So I'm rather startled to see his lights start flashing, and I stop about halfway up the block. And the bastard gives me a ticket for using a bus lane. "But officer, the cabs are allowed to use the bus lanes after 7 and on the weekends."
He disagrees. "No, that's only the bus mall downtown."
"With all due respect," I say, "I've been doing this for years and have never heard that. I've sat and chatted with cops in this lane."
He doesn't care. "That's their business. I'm writing you a ticket for failure to obey a traffic device." Fuck. I have never had a ticket before.
Once at court, the first 20 people are all dismissed for various reasons. Naturally, I'm the first one on the docket who will actually be tried. The cop tells his version of the story. I am asked for mine.
"Well, your honor, he omitted one pertinent fact from his account, which is that I was driving a taxicab at the time." The judge frowns at the cop. But no actual law about cabs being allowed in the bus lanes can be found (turns out it's more of a "gentlemen's agreement"), so with some reluctance the judge convicts me, while discharging any penalty. Sigh. At least I didn't have to pay the $400.
When you come over the top of the Fremont bridge, and take the Hwy 30 exit, the speed limit immediately slows to 45mph. Coming. Off. A. Freaking. Freeway. Ding ding ding, that little speed trap cost me $141.
And, now that the city, in all of it's corruption, greed, and unbelieveable arrogance, is rebuilding the entire bus mall from the ground up, with rail, and talking about routing Burnside and Couch into one-way streets with yet another streetcar line for the wealthy Californians inhabiting the so-called "Pearl."
Now, what with the Peak Oil hypothesis and all, I would actually agree that some good old 19th century technology like streetcars might be called for in a rapidly growing city. But it's gonna get ugly while all this is rammed down the throats of those of us who drive these streets for a living. And, the people who use those streetcars won't actually be expected to pay for the entire cost of them.
Ultimately, the Cab industry will actually benefit from all the public transit infrastructure, as people will find that streetcars and trams can only do so much for them. Look at city scenes in any old movie from the 30s...there are tons of cabs and streetcars, and fewer private vehicles. But, it will be a rough transition.