The next common enemy... - Page 11 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

cmac2012 · #**151** 03-22-2006, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

CMAC used to be a cabbie. He might be able to put you on the right path.

I've been wondering if I had anything to offer this discussion. I know I was often frustrated by the feast or famine nature of the cab biz. Especially in SF, during the tourist peak, people were begging for cabs. I used to wish I could double up more easily.

Oakland has a group ride thing going on. The cab co. I drove for in Oakland, Metro Yellow, was a remarkable little company founded by a straight looking white dude partly cuz he loved little old ladies. They all sang his praise. Not long after I started w/ them, he reached the tipping point of weariness with his CABS being vandalized, batteries stolen, etc. His cab lot was on an open lot in a hard part of W. Oakland.

He sold out to Friendly Cab in '97, a company run by Indians, east, a similar phenomenon to the widespread Indian ownership of motels. They have the new transit thing, with smaller size buses, the sort you see for airport shuttle sometimes. I'll look something up on it.

Ahh, here's a link to it:

Oakland Paratransit

Not exactly what your talking about but similar. They also have a fleet of new Ford Crown Vics that they use for multiple rider trips. It was enacted as a way to serve the elderly and disabled community more efficiently. Never did it myself, they got it up and running about the time I left the cab biz (finally) around '98. The drivers make an hourly rate, and I don't think it's very high, didn't really want to do it. Regular cabbing wasn't that lucrative but you had the option of making more on a busy day. Even then, you rarely go over $15 an hour net and it's often less. On a slow day, you could take home $40, and for 10 or 11 hours, that's abysmally depressing.

In the summer of '85 in Seattle, it had just been proclaimed "America's Most Livable City," I worked 5 days a week and averaged $600 a week net. That seemed like big money for my hippie arse and it was actually exciting.

Lebenz · #**152** 03-23-2006, 11:22 AM

Thanks! I’ll check out the link you posted. Do you think a wage in the $38K range is reasonable for someone who works as a driver? Should a system such as I described accept tips as custom?

I've been reading a bit from the Gates foundation and am putting together a letter of proposal for a research grant. I have no real aspirations of making money from this venture, but wouldn’t turn it down. It seems such a logical and even natural solution to many of the problems related to transportation, it appears to fall under the category of a better built mouse trap.

Given how government supports corporate welfare, were they presented with a proposal that would employ ~ 50K people in any popular county, you just know they’d do dang near anything for the opportunity. Gates himself ought to like the computer based routing system as it has countless applications, and he is almost alone in the planet as having the resources to develop the concept.

In a different light, our community is wrestling with spending about 3-4 billion dollars to fix a broken roadway. My hip shot estimates say that that money spent on the system I outlined would likely eliminate the need for the roadway.

mikemover · #**153** 03-23-2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

...Just like that, I see no hope when it comes to people for the most part. As such, I am not going to be interested in the long term end result. So you see, it is difficult to be selfless when the situation is a write off. Same as with a casino. I go in and already know how much I am prepared to lose. I don't get upset when it happens. Low or no expectations, low or no disappointments. Nobody has disappointed me yet.

The glass is either half full, half empty? Not me. I wonder who stole my beer.

Edit: If the glass holds 500cc and there is 250cc, it holds 250cc whether the glass is looked on as half full or half empty. You can say it is half full but what does that change? Say it is half empty? No difference. Still 250cc either way.

A sad, negative, pessimistic way to live.

But hey... whatever floats your boat.

Mike

John Doe · #**154** 03-23-2006, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crash9

When I Goggle Menhaden, first thing up “Menhaden are a delicacy which are served at numerous restaurants in the Bay” and makes me think how things have changed from the sea.
.

My parents have had a home on the Chesapeake since 1961 and have never eaten, nor heard of anyone having eaten, a menhaden.

Botnst · #**155** 03-23-2006, 08:49 PM

Menhaden have high protein and oil content. These are two portions of the diet that are energy-intensive to produce. In nature when things are difficult to produce they are often limiting factors for the dependent population. Animal populations that are dependent on menhaden are diverse and include migratory waterfowl, wading birds, and numerous species of game fish. Human do not "knowingly" eat menhaden (think of sardines, but with a stronger fish odor and a lot more oil).

Since menhaden do not serve as a source of human food, they could be harvested by commercial enterprise unimpeded by fishermen, hunetrs, conservationists or preservationists. Factories were built. Aerial observation directed harvesters exactly analogous to Spice Harvesters in "Dune".

Many species of sea life feed on menhaden. Most of that sea life is unimportant to humanity. Some is.

Should menhaden harvest be regulated? Why or why not?

B

cmac2012 · #**156** 03-24-2006, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lebenz

Thanks! I’ll check out the link you posted. Do you think a wage in the $38K range is reasonable for someone who works as a driver? Should a system such as I described accept tips as custom?

I've been reading a bit from the Gates foundation and am putting together a letter of proposal for a research grant. I have no real aspirations of making money from this venture, but wouldn’t turn it down. It seems such a logical and even natural solution to many of the problems related to transportation, it appears to fall under the category of a better built mouse trap.

Given how government supports corporate welfare, were they presented with a proposal that would employ ~ 50K people in any popular county, you just know they’d do dang near anything for the opportunity. Gates himself ought to like the computer based routing system as it has countless applications, and he is almost alone in the planet as having the resources to develop the concept.

In a different light, our community is wrestling with spending about 3-4 billion dollars to fix a broken roadway. My hip shot estimates say that that money spent on the system I outlined would likely eliminate the need for the roadway.

I looked at the link (Oakland paratransit) a bit more and I don't how much useful info there might be there for you. I doubt the drivers in that deal make $38 K a year, which would not be bad at all for the average driver. At 2000 hours a year, that's $19 per hour -- take home $14 perhaps -- and most cabbies would be happy with an average of $140 for a ten hour day. Some do that regularly -- night shift in SF -- but though I used to make that much in Seattle in the 80s, I rarely did that well around here in the 90s. $38 K is about what a starting teacher makes, so for drivers, I'd say it would be not bad.

I've not been there since '73, but I hear that in Wash, DC, they have a zone system for determining fares. It's common practice for drivers to pick up flags even while carrying other passengers. People just pay based on how many zones they went through. I've heard that drivers and passengers both like the system because it means less waiting for the riders, and more reliable income for the drivers. I could be wrong on this, it's all based on what I've heard only.

ps: On tips, I imagine old habits will endure. I would think the tips could be smaller, and still be generous, if the total ridership is significantly larger. But at $38 K a year, reduced or no tips wouldn't be as big a drawback as compared to regular cabbing. I was often amazed at how big the tips I got were. A $2 fare would often bring $3. 20 to 50 % was halfway common. Might have something to do with the 'trusting your life to the driver' phenomenon -- that and the well known dangers of cab driving.

cmac2012 · #**157** 03-24-2006, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Botnst

Menhaden have high protein and oil content. These are two portions of the diet that are energy-intensive to produce. In nature when things are difficult to produce they are often limiting factors for the dependent population. Animal populations that are dependent on menhaden are diverse and include migratory waterfowl, wading birds, and numerous species of game fish. Human do not "knowingly" eat menhaden (think of sardines, but with a stronger fish odor and a lot more oil).

Since menhaden do not serve as a source of human food, they could be harvested by commercial enterprise unimpeded by fishermen, hunetrs, conservationists or preservationists. Factories were built. Aerial observation directed harvesters exactly analogous to Spice Harvesters in "Dune".

Many species of sea life feed on menhaden. Most of that sea life is unimportant to humanity. Some is.

Should menhaden harvest be regulated? Why or why not?

I'll have to read the Mother Jones' story again. They claimed that menhaden are (were?

) an important part of the diet of swordfish and other desirable fish that aren't doing well now.

I hate to be such a worrier but the state of life in our oceans ought to be a humongous red flag with attached flashing lights and sirens. Salmon fishing will be highly restricted -- if not banned -- for another season here in Cal because of the shakey status of the Klamath River run. The Sacramento salmon run is still healthy, but the various runs all intermingle in the ocean and the idea is to give the Klamath run time to gain strength. With the water wars around that and possible drought, might be a rough road ahead for Klamath salmon.

The last really great salmon runs in the world in Alaska are increasingly threatened by inland industry in Canada and escaped farmed Atlantic salmon.

Coming soon, GM farmed salmon which may grow so fast that they'll be able to overwhelm the more desirable Pacific salmon. What an assinine, boneheaded idea from hell that was -- the whole farmed salmon thing, I mean.