WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 4, 2019 13
I’m a for-hire driver, but you
haven’t heard from me
I deserve to sti ll have
this option.
To hear it on TV, it’s the companies
versus the driver’s union in a
David-v-Goliath fight. It’s more
like big companies versus smaller
companies, and drivers like me are
stuck in the middle.
I stand with the industry, our
elected officials, the IDG and
a majority of New Yorkers in
supporting the goal to increase
driver earnings;
I know how much
we need this
increase.
But we need to
be smart about
how our policies
actually impact
drivers. We can’t
just listen to the
loudest voices as
we create policies
that will impact
thousands of
New Yorkers.
Ridesharing gives people like
me a flexible opportunity to
earn an income and connect with
people from all over the world. I
am hopeful that the TLC will find
a way that allows drivers to earn
a livable wage and still have the
freedom and flexibility we love.
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
CONGESTION TAX?
THIS MEANS WAR!
There is now a war on pedestrians,
as well as a war on cars and cab drivers,
with the increased fees taken from the
middle class of new york city via using
cars as transportation in the form of a
deceiving “congestion tax.”
The amount of land remains the
same, yet the population continues
to grow, so why shrink the street by
adding bike lanes when there are so
many more walkers and drivers than
bikers?
The additional volume of people
naturally increases historically year
over year, so therefore the amount
of land to walk and drive in should
proportionally go up not down.
By putting in bike lanes up and down
main and main avenues, and bikes on
streets where they park them shrinks
the streets and makes the streets more
congested and more dangerous.
There are more cars and vehicles and
people than bikes, and now because
the streets are more congested the
pollution is going through the roof.
As a New Yorker of 40 years who
walks, drives, and bikes, I have found
it more dangerous than ever on the
streets.
Someone could sue the city and state
if the were inclined to do so, as these
politicians keep hurting the working
people of nyc, but should be going aft er
billionaires who don’t live here and buy
plenty of real estate.
There are no bikers when its super
hot, or winter time, or rain, snow,
etc. – but the cars come in every day
and are crushed together now with
concrete barriers being put down on
the streets.
Bike lights that hold cars from
making turns as they have historically
been able to without a light.
The city has become more dangerous
and polluted now more than ever with
the changes that have been made, and
if the bike lanes were simply removed
there would not be the same congestion
that the shrinkage of streets has caused
nyc to be dangerous and expensive.
Uber and Lyft now have tens of
thousands of drivers, and we shrunk
the lanes, so now instead of opening the
streets back up – it appears “congestion
pricing” will be the excuse to take more
money, and the mta has not proved
themselves to be able to manage that
money – so it just leaves a bad taste.
Charging the same people more
money via “congestion taxes” is just
sticking it to middle class New Yorkers
who already struggle to live in new
york city.
We need a superhero politician who
actually really cares about the people
to come save the day.
QNS member Michael Schwartz
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com (Subject: Letter to the Editor) or leave
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SNAPS
RICHMOND HILL PHAGWAH
PARADE
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OP-ED
BY KIM JOHNSON
As a longtime New York City
rideshare driver, I hear a lot of
well-intentioned people in the
press and on the steps of City Council
talk about my lack of opportunity.
They point to what the loudest
voices are saying — those from The
Independent Drivers Guild.
Policy decisions are drafted,
debated and signed based on the
loud but few, and
across the board,
they paint driving
with rideshare
companies as a
losing proposition.
But what’s missing
from this media
hooplah is my actual
voice. And a lot of
the regulation could
actually hurt my
bottom line.
So here’s my story.
I hope it will convince readers to
listen not just to the loudest voices
on TV, not just to the well-meaning
echo chamber, but directly to the
people that local policies impact.
I live in Queens, about 10 minutes
away from JFK. I’ve driven with
Lyft and Juno for over two years,
at various hours throughout the
day. I am saving up my earnings
to open a daycare for children
in my community.
Ride-sharing gives me the
f lexibility a traditional 9-to-5
can’t. It allows me to create my own
schedule, which means I have time
to run errands and take care of my
loved ones whenever I need.
In addition to boosting my
income, I find driving with Lyft
and Juno really enjoyable. I love
meeting new people and helping
make their daily travel easier. I
sometimes feel like a therapist.
Recently, after finishing a ride, my
rider gave me a hug and thanked me
for listening and giving him advice.
New York is my hometown, but I am
still discovering new places and
areas as a driver.
Unfortunately, for all the
freedom I enjoy driving, I feel like
the TLC doesn’t have my back and
my voice isn’t coming through.
New policies are giving an edge
to the biggest company — forcing
passengers to choose the biggest
companies because they can reduce
their passenger prices most. I’ve
chosen to drive with two of the
smaller players because I like
them best.
We can’t just
listen to the loudest
voices as we create
policies that will
impact thousands of
New Yorkers.
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