Category Archives: politics

Thank a DPT traffic control officer today.

DPT officers get a bad rap. Everyone seems to despise them, yet they are a crucial element necessary to help all of us to effectively share our City streets. Here are a few of the ways they make our lives … Continue reading

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Driving highlights

I had a beautiful set of days to drive a cab in the City. Sunny and 60s is the perfect weather. Above 60s and the greenhouse effect of the car windows makes it a bit too warm. I picked up … Continue reading

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Indiana University students like Obama.

I try to keep up with news back home in Indiana but have done so especially of late as Hillary and Obama duke it out in the Hoosier State. I was happy to come across the below clips produced by … Continue reading

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Cab earnings update: seasonal rise in demand for taxis offsets increased fuel and gate costs.

San Francisco cab drivers face two recent cost pressures: a recent gate fee increase combined with the recent climb in gas prices. Fortunately, these cost pressures come at a time when aggregate demand for taxis in the City is increasing. … Continue reading

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Driving a slow weekend in the City

It was another slow weekend in San Francisco. During my shifts I witnessed a non-trivial collision. A Toyota pickup truck was traveling behind me south on South Van Ness. As we approached the 16th Street intersection he passed me on … Continue reading

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Sad news: New York City congestion fee proposal killed by New York State.

The NY Times reports on the sad news that the New York State Assembly vetoed New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to charge drivers to enter Manhattan during peak times. While I do not understand the legal wrangling between agencies … Continue reading

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News flash: Livable cities are sustainable cities.

NPR’s Morning Edition recently featured an excellent two part series on the aggregate effects of our living decisions on the environment. The stories hit hard from the angle that suburbia increases per capita carbon footprint while denser, urban living offers … Continue reading

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Website highlights financial stress of driving a taxi in the City

I point your temporary attention to a Flash website produced by UC Berkeley j-school grad students Eric Zassenhaus and Amy Jeffries. The video clips thumbnailed along the bottom are accurate and colorful paintings of a typical taxi shift. Well worth … Continue reading

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“Energy independence” is silly. We must use less energy regardless of its source.

My unwavering allegiance to the American Public Media radio program Marketplace was made ever tighter by a clear and compelling opinion piece by Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute. The piece is written so concisely I can do no better … Continue reading

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Fire destroys low-income resident’s apartment. Archaic rent control forces her to leave City.

The Chronicle has a touching and well-written article about the aftermath of the Mission District fire that completely destroyed a 30-unit apartment building Monday evening. Central to the article is the story of Griselda Paleo. Ms. Paleo is 59 and … Continue reading

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