NYC cab drivers say "no thanks" to GPS installation
As the Bloomberg administration sets out to install a high-tech GPS video monitor in every NYC taxi cab, many drivers are prepping to strike. Philadelphia cab drivers faced the same challenges last year and decided to strike, however, units were installed anyway -- indicative of what we might see later on this year. The monitors would be mandatorily installed in the backs of all 13,000 NYC cabs, providing entertainment with commercials and allowing credit card transactions -- great for the customer, but what do drivers get? Well, they'll pretty much get the shaft. The meter activates GPS tracking of each trip's beginning and end destination, which many drivers claim is an invasion of privacy. Also, drivers who are buying their vehicles will be forced to shell out $2,900 to $7,200 for use of the units over a three-year period. The real kicker is that they totally dropped the ball on any sort of navigational support. Hello? Spending major cash on new taxi-gadgets with GPS technology should, first and foremost, mean we no longer have to tell clueless drivers how to get around the city. At least we'll have the "entertainment with commercials" to distract us while taking the scenic route.
[Via Gearlog]
