Marianne Paskowski

NYC Hacks Protest GPS/Videos in Cabs

October 5, 2007 12:32 PM

Here we go again.

A group of Big Apple taxi cab drivers said they would go on strike again—a second time—to protest a new ruling that would require them to install a GPS system that takes credit cards and allows passengers to watch videos in the back seat.

Many NYC cabbies already have the devices and my pals are divided on whether this is a good idea. Some cab drivers say they dislike the idea because they cannot control the sound levels, the passengers do, and that it adds to their existing stress of careening through crowded Manhattan. Passengers can see ads of stores on their routes, news clips and weather updates.

Other cabbies have said they don’t like the Big Brother aspect, having their every trip monitored.

Here’s my own two cents: Why provide more distractions for drivers who contribute to their own stress by constantly talking on their cell phones while driving, leading to accidents.

As a taxi cab passenger, I’m doing the same thing, talking on my mobile phone and I think that’s enough din for anyone to endure.

So I side with the cabbies here. Do you?