Comments on: US service culture and the baffling bill http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/ An infuriatingly infrequently updated reflection on the Internet, the US, and life in general Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:59:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Wendy Leibowitz http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-39256 Mon, 12 Mar 2007 18:30:23 +0000 http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-39256 Welcome to my home town. It used to be worse. As to cabs, the main "lobby" preserving the zone system is members of Congress, who use cabs heavily when they travel in the city. Note that Zone 1, which includes Capitol Hill, is HUGE, allowing all members of Congress to travel all over Capitol Hill, K Street and most of downtown for a flat fee of about 8 bucks. A meter system would destroy that. I assume the cabbies also love being able to rip off tourists. Fighting for meters, for full voting rights in Congress, and for a decent school system, Wendy in Washington PS On the plus side, most of our museums are free. Welcome to my home town. It used to be worse.
As to cabs, the main “lobby” preserving the zone system is members of Congress, who use cabs heavily when they travel in the city. Note that Zone 1, which includes Capitol Hill, is HUGE, allowing all members of Congress to travel all over Capitol Hill, K Street and most of downtown for a flat fee of about 8 bucks. A meter system would destroy that. I assume the cabbies also love being able to rip off tourists. Fighting for meters, for full voting rights in Congress, and for a decent school system, Wendy in Washington
PS On the plus side, most of our museums are free.

]]> by: Kieren http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-37961 Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:23:43 +0000 http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-37961 Actually when you get used to it (and the fact that they add $1.50 for each additional person), there are advantages - you pay a flat fee so traffic is less of a hassle. I had a 25-minute cab ride for $8.80. I still say the normal meter system is better though, and I'm certain that tourists bear the brunt of scams. The cab ride to the airport is a con though - $62. Kieren Actually when you get used to it (and the fact that they add $1.50 for each additional person), there are advantages - you pay a flat fee so traffic is less of a hassle. I had a 25-minute cab ride for $8.80.

I still say the normal meter system is better though, and I’m certain that tourists bear the brunt of scams. The cab ride to the airport is a con though - $62.

Kieren

]]> by: Dan Halloran http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-37208 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:47:55 +0000 http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-37208 Here's a link to a map of the D.C. taxi "zones" -- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/specials/theguide/maps05/dc_taxi.html Here’s a link to a map of the D.C. taxi “zones” –
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/specials/theguide/maps05/dc_taxi.html

]]> by: Maria Farrell http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-36744 Mon, 05 Mar 2007 16:41:10 +0000 http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-36744 The mystery is solved. Washington taxis operate on a zone system so anywhere within the same zone is a set fee. If you cross into another zone, the price goes up steeply, which means you have to know your zones and be clever about where you get a cab to. The truly weird thing about Washington cabs is that their rooflights serve no purpose at all. Whether it's on or off gives no indication of whether the driver's willing to accept a fare or not. So you have to wave down every one. The mystery is solved. Washington taxis operate on a zone system so anywhere within the same zone is a set fee. If you cross into another zone, the price goes up steeply, which means you have to know your zones and be clever about where you get a cab to.

The truly weird thing about Washington cabs is that their rooflights serve no purpose at all. Whether it’s on or off gives no indication of whether the driver’s willing to accept a fare or not. So you have to wave down every one.

]]> by: Kevin Murphy http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-35609 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:57:13 +0000 http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2007/03/02/us-service-culture-and-the-baffling-bill/#comment-35609 blah whimsical comment blah blah ICANN fees blah satirical aside blah ;-) blah whimsical comment blah blah ICANN fees blah satirical aside blah

;-)

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