Yassky Nextsky Taxi Czarsky?

By on February 12, 2010 12:00 pm in Brooklyn Heights
Are you talkin' to me?

Are you talkin' to me?

The NY Times CityRoom reports that our Brooklyn Heights resident and our former man in the NYC Council, David Yassky, could be the city’s next Taxi and Limousine commish:

NY Times CityRoom: Mr. Yassky, the former head of the Council’s Transportation Committee and a political ally of the Bloomberg administration, would replace Matthew W. Daus. Best known for introducing credit-card payments systems into cabs, Mr. Daus will leave the post to work in private business, Mr. Bloomberg said on Friday.

Mr. Yassky’s appointment is not guaranteed. Mr. Bloomberg is considering several candidates, but two people described the former councilman as the leading candidate for the job. They spoke on the condition of anonymity, because the discussions are considered confidential.

(via @sarahportlock)

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  • my2cents

    Here’s a Notionsky:
    How about raising the absurdly low standards for driving taxis in this city?? Without even touching on the abysmal standards of the actual driving, here are some suggestions: For example, maybe drivers should actually be required to study and learn the city map (of the outer boroughs) like they do in London and other cities with a modicum of pride. Perhaps they could use new technologies such as fingerprint recognition to ensure that the driver of the cab is actually the guy whose license is being displayed?? I know these sound like crazy talk, but the TLC is so far behind the times it is pathetic. It is routine for unlicensed drivers to drive the cabs, and most of them, licensed or not, don’t know the city at all unless it is grid street in Manhattan.

  • Curmudgeon

    my2cents: I agree with what you are saying about taxis et al. I am actually in London right now so I really appreciate a good cab driver that knows the city in which he works and it is a pleasure!,.

    No offense intended but, please stop using the expression “outer boroughs!” It is insulting. I HATE it!

    This is an expression invented during the wretched, and I mean wretched, Ed Koch administration – when everything he did was Manhattan oriented. It makes me feel as if I am living in Outer Mongolia or on the edge of the earth. What is more, this expression is mostly used by transplants from places like Ohio or Iowa to insinuate that I am not a “real” New Yorker since I don’t live in Manhattan, even though my family has lived in and built this city since the 19th century.

    STOP this MADNESS!

  • nabeguy

    A post all the way from London…how outer borough can you get???

  • my2cents

    Oh Curmudgeon. Your B&T outrage is so charming.
    But seriously I hate that expression too but it is a lot easier than typing “the boroughs other than manhattan.”
    I apologize for perpetuating an epithet we both loathe.

  • DAB

    Cconsidering that Manhattan is the economic center of the region (not just the city), and the remaining 4 boroughs are more residential, usually, though not exclusively, housing commuters to Manhattan, the name is entirely appropriate. It’s not geographic, it’s core/periphery in the economic sense.

  • The Where

    Back to THE TOPIC.

    Mr. Yassky, if you should be chosen can you fix the following in order:

    – Driver Odor
    – Driver receives a 10,000 volt shock every time they touch their cellphone with passenger in car
    – Taxi TV needs a better OFF BUTTON
    – All SUV cabs, cabs with no leg room will be melted down and made into toys for the children of Haiti
    – Bring back Checker cabs.
    – Drivers must know where they are going. In other words DO THEIR JOB.
    – Women are allowed, without fear of prosecution, to beat the hell out of disrespectful drivers.
    – All drivers must be citizens of the United States or at least trying to become one.
    – No bad smells in cab. Ever.
    – All drivers whether or not they need them must wear hearing aids.
    – Any driver listening to Rush Limbaugh must provide passengers with a free ride.

  • Curmudgeon

    Simple solution to taxi problem. Take the subway.

    DAB Sorry. I don’t understand why economics makes the name “outer boroughs” appropriate. If I am richer than you does that make me more a New Yorker? You seem to think it does. Are you a native New Yorker?

  • nabeguy

    curmudgeon, there’s no point in questioning someone with an “inner borough” mentality.

  • Heights Low

    Mr. Yassky, earn a living for once, you lost, you’re a career political, get a real job and stop sucking off my teat (a tax payer). Brooklyn is tired of paying for your nothing. Best wishes.

  • frbullwalker

    Jeez-Everyone seems so cranky on these comments-maybe you all have been cooped up and bummed out out about February weather.
    What’s so bad about David Yassky? He doesn’t seem to be a crook like so many of our pathetic politicians-and no, I am not a relative

    Lighten up- go work out or take a nice walk with a friend or do some meaningful volunteer work or go get some chocolate at jacques Torres
    what did he do to you?
    I think he put a stop sign in at Hicks and Pierrepont-not saving the world or going to Haiti to dig people out but it works for me
    I know you are all so so concerned about Haiti
    So much hostility-spring will come soon and perhaps you will all feel a little better- maybe you need to cut him some slack

  • Eddy

    The Where, LOL that’s hilarious…. I would add only one more item: All taxies must take you wherever you want to go, even if it is way out in the far corners of Brooklyn or Queens… the punishment for not doing so could be the electric shock (which I would increase to 20,000 volts)

  • CronyAlert…

    Would they appoint him Chief of Police?

    NY’s political patronage has to stop…bring someone in, that knows about taxis, service industries, leading 1,000s of people, dealing with unions, managing large concerns, etc. — enough of cow-towing to someone who knows someone else, and rubs that one the right way.

  • DAB

    Curmudgeon — I did NOT say that one is more or less a NY’er, as you seem to suggest, and where I’m from is absolutely irrelevant to a basic discussion of etymology.

    What you will find, however, is that “New York” was for 200 years exclusively the lower part of Manhattan island, and that Brooklyn did not become part of New York City until 1898. So, the identification of Manhattan with New York is grounded in history. Brooklyn is Brooklyn — it’s part of NYC but yet distinct. Nor does it follow that Manhattan necessarily has richer residents (some neighborhoods yes, some neighborhoods no — is north of 96th less Manhattan than below it?), though what it does have are two sizeable commercial business districts.

  • http://nycab.blogspot.com NYCabbie

    Mayor should appoint a person who knows about taxi business instead of politicians, one who atleast has some experience working in transportation industry.
    @ The Where
    (A) All cab drivers are American citizens or resident aliens, which you don’t know ..duhh
    (B) By law I can refuse to any smelly drunkard who even can not pronounce street name where he/she is heading too and waste my time
    (C)Yes taxi tv has to go, so people like you can actually hear what driver is asking, you need hearing aide more than a driver does.
    (D) Every passenger should be finger printed to assure drivers safety, fare jumping and hitting a driver should be a felony charge.
    (E) you complain about smell so often I suspect it might be you, do you feel that smell every where you go?
    (F) City must make it clear either a cab driver is a sub contractor or employee, if he is sub contractor he should be given chance like all other business to make his business startegy to improve business i.e driver has right to refuse depending on location, going to Brooklyn during rush hour means losing time and money and if driver is employee he must have benefits, which apparently he does not have.
    Yes on end note TLC should try to improve drivers conditions who basically are forced to worked 12 hours shifts with no benefits, TLC should enforce garages to not go up the price cap which is $666 for six day shift according to law but drivers are paying $800-$1000. A happy driver will end up making happy customers.

  • The Where

    NY Cabbie your website sucks, I hope your driving is better not to mention your command of the English language.

  • http://nycab.blogspot.com NYCabbie

    That is the best you can come up with?, English is not my first, neither second nor third but forth language, I suspect you know only English.