I enjoy writing about D.C.'s taxi drivers, some of which have been organized by the Teamsters, and their inconveniencing of customers and pushing for anti-competitive laws. I enjoy doing this because I love reminding people just how terrible both D.C. taxi drivers and unions are. It brings a smile to my face, in part because they're doing all the work for me! I don't even have to launch into a pro-free-trade tirade or carefully explain all of the awesome benefits competition brings consumers. Nope. To get your blood boiling, all I have to do is excerpt this Washingtonian piece:
Driving through downtown DC, especially near the John A. Wilson Building, is going to be hellish tomorrow morning when an armada of taxis rolls up Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, as drivers again protest DC Council legislation giving safe harbor to "ride-sharing" companies Uber and Lyft.
The council is scheduled to take its second and final vote on the bill, which gives services like Uber and Lyft a legal framework for operating in the District by codifying insurance and background-check requirements both companies say they already satisfy. In response, hundreds of taxi drivers organized by Teamsters Local 922 plan to circle the Wilson Building and blast their horns in hopes of deterring council members from sending the bill on to Mayor Vince Gray.
Just to be clear, taxis are hoping today to reduce your options to get around town while also massively inconveniencing drivers on the road. They've done this multiple times. And, for some reason, people hate them more and more.
Anyway, if you want to get around D.C. today and don't feel like dealing with a driver who hates you, give Uber a shot! Sign up today and you can get $30 off your first ride.