More Cabs, Bring 'em On!

According to this article in last week's Examiner, the Taxicab Commission is considering the addition of 69 new cabs to the city's fleet, bringing it up to a total of 1500. Here's an interesting quote:

A push to add more cabs followed the release of a recent commission report that revealed half of the people who call for a cab during the week are left stranded. On Friday evenings, those who call for a cab never see one 95 percent of the time.

Hmmm, gee, finally a report that confirms what almost every person who wants a cab on a Friday or Saturday night already knows - you can't get one!

Of course, a flak for a a local taxi union insists "'There are too many cabs for San Francisco residents alone. Not enough when conventions and tourists are in town, but they’re not all the time here and we need to survive all year,” said Thomas George-Williams, chairman of the United Taxi Workers, a group representing a few hundred cabdrivers."

Wow, really, how about standing on the corner of 18th and Castro at 9PM on Friday and telling me that? Right now the current system only benefits those who hold medallions (the people George-Williams represents) at the expense of the residents of San Francisco and those who would like to make some money by driving a cab but have to pay extortionary fees to medallion holders for the privilege. You want a cab on Friday night at 2AM? Then let the Taxi Commission know how you feel about it, and tell them to put more cabs on our streets.