Dennie Quill, Contributor
WITH THE debate raging in the United States about Christmas, I want to avoid offending anyone by sticking to the straight and narrow. So instead of merry Christmas, happy Hanukah and happy Kwanzaa, I will simply say happy holidays to all my readers. I wish that you would make this season happy for one person who is not a relative or friend.
This week I want to focus attention on taxi-cabs. My interest was piqued by a friend who had an unpleasant taxi experience earlier this week. And I soon learnt from others that you should only take a cab if you are willing to take a ride into hell.
My friend said she telephoned for a cab and one duly arrived within the 10 minutes as promised. She complained that the driver immediately opened the passenger door for her, indicating that she should sit beside him. Accustomed to taking her place in the back seat as a paying customer, she was a little taken aback but decided to go with the flow. I gather that this is
one of the new requirements for passengers.
GROSSLY UNCOMFORTABLE
The driver was not wearing his seat belt so she asked him why, and to his credit he buckled up immediately without an argument. She noticed that he was dressed in a pair of denim shorts and T-shirt. From her description, he and the car had a great deal in common: Neither had been washed in a while. Besides, the air conditioning did not work and she did not bother to complain about the lack of a meter. All in all, she was grossly uncomfortable.
Now, one doesn't want to keep harping back to the old days, but one has to draw parallels. Remember the days of Checker and Yellow Cabs? For sure, those old Morris Oxfords and Austin Cambridges had been worked to the bone, however, the drivers were well turned out and the cars were generally clean. Passengers were treated with respect - such as having the doors opened and given assistance with packages, etc.
Today, the cabs are usually newer models and they arrive pretty quickly when called. But the drivers are a breed apart, mostly crude and disrespectful. One understands that the life of a cabbie is not easy. More and more, they have come under threat from criminals. Added to that, the spike in fuel price is making it difficult for them to earn a livelihood.
But is that any excuse to have music pumping in the ears of passengers? As one person recounted her experience to me, she could not answer her cellphone because the music in the cab she was travelling in was so loud. When she asked the driver to lower the volume, his response was this, "Wha 'appen, mummy, yuh no like yard music?"
With existing traffic and road safety challenges, many commuters if offered an attractive, clean and safe alternative, would park their motor vehicles and take a bus or ride in a cab.
Those who are responsible for overseeing our public transport system are not looking ahead because they should realise that the growing dependence on motor vehicles in this small country would eventually lead to enormous environmental costs in the years ahead.
The average daily commute has increased significantly because of the urban sprawl to places like Portmore and St. Catherine. We have found out from experience that a public transport system cannot make money - it has to be subsidised. We must also understand that a good transportation system is as important as health and education, and an essential part of the social capital of a well-organised society. It is imperative that a serious look be taken at the operations of taxi-cabs. The proprietors of these cab companies should clean up their act and do it quickly.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
