Republican Convention Coming To Tampa August 2012 - What Tampa Offers

A popular tourist destination

The Republican convention is coming to Tampa next year. I have a few thoughts on the matter. First, I wonder if the city will do an 'operation shakedown' to get rid of all the street corner sign fliers. The sight of unemployed panhandlers with orange vest on will be something the city may not want delegates to see, but it does underscore a real problem with the current administrations ability to create jobs. So I say, let them see it and have it on the cable news. Second, will the delegates actually use the taxi cabs. I am sure they will have Mears bus service and limos working the hotels, along with the transportation services. This is why we need a strong cab commission to protect our interest. I am sure the delegates will be using the taxi to go out on the town, however.

Bill O'Rilley says he has never been to a strip club. Do you believe that? Maybe. He did write a novel with a cunningligus scene in it. He missed the mark (clit). It was as if he had never eaten a girl out before. Don't take my word for it, you can buy the book on Amazon. However, Tampa is known for many things and that is tourist love to come here. .

Tampa is known for beautiful beaches, great golf courses, penetrating defense, Ybor city, gaybor...and strip clubs!  I bet they are mobbed. With Bill Buckhorn now the mayor; I wonder if he will install the ten foot rule again and start locking up all the Republican delegates that get to close to a naked lady.

I believe it will be busy, but don't hang your hat on it. You will make a few bucks but don't drive for the next year making no money hoping to make a killing next summer. There were drivers that made no money for six months in late 2008 just so they could have a good 4 days during the Super Bowl when it was in Tampa. Don't do that too yourselves guys. You will just be able to pay your bills that week and that's about it.

"Searching For Bigfoot" Comes To Florida

Saga Magazine 1973

I recently got the opportunity to work with Tom Biscardi - the worlds self-proclaimed best Bigfoot hunter - in the Green Swamp of central Florida. (Many of you may remember in 2008 when those two law enforcement officers in Georgia claimed to have a Bigfoot in a freezer and swindled Biscardi out of $50,000 for something that turned out to be a monkey suit frozen in ice). Tom has been looking for Bigfoot since he was a young man and I remember an old Saga Magazine article about him when I was a teenager. He is still at it, and has collected important DNA that is currently being analyzed to prove that an unknown primate exist on the North American continent.

Tom caught up with me at a meeting point at the north end of the Green Swamp which is part of Richloam track of the Withlacoochee State Forest, and I took him to an area that has been known as a Bigfoot active area for some time. Tom travels with his research team and a trailer full of all kinds of high tech gadgets such as thermal night vision cameras, sound microphones, and computer imaging radar. He does not play around. We went miles deep into the swamp looking for evidence of animal tracks that could be where the big guy is hanging out looking for a food source. We found such an area near a prairie with high grass and pigs running around and clear deer tracks. This is where we decided to do our 'night operation.'

Tom doing an introduction for his upcoming movie about Bigfoot

Tom and I checking out the target area

 About one hour before sunset we set out into the swamp and that is when Mitch saw something moving in the Palmettos and went searching. Since we had already set up the camera traps in the area where the thing was headed, our search yielded a possible print. We believe it was because it was in the area where we saw the movement.

A possible skunk ape footprint we found after we saw movement

One of the cool things about digital technology is the development of all kinds of high-tech gear. Tom has a thermal imaging camera which is used by the United States Military to see in the dark. We used this camera, and others, to peer into the dark in the Green Swamp to see what we could find. We did see several coyotes move across the plain, but on this night, no Bigfoot. That is how this kind of research goes. It is a waiting game, I did have a lot of fun and this was unlike anything I had ever done. 

A night optics camera that can see in the dark

United Cab Lot Full Of Taxi Cabs - Casey Anthony Moving To Tampa?

I went by the United Cab shop this afternoon to shop my cab #597 because I find it impossible to believe that I am not getting bids based on position. There must be something wrong with my cab and I was going to shop it. I know how to drive a cab; I have been driving one for 16 years and know all the 'hot spots' to sit and wait for a call. Youngbloods cannot  beat me at this game. That is why I think I must have a software issue with my taxi. I came across something on the lot that I did not expect when I was looking for a new cab to check out. The lot was overflowing with taxi cabs and all of them were dirty, and had no gas in the tanks.

That tells me that drivers have been quiting because they are not making any money. That is lost revenue for the company and they have done this to themselves. The economy is very bad and this company has never figured out that they could not go on an expansion campaign during the worst economy since the Great Depression. Historians will refer to this period in American History as the "Great Recession" and I could see clear evidence of that on the taxi lot today. Guys are suffering and giving this up. I could hardly find a place to park my taxi! I have never seen it like this.

I worked this morning from 5 to 8 and never got a call. In 16 years of driving I did not think that was possible. I was considering shopping my taxi under false conditions just to get a cab that had some gas in it until I got a little call that allowed me to 5bucks in the tank (enough for one run).

I will let you know tomorrow if it was just my computer. Who knows, if I make money with my new cab that seems to have a good functioning BlackBerry dispatch system, then I will be singing a different tune and loving life. I hope so; I need to be loving life.

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I always thought (for some reason) that the Casey Anthony murder trial was just a local Central Florida issue. It has been all over the local news, and involved people that live in Florida. The jury was picked from the Tampa Bay Area and they only had to go to Orlando (87 miles from Tampa). However, it seems the entire country has been following this case and all of the major cable news outlets. Today, I heard that Vivid entertainment withdrew the offer they had for Casey of one million dollars to do a pornographic film. Vivid succumbed to public outrage, and withdrew the offer. I guess even the porn industry has standards. I suggest she move to the Tampa Bay area where the jury pool was picked. At least she has 12 friends she can lean on. There are jobs at day care centers where she can work. I understand she has real maternal instincts. She can even get a job at Untied Cab as a dispatcher! How cool would that be?

Things Are Very Bad Right Now

Its not only slow; its very hot in the Florida sun

What is going on now in the taxi business in Tampa is not just having "a bad day." Most drivers are getting somewhere between two to five calls a day. That's it. "Don't worry, it will be better tomorrow." a customer told me. I am worried.  Each day is just the same. For example, this morning I came out at Five a.m. and did not get a call until Nine. There has never been a time when a driver during the morning hours would not get a call for over 4 hours.

The new dispatch system is inherently unfair. If you are not close to a call, it will not give you one, nor will it even send you a f*****g bid. Without the bid, I cannot make any money. Paul Hinton says I simply need to park my cab where the calls are going to come out. How in the hell do I do that? The calls could come out from anywhere. I have no psychic abilities, so I guess I am screwed.

Talking to Paul Hinton and Eddie Munster (the computer guy) has proved useless. They don't even know what the algorithms are set at or the parameters of how it will give out a call. Paul just says that one day he will call the main office and find that out. Great! That will do me a lot of good while I STARVE!

The only reason I have not left United Cab to go to Yellow Cab is that I am in the Lighthouse program for the blind school children. After that, I am on my way to a company that will put me to work and provide me with business. I am ready to work and I  need to work. With my years of experience, I will be an asset to any company that wants a quality driver, not just someone that can fog a mirror.

Tampa Taxi Shots Now On Blogger

This is a decision that I have taken much time to consider. I am now publishing my popular blog Tampa Taxi Shots on the free service Blogger. My Typepad blog is now being attacked every day by hackers and span comments. I find it hard to keep pace with this and try and block and remove all comments. I do not have this problem with Blogger which is by Google. I have a ton of archives on my Typepad site, so I guess I will have to maintain it because it is a body of work that I am very proud of. Sorry for this transition period but I feel it is necessary and the time is right for this move. I have a lot of work to do, and I am ready to get going.

Tampa Bay Lightning Are Hot And So Is The Weather (Dispatchers On The Outs)

Tim Of United Taxi

A game six was guaranteed today by a 5-3 victory by the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Boston Bruins. That is fantastic for two major reasons. One, I am a Tampa pro sports fan. Two, these games are bringing money into town. Three hours leading up to the face off, all I did was take people to the St. Pete Times Forum. The Boston fans are great (so is their money). They must have thought it was strange going to a hockey match in this heat at a stadium lined by palm trees.

Not only did the Lightning win, they took it to the Bruins. The series now moves up north for a game five. This series may very well go down to the wire. As a driver that was here when the Stanley Cup was here in 2004, I know how good that event can be. Go Lightning!

All of our dispatchers are now gone back to driving taxi. With the new computer system the radio is being handled by the girls that are phone operators. I can work an entire day now without the radio even being on. That is good for my stress level because I don't have to listen to the attitude and arguing that was going on. Quality is important.

Tampa Bay Lightning - In My Financial Interest

I picked up a newspaper reporter today who was from Boston and down here covering the match between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. We had a great conversation and he told me he had lived all his life in Boston but was a rare journalist nowadays - he was impartial and objective. I agree.

ESPN is very biased against our Tampa Bay Rays and all they want to report on is how few people show up for games, and not how great our pitching is and batting. This guy has the right attitude.

He asked me If I follow hockey. "Not really," I told him but it is an economic fact that a long playoff run in NHL hockey will put money in a Tampa Bay taxi drivers pocket. I made $150 today and it has been a long time since I did that....The series is tied at 1-1 with Tampa at home ice tonight. GO LIGHTNING!!

Tampa At Night And Back Up And Running

I have had a tough week. The change of weather and the drop off in business has not been good. I ran into Big Mike the other day at the shop. He still thinks night taxi driving is the way to go but he does admit there are many Yellow cabs out in the So-Ho area and camping out at the Hyde Park Cafe and McDinttons. You have to pick your shots and be ready to roll on calls The new computer GPS dispatch will give you the mileage of any call you bid on. This is good. However, the best part is you can actually get to the call because of light traffic at night. Did you know that the Florida Highway Patrol estimates that 60% of the drivers on the road on a Saturday night have alcohol in their system. Man, I would not have thought that.

There May Be A Meter Raise For Taxis In Tampa

United Cab Taxi Meter

Paul Hinton told me today that there was a meeting with the Transportation Commission Of Hillsborough County and they are considering a raise on the drop from $2.00 to $3.00. I think this is necessary so that the taxi drivers who have to buy their own gas can make a living. This small amount could be the difference of being able to run the cabs or park them. There is a breaking or tipping point and we are almost there. I am glad that the companies are recognizing this.

There will not be a raise on the per mile charge or the waiting time. I believe on the drop is the right way to go.

The Economic Reality Of Taxi Driving In Tampa Florida

Taxi Drivers in the holding area at Tampa International Airport

The St. Petersburg Times ran an article about the state of taxi cab companies and drivers in Hillsborough County. They quoted me (Tim Fasano) in the article because of this blog. I believe the article hit hard on some very real aspects of the current state of cab driving. 

Jack Nicas went all over Tampa talking with taxi drivers and cab company owners. He went to the holding area at the airport, the major hotels downtown, the club party areas on the weekends and he saw first hand what goes on in our work. This is what he saw at Tampa International Airport.

"For hours under the sun in a lot near Tampa International Airport, a harsh course in economics plays out.
Dozens of taxicabs snake into a queue. Men shout and engines start. The line barely budges.
Rene Jeune is up front now, having waited two hours for one customer. Farther back, Jean Bourdeau watches birds fight. He has just $25 in his pocket for five hours of work.
A few men play cards. Others read. Some doze off.
All tell a similar tale: They work 80-hour weeks, yet take home what a waiter earns in tips — about $200 to $300. Some are said to be homeless, sleeping in their cabs and living for their next fare.
This is the taxi business in Hills­borough County." via www.tampabay.com

Unlike waiters, many taxi cab drivers are barely able to survive. This was not the case before the recession. The economy was good then. That is why I stayed with it for so many years. When the Great Recession hit OUR EXPENSES REMAINED THE SAME AND EVEN WENT UP! 

There is no other way to say it-United Cab use to have a call count of over 2,000 on weekdays, and over 3,000 on weekends. There are days now when we don't crack 700, and with 262 cabs, you figure that out. 

We need the meter to be raised so we can recoup what we have lost. In other business (even transportation) they pass the cost off to the customer. However, with taxi leasing companies, the driver is the customer and we bare all burdens and cost. 

You would think that a cab company would want all of its drivers to prosper and be successful. I believe that if they marketed the company to increase the base line of customers over time. The drivers and the company would all share in a cash party. However, when accountants run companies, their shortsightedness becomes contagious, and whatever visionary may be at the helm, he will shortly be converted by a spreadsheet.

"In 1967, the manager of the only cab company in town told the Tampa Taxicab Commission his drivers made about $112 per week. Adjusted for inflation, that's $742 in today's dollars.
Drivers were employees then, with health insurance, vacations and bonuses, city records show. But in 1975, the Yellow Cab Co. jumped on a national trend and made its drivers independent contractors. The agreement cost cabbies their benefits but let them keep whatever they made.
At the time, Yellow Cab manager Nick Cambas told the Tampa Times: "This should be the answer to those squawking about the little man not having a chance to make it in business."
Thirty-six years later, the little man still awaits his chance.
Drivers today say the system leaves them poor and at risk. Their predicament is compounded by a lack of choices: Two companies control 87 percent of the county's permits.

via www.tampabay.com

Adjusted earnings have not followed the taxi cab drivers nationwide that work on a lease system. All the major cities (except Las Vegas) use a lease system. Most of their drivers struggle to make a subsistence living. I can deal with being poor but as I get older, it would be nice to have some health insurance or Workman's compensation. If I am injured in a car accident today, I have no coverage. I have no pension or retirement. I have nothing, and I am one of the better drivers with over sixteen years experience.

I thought Obamacare would cover me but it will only cover the employees of the cab company. They call that "a prohibited cost" so they will pass that on to the drivers and raise our leases again forcing us to work 16 hours a day 7 days a week. With the price of gas, where is the tipping point?

When the economy collapsed a few years ago, drivers say they shouldered the burden. Their customers vanished, but the companies prospered. With unemployment rising, more people decided to give taxi driving a try, which meant more revenue for the companies.
"There was no concession on their part," said Tim Fasano, a United Cab driver who blogs about the industry. "Times have never been better for them. They have more drivers than before the recession and they're getting higher leases now."
Yellow and United managers say lease prices increased because they invested in better dispatching technology.
They also dispute drivers' claims of poverty-line earnings and say their business model is not as profitable as depicted. Their overhead and risk is high, they say. Searcy says Gulf Coast can't fill all its cabs and is "barely paying our bills." Yellow Cab co-owner Louie Minardi said Yellow isn't far behind.
But the most recent statement of income for either company on file with the commission show Yellow Cab reported $451,211 in profits for the first half of 2006.
The company filed for bankruptcy just four years earlier.
via www.tampabay.com

 One thing that I will never understand and my experience in life still leaves me with no reference point to make a judgement, is why do so many grown men continue to work under these circumstances? I am one of them but I truly believed that over half these guys would quit when the recession took hold. That does not seem to be the case. They know how many hours they will have to work and that kids at MacDonald's make more money. Are they just a collection of little boys? 

Many of them do come from third world countries so they have adapted to poverty and seem to have a real tolerance for it. They just keep driving every waking minute of their lives. Many  have died and they still keep going. I will never understand that. 

I do want this stated for the record: The old manager of United Cab was fired a few months ago and Rob Searcy and Paul Hinton took over. They have a completely different management style. They are very accessible and Paul keeps his door open at all times so any driver can walk in and state whats on his mind without any fear of reprisal. That could not have happened under the old regime. These new managers are what I call "drivers managers." I have not seen moral this high in years. The new GPS dispatch system has been a blessing. I know many drivers have had issues. I have not. I can't wait to the Fall time of the year because I just may be able to go on the Camping/fishing trip I have wanted too for years.