Taxi Drivers are like Cotton Pickers in San Francisco, California

I received this interesting email I want to share with everyone today.

Today 3/31 is Cesar Chavez's birthday.

What do cab drivers and Cesar Chavez and the UFW have in common?

Answer we are both share croppers. Yup, pick that ole taxi cotton.

Ever hear of cab driver Richard Edwinson? By random chance or karma years ago after I had heard about Edwinson's state appellate court victory for California cab drivers, I saw this guy flag me at 16th and Potrero.

He was on crutches.

When he got in for some reason I turned around and said, surprising even myself, "Good God, man, what happened to you?

He said he was standing in the cab line at Hilton between two Yellow cabs and one gave way crushing his legs in the bumper of the other.

The old bastard Yellow Cab boss Jimmy Steele denied Edwinson's workers comp claim, but the Court of Appeals reached down and grabbed the case and said it raised a serious public policy question relating to cab drivers and the workers comp statute. Steele then did a u turn and tried to settle the case, but the court of appeals refused citing the overall public policy question of who was going to pay medical bills when poor cab drivers got injured on the job.

The appellate court followed the rule of law announced by the California Supreme Court in the Borello case where the workers had signed similar so-called independent contractor contracts with the boss. The Supreme Court said it could go behind a phony contract to determine the true relationship of the parties.

So taxi drivers were held to be not unlike the share farmers, or share croppers in Borello and were deemed to be employees for purposes of recovery under the state workers comp statute which meant that companies like Yellow had to kick in some bucks for their workers in the field and on the raod. Imagine that!! What a concept. Fair is fair.

Yup, we pick that ole taxi cotton.

Speak'n of pick'n remember you can pick your friends and you can pick you nose but you can't ... uh nevermind, skip it.

Say are we having fun yet and partying on for truth, social and economic justice and the American way or whatever way it really is ... and good for GE ... someday we will get the best tax lawyers money can buy and not have to pay a dime just like GE. Gee.

And speaking of that, how about a book recommendation: "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" by Greg Palast. Does it tell it like it is or what? Check it out sometime ...

Ganged up on at work as San Francisco Taxi Driver

Over the years of working for this cab company. I have felt ganged up on in many ways.

While employed as a teacher and going to school for my Masters and credential. I had experienced lots of comments coming over the dispatch radio about my teaching and the disapproval of a gay man teaching in public schools. In addition, many drivers including dispatch engaged in obtaining information of where I worked and tried to be buddy buddy with me to get the information. Needless to say I am not working for the District anymore and even tried to work at a couple more schools after. As soon as I was able to find another job at a school. People who work at the cab company wanted to know the name of the school and the location. As soon as the others found out I started to have problems at those new schools. Is it coincidence or harassment?

It does appear as many at work do not like me and in fact hate me. That is why I have experienced attacks by other workers and including damage to my own vehicle. Everything was fine at the company until they found out I was gay which I never disclosed. I don't understand why professionalism can not be practiced by others I work with instead of threats, and damage to my vehicle. Why they choose to speak about someone they hate to others is very immature and has expanded the hate towards me at work to the extent that there is no one at work I can really talk to. I am being watched and noticed when new drivers begin to work at the company and I am seen speaking with them, others who hate me take note and make it a point to speak to them. The conversations will be going along fine for a couple of times and then suddenly they don't want to speak to me anymore because of things they heard at work from others. Leaving me with out being able to make friendships or friendly work environment. I have heard some of the things they say about me like Im a fagot, I like getting it up the ass, and hes trouble. Also I heard I go to the front office with my problems which is the furthest thing from the truth. I only had to on one occasion when I was confronted in front of many drivers in line and a driver decided to threaten me in front of them.

The harassment continues over many fronts, when I ran a small sock business on Ebay, when I got my first Chihuahua, working at the school, when I bought my SUV, my partner, and really anything I do. Why is it any business of people I work with that hate me to want to know anything about my life? Just to cause problems for me and stalk me outside of work. It was bad enough they punished me in cars that had carbon monoxide leaks that have cause problems for my lungs and head.

I heard these folks are jealous is what people told me, that is not true its that they just simply don't like gay people. As a San Francisco taxi driver, I have no one to turn to. If a person starts to speak out then you get ganged up on by everyone, which has been happening. To the extent I was told by a night dispatcher that I will get fired and he will find a way. For years the dispatcher has yelled at me in front of others making hateful comments towards me. In fact last night, I was yelled at by him. He uses the excuse that he does have pot and sometimes will call to apologize. However why should a driver be subjected to this type of activity and harassment at work whatever the reason.