAMinetta Lane Theatre
18 Minetta Lane
IT’S JUST SEXActors Temple Theatre339 West 47th Street
MONDAY NIGHT MAGICTheatre 80
80 Saint Marks Place
MY BIG GAY ITALIAN FUNERALSt. Luke’s Theatre
308 West 46th Street
MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDINGSt. Luke’s Theatre
308 West 46th Street
MY SON THE WAITER:A JEWISH TRAGEDY
Stage 72 at The Triad Theatre158 West 72nd Street
NAKED BOYS SINGINGKirk Theatre
410 West 42nd Street
NEWSicalKirk Theatre
410 West 42nd Street
PERFECT CRIMESnapple Theatre Center
210 West 50th Street
RUTHLESSSt. Luke’s Theatre
308 West 46th Street
SAM EATON’STHE QUANTUM EYE
MENTALISM & MAGIC SHOWTheatre 80
80 St. Marks Place
SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN
The 777 Theatre777 Eighth Avenue
SHEAR MADNESSNew World Stages
340 West 50th Street
SISTAS: THE MUSICALSt. Lukes Theatre
308 West 46th Street
STOMPOrpheum Theatre
126 Second Avenue
THE BERENSTAIN BEARSThe Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre
5 West 63rd Street
THE FANTASTICKSSnapple Theater Center
210 West 50th Street
THE JACKIE MASON MUSICALSt. Luke’s Theatre
308 West 46th Street
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM
Laura Pels Theatre111 W 46th Street
THE MARVELOUSWONDERETTES
Kirk Theatre410 West 42nd Street
THE VERY HUNGRYCATERPILLAR SHOW
Acorn Theatre410 West 42nd Street
THE WONDERFUL WIZARDOF SONG: THE MUSIC OF
HAROLD ARLENSt. Luke’s Theatre
308 West 46th Street
(Continued on Page 38)
PAGE 38 • TAXI INSIDER • SEPTEMBER 2016
(Continued from Page 37)
THE CURIOUS INCIDENTOF THE DOG IN
THE NIGHT-TIMEEthel Barrymore Theatre
243 West 47th Street
THE ENCOUNTERGolden Theatre
252 West 45th Street
THE HUMANSHelen Hayes Theatre240 West 44th Street
THE ILLUSTIONISTLunt-Fontanne Theatre205 West 46th Street
THE KING AND ILincoln Center
70 Lincoln Center Plaza
Museums along Museum MileEl Museo del Barrio at 104th Street
Museum of the City of New York at 103rd StreetJewish Museum at 92nd Street
Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design at 91st StreetNational Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts at 89th Street
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at 88th StreetMetropolitan Museum of Art from 82nd to 86th StreetsGoethe House German Cultural Center at 82nd Street
Other MuseumsThe Museum of American Finance, the nation’s only independent public ...
Museum of American Finance, 48 Wall StreetAfrican Burial Ground - corners of Duane and Elk Streets
American Folk Art Museum 45 W. 53rd St.American Museum of Natural History 77th St Central Park West
Children’s Museum of the Arts 250 Lafayette St # A,Children’s Museum of the Arts
Free Art Island Outpost Program at Governors IslandHarbor Defense Museum - 230 Sheridan Loop, Brooklyn
Italian American Museum-155 Mulberry StKehila Kedosha Jania Museum-280 Broome St
Luxce Project 53 Stanton StThe Morgan Library and Museum-225 Madison Ave.
Museum of Chinese In America-211 Centre StMuseum of Jewish Heritage- HolocaustEdmond J. Safra Plaza - 36 Battery Place
Museum at FIT-Seventh Ave.Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W 53rd StMuseum of Modern Art Design-81 Spring St # A
National Museum of the American IndianAlexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, 1 Bowling Green
New Museum of Contemporary Art-235 BoweryNew World Art Ctr-250 Lafayette St # 5
New York City Police Museum-100 Old SlipPoets House - Ten River Terrace
Queens Museum of Art-49th Ave. and 111th St.Rubin Museum of Art-150 West 17th Street
Skyscraper Museum - 39 Battery PlaceSouth Street Seaport Museum - 12 Fulton Street
The Tenement Museum-108 Orchard StWhitney Museum of American Art-945 Madison Ave
Broadway Shows
THE LION KINGMinskoff Theatre
200 West 45th Street
THE PHANTOM OFTHE OPERA
Majestic Theatre242 West 45th Street
THE PRICEAmerican Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
WAITRESSBrooks Atkinson Theatre
256 West 47th Steet
WICKEDGershwin Theater
222 West 51st Street
IRS Scam (Continued from Page 27)
to resolve tax issues and never resort to “shake-downs.”
Watch for these signs of a scam: • The caller demands immediate
payment – the IRS will never call about taxes owed without fi rst mailing you a bill and giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount
• Require that you use a prepaid debit card for your payment
• Ask for credit or debit card num-bers over the phone
• Threaten to have you arrested for non-payment of taxes
If you receive a phone call from
someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what to do:
• If you believe you were the victim of a scam, report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1-800-366-4484 or online at www.tigta.gov.
• File a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant: choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams”. Include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. Or you can call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
• If you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
Beware of any unsolicited email, text or other contact about your taxes!
5 Things to Know AboutSocial Security
When it comes to something as important as Social Security, it’s good to know you’re getting as much from it as possible. Here are fi ve things to remember:
Your payments will be bigger if you wait until your full retirement age.
You can start receiving Social Secu-rity payments as soon as you turn 62, but your benefi ts may be reduced 20 to 30 percent, according to the United States Social Security Administration (SSA). That’s a lot, especially if you expect to spend many years in retirement. You may want to think about working a bit longer or relying on your retirement sav-ings to help cover your living expenses until you can receive full benefi ts.
What’s Your ‘full retirement age?’
This chart from the SSA lists the full retirement age at which you may be entitled to receive full Social Security retirement benefi ts.
1937 or earlier - 651938 - 65 + 2 months1939 - 65 + 4 months1940 - 65 + 6 months1941 - 65 + 8 months1942 - 65 + 10 months1943-1954 - 661955 - 66 + 2 months1956 - 66 + 4 months1957 - 66 + 6 months1958 - 66 + 8 months1959 - 66 + 10 months1960 or later - 67You can work while getting Social
Security.As long as you’re 62, you have
the option to take Social Security, says the SSA. The SSA sets yearly earnings limits — if you’re receiving Social Security benefi ts before your full retirement age and earn more than the limit, your benefi t payments will be temporarily lowered based on how much you earn. Say you earn $10,000 over the limit. Your benefi ts would be
reduced by $5,000. If you make $20,000 over the limit, they would be reduced by $10,000.
The good news is that you don’t permanently lose your benefi ts if they’re reduced. Instead, your payment amount is recalculated so that you receive the withheld money once you’ve reached full retirement age, notes the SSA. It’s another way working in retirement may help stretch out your income over time.
Your payments won’t start auto-matically.
When you’re ready to start receiving monthly benefi ts, you must apply for them with the SSA. You can do that over the phone (1-800-772-1213), in person, or via the SSA’s online application.
Your benefi ts could be taxed.Some Social Security benefi ciaries
end up paying taxes on their benefi ts, according to the SSA. It all depends on the earnings listed on your income tax return. If you fi le with more than $25,000 as an individual (or $32,000 jointly), you’ll have to pay federal in-come taxes on your benefi ts, according the SSA. The rules for state income taxes vary from state to state.
Your payments can help your family.
Let’s say your monthly benefi ts turn out to be more than your spouse’s. It’s a common scenario, especially in families where one spouse paused their career to stay home with the kids. In cases like this, the SSA says your spouse may be eligible for an additional benefi t — up to one-half of your full retirement amount.
After you die, your spouse will get your monthly benefi t check or hers — whichever is more. And if you have disabled children, kids under age 19, or elderly parents who depend on you for at least half their income, they could receive “survivor benefi ts,” according to the SSA.
SEPTEMBER 2016 • TAXI INSIDER • PAGE 39
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