May 10, 2010: UIYB: Taxis and the Seaport District

>> Rooney: CHANCES ARE IF
YOU'RE HEADING TO THE SEAPORT
DISTRICT, YOU'RE GOING TO END
UP DRIVING.
IT'S NOT THAT YOU CAN'T GET A
TAXI TO DRIVE YOU THERE BUT
FINDING ONE TO DRIVE YOU HOME
IS ANOTHER STORY INDEED.
IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE SEAPORT
DISTRICT AND CAN'T FIND A CAB,
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT ALONE.

>> WE WAITED AROUND DOWN THERE
LOOKING FOR ANYTHING TRYING TO
WAVE THEM DOWN BUT THERE WAS
NOTHING REALLY THAT CAME BY.

>> I KIND OF LOOKED AROUND FOR
CABS.

>> Rooney: SOME CABBIES LIMIT
THEIR TREKS TO THIS REMOTE
PART OF BOSTON SAYING IT'S TOO
MUCH WORK TRACKING DOWN FARES.

>> SOMETIMES YOU SPEND LIKE 20
MINUTES, 25, 45, ONE HOUR
BEFORE YOU GET A JOB.

>> Reporter: CABBIES SAY THERE
ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS.

>> A LOT OF TAXIS COME AROUND
HERE WHEN THERE IS A
CONVENTION.

>> Rooney: AND SOME SAY
THERE'S A STEADY STREAM OF
TAXIS AT&T THE SEA PORT'S
HOTELS.

>> WE'LL GO TO THE SEA PORT
WHERE THERE'S A FEW CABS LIVED
UP READY TO GO.
IT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE FOR
US.

>> Rooney: AWAY FROM THE
HOTELS FOR THE CONVENTION
CENTER, OTHER RESIDENTS SAY
TAXIS ARE HARD TO COME BY.

>> THEY DON'T REALLY VENTURE
DOWN HERE I THINK AS MUCH AS
DOWNTOWN, BACK BAY AREA.

>> Rooney: IT CAN BE PRETTY
TOUGH ON THE RESTAURANTS TOO.
BARRETT KING SAYS SOME NIGHTS
ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS.

>> ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY
THEY TEND TO COME OVER THIS
MORE BECAUSE WE DO GENERATE
MORE BUSINESS.
DURING THE WEEK I DON'T THINK
SO.

>> Reporter: KING SAYS WHEN
YOU NEED A CAB THE MOST, FOR
GET IT.

>> RAIN, SNOW OR KIND OF WEIRD
STORM SYSTEMS, WE DO HAVE A
PROBLEM EVEN WITH THE
RENAISSANCE NEXT DOOR LIKE I
SAID THEY CATCH A LOT OF
CABBIES FOR THEIR PATRONS AND
OURS ARE STUCK WALKING THROUGH
THE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.

>> Reporter: THERE IS ALWAYS
THE SILVER LINE BUT HOP OFF
THE BUS HERE AND YOU STILL
NEED A CAB.
ALL RIGHT.
AND UP IN YOUR BUSINESS
CONTRIBUTOR CHRIS FREEZEWICK
IS HERE.
NOBODY IS ARGUING WITH THIS.
YOU'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THIS.
EVERYBODY IS ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT THIS IS TRUE.

>> I THINK WHAT THE PROBLEM IS,
EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK
BASICALLY WHAT'S GOING ON IS
THAT OUR BELOVED SEA PORT
DISTRICT IT'S AT THE GANGLY
ADOLESCENT PHASE OF ITS
DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAS BEEN
STALLED CONSIDERABLY BY THE
RECESSION.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR THAT
AREA THAT HASN'T TAKEN PLACE.
BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT GOING
UP WHICH MEANS THAT RETAIL
THAT'S NOT GOING IN WHICH
MEANS RESIDENTS THAT AREN'T
MOVING IN.
WE'RE JUST AT THE FULCRUM
POINT WHERE THERE'S ENOUGH
PEOPLE THAT THE LACK OF TAXI S
IS IS BECOMING A PAIN.
BUT NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT THE
CABBIES SEE THE SEA PORT
DISTRICT AS A VIABLE MONEY-
MAKING OPERATION.

>> Rooney: A LOT OF THOSE
PEOPLE IF THEY'RE AT A
CONVENTION WILL TAKE A HOP, A
SHORT HOP TO GO TO A
RESTAURANT OAR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
THEY SAY I WON'T GO ALL THE
WAY OVER THERE JUST TO TAKE
THEM OVER THE BRIDGE TO A
RESTAURANT.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
CABBIES HATE THE SHORT TRIPS.
I TALKED TO THE HEAD OF THE
DIVISION AT THE BOSTON POLICE
DEPARTMENT AND HE SAID THAT
HIS THINKING WAS THEY NEEDED
TO RE-EDUCATE CABBIES ABOUT
HOW LUCRATIVE SHORT TRIPS CAN
BE WHICH IS BASICALLY A WAY OF
ADMITTING THAT THEY'RE GOING
TO HAVE A REALLY TOUGH SELL
GETTING CABBIES TO GET OVER
THERE UNTIL THERE IS THAT
CRITICAL MASS WHICH DURING
CONVENTIONS ISN'T THAT BIG OF
A TROUBLE BECAUSE THERE'S
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE THERE ALL WHO WANT TO
GO SOME PLACE.
FRANKLY EVEN IF YOU WANT TO
JUST GO TO THE MORTONS IF
YOU'RE AT THE CONVENTION
CENTER AND IT'S NOT A NICE DAY
YOU STILL PRETTY MUCH WANT TO
TAKE A CAB OVER THERE.

>> Rooney: CABS ALSO CLAIM
IT'S A SHORT TRIP AND PEOPLE
USE THEIR CREDIT CARDS.
THERE'S NO PROFIT IN THAT.
WHAT ABOUT WHEN THE BCEC IS
PLANNING TO EXPAND LIKE TWICE
ITS SIZE.
IS IT STILL GOING TO HAVE THE
SAME... I DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S
GOING TO CHANGE IT.

>> IT WON'T CHANGE IT.
IT WILL EXACERBATE IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
MR. COHEN AT THE BOSTON POLICE
DEPARTMENT TOLD ME WAS THAT
THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS BEEN
A BLESSING AND A CURSE OVER
THERE.
TAXIWISE.
IT'S PUT THE AREA ON THE MAP
FOR CAB DRIVERS.
HOWEVER, IF THERE'S SOMETHING
GOING ON AT THE CONVENTION
CENTER, THE CONVENTION CENTER
LITERALLY SUCKS ALL THE CABS
OUT OF THE REST OF THE SEA
PORT DISTRICT.
PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER THERE
JUST DINING OUT WANTING TO GO
HOME ARE GOING TO HAVE A
TOUGHER TIME GETTING A CAB IF
EVERYONE IS LETTING OUT AT THE
CONVENTION CENTER AT THE SAME
TIME.

>> YOU DISCOVERED THERE HAD
BEEN INCENTIVES IN THE PAST.
PIER 4 USED TO HAVE TUNA FISH
SANDWICHES.

>> TO GET THE CABBIES.

>> Rooney: WHAT CAN THEY DO
NOW?

>> I ASKED ABOUT THAT.
THE GUY FROM THE INDEPENDENT
TAXI OWNERS' ASSOCIATION SAID
TO ME BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THE
CONVENTION CENTER WAS OPENED
ALL OF SIX YEARS AGO THEY USED
TO GIVE CABBIES SCRATCH
TICKETS TO COME OVER.
AND THEN AT ANTHONY'S PIER 4
THEY WOULD GIVE OUT TUNA FISH
SANDWICHES FOR CABBIES THAT
WOULD COME AND COLLECT THE
PATRONS.
THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY
GAME IN TOWN OVER THERE.
I SAID WHAT GREAT IDEA TO YOU
HAVE TO ROLL OUT TO
INCENTIVIZE THE CABBIES TO
COME OVER NOW?
HE SAID THAT THE RATE
STRUCTURE IS ALREADY SO
GENEROUS WE DON'T DO THAT TO
GET TO THAT AREA BECAUSE THEY
JUST GOT A RATE INCREASE TO
COMPENSATE FOR FUEL COSTS.
HE SAID, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IS
HAS THE RATE STRUCTURE BEEN
BOOSTED BUT THAT 6% THING THAT
THEY UPSET ABOUT HAVING TO PAY
WHEN YOU USE YOUR CREDIT CARD,
THEY BUILT THAT ADDITIONAL
COST INTO THE RATE STRUCTURE
TOO WHICH OF COURSE THEY DON'T
MENTION WHEN THEY COMPLAIN
ABOUT THE 6% THAT THEY'RE
GIVING UP WHEN YOU USE YOUR
CREDIT CARD.
THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THAT BUILT
IN AS WELL.
THEY'RE NOT MAKING ANY LESS
MONEY THAN THEY MADE BEFORE.
IN FACT THEY'RE MAKING A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
EVEN WHEN YOU USE YOUR CREDIT
CARD BUT THAT'S ANOTHER
MATTER.
IT'S JUST MONEY THEY COULD
HAVE HAD IF YOU USE THE CREDIT
CARD YOU WON'T GET.

>> Rooney: I WAS OVER AT THE
SEA PORT ONE DAY AND I THINK
THERE WAS A CONVENTION IN
TOWN.
I SAW 50 PEOPLE WAITING IN
LINE.
EVEN WHEN THERE'S CONVENTIONS
IT'S NOT ALWAYS A STEADY
STREAMS OF CABS: PEOPLE WERE
STAMPING THEIR FEET LOOKING
FOR CABS.

>> I SPOKE WITH THE HEAD OF
THE A BETTER CITY, ABC,
BASICALLY AN ORGANIZATION THAT
IS CONSTANTLY WORKING TO FIND
NEW WAYS TO MAKE BOSTON A
BETTER TOWN FOR TOURISM AND
CONVENTIONS AND THEY'RE
PUSHING REALLY HARD.
THEY'RE KIND OF A STANDING
MEMBER OF THIS NEW TASK FORCE
THAT IS LOOKING TO EXPAND THE
CONVENTION CENTER.
HIS THING THAT HE WOULD LIKE
TOO SEE HAPPEN IS THE CITY
ISSUE MORE TAXI MEDAL YONZ.
HE SAID THERE'S NOT ENOUGH
CABS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
THEY'VE RESTRICTED THE NUMBER
OF CABS.
IF YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A
MEDALLION, THE LAST THING ON
EARTH THAT YOU WANT IS FOR
MORE OF THOSE THINGS TO BE IN
CIRCULATION BECAUSE IT WILL
CUT INTO YOUR BUSINESS.
WHEN YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM
AREA LIKE THE SEA PORT HE
FEELS LIKE THIS IS A LITTLE
BIT OF A CHICKEN AND THE EGG
KIND OF A SITUATION.
CABBIES WON'T GO OVER THERE
BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE WON'T GO OVER THERE
BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH
CABBIES.
HE SAID WE CAN CONTROL FOR AND
PUT MORE CABBIES ON THE
STREET.

>> Rooney: TOURISTS ARE
STANDING ON THE STREET WAVING
FOR A CAB AND I'M LAUGHING
GOING, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.
ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU
HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: THAT IS IT FOR
GREATER BOSTON.
JOHN ME ON THE NEW 89.7 WGBH
FOR NEW FOLLOWED BY CALLIE
CROSS BEE AT ONE.
COMING UP NECN AN ALL NEW
EDITION OF HIGH SCHOOL QUIZ
SHOW.
TOMORROW NIGHT, JARED BOWEN
WITH THE GREAT AMERICAN
TRAILER PARK MUSICAL.
THAT AND MORE TOMORROW AT
7:00.
I'M EMILY ROONEY GOOD NIGHT.