# Fucking meters in DC cabs **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 19, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260 "2007-10-19T02:51:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/41 "2011-04-08T19:26:05Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > I never minded dealing with cabbies in DC - they were a hardworking bunch. I agree. Nobody works harder to rip people off than DC cabbies. It isn’t easy to drive drunk, refuse fares to the wrong parts of town, or fail to keep their cars in safe operating condition, but damn it, they get the job done. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/42 "2011-04-08T19:41:23Z")
Having taken cabs dozens of times over the last 17 years, I’ll have to say that you’re describing a distinct minority of cabbies. It’s blatantly unfair defamation to tar them all with that brush. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/43 "2011-04-08T19:50:47Z")
Most cabs I’ve taken in DC have been pretty good. Of course I generally caught the cab in the Virginia suburbs, so that is a little different. But not by much. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/44 "2011-04-08T21:09:48Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Having taken cabs dozens of times over the last 17 years, I’ll have to say that you’re describing a distinct minority of cabbies. It’s blatantly unfair defamation to tar them all with that brush. Yeah, it’s a minority. But there are different kind of minorities: there’s the kind of minority that’s like, “the number of Americans who like to dress up like furry animals and go to conventions is just a minority,” and then there’s the minority like, “the number of young men who drink too much and like to start fights at English soccer games is just a minority.” ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/45 "2011-04-09T17:41:44Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Cabbies are still pissed off at no longer having the zone system, which is proof positive that meters are a massive improvement for consumers. > > There is talk of having a medallion system for cabbies, which would basically amount to putting a cap on the number of taxis that can serve DC. The illustrious Crackhead for Life is a supporter. Needless to say, it is a terrible idea. Is it fairly standard that cabbies not working as independent drivers with a cab or two lease cabs from a cab company and work as independent contractors or is it different in the DC area? If so, it would at least benefit the drivers, not having to force wages down because every Tom, Dick, and Harry can go buy a cab and become a driver, thus driving down fares. > [@sh1bu1](#): > > While we are at it can we require that cabbies speak English? God I hate being in an unfamiliar town and having a cabbie not understand me. I had a cabbie take me 50 blocks away from where I was going: not because he was trying to cheat me, but just because he didn’t understand English. Then I almost got in a fight with him when I didn’t tip him when we finally got to where I was going. > [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Sure - as long as you require native born Americans work more than eighty hours a week to do that job. Most won’t put up with it. > > I never minded dealing with cabbies in DC - they were a hardworking bunch. Eighty hours a week are the ones who work short hours. And in their oodles of spare time, they’re trying to learn English - typically without money, education, or resources to learn the language other than trying to pick it up wherever they can. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/46 "2011-04-09T17:45:24Z")
I don’t really see the problem with installing fucking meters. I mean, if people were choosing cabs that much over motel rooms, the cabbies at least should be compensated for having to scotchguard all the back seats. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/47 "2011-04-09T20:46:47Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Most cabs I’ve taken in DC have been pretty good. Of course I generally caught the cab in the Virginia suburbs, so that is a little different. > > But not by much. By a huge amount. NoVa cabs are head and shoulders superior to DC ones. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/48 "2011-04-17T04:11:24Z")
Oh, great. They’re charging people to fuck in the back seat now? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/49 "2011-04-17T13:08:23Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > We live in a difficult world. People do what they can to get by. It’s much harder to be a cabbie who doesn’t speak the local language well than it is to be his or her customer. If there was some kind of language test, there would be plenty of people prevented from earning money as cabbies **and there would also be fewer cabbies, resulting in a supply shortage**. That would harm both aspiring cabbies and consumers. . . . resulting in increased wages for cabbies, resulting in about the same number of cabbies as before. Consumers would essentially be paying more to get more, which would be a perfectly fine situation if that’s what consumers wanted. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/50 "2011-04-19T16:58:24Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Oh, great. They’re charging people to fuck in the back seat now? Still way cheaper than a hotel room! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/51 "2011-04-19T16:59:31Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Oh, great. They’re charging people to fuck in the back seat now? But fucking in the front passenger seat is still free. Is this a great country, or what? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/52 "2011-04-19T17:30:09Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I see no benefit to consumers from a medallion system. The only people who would benefit would be medallion holders, as controllers of an artificially scarce resource. And at $100K per medallion, there will be scant few of them. I wonder how many of our cabbies have that kind of cash (or credit to borrow) to sink into a business. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260/53 "2011-04-19T18:05:31Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Oh, great. They’re charging people to fuck in the back seat now? If you get the driver to go over really bumpy streets, you can save half the effort. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-meters-in-dc-cabs/423260.md?page=2)