FUGGEDDABOUTIT! THEY'RE OUTTA HERE!

It would appear that that most illustrious of groups, the epitome of customer service - integrity- and technical job knowledge are about to go on strike. You guessed of course, from the description that I was talking about New York cab drivers.

It seems that the powers that be want GPS's installed in all licensed cabs in the city. The union representing ten thousand of the drivers threaten to strike on Sept 5th, a week from Tuesday unless the order is rescinded. Merciful heaven, not only would the cab driver know where exactly where he is for a change, but so would the Commission. How evil is that! Further, it would provide IRS with a more accurate estimate of income. The other union representing the remaining seven thousand drivers have no such reluctance and see it as a positive thing.

Don't know about all y'all, but when this Texas boy has ventured into the big apple, he's been burnt more'n once by either the greedy and purposeful extra trips around the block, or billed for the sheer incompetence and ignorance of the driver. When you pass the Statue of Liberty going in the same direction, three times, you get plumb suspicious. Back in my uniformed days, I had a cab driver drive around for an hour and a half trying to find the Brooklyn Navy Yards. I finally made him pull over, caught the cab behind us and was there in ten minutes... the second cab driver upon seeing my uniform and hearing my story -- refused to charge me any fare.

'Course it's hard to communicate with the driver when English ain't even his second language, when there is a bullet proof screen between you and him, and with his head out the window describing the ancestries of other drivers while waiving the not so secret hand signal to them.

In London, before a driver can even get a license he has to pass a written knowledge test on the city of London, courtesies and travelers habits, and display a full knowledge of the 37 most direct routes across the city. The latter, he has learn to do on a moped with maps attached to his handlebars so all can recognise the program he is undertaking. I won't even mention the fact that a shirt and tie are expected on the job. Granted, there is still a language barrier because London English and American English are two separate languages.

Back to the point! Seems to me that this would be a heck of a good time for the put-upon New York cab riders to rise up in rebellion and scream, "We're mad as hell and we aren't going to take it anymore!" like that TV feller did. Then call a cab rider's strike and refuse to ride in any cab that did not display a "GPS" logo prominently on the side of the cab. Ride only the seven thousand Yellow Cabs that comply and the thousands of Mini-Cabs available in Gotham! Sure, it might cause a little extra effort for a while but how long would it take the non-GPS cabs to get the message.

The other (and greatest?) effect would be on the Psyche of the average cab rider. They demanded change and they got it! Who knows, maybe they could strike those cabs that haven't been fumigated or the driver hasn't showered in two weeks next year. Shirts and ties in '09?

Power to the people!