Culled from Contemporaries.
Page 21
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A Little Knowledge!
Extras, that is, the money for extra passengers, for extra luggage, for waitilly time, and so on.—" Sussex Daily News."
Homceopathic Treatment.
We strongly recommend the public to pay the amount signalled on the " clock "—and no more. Tips to cabman have depraved his appetite. Be must be dealt with in the same way as ho deals with his grocer and his baker.—" The South London Press."
His Friend the Enemy.
Some folk say that the taximeter, inasmuch as it creates a feeling of resentment, directly incites to fraud ; for the man who is to be spied on by an inanimate dial takes a savage pride in getting round the thing whenever he can.— " Belfast Evening Telegraph."
Speedy Removal of Pedestrians.
We are quite ready to agree with those who express a preference in favour of the motorbus against tramways. In many respects the motorbus is a. far better medium for the speedy removal of pedestrians than the tram, which has an irritating way of stopping at definite spots whether there are passengers to alight or not..—" Money Market Review."
The Fare Sex.
What I do know is that the assertions of the drivers that comparatively few people tip are most untrue, and the statement that only on rare occasions do ladies Lip," an injustice to a sex that too often is obliged to be careful because of the prodigality of men. In the course of a fairly comprehensive experience I have never known a woman to give lees than a shilling when the faro was but eightpence, which is certainly too large a tip. —A writer in "The Scots Pictorial," Glasgow.
New York Owners Please 1 hemselves.
On 1st August the new taxicab ordinance became effective. . . But before the ordinance had been in effect five days teuuble broke loose in large quantities, and the courts granted an injunction, restraining the bureau from interfering with some of the larger transportation companies handling taxicabs within the limits of New York. This deterred the bureau from reaching its full measure of usefulness, but it did not keep the inspectors from going after the smaller companies and the independent operators . . . The companicss which obtained the injunction claimed that the city had no right to fix the rates for them to charge, and are making their fight on that ground. Meanwhile the inspectors, who say they care nothing for the argument on rates, arc going forward testing the meters and seeing that they register correctly. . . Some ofthe transportation companies say that if they are going to be bothered by the inspection, and having their cabs put out of commission, they will do away with the meters altogether and charge a flat hour rate for the use of their care." — " Automobile Topics." -New York.
Plus Tips and Extras.
" I found that the average taximeter takings of 300 drivers in one week worked out at 27s. per day. . . You can reckon that when the driver's taxi. meter registers 30s, fur the day's earnings, his own share. . . is not more than 4s.—The president of the London Cabdrivers' Union in " The Westminster Gazette."
Insincere Owners.
The public controversy that has been aroused concerning the taximeter cab drivers has made for good. We have at the conclusion of it had the usual example of a firm here or a firm there
seizing the opportunity to score .an advertisement, by holding a mass meeting of its men, who are made to appear in light of injured innocents. That matters the less when one remembers the outbreak of only two months previously, when the same men very spontaneously passed a resolution to the effect that. they would nut smoke without asking the permission of a fare. The very day that notice was published ra all the daily papers I hailed one of these very cabs in Waterloo Station, and the man, who was smoking at the time, did not. ask permission to continue to smoke, but went on doing so throughout our journey, the wind blowing the smoke hack on to the passengers. I complained then, and J. complain now, that, there is a lack of sincerity on the part of some of the motoreab companies in flair attitude towards the public. The men themselves may think they are hard used to-day, but their position is in the lap of luxury compared with what it. will be in a few years' time, when the motorcab will be the only sort on the streets, and when, of course, there will be quite twice as many cabs as there is work for them to do. If they do find times too hard, the men today are themselves to blame, because they do not. go in search of business. If you cave to study the takings of a man who owns his OWn motorcab, or who is employed by a small man who only owns two or three motureabs, and compare them with the takings o f those who ply for the large companies, you will find that. there is a difference of over 50 and nearly a 100 per emit. in favour of the receipts of the .small man. That is because be or his employee is not an idler but. picks lip all the money he can get, and that pays both parties, for there is civility and there is plenty of money in tips, so that these drivers sometimes make £4 and £5 A week. With all his tips and with all his incivility a driver for ally oi the big motorceb companies very mart,ly makes more than £3 or L3 10s. a \‘ock. and I think that he has very handsome pay for the class of labour, particularly when we compare the motoreabman's lot with that of the motor-omnihus driver. — " Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News."'
Rights and Wrongs.
At this particular moment, when the wrongs of the taxicab -driver are in question, the rights of the taxicab user merit some attention. These being both carefully and clearly set. forth in a little pamphlet, entitled Twenty Points for Users of Taxicabs, the purchase of that publication would be a wise investment even if recommended by the owners of a bucket-Shop: No praise could well be higher.—" British Medical Journal."
Cabby's Plaint is Bunkum.
Now that the slack season is on and the taxicabbv wanders along humbly in search of a fare, the down-trodden public has had the courage to tell him what he is. The taxicabby is on the defensive, and he makes rather is poor show of it. He cannot seriously deny his impudence, his extortion, or his pocketing of the extras; but he calls his assailants to wit
ness what a hard life he has. This plaint, of course, is all bindrum." Freeman's Journal," Dublin.
Ought to Have Bought Horses.
The popular impression that the tramways undertaking in Portsmouth is all .EI Dorado is not justified by the facts, which show that for Some years to come the surpluses must be chiefly devoted to the heavy renewals and maintenance fund. . . . The so-called " reserve fund " of the undertaking is misleading. It is nothing else than this maintenance and renewals fund, into which, as we have pointed out, £10,000 is being annually paid for almost immediate with drawal. . . . The difficulty which faces the Committee is the fact that Portsmouth dues not sufficiently use its trams. The population is only carried 102 films per annum. . . . -It does
not seem to he generally realized that, in the winter months the undertaking is losing money at the fast rate of £200 a week, and recovering itself from the big influx4.4 visitors in the summer.— " Portsmouth Evening News."
The Taxi–Driver.
A LADY-FARE'S POINT OE VTEW.
Miss Letitia Skinflint loquitur :
The taxi man let some extol. He is a brute, I say. I hail him with my parasol ; Ile looks the other way.
Or if his eye to catch I chance, He pulls up sure enough t But very surly is his glance. His manner suer and gruff.
And when to pay his fare I come— As pay I always do—
And hand him the full legal sum That he's entitled to, D'ye think he's grateful? Not a bit
He holds it in his. palm, And scornfully surveying it,
inquires, " What's this, then, marm?"
'Ugh ! grasping thing ! The bun he takes For avarice and cheek.
.4nd yet I'm tad he often makes .4 pound or more a week !—" Truth."