Squeezing more than four people into a taxi late night is a textbook move for most Georgetown students. We’ve all compared the D.C. taxi service to those in other cities…in New York, they’ve had credit card machines and televisions for years. In Florence, the drivers were adamant about my shoes being on the floor (apparently they don’t belong on the center console). In Munich, a friend burped coming home from Oktoberfest, causing our driver to yell and quite obviously take the long route home.
In D.C., you pretty much make your own rules. And, moreover, we’ve learned ways to outsmart the system (ex: never put your bags in the trunk and always hold them yourself…no, the driver isn’t that polite—he gets paid for every bag he “handles”). We’re comfortable and happy with what we’ve got, even if it is mediocre.
But will all this change in the next couple of months? D.C. lawmakers are cracking down on taxi regulations, according to the Washington Post. For example, the D.C. Taxicab Commission wants to raise the per-mile rate, a change that wouldn’t be so student-friendly. Furthermore, Anacostia Cab Association was shut down last week because it violated several D.C. regulations, such as hiring drivers without licenses or insurance. A little disconcerting to say the least, but what can we expect from a city whose cab drivers let us sit on each others’ laps and blast 99.5?
And while we as poor college students lament the harsher and more strictly enforced rules, they might also serve to improve the lives of those living in the District. For example, new laws to “modernize” the taxis—ie. add credit card machines and become more eco-friendly—are also on the table. They’re also changing the colors of the cars to a uniform red and white (just an FYI).
It’s a double-edged sword, my friends. Either way, beware of the new rules (and looks) of the cabs as the D.C. Taxicab Commission starts off 2012 with serious business.
Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/post/taxi-company-shuttered-in-rare-dc-enforcement-action/2012/01/24/gIQAZF5vNQ_blog.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/taxi-inspectors-travel-rough-road-between-regulations-and-disgruntled-cabbies/2012/01/27/gIQAy4IsaQ_story.html
http://marycheh.com/images/committee/summary%20of%20taxi%20bill.pdf
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Georgetown chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.