Taxi workers in New York City shut down traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge Wednesday, reviving a tactic they've used since the coronavirus pandemic emerged to sustain their demand for debt forgiveness for medallion loans.
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA) shared video of the action on social media:
We shut down the Brooklyn Bridge because only direct action will get us what we need: medallion debt forgiveness now! pic.twitter.com/kmbQlBrOO3
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) February 10, 2021The trend of killing taxi drivers began in mid-January when gunmen passed themselves off as clients and shot a driver based out of the Walmart in the Adelita’s neighborhood. The gunmen shot the victim twice on the head with a.40 caliber pistol and fled the scene. The average Taxi Driver salary in Indiana is $35,417 as of January 29, 2021, but the range typically falls between $29,418 and $43,225. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.
A press statement from the 25,000-member union says that dozens of yellow cab owner-drivers were involved in the action.
We are outside Gracie Mansion right now calling on @NYCMayor to listen to our demand for debt forgiveness for taxi drivers. pic.twitter.com/upAI6zMEz6
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) February 10, 2021Book-ending the afternoon direct action on the iconic bridge was testimony earlier in the day at a city council hearing on taxi driver debt and a later rally outside Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's Brooklyn home.
The union said they were pleased Schumer 'heeded our call' after he issued a statement in favor of debt forgiveness. In a statement shared by the union, Schumer said, 'I stand with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance in their urgent mission to forge a financial lifeline for their hard-pressed members to restructure medallion debt, salvage their future retirement, and have a fair chance at earning a living wage for all of their many hours behind the wheel.'
Now, they say, pressure must be focused on New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio to confront what drivers and their advocates describe as an economic crisis.
Drivers have seen between an 80-90% drop in ridership since March of 2020. As CNNreported last month:
Traditionally, taxis in big cities require medallions—official licenses that allow yellow cabs exclusivity to pick up street hails. New medallions are either sold by the city or, more commonly, bought through auctions.
In 2018, nine for-hire drivers in New York died by suicide, crushed under the financial pressure of debts owed on their medallions. Three of them were yellow cab owner-drivers.
The local Sunnyside Post on Tuesday pointed to key reporting from the New York Times in 2019, saying that it 'uncovered that much of the devastation was caused by a handful of taxi company owners—in concert with unscrupulous lenders and city officials—who artificially drove up the price of the medallions year after year.'
New York State Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou on Wednesday also amplified the Times reporting in the context of the drivers' action, tweeting: 'The predatory lending that was condoned by the city and the state used to help some folks and hurt others was designed to trap people into a cycle of debt.'
Hedge funds are also now scooping up the medallions.
'Hardworking taxi medallion individual and owner-drivers entered this industry believing the city would run a fair system,' New York Attorney General Letitia James said in November. 'Instead, many of these workers and small business owners were sent down a rabbit hole of financial ruin.'
The union is demanding that outstanding medallion loans be capped at $125,000 and refinanced 'for no more than 20 years at $757 per month (4% interest rate.)'
'Drivers took direct action today and sent an SOS to Congress, and Senator Schumer heeded our call,' NYTWA executive director Bhairavi Desai said in a statement Wednesday. But the mayor, said Desai, 'has no more excuses.'
'De Blasio said he was waiting for federal funds before taking action. Now, we have a commitment of support from the official that the mayor relies on to deliver that federal aid to the city. It's time to act now and put an end to this crisis of poverty and debt,' said Desai.
Among the casualties of the crisis is the father of Felicia Singh, a Queens resident running for a City Council seat. In a twitter thread Tuesday, she noted that 'more than 950 medallion owners have had to file for bankruptcy.'
'Due to our inability to pay our taxi medallion loan, my father had to file for bankruptcy,' she tweeted. 'This past Friday, the bankruptcy court put a 'For Sale' sign on our house. There is already an offer on our home, and the trustees are ready to sell.'
More than 950 medallion owners have had to file for bankruptcy. My family is one of many families who are victims of the city’s failure. Until the @NYCMayor gives taxi drivers debt relief, families will continue to lose their incomes and homes.
— Felicia Singh for City Council (@FSingh_NYC) February 9, 2021Until the @NYCMayorgives taxi drivers debt relief,' tweeted Singh, 'families will continue to lose their incomes and homes.'
| Taxi Driver | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 모범택시 |
| Hanja | 模範택시 |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Studio S (SBS) |
| Based on | The Deluxe Taxi by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin |
| Written by | Oh Sang-ho |
| Directed by | Park Joon-woo |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Lee Ok-gyu |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 70 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Distributor | SBS |
| Release | |
| Original network | SBS TV |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital |
| Original release | April 2021 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Taxi Driver (Korean: 모범택시; Hanja: 模範택시; RR: Mobeomtaeksi; lit. The Deluxe Taxi) is an upcoming South Korean television series starring Lee Je-hoon, Esom, Kim Eui-sung and Lee Na-eun. Based on the webtoonThe Deluxe Taxi by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin, it is scheduled to premiere on SBS TV in April 2021.[1]
Synopsis[edit]
Kim Do-gi is a Korea Naval Academy graduate whose mother was murdered when he was young. He now works as a taxi driver for a company which offers a 'revenge-call' service to its clients.
Cast[edit]
Main[edit]
- Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi, a former special forces officer who works for Rainbow Taxi Company.
- Esom as Kang Ha-na, an elite prosecutor who fights for justice and becomes interested in Do-gi's work.
- Kim Eui-sung as Jang Sung-chul, CEO of Rainbow Taxi Company, he is known to be ruthless.
- Lee Na-eun as Go Eun, a skilled hacker who works for Rainbow Taxi Company.
Supporting[edit]
- Jang Hyuk-jin
- Lee Yoo-joon
- Song Young-chang
Production[edit]
Texan Drive Stadium Seating
Development[edit]
On December 4, 2019, it was reported that SBS was considering adapting the webtoonThe Deluxe Taxi by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin into a television series.[2]
Casting[edit]
On November 20, 2020, Lee Je-hoon, Esom, Kim Eui-sung and Lee Na-eun were confirmed to star in the series.[3]
Release[edit]
The first teaser video and teaser poster were released on December 31, 2020.[4]
References[edit]
- ^Lee, Jae-lim (February 3, 2021). 'From the web to your TV screen — a look at adaptations to come'. Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^'Webtoon 'Taxi Driver' to Get Drama Adaptation on SBS'. HanCinema. December 4, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^Lee, Mi-ji (November 20, 2020). 이제훈X이솜X김의성X이나은, '모범택시' 출연확정…내년 방송(공식) [Lee Je-hoon X Esom X Kim Eui-sung X Lee Na-eun Confirmed to Appear in 'The Deluxe Taxi'... Broadcast Next Year (Official)]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
- ^Park, Jung-sun (January 1, 2021). 이제훈X이솜 '모범택시', 첫 티저 공개…통쾌한 복수극 예고 [Lee Je-hoon X Esom in 'The Deluxe Taxi', First Teaser Released...Exciting Revenge Drama]. JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved January 1, 2021.
External links[edit]
Texan Drive Stadium New Caney Tx
- Official website(in Korean)
- Taxi Driver at Creative Leaders Group Eight (in Korean)
- Taxi Driver at IMDb
- Taxi Driver at HanCinema
Taxi Driver Cast
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