Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

I don't know what "TLC" means in this context: "T??? Licensed
Chauffeur"? "Hack" comes from "hackney", a type of carriage, and is a
common colloquial expression for a taxicab.

"Op." is short for "operator". An "owner/operator" provides his own
vehicle and usually works under contract rather than as an employee.
"Commercial plates" are distinctive licence plates indicating that
the vehicle has been registered for business rather than private use.
In some cities (I don't know about New York) they allow one to park
in certain places where a private car would not be permitted.

In alt.english.usage on Tue, 20 Jan 2004 21:26:18 -0500 "valek"
<valek@poczta.onet.pl> posted:

Taxi and Limousine Commission.

A hack is a taxi driver and a Hack license is the same thing, last I
heard.  Was it in all caps, HACK?  If it's new, it must be similar. If
you had one you would know.  In big cities there is a separate test.

In Chicago, it was only a written test, and it dealt with where the
landmarks were, the train stations (Chicago has many like Paris), the
Merchandise Mart, the ball parks, the museums, the hotels, Fields,
Carsons, the airports, etc.  Yellow Cab company provided a booklet to
study that included this stuff so that new employees could pass the
test.  It was given once a week or maybe once a month, and took less
than an hour.  (In NY it will be at least once a week, but they might
cover laws as well).  I had only gone to college in Chicago, two of
the years with no car, and I needed to study to pass the test.  A
smaller company, like one that wants owner/ops might or might not
provide this.

Operators.   They want drivers who provide their own car, but that
might not be a must, an absolute requirement.  Often two or three guys
will share a car, driving different shifts.  I don't know if they will
fix you up with someone or not.  Call one of the companies, and ask.

                          how should I interpret that?
                          what should I take that to mean?

Commercial plates are needed to use your car or truck in certain
occupations, in certain kinds of commerce.  They are more expensive --
maybe just a little, maybe more -- but the city or state is not going
to let people carry other people in their car for money unless they
can do it safely.  Perhaps that means that one has to get a more
thorough  inspection of the car?  I don't know. I'm not sure how it
could be more thorough.  You could go to the DMV or MVA web site of
your state, or any state (try the New York State DMV) and see what the
requirements are.  (Department of Motor Vehicles, or Motor Vehicle
Administration)

Also, if you have to provide your own car liability insurance they
definitely charge more if you are going to be carrying passengers for
hire.  Because a) you'll have far more passengers in your car than the
average owner has.  The average owner is usually alone in the car. And
b) maybe because they are a lot more likely to sue than your children
or parents are.    I see you are in NY.  NY might insist that all taxi
companies provide insurance, because depending on the drivers is
unreliable.  NY has a lot of good laws that other states don't.  But
you must check.

Don't let this story scare you. Read the whole story:  When I was a
cab driver in Chicago, I got sued for 300,000 dollars, way back in
1970 when that was real money, by someone who wasn't injured at all.
I was only going 5mph and I looked at her 2 seconds after I hit the
corner of the car in front of me, and the young woman, 20's, was
sitting up just fine. I would not have known I hit the other car if I
hadn't heard the noise.

But this suit didn't cost me any money because I was working for
Yellow Cab and they provided good insurance for all their drivers.
Eventually the insurance company's lawyer's private investigator found
that she fell down the steps 6 months later in another state, and had
a lot of medical bills starting then.  She thought back and thought
this was a way to raise the money.

I had also sought a job at another cab company, not Checker, smaller,
and I asked if insurance was included.  You must ask, and you must see
it in your contract, although in this situation, what I might do is
discuss the whole job with one or two other drivers for that company.
If you only ask one, he might be overly positive or negative for
reasons peculiar to him.   Anyhow, this other company said that iirc
they provided a lawyer, but No, I would have to pay the judgment if I
lost in court, but on the other hand, if someone hit me and I won in
court, I could keep some that money!  This is not the good deal it
sounds like. :)

Hmmm. If you are still in Poland, maybe all you needed to know was
what the terms meant. :)

s/ meirman    If you are emailing me please  
say if you are posting the same response.

Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
            Indianapolis,   7 years
            Chicago,        6 years
            Brooklyn NY    12 years
            Baltimore      20 years

In alt.english.usage on Tue, 20 Jan 2004 21:26:18 -0500 "valek"
<valek@poczta.onet.pl> posted:

Taxi and Limousine Commission.

A hack is a taxi driver and a Hack license is the same thing, last I
heard.  Was it in all caps, HACK?  If it's new, it must be similar. If
you had one you would know.  In big cities there is a separate test.

In Chicago, it was only a written test, and it dealt with where the
landmarks were, the train stations (Chicago has many like Paris), the
Merchandise Mart, the ball parks, the museums, the hotels, Fields,
Carsons, the airports, etc.  Yellow Cab company provided a booklet to
study that included this stuff so that new employees could pass the
test.  It was given once a week or maybe once a month, and took less
than an hour.  (In NY it will be at least once a week, but they might
cover laws as well).  I had only gone to college in Chicago, two of
the years with no car, and I needed to study to pass the test.  A
smaller company, like one that wants owner/ops might or might not
provide this.

Operators.   They want drivers who provide their own car, but that
might not be a must, an absolute requirement.  Often two or three guys
will share a car, driving different shifts.  I don't know if they will
fix you up with someone or not.  Call one of the companies, and ask.

                          how should I interpret that?
                          what should I take that to mean?

Commercial plates are needed to use your car or truck in certain
occupations, in certain kinds of commerce.  They are more expensive --
maybe just a little, maybe more -- but the city or state is not going
to let people carry other people in their car for money unless they
can do it safely.  Perhaps that means that one has to get a more
thorough  inspection of the car?  I don't know. I'm not sure how it
could be more thorough.  You could go to the DMV or MVA web site of
your state, or any state (try the New York State DMV) and see what the
requirements are.  (Department of Motor Vehicles, or Motor Vehicle
Administration)

Also, if you have to provide your own car liability insurance they
definitely charge more if you are going to be carrying passengers for
hire.  Because a) you'll have far more passengers in your car than the
average owner has.  The average owner is usually alone in the car. And
b) maybe because they are a lot more likely to sue than your children
or parents are.    I see you are in NY.  NY might insist that all taxi
companies provide insurance, because depending on the drivers is
unreliable.  NY has a lot of good laws that other states don't.  But
you must check.

Don't let this story scare you. Read the whole story:  When I was a
cab driver in Chicago, I got sued for 300,000 dollars, way back in
1970 when that was real money, by someone who wasn't injured at all.
I was only going 5mph and I looked at her 2 seconds after I hit the
corner of the car in front of me, and the young woman, 20's, was
sitting up just fine. I would not have known I hit the other car if I
hadn't heard the noise.

But this suit didn't cost me any money because I was working for
Yellow Cab and they provided good insurance for all their drivers.
Eventually the insurance company's lawyer's private investigator found
that she fell down the steps 6 months later in another state, and had
a lot of medical bills starting then.  She thought back and thought
this was a way to raise the money.

I had also sought a job at another cab company, not Checker, smaller,
and I asked if insurance was included.  You must ask, and you must see
it in your contract, although in this situation, what I might do is
discuss the whole job with one or two other drivers for that company.
If you only ask one, he might be overly positive or negative for
reasons peculiar to him.   Anyhow, this other company said that iirc
they provided a lawyer, but No, I would have to pay the judgment if I
lost in court, but on the other hand, if someone hit me and I won in
court, I could keep some that money!  This is not the good deal it
sounds like. :)

Hmmm. If you are still in Poland, maybe all you needed to know was
what the terms meant. :)

s/ meirman    If you are emailing me please  
say if you are posting the same response.

Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
            Indianapolis,   7 years
            Chicago,        6 years
            Brooklyn NY    12 years
            Baltimore      20 years