Comments

1
Is the city skimming these fares aside from tourist taxes?
Sheesh, let the free market do its work, god forbid something is 'too cheap' for us peasants.
2
Taxi's must be doing a pretty bad job of dealing with customers if customers are tempted to (required to) pay TWICE as much to use a town car service. Why would or should the City care if they charge less? Don't they also have to be licensed to do business in the City? What's next, a requirement that a hair stylist charge a minimum/premium amount so they don't compete with barbers? Should Safeway be required to increase they're prices so they don't unfairly compete with 7-11? Geesh!!!!!
3
"The administrator of taxi and Town-Car regulations has said that the stings will continue until the problem of cheap Town-Car rides is eliminated."
4
So why are cheap Towncar rides even a problem? As if the poor little Taxicab companies can't make money any other way.
5
Leo: See "upholding justice" at the end of my post.

Crusading for the common man.

Etcetera.

Against the racket of the cab firms.

Er...

Hold on...

Licensing!

Safety!

You get the idea.
6
There's fucking Kyle, right back on "idiot crack" again! You dumb motherfucker, you were shown up in that last Mercury story for being too fucking stupid to understand simple economics. Are you ready for another round? That goes for your dipshit compadres as well. READ THE JULY THREADS you worthless assholes! There's no need to give you fucks another remedial lesson!
7
If the city of Portland is going to crack down on so called "illegal town car operations" then it should also do the same with the taxi companies. I can't count how many times I've been in a taxi where the driver has illegally run the wrong meter on me. I know this because I used to be a taxi driver. Also I can name many taxi drivers that are also doing many illegal activities such as paying "bellhops money for fares" so expect many taxi drivers to also be exploited as well as the taxi union if this "sting operation" continues. The City of Portland seems to be very one-sided about this issue.
8
If the city of Portland is going to crack down on so called "illegal town car operations" then it should also do the same with the taxi companies. I can't count how many times I've been in a taxi where the driver has illegally run the wrong meter on me. I know this because I used to be a taxi driver. Also I can name many taxi drivers that are also doing many illegal activities such as paying "bellhops money for fares" so expect many taxi drivers to also be exploited as well as the taxi union if this "sting operation" continues. The City of Portland seems to be very one-sided about this issue.
9
A blow for the common man!Way to crack down on those fatcat bellhops.
10
Jaki, the fuckhead, knows there's no taxi union yet still trolls along just like he did in July's "Fare Warning." Name the taxi drivers that pay kickbacks you mealy-mouthed little fuck. How many times do you have to get schooled? How was the wrong meter run on you? Explain what the fuck you've implied. Tell us what union you think we have.
11
D, Dubie, Kyle, Jaki, leo,
Taxis do get fined, green cab was closed down by the city, etc, etc. Taxis are regulated heavily you morons. If your too much of a pussy to correct an unscrupulous cabbie taking you for a joy ride that's just stupid. At least your insured in a taxi.
Taxis that pay the pimp bellmen are just as big of whores as the town car drivers.
Where were you idiots when I was taking a stand against traffic lites because they imposed on my ability to conduct business in a free market?
Why do the hotels general managers allow their staff to put their customers into uninsured, unlicensed rental cars? Just because their junkie bellmen, valets, concierges can't help but to inject themselves with kickbacks?
Graft schemes determine what drivers get good trips. That sounds like a great business model. Safety and accountability all from a kickback.
12
This is for Mr. Matt davis , you language shows your IQ . i wonder if the city of portland will crack on that, cause it's more illigal than a town car charging less than what the city requires as it is illigal for the city to impose a certain fare or price for any business , read the fadaral laws . and by the way Mr real ass hole the fare by taxi meter to PDX is not 26 dollars and it is illegal for any cabby to take flat fares unless they are going out of the city . get your facts straight. it seems to me that Mr davis is either a writer getting free rides from some looser cab driver or may be just may be from that IQ a looser writer that is moonlighting as cabby on the weekend. keep reading the real papers of the town i'll have something in there real soon about your damn ass and your buddies at the city that are releasing private info .
13
Hey Wiseguy, what's so private? Is it supposed to be private that you operate without a permit or insurance? What "fadaral" [sic] laws are you referring to, Dr Limo Lawyer? Maybe you'll tell us in the real papers of the town. Tribune? Oregonian? Are those papers itching to defend hotel managers that let uninsured rental cars take their guests to the airport just so they can pocket $10?
14
the wiseguy,
You are a good speller. Otherwise you are an idiot. Taxis have permission from the city to offer a flat rate because the city realized that unregulated town cars act like taxis and bribe doormen for all the better paying fares. The flat rate is a way to compete with town cars who aren't here to provide luxury transportation but are simply stealing taxis fares. The actual taxi metered rate to PDX from downtown is $33-$35.
I would rather make the actual metered rate, but I have to lower my rate considerably to $26.00 a car load to compete with every town car driver hooker who is buying the hotels customers from the doorman.
What bothers you about the "private info"? Are you on the list? If you are permitted to do business in the City of Portland this type of info is not private dumb ass. Just like when the mercury did a story about Green Cab getting closed down by the city. IF YOU ARE OPERATING ILLEGALLY IN OUR CITY WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!!!

What really sucks is the city doesn't make the town car drivers pay these fines. They can not be enforced. Now who is buying off the city? I think the town cars, the hotels, and the tourism industry have the city by the balls on this issue. If anybody is getting preferential treatment it is the town cars not the taxis.

Mr. Matt Davis, can you find out why the hotels condone their staff taking kickbacks from drivers? That is the big problem. Also, why can't the city, the police or the DMV take action when town cars and limos are offering transportation in uninsured rental cars? Why is it that these guys can get multiple fines and go right back to work?
Note - AM/PM town car (XJP-602) got 8 tickets in one day. Why can't they tow his fucking car and impound it? The same driver of that car spit in the face of a parking enforcement officer! What the hell is he doing still working at THE WESTIN and THE MARRIOTT hotels?
These are the kind of people these hotels trust repeatedly to take care of their customers transportation needs.

If the city doesn't make the offenders pay the fines or revoke their permits if they get too many fines then the city isn't doing a god damn thing! As soon as the stings stop the cockroaches will come running back to the hotels downtown ready to give a hotel doorman whatever he wants.
I think the City of Portland should give Mr. Dufay the help he needs to actually have some long lasting impact. Like towing and impounding the town cars that keep breaking the law. Or better yet put a boot on the town cars and leave them parked in front of the hotels for a while.
15
Wise guy,
Your one smart cookie! I am giving Mr. Davis free rides. In fact, I give everyone who works at or reads The Mercury a free ride. I'm the loosest cabbie. There are none looser!
Actually, I moonlight as Mr. Davis. I wrote the article. How did you figure it out? There goes all the money the "taxi union" promised me and it's all your fault.
16
Jaki,
I agree the city is one-sided on this. They should be going after the hotels and their bellmen who solicit the town car and taxi drivers into this racket. If the bellmen didn't have hotel customers for sale we would all have to do business transparently. That would be too fair.
17
My experience with a town car is that I wanted a taxi, but the bellboy introduced me to a towncar driver. I asked, "Will it cost the same?" and "Sure" was the reply. I frequently do a day or two in a downtown hotel as a mini-vacation, since I work at home. As a result, I know that a taxi ride should cost about $7-$7.50. Well, the driver wanted $15, and I said "No way. I don't mind paying you for the ride, but I'm not going to pay more than I'd pay for a taxi." I gave him $10, which is what I'd normally pay a taxi driver. He didn't like it, but what could he do. It's not like he had a meter running.
18
Amanda,
You are correct. This goes on everyday. Town cars are not supposed to be "on demand" vehicles. Taxi's are. Town cars require a reservation to be made by the customer ahead of time.
Ron Gladney, GM of The Benson Hotel does not like this city regulation. The Benson Hotel uses town cars like they are taxis. Mr. Gladney also sees nothing wrong with bribes or kickbacks. He refers to them as "commissions". The Benson encourages town car drivers to break the law by having its bellmen sell their customers transportation needs to the town cars. Other hotels who do this regularly are The Westin, The Marriott, The Lucia, The Hotel Monaco, The Doubletree, The Hilton, and The Governer. They do not care if they put their customers in an uninsured vehicle with an unlicensed driver. They just want to keep their bellmen, valets, concierges and other staff happy.
There is a lot of money involved and I think the GMs are in on the take for one reason or another. Otherwise you would think they would tell their staff they will be fired for taking bribe/kickbacks from town cars, taxis or shuttles in exchange for preferential treatment(big trips). Instead these hotels extend their middle fingers to the city government as well as the taxi companies. On top of that they do not think twice about putting their customers into uninsured, unlicensed town cars. These GMs of these hotels act like mafia. Skimming $10-$15 of the top of their own customers fare to the airport.
If they condone their staff taking bribes why would they care if their staff were to steal something out of your hotel room or suitcase?
19
HELLO! Not everyone in this city is staying in a hotel, or going to or from a hotel. What about everyone else? We don't have concierges or doormen who are getting bribed. But we are getting taken for a "ride." Surly taxi drivers may be regulated, but that doesn't make them GOOD. They can be cranky, mean, disrespectful, and just plain uncomfortable to ride with. Why is it in a free market we can't choose to ride with something else (the towncars), and why do we need to pay twice as much for that -- and have that mandated by the City? Who says towncars aren't regulated (are they not licensed?). Who says they aren't insured? Who checks on the taxis OR the towncars for that?

It's obvious that some foul-mouthed individuals (or is it ONE individual changing his/her name everytime he/she posts) feel very strongly about sticking it to the towncars and the doormen, but again I say -- lots (most) of us don't have doormen. We just live here, dude!

And who's idea is it to call everyone names, just because they DARE to post on the Mercury blog. Say good-bye to your blog Mercury if your participants don't behave a bit more. Some people will just take a hike to somewhere they can post views without someone who doesn't know a thing about them starts attacking their character just because they don't agree with what they're saying (without the "F" words flying all over the place).
20
Dubie,
F off! The comments here are about town cars acting like taxis not like premium transportation like they claim. Premium transportation was introduced into the para-transit industry just as that, Premium
Transportation. It costs more as to not steal from the taxi business. Town cars are not on demand vehicles. If you don't know that this is about town cars buying customers from bellmen(graft) and not following the small amount of regulations they have then you shouldn't bother commenting here.
If the town cars want to be taxi drivers they should drive a taxi. Good luck finding an uninsured taxi. Taxis are regulated and enforced. There are a lot of dishonest town car drivers. Having to secretly bribe the bellmen for trips is not honest or transparent.
Look at the blog post to see that in one day a couple of city employees caught 3 unlicensed town cars(no insurance- insurance wont cover you if your unlicensed), 2 unpermitted town cars(no insurance- wont cover), 1-3 rental cars(uninsured- rental companies do not insure for commercial purposes). A total of 19 drivers breaking the law. This is in one day. If they had more help they would have caught a lot more. One day Dubie!
You shouldn't be commenting on this if you have know idea what your talking about.
Smoke a doob Dubie. This conversation is above your head. Good thing you don't have doormen at your home. That would be stupid, unless it's your butler.
21
Dubie,
Basically all you have to do is rent a town car and give a hotel doormen $10 and your in business. No license, no insurance, no business license, no scruples. You should try it!
22
Oh I'm SO SORRY dumpy. I didn't realize you were the "Blog Police." Forgive me for having an opinion, or for expressing it here without your permission. Point well taken.

His Royal Highnesss DUMPY presiding. But once you've bashed everyone in the room into a pulp with your VAST superiority in knowledge and wit (having, of course NO IDEA what you're talking about - perhaps - and certainly NO IDEA who the people are who you are bashing), maybe you should do everyone a favor and smook a doob yourself, and LIGHTEN UP a bit. Let someone else talk for a bit.

And maybe (just maybe) stick to the point you're making MORE than the bashing of others will make your points stronger (what a scheme). I don't disagree with much of what you say, when it stays out of trying to stop other people from talking or telling them they shouldn't bother to blog when (I guess) they don't agree with you.

I know, I know, you are His Royal Highness DUMPY, but you maybe shouldn't let all that vast knowledge and superior intillect you have go to your head.
23
MOST OF YOU ASS HOLES CAB DRIVERS KEEP TALKING ABOUT BRAKING THE LAW , WHO'S LAW IS THAT ? YOUR LITTLE BOARD IN THE CITY THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO HAVE 2 MEMBERS FROM THE LIMOS & TOWN CARS , that's according to the CITY BYLAWS , but it doesn't , in stead it's full of cab owners . No town car is braking the law and that is why the city can't enforce the fines cause they are not legal and were trown out of court by real law judges cause they have no bases and no foundation. and by the way IDIOTS a reservation can be made by anyone not just the riding party and it is still a reservation . about the rental car , it is the law and they can be used as long as they are insured and approved by FRANK after inspection . and we will looking to your flat rate of $26 and see if the city really agreed to that .so who's braking the LAWS now?
24
Dubie whatever?! Fuck off.

Wise Guy the board has 1 cab driver and 1 town car driver. See here-
http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=44320
Look under "board meeting information".
No rental car companies in the state of Oregon rent vehicles for commercial purposes. Therefore, no insurance will cover your passengers.
The Private For Hire Transportation Review Board has defended illegal town cars for a long time. Maybe they are just blowing smoke. The Portland town car companies and hotels are like a mafia syndicate. Maybe the hotels and town car companies will buy-off the board. The board has been letting town cars break the city administrative rules for a long time.
However, you are operating illegally if you are doing business in a rental car, do not have a "prior" reservation, charge less than what your supposed to, and do not have a permit or license.
I don't know where you came here from, but different countries have different rules, language, geography, etcetera. If you wish to piss on the City of Portland along with the hotels then you are a criminal scumbag. Maybe your mafia hotel or town car buddies will loan you some money to pay your fines. One of these days you will realize it is easier to play by the rules. You should try driving a cab. You probably couldn't handle it though. Cabs don't have the Portland hotels to create an artificial market for them. We have to work hard and take what we can get. I don't buy my customers from the hotels. I choose to be honest and transparent when I do business. Unlike your wanna-be mafia ass.
25
Your Royal Highness Dumpy.

Your superior intillect just simply overwhelms all of us meager peasants below you. We are all in your eternal debt for enlightening us, and we praise (nay, we honor) your superior use of the words "piss" "fuck" "shit" and "ass".

Anyone reading here knows you think you know more than everyone else. Why do we know that's what you think? Because you come right out and tell us. Way to go. You're so cool. Just can't get over or believe how much you know. What a guy. Your a Royal Highness. Or is it Royal Minus!

If you HAD something interesting to say, unfortunately it's lost in a haze of "Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah."

The last I heard in this country people don't HAVE to like cabs or cab drivers. And FYI, probably half the cab drivers in Portland are great - terrific, and have are crap. How do I know that? People who ride taxis here a lot tell me (and YES, they were born here, so stuff it).

So if you realize (and accept it) that not everyone is a taxi fan then maybe you would understand how blathering you sound.

And even with your superior knowledge, and awesome fortitude of good-will, I think you have got one thing wrong. It's the taxicab industry that appears to be run like a mafia, NOT the towncars. The taxi industry is trying to hold on to their territory at all costs, even when what they are doing doesn't make good business sense (like forcing towncars to charge more than taxis, so the taxis' lower prices will attract business). Last I heard/read the mafia doesn't like competition. Sound familiar?
26
Dubie , i respect your comment back to me and accept a civil discussion with you with open arms as you spoke like a true gentelman and i thank you for that . But to answer you back on the insurrance matter , yes commercial insurrance will cover your rental car when your own has been in an accident or broke down . that's a fact brother , it's the same as when we have to rent a 15 passenger van for a certain job we call the insurance and notify them , that is all it take plus give them the vin # of the rental vehicule . check on that please and let me know if the inssurances are lying to us about covrage. on the matter of the board Please let me know who is this town car driver that is in the board. and to remind you Please , the city bylaws says the board must have 2 people an owner and a driver.and Please do look into the federal law of > and let me know if the city is breaking it to help cab business . othe rrequest if i may would you Please le me if it true that the state governor has a big chunk in brodway cab or is that just a rumor. thank you again for accepting with respect my honnest opinion and allowing me to get to the bottom of this once and for all. may be we can all work in harmony in the near future where everybody is happy
27
the federal law i wrote and it was cut of is called , Price fixing
28
i am gonna sound like a dummy , but why doesn't this site fix what ever we fix when we edit the text back .
29
This is seriously such a non issue. If people are getting commissions from the drivers, who cares?! I agree that drivers need to be properly insured but really we have a free market for a reason...because it works. Nothing is wrong with a little healthy competition for taxi drivers, and if it comes in the form of towncars than so be it. This journalist needs to concentrate on something a little more important.
30
hnagem,
A commission is when you pay your employee a portion of your sales so he has an incentive to sell more. Are the doormen employed by the town car drivers? No. Even though it may look that way to some.
A kickback/bribe is when the hotel doorman is charging drivers for preferential treatment and the right to park in front of the hotel and pick up with no reservation.
The reason that there are regulations and rules is to prevent rogue, unlicensed, uninsured drivers with no credentials other than a $10 kickback from entering the market.
Healthy competition is when everyone plays by the rules. If you are involved in a graft scheme, paying the doormen for your trips, you're disqualified.
You obviously can't run your business honestly and survive. I feel for you hnagem.

31
First off remember Taxicab rates are regulated by the city. There are a fixed number of licenses issued by the city for taxicabs. Now Town cars are regulated with a minimum rate. There is no fixed number of licenses. They class town cars as a luxury like limos, so they feel they should be charging a premium rate. Something to be said for this of course. Now if Taxicab companies set their own rates and had access to as many licenses as they needed, things might be different. Also doorman who demand a bribe for passengers from both town cars and taxicabs are breaking the law. They obviously do not report this estimated $300 a day extra income.

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