Angry Readers And Angry Comments, on Taxi TownSF

Photo by John Han.

(Updated Notice From The Publisher)  It was originally conceived that this website would be a platform for anyone to express any view, uncensored, as long as they were relevant to the taxi industry.

The idea was that any reader who then subsequently may have found an author's views to be frivolous could comment in the comment box, and effectively correct any erroneous statements, views, etc.  For example, in comments made under the entry entitled, "San Francisco Taxi Driver Robbed Again, April 22, 2011.  By Dean Clark.", it is conceivable that the author could be edified by the responses from readers, and thus influence  an author's original outlook. 

But as a response to the comments made under that entry, changes have been made to the "Submit A Post" section. Any future submissions will be checked for factual accuracy, spelling and grammar, and "descriptive accuracy". Submissions will be sent back to the author for corrections and changes when necessary. If you're interested, click on "Submit a Post" to see new criteria.

Thanks!

Also, an anonymous person put a fair, but critical comment about taxi drivers on "Ask A Cab Driver".  Here's the person's comment, and then my response.

 

Anonymous said...

do you want to know why cab drivers are poor?..in my opinion taxi cab driving is a hustle. just like any hustle if you can't cut it and survive then you need to find a new hustle. Get out of the industry if its not lucrative...simple as that. Nobody forces cab drivers to be cab drivers. We live in a democracy you can be what you want. Taxi drivers choose to be cab drivers. If they aspire to one day have a medallion handed to them then they are in the same boat I am ...I one day wish to win the lotto. Anyhow I respect any hustle i just don't respect those that choose a job and then bitch and moan about how much they hate they're job. I go to Mcdonalds and encounter people mad at the world for working there. Then there are those people humble enough to provide the best service possible even though they are only serving hamburgers. If you love the job you do regardless of how much you get in return good for you. If you love the job you do but can't live off it then get out. simple as that

April 25, 2011 10:30 PM 

John Han said...

To the commenter who says, "do you want to know why cab drivers are poor?... in my opinion taxi driving is a hustle just like any hustle..."

You're right. If people don't like what they do and can't make a living from it, they should go do something else. I had a cab driver like that the other day. . He said he hated cab driving and that the money sucked. His attitude sucked. He said he was really a carpenter, but that carpentry was slow, so he was driving his friend's cab. But he was a terrible cab driver... talked on his phone the whole ride, didn't know where he was going, overall lousy attitude. In that sense, I agree with you that there are some who shouldn't be driving a cab. It's embarrassing.

As for myself, I like driving a cab and try to provide the best service possible even though the pay is not great. I like elderly Paratransit riders, can handle drunks, don't mind homeless riders, actually like yuppie riders, etc. I try to provide the best service I can. Like you say, it's somewhat of a labor of love. But there are many things wrong with this industry that I have no control over but still effect me. But I don't want to leave something that I enjoy so easily. So perhaps the best way to say it is I like driving cab a lot, but often hate how the industry is run, so I want to see changes.

As an analogy, I could love to flip burgers, but still hate McDonalds. If McDonalds was the only place the law would allow me to do what I love to do, then I would try to change McDonalds for what I thought was the better, and at the same time, try to provide the best customer service that I can.

April 28, 2011 7:01 PM