Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-25
BIGGER TIPS KEEP
CAB DRIVERS GOING,
SURVEY INDICATES
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Continued From First Page)
enough passengers into a days work to
keep us from starving to death. If we
hauled no more people than We did be-
fore the charges were slaShed, we'd be
working for nothing"
Only one of the drivers asserted the
reduced fees have had no affect on his
driving That's the tough part Of it."
he said. I've got wife and children
depending on me, and 1 can't afford to
take chance on getting hurt. I won't
go faster than 25 miles an hour for
anybody-and, as result, can't make
any money"
A driver, operating on a 20-cent city
proper" rate, declared he had to work
- hours yesterday in order to earn
S4.65 cents.
Fares Total $3.50.
IT did 27 jobs" he explained, and
my fares totaled $3.50. Of which I got
40 per cent, or $3.50. My tips made up
the rest"
The fares were just about as much
as they averaged before the prices were
chiseled down from IS cents, but the
tips were quite bit more.
Nevertheless, can't stand the pace
it's much too swift for me. A fellow
has to work himself darn near to
death, and even-after it's all added
up-he'S no better OF than when he
was working on the old 35-cent basis
II it lasts much longer, I'm going to
quit-I have to-"
Much the same sentiment was ex-
pressed by another driver, working on
q 15-cent "city proper" rate. Like the
20-cent driver, he did 81 jobs yester-
day. as compared with an average of
about 10 day before the advent Of
the next-to-nothing fees.
II had to start out at o'clock in the
morning to break even" he said, be
cause I figured that II worked on the
regular time schedule I'd have to drive
fast and furious, and that's something
won't do.
One of the things that makes it
tough for me is that / have to take in
$3.50 before I can make a penny for
myself. You see, We have to pay the
company $3.50 a day for the use Of
their taxis.
Yesterday I carried $40 worth of
pasSengers-tips and all-so my profit
was only $500. The tips, guess, fig-
ured out to about half
But some people are still pretty
tight. This morning, for instance, I
picked up three girls in the 1900 block
of r street and took them downtown.
1t was lucent Job, and that's all they
paid me. And they were so tickled to
think they could beat the street car
companies by riding to work for a
nickel apiece that they asked me to pick
EN- up again tomorrow. They won't
see me again, though. if can help 1T"
An independent driver operating on
1o-cent "city proper" rate, said he
worked from o'clock yesterday morn
ing until about 10 o'clock last night,
but still made nearly 50 less than be-
fore the beginning Of the price-whit-
thing competition.
Used TO Average SO a Day.
''I used to average about SO a day on
the old 35-cent basis" he said, but I
pulled only $7.55 yesterday, and at least
two-thirds Of that was in tips. Driving
my own cab, guess I make out quite
bit better than the fellows who are
working for others-my expenses don't
run more than a dollar or two a day
but, even at that, won't be able to
keep it up.
THE way figure it out, the hours
are too long and the risks too great.
II don't die from overwork. I'm afraid
Ill get pinched for speeding-and I
can't see any profit in either