Quite possibly the end of Gypsy Cabs........................

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=72715

Police Search For Driver That Struck And Killed Brooklyn Woman
August 16, 2007

Police are searching for the hit-and-run driver who they say ran over a woman after getting into an argument with her early Thursday morning near a Brooklyn bus stop.

Police say Eunice Washington hailed what she thought was a livery cab around 4 a.m. Thursday in East New York.

A burgundy four-door sedan pulled over at the intersection of Elderts Lane and Linden Boulevard. That's when police say the driver and Washington, who was with her son and daughter at the time, got into an argument.

Police say the driver put the car in reverse, jumped the curb and struck Washington. She was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her children – both in their late 20s – were not hurt.

If you've ever been in NYC outside of Manhattan you've seen these guys. Black Lincoln towncars, lined up for miles down a particular strip. Ruining traffic flow consistently.

[BeardedOne]

These morons are animals, pure and simple. A friend of mine is tight with the TLC and gypsies are their greatest nightmare. I used to scuffle with them at JFK and LaGuardia on a regular basis. Other cities have a similar problem with unlicensed/uninsured rides, but I think NYC has the record number of beasts-on-wheels.

[peggygee]

Gypsy cabs which are found in many major cities provide work to many
immigrant populations.

Additionally, and most importantly they serve communities that
other cabs are too 'yellow' to go into. You can't get a yellow cab in
most inner city communities.

The 'brother man' will come when the 'other man' won't even take your
call.

In NYC, and Brooklyn, they are licensed by TLC and have livery plates.

Yeah, they congest traffic, drive down Church Ave. in Brooklyn, or
uptown Manhattan, and they're everywhere, which I think is a good
thing. Their prices are reasonable, hell sometimes they're negotiable.

If there ever is a petition going around in any city, I will sign in support
of them.

[andyuk]

just out of interest who is the girl with the black hair you have as your avaitor?she is so lovely

[BeardedOne]

In NYC, and Brooklyn, they are licensed by TLC and have livery plates.

My understanding has always been that 'gypsy' cabs were typically UNlicensed and/or UNinsured. These were the guys I had to deal with at the NY airports. Often working to steal clients from legitimate. licensed and insured rides. Their lower fares were often in direct relation to their expenses (Our insurance was over $400 per car per month).

If you are referring to Owner/Operator (O/O) cabs and 'black cars'/livery, then that's another matter entirely.

[BeardedOne]

just out of interest who is the girl with the black hair you have as your avaitor?she is so lovely

And yah, Johnny, who's da babe? :)

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

just out of interest who is the girl with the black hair you have as your avaitor?she is so lovely

And yah, Johnny, who's da babe? :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai

Aishwarya, IMO the finest woman on the planet, but that;s just my opinion

[Realgirls4me]

Speaking for what I assume are most of the posters outside of New York in here, just what exactly is a "Gypsy Cab" ? Are they the quick change artists that '60 Minutes' once did a piece on or what? Elaborate please.

[peggygee]

In NYC, and Brooklyn, they are licensed by TLC and have livery plates.

My understanding has always been that 'gypsy' cabs were typically UNlicensed and/or UNinsured. These were the guys I had to deal with at the NY airports. Often working to steal clients from legitimate. licensed and insured rides. Their lower fares were often in direct relation to their expenses (Our insurance was over $400 per car per month).

If you are referring to Owner/Operator (O/O) cabs and 'black cars'/livery, then that's another matter entirely.

NYC, Boston, and a few other cities in an attempt to regulate them, has
required the livery plates. And yeah they're not supposed to be able to sit
around airports, Penn Station, Grand Central, etc, and allow people to
hail them. Rather people are supposed to call for them on the phone,
and they are dispatched by radio or cell phone, or a variation thereof.

In 'da hood' where the Yellow or metered cabs won't come, you can hail
them, find them at supermarkets, around train and bus stations, etc.

As you know regular cab drivers hate hanging around supermarkets
picking up the little old lady with 50 bags, or the the Mother with a bunch
of kids and then having to shclepp said groceries for the old lady up
5 flights of a NY walk up.

That or being fearful that the 'usual suspects' like Danny Glover are (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/04/07/0412229)going to jump out of
your cab, and beat you for a fare, or get shot in the back of the head.

[Snoriega27]

just out of interest who is the girl with the black hair you have as your avaitor?she is so lovely

And yah, Johnny, who's da babe?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai

i.e. Rich man's Angelina Jolie (yeah, you read that right).

[peggygee]

Speaking for what I assume are most of the posters outside of New York in here, just what exactly is a "Gypsy Cab" ? Are they the quick change artists that '60 Minutes' once did a piece on or what? Elaborate please.

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/the_nonexpert_gypsy_cabs.php

The Non-Expert has to admit to sympathies for gypsy cabs. For the most part, they are offering a badly needed service. You see, in a city of an estimated eight million people, there are only 12,487 taxi medallions authorized by the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission. In a recent auction, bids for individual medallions went for more than $360,000. These medallions can then be leased to drivers, who also have to pay for gas and other overhead. To recoup costs, the yellow cabs prowl Manhattan’s well-heeled areas for likely customers, leaving large sections of the city out of their territory. Licensed call-center-based car-service companies provide coverage for some areas but are not supposed to do impromptu street pick-ups. So gypsy cabs and licensed drivers who break the rules provide needed car-for-hire service in areas not usually visited by yellow cab drivers. Though the majority of New York neighborhoods are relatively safe, gypsy cab drivers (most of whom are struggling recent immigrants) know that there’s still money to be made in more neglected, riskier neighborhoods. They are willing to take this risk in order to earn a living that pays on average about $27,000 a year. Most can’t afford bulletproof partitions that might offer some protection. In the early 1990s, a softball league of Hispanic car service and gypsy cab drivers had the name of Liga de Los Taxistas Los Martires, or The Martyr’s Taxi League. Do you feel bad already for having ever been suspicious of these hardworking, life-risking drivers?

[flabbybody]

medallion yellows are great if you're uptown and you want to go to the Village, but God forbid, you want to go to Jackson Hts or any where out of Manhattan. they look at you like you're a terrorist.

gypsies (and I don't mean the black Lincolns servicing high end corporate accounts), take regular, hard working folks to the boroughs and Long Island. In all but a few cases, the service is safe and priced fairly.
Currently, this is the best we have.