Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman
@DemocracyNow·3.2M subscribers·19.4K videos

NYC Taxi Driver Kills Himself at City Hall after Condemning Uber & Politicians for Financial Ruin

Posted

February 7, 2018

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New York City taxi drivers held a vigil on Tuesday to honor livery car driver Douglas Schifter, who killed himself in front of City Hall Monday morning after writing a long Facebook post condemning local politicians and Wall Streetbacked apps like Uber for pushing him into financial ruin. He wrote, “I worked 100120 consecutive hours almost every week for the past fourteen plus years. When the industry started in 1981, I averaged 4050 hours. I cannot survive any longer with working 120 hours! I am not a Slave and I refuse to be one. … There seems to be a strong bias by the Mayor and Governor in favor of Uber. A Company that is a known liar, cheat and thief.” Over the past five years, the number of forhire cars has more than doubled in the city, largely thanks to Uber. But the soaring number of cars has resulted in a financial crisis for many longtime taxi drivers who now struggle to get customers. We speak to Bhairavi Desai, executive director and cofounder of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which represents over 19,000 taxi drivers in New York City.

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Guests & Subjects Covered

New York CityDouglas SchifterCity Hall MondayWall Street-backedUber A CompanyUber ButBhairavi DesaiFriday Watch

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