SUNDAY THOUGHTS: TAXI!

I'm watching the DC taxi cab undercover operation with interest. 

I admit, I'll hop in a taxi in a heartbeat, as opposed to taking the bus or train. 

I'm working on rekindling my teenage appreciation for public transportation, though. 

The blunders I've made riding METRO recently make me wonder if I'm a real Washingtonian. Sometimes I feel as if I'm the only one eyeballing the map for dear life. I'm going to master the system, though. It is convenient, and much, much less expensive.

I don't like wasting time, nor extreme heat or cold, so ever since a friend shared 202-TAXI-CAB, I've known I have a taxi at my fingertips if I:

don't want to drive, 

know that parking will be a nightmare, 

or need to get somewhere in a hurry. 

It's disappointing to hear, "We can't find a driver for you. We'll keep trying". 

Unfortunately, I've heard it a lot more than, "Your taxi _______, will arrive in ______ minutes". 

When you're in a hurry, or just prefer the convenience, it seems strange that in all of DC, not a single taxi is in Ward 8. 

Due to waiting long periods of time, or not getting a taxi dispatched to my address at all, I have conducted my own unscientific poll. 

I've asked every taxi driver I've encountered about the standard of service--or lack thereof--East of The River. They all sing the same song: 

"A few people make it bad for everyone else." 

They frankly state that they are fed up, as a result of personal encounters with dishonest, threatening, shady looking, and/or unruly/profane passengers. ONE time is all that is needed for someone to hop out without paying, threaten safety, destroy property, etc., for a taxi driver to skip Ward 8.

If it is a recurring problem, as unfair as it may be, conclusions are drawn, and decisions are made to only hack downtown (where the bulk of the business is) and avoid EoTR altogether. 

The price of gasoline is too high, and life is too short to deal with foolishness, when all they want to do is earn an honest living. 

As awful as it is that Black men may have difficulty getting a cab in DC, it is important to respect and find solutions to the very valid reasons why.

In the cases of taxis I've hailed, they simply don't want to go where trouble is reported to be. 

I hear the apprehension in their voices when I get settled in the back seat and say, "No. Not the waterfront. You'll have to cross the river." 

Almost always, they'll sigh heavily and say, 

"You'll have to tell me where to go.", or ask 

"Is it far?" 

Once I arrive at home, I almost always have to direct them back to 295 North, or tell them how close the are to National Harbor and The Capital Beltway. 

It amazes me that so many drivers never venture across the river, or are aware of the new traffic patterns.

Sometimes I feel like an ambassador for my neighborhood, trying to convince a driver that he won't spontaneously combust the minute he veers off of the SE/SW freeway onto South Capitol Street! Many scan the area as they drive. "Oh. This is nice. Looks just like other parts of the city." 

Well duh...

They comment positively about a part of the city they've never seen, as if they're surprised to see human beings walking upright. 

Once they see that far SE/SW isn't the hell they've been warned it is, their anxiety wanes. 

They see that there ARE law-abiding, pleasant, hard-working people who DO need and appreciate their services. 

There are people EoTR who DO pay in full, and DO tip, with real, negotiable, legal tender.

Seeing something for oneself, often changes one's perceptions. 

Perhaps a little PR is in order for neighborhoods East of The River. Until then, many EOTR residents obtain the business cards of reliable taxi drivers, and phone them directly to see if they're on the job, or nearby when they've got someplace to go.