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Yahoo!More than a year after publicly airing their complaints in a July 2008 cover story in The Santa Barbara Independent, the taxicab drivers of Santa Barbara have coalesced into an official body that they hope will empower their fight for proper planning by City Hall, which has allowed nearly 50 companies and 400 drivers to work the streets, and sensible treatment from the police, which now must play a cat-and-mouse game with cabbies due to limited legal parking spots in the downtown area.
After 10 months of sporadic and casual meetings at the Rusty’s Pizza Parlor on Carrillo Street, the Santa Barbara Taxi Association crossed the street to hold its first official meeting on Tuesday, September 15, at the Eagle’s Club on Bath Street. There, the 25 or so drivers and cab company owners in attendance unanimously voted to elect Richard Honigman as president. The most outspoken critic of City Hall’s lack of comprehensive cabbie oversight, Honigman has already since met with City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Helene Schneider, who he said is “very aware” of the problems. The two spoke for a half-hour about the possible creation of a taxi commission, in which representatives of the police department, fire department, taxicab companies, City Hall, downtown businesses, and other interested parties would meet on a regular basis.
“The city is just flooded with cabs,” said Honigman on Friday afternoon as he got ready for the night’s shift, issuing his repeated complaint that too many cabbies have been allowed without any guidelines for the police on how to deal with them. “We feel like second-class citizens and we don’t feel like respectable, honest businessmen because we’re not treated that way by the city.”
Among other particular complaints, Honigman — who never blames the individual police officers because he understands it’s a City Hall problem — explained that the new taxi stands that were promised in June for a handful of places near State Street have not been installed yet. It’s also very much a public safety issue, said Honigman. “The situation in front of Eos nightclub is an accident waiting to happen,” he explained, recounting scenes of double-lane left-hand turns onto Haley Street and drunk people running across the street to catch cabs. Sharkeez on Monday nights is also hectic, said Honigman, who dreams of one day having stop-and-drop spots along State Street.
The Tuesday meeting only had about 25 or so attendees, representing what Honigman estimated to be about a quarter of the cab companies in town. “I’d like to see more, but it’s going to take time to grow,” said Honigman, expressing hope that media coverage — perhaps even a spot by KEYT’s John Palminteri — will help the association catch momentum.
And it’s very much needed, said Honigman. “We’re getting tickets now for being parked at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on the 800 block!” he exclaimed. “There is no way to adequately serve Paseo Nuevo. How do I get that little old lady at Nordstrom on Canon Perdido home? For a $6 ride to the Rivieria, I am risking a $400 fine. It’s a ridiculous way to live.”
Perhaps with the association in place and Honigman at the wheel, life as a cabbie in Santa Barbara might become a little more sane.
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I support Honigman's desire to organize the downtown taxi stops. Good for him!
However, I'm very disappointed with the taxi cab drivers at the Airport, which is in the City of Santa Barbara too.
Many times I've been invited into a cab by the driver, loaded my luggage, sat down, told them my destination in Goleta, and then been met with a string of expletives. Then they say they'll only take me for $30, which is the fare they get from passengers to Downtown SB.
It is not just one cab driver at the airport, it is, in my experience, something like 8/10 of them. A few just grin and bear it, but most are quite rude and exploitive.
I wish the cab drivers would fix the situation at the airport.
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pardallchewinggumspot (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great work for this important step to install order to the taxi chaos, including clear charges for airport fares.
I have articulated for a year --and it is in my Ten Policies proposals-- that the City needs to enact more flexibility for taxis to pick up passengers quickly in the downtown "nightclub zone" to benefit traffic flow and public safety with fewer drunk drivers.
I hope to work with the Taxi Committee on these details when elected to the City Council. Local taxis are part of the transportation solution for Santa Barbara.
--David Pritchett
http://www.davidpritchett.org
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David_Pritchett (David Pritchett)
September 21, 2009 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ridiculous! Why do we need 50 taxi cab companies? This isn't New York. I believe the number of licenses for cabs should be limited.
I am all for fair market and competition in business, but they are in need of some guidelines- as to fees, areas to park etc.
They should also be reported for fare gouging and not posting pricing- both are illegal.
Before you ever get in a cab- before they touch your luggage, you say "how much to (your destination)?" That way you know. If they try to jack it up once you get there- don't pay it and report them.
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ZG (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You would have to pay me to get into a "cab" in Santa Barbara. This town has to have the worst taxi fleet in the world. Most of them look like they are one step away from the junkyard. The drivers are just as seedy as the clunkers they drive.
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Herschel_Greenspan (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I want my taxi drivers to be gruntled, not DISgruntled.
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sixdolphins (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Background checks
Vehicle inspections
What else can we come up with to thin the herd?
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BeachLivin (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 4:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Somehow I doubt that there's as much competition for 'the little old lady at Nordstrom' as there is "drunk people running across the street to catch cabs" in front of EOS, Sharkeez, Statemynt, Sandbar, Madisons, O'Malleys, and the rest. The 'accident waiting to happen' is no accident. "Their fight for proper planning by City Hall, which has allowed nearly 50 companies and 400 drivers" will be with the same folks who continue to allow the highest concentration of liquor licenses in California. Honigman's dream of "one day having stop-and-drop spots along State Street" is a nightmare for those who don't make their living creating - or carting home - drunks.
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oh_really (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 8:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kudos to oh_really for speaking up about the drunk situation. While daring to criticize drunks and the fact that the geniuses who run S.B. pander to them is not the popular viewpoint, it needs to be said.
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billclausen (anonymous profile)
September 21, 2009 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hmm. . . the name of the union could be Cranky Cabbies Consortium.
Good for them for being pro-active rather than just pro-mouth.
It looks like it is time for the police chief to have a sit down and lay out some temporary rules to the police patrols.
If the opposite of pro is con, does that mean the progress is the opposite of congress?
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Bird (anonymous profile)
September 23, 2009 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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