Goodbye Big Green Cab Co? (long and wordy)

[Nunavut Pants]

Songs of line-dancing rodents!!

(Conga-rat ululations!)

[Deserted]

...maybe not so much. A monkey wrench has been thrown in the works, and while it's not an insurmountable problem, it has set me back notably.

The root problem is the fact that I don't own a car. In fact, I have not owned a car for around 13 years. In itself, not a terrible thing, but...

1. I live 27 miles from Yeller Cab's dispatch center.
2. There is no bus service near my house.
3. I don't currently have the money to buy a car.

Now, since any cab company's number 1 asset is in fact cars, you'd think I could simply get one from Yeller Cab. Au contraire and all that. They do not simply loan vehicles out. (Big Green Cab Co doesn't either, so no real surprise there.)

If I want to get my hands on a decommissioned Yeller Cab, my only option is to buy one outright... but see again point #3, above. (I could get a decommissioned Big Green Cab on a weekly payment, but the cost would be ruinous; cheaper to just buy new. And I think it would be leased, not bought.)

(An addendum to point #3 is that I don't even have the money for a down payment at a dealership. And my credit is in the pits right now anyway.)

The application I had to fill out had a neat little box:

Do you have reliable transportation?
[ ] Yes
[X] No

Please note which box I checked.

I made no secret of the fact that I don't own a car, and yet no fewer than 3 managers were eager to bring me onboard. But as soon as the subject of "Deserted needs a car" come up, all helpfulness abruptly dried up. Sure, a car was found for me. Sure, I can take it home today. But oh, look, the company doesn't finance new employees.

...really?

Needless to say, I'm a little perturbed by this.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with Big Green Cab Co. Tomorrow, April 14th, is my 6-year anniversary at Big Green Cab Co. I am one of the senior drivers left. But I find that I just can't face the thought of another week driving for an uncaring company that treats its drivers as inhuman assets. (ETA: I dropped my van off earlier this afternoon. Not an important thing in and of itself, as far as the company is concerned.)

So... Monday I'll be heading back over to Yeller Cab to get a wheelchair van from them. I'll have to get recertified for wheelchair driving from them, but that should take less than an hour. After that, I guess I'm back on the road. Sigh.

Once I've got my ducks back in a row and the cats herded, I suppose I'll start dispatching. Maybe. Or perhaps I'll find something else. Or who knows, maybe driving for Yeller will be like the good ol' days at Big Green, when I actually enjoyed driving the cab while making decent money (but I'm not holding my breath).

I got the feeling that the fleet manager was unimpressed with me today, and remember, he was the one that wanted me dispatching in the first place. Honestly, I'm a little unimpressed by this whole situation myself. I've practically bankrupted myself, dedicated literally half of my time this entire week to this fiasco instead of, y'know, working, and... this is the result.

(If you wonder why Yeller wouldn't send a cab to pick me up, they would... and charge the trip to my paycheck. 27.1 miles * $2.20 per mile + $2.75 flag drop = ~$62.37 per trip. $62.37 ÷ $11/hour = 5.67 hours of work for every day of travel trip. Uber isn't much better; it's around $40-$45 for that trip.)

As a final kick in the ass, Yeller Cab employees are strictly forbidden from driving in any commercial capacity on their off time. Driving a Yeller Cab is considered a conflict of interest, and a non-compete agreement forbids driving for anyone else. (Big Green Cab Co doesn't care. Hell, their operations manager owns several cabs.)

This week can officially curl up and die. I'm going to bed.

[Jetfire]

Ugh, that sucks, hopefully you can sort out something fairly quick.

Maybe you can look at the public transport options, and figure out a spot that is close enough to make a taxi pickup/drop off feasible. So use a bus to get 20-some miles there, and a taxi pickup for the last 5 miles or so. Still a PITA, but hopefully more economically feasible until you can arrange for your own vehicle, or make the contacts you might need to carpool with someone else.

As a final kick in the ass, Yeller Cab employees are strictly forbidden from driving in any commercial capacity on their off time. Driving a Yeller Cab is considered a conflict of interest, and a non-compete agreement forbids driving for anyone else. (Big Green Cab Co doesn't care. Hell, their operations manager owns several cabs.)

I hope I'm misreading this, but the way you wrote that, it sounds like a Yeller Cab dispatcher can't also be a Yeller Cab driver due to the conflict of interests? Or is that supposed to be driving for Greenie isn't allowed? (The latter makes more sense, but not everything makes sense )

[Deserted]

Ugh, that sucks, hopefully you can sort out something fairly quick.

Maybe you can look at the public transport options, and figure out a spot that is close enough to make a taxi pickup/drop off feasible. So use a bus to get 20-some miles there, and a taxi pickup for the last 5 miles or so. Still a PITA, but hopefully more economically feasible until you can arrange for your own vehicle, or make the contacts you might need to carpool with someone else.

The bus ride is 3 hours, and starts with a 2-mile walk. I did it coming home when I was training to be a Yeller Cab driver back in October, and it sucks. Added bonus: it's impossible to get there before 8am on the bus.

And honestly, the only person I know on this side of town that heads in that direction is my brother, and he goes less than halfway, and gets to work at 8am himself.

I hope I'm misreading this, but the way you wrote that, it sounds like a Yeller Cab dispatcher can't also be a Yeller Cab driver due to the conflict of interests? Or is that supposed to be driving for Greenie isn't allowed? (The latter makes more sense, but not everything makes sense )

Both. Can't drive for Yeller because of conflict of interests, can't drive for anyone else because of the non-compete. However, that assumes that I actually, y'know, start working at Yeller. My employment hasn't started there yet, and if it never does, I'll consider that null and void.

[Jetfire]

Damn, that's really rough. It hurts to get so close to something you were getting so excited about, only to have those details getting in the way.

Hopefully something can be arranged, even if it is a short term accommodation to give you the chance to make other arrangements (to arrange to get your own wheels and/or to move closer to the offices and/or anything else)

When you are talking with the Yeller folk, make sure to point out you were up front with your lack of wheels, and stress the experience you are bringing; you may be new to the company but you have years of experience with the industry which should bring some degree of 'seniority' with it; you are not some fresh driver new to the city looking to get started. You know the city and the people and especially the handicap vehicles and the customers who use those. That is a lot of training that Yeller does not need to do. And try to bring up some possible solutions or ways they might be able to accommodate your current limitations.

[purplecat41877]

Do you have reliable transportation?

Of course I do. It's called my feet.

[M'oh Less]

Of course I do. It's called my feet.

We used to call that Chevro-legs. 😁

[csquared]

Shank's Mare.

[Deserted]

Yeah, I dunno about you guys, but the thought of walking 29 27 miles every day isn't really all that appealing.

[Minflick]

In ANY weather, let alone desert weather...

[greek_jester]

I know you said a car isn't in your budget at the moment, but how about a second hand moped or dirt bike? They're usually a lot cheaper, and it only needs to be until you've saved up enough for a car of your own.

I know they suck if it rains, but a mate of mine used to seal a change of clothes in a large ziplock bag and keep it in his backpack, then get changed in the loo when he got to work. A pack of baby wipes to clean off the exposed bits and some deodorant and you're good to go.

[Buzzard]

Depending on the bike/moped as mentioned above, there may be licensing requirements. The laws in the state to Deserted's west are likely a little different than Desert Hell. At least Deserted's state be a litt... lot more sane about some things involving vehicles and licenses (and firearms, but that's a whole 'nother story)

[Deserted]

not really an UPDATE but whatever

The root problem is the fact that I don't own a car.

No changes on that front.

I'm pretty sure I'm done with Big Green Cab Co.

I'm definitely done with Big Green. It would take some radical changes at that company for me to be willing to come back. I've got a related story that I may or may not post.

So... Monday I'll be heading back over to Yeller Cab to get a wheelchair van from them. I'll have to get recertified for wheelchair driving from them, but that should take less than an hour. After that, I guess I'm back on the road. Sigh.

Today is my 11th day driving for Yeller (technically; I don't work weekends unless one of my regulars needs me).

Yeller Cab is much more of a "traditional" cab company than Big Green. It's probably closer to what people think a cab co is like than Big Green ever was while I drove for them. It's not quite like the Sunshine Cab Company, but you get the idea.

One immediate difference between Big Green Cab Co and Yeller Cab: Big Green has so many wheelchair vans and that's it, no more. Yeller has some retired cabs that are still eligible for service, including wheelchair vans, so when it was time to find one for me, they had one available within a couple hours... even if it is a rolling time bomb. (2009 Dodge Grand Caravan with 394,000 miles when I got it, bad suspension, a window that won't roll down, and absolutely filthy -- but I'm working on that last part.)

Honestly, I'm a little unimpressed by this whole situation myself.

I have mixed feelings about dispatch here. On the one hand, it's very obvious that they have no clue about the realities of driving a cab, and they desperately need someone with cab driving experience in there.

On the other hand, I'm not sure that it should be me. I don't know that I could stand to work with those [fratch fratch fratch].

(Hire me as a dispatcher, get an office attitude. Contract me as a cab driver, get a cab driver attitude. I'm not afraid to call you idiots if it's deserved.)

Depending on the bike/moped as mentioned above, there may be licensing requirements.

There are. Normal driver's license is class D, motorcycle (which IIRC means anything with an engine below a certain size) is class M, which can be either a separate license or an endorsement on another license. I don't have said license/endorsement, and honestly, I wouldn't get one in Desert Hell. Things are so bad here for riders on 2 wheels that there is a campaign locally: "Watch for motorcycles!"

(Before anyone asks, commercial licenses aren't required here for vehicles below 26,001 lbs or fewer than 16 passengers. My van can do 4 passengers, or 5 if one is in a wheelchair, no need for a chauffeur's license or anything... not that Desert Hell has one.)

[Javarod]

There are. Normal driver's license is class D, motorcycle (which IIRC means anything with an engine below a certain size) is class M, which can be either a separate license or an endorsement on another license. I don't have said license/endorsement, and honestly, I wouldn't get one in Desert Hell. Things are so bad here for riders on 2 wheels that there is a campaign locally: "Watch for motorcycles!"

Having lived in PHX, unless the laws have changed in the last 6 years, no special license is required for 50cc. Mind you, they're not exactly safe in a place where the surface streets have a 45MPH speed limit, but they are an option for cheap transportation (no registration requirement, no insurance necessary, 60-90MPG). I currently ride an electric scooter here in STL which goes a whopping 25MPH top speed. Is it any wonder that I wear a reflective vest or coat, and have upgraded to amber strobe lights on the back?

[Deserted]

Your post got me poking around a bit.

ARS Title 28, Chapter 7, Article 15, 28-2516. Motorized electric or gas powered bicycles or tricycles; definition:

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title:
5. A driver license is not required to operate a motorized electric or gas powered bicycle or tricycle.

C. For the purposes of this section, "motorized electric or gas powered bicycle or tricycle" means a bicycle or tricycle that is equipped with a helper motor that has a maximum piston displacement of forty-eight cubic centimeters or less, that may also be self-propelled and that is operated at speeds of less than twenty miles per hour.

So, something for me to consider, to be sure, whether it's an electric bicycle, scooter, moped, or whatever.

HOWEVER... In Desert Hell, this would be a strictly winter activity. I don't particularly want to do a 27-mile bike/scooter/open-cabin/non-air-conditioned ride when it's 100+ degrees. Call me a wimp. Also, no showers at the yard, so I'd be working in close proximity to others while more than a little bit whiff. Although I suppose I could walk through the car wash...