
Another Taxi Driver in Debt Takes His Life. That’s 5 in 5 Months - Element_
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/27/nyregion/taxi-driver-suicide-nyc.html
======
Sohcahtoa82
Who's idea was the medallion system, the city, the drivers, or both? Were taxi
drivers in favor of the system when it first came out? Were they still in
favor of it in the mid 2000's before Uber/Lyft?

If the answers to the last two questions are "yes", then I can't help but not
have any sympathy for the plight of drivers and the expense of the medallions,
especially when I read about taxi customers complaining about rude drivers,
credit card machines "not working", having to wait over an hour for a taxi,
etc.

The writing is on the wall. It's been on the wall for a couple years now.
Taxis as we know it are a dying industry, being replaced by Uber/Lyft/etc.

And good riddance.

~~~
thirduncle
_And good riddance._

An incredibly callous attitude to take at what must have been a truly profound
sense of anguish and despair experienced by a person known to others as their
"beloved father, husband, brother, friend." (Yes, I know you're saying that
mostly about the medallion system. But to the extent that that's _all_ that
comes to mind when you hear about what happened -- yes, you pretty much are
saying that the driver who took his life in this case, as well).

~~~
Sohcahtoa82
I suppose you're right. That does come off as a bit callous. Maybe I should
rephrase my stance.

I'm glad the taxi industry as we know it is dying. However, it is a bit tragic
that it is ruining the livelihood of taxi drivers on its way out so badly that
they're committing suicide.

But is this any different than any other industry being replaced? Certainly we
have sympathy for coal miners that have lost their jobs as our chosen sources
of energy shift, but should that make us appreciate the shift away from coal
and its destruction of our air any less?

------
himom
Overall inequality issues include taxi drivers, gig economy, etc.. but many of
those types of jobs will mostly disappear due to automation. UBI maybe
unavoidable as there won’t be enough un/low-skilled work to go around and
people have to eat.

As an anecdote, I attended a bankruptcy proceeding at a federal court in
Redding where one woman had a cancer medication pump tube going in her nose.
She lost all of her savings and almost everything else due to insurance not
covering expenses.. and she’s Stage IV. Imagine involuntarily dying painfully
and going broke _simultaneously._ This is worse than suicide because while
otherwise healthy it’s a choice, cancer rarely is.

The contributing factors are:

0\. The very, very rich have corrupted government to work primarily in their
interests.

1\. Technology has increased productivity and eliminated need for as much
human effort.

1.5. Oversupply of labor leads to low pay.

2\. People remaining in work have lost real wage gains correlatively with the
decline in organized labor and rise in desperate workers both domestic and
migrants, and as such, employers do nearly whatever they want to employees.

3\. Outsourcing and closure of domestic production (globalization).

It will take another Roosevelt to save capitalism with some stabilizing half-
measures, or the path is marching towards decline and likely rapidly-
precipitating, populist communism like Venezuela. A third option that would
work, but will not be considered without some violent and nonviolent force of
the people: strong, appropriate regulation, removal of wealth welfare for the
rich, fixing the tax code to eliminate loopholes for the rich, non-capitalist-
influenced leadership and comprehensive investment in health, wellbeing,
social services, UBI and helping workers out of intolerable life situations.

~~~
romwell
>This is worse than suicide because while otherwise healthy it’s a choice,

Not to argue with anything else you are saying, just this line:

This is a myth. Suicides are very rarely "otherwise healthy", but are the
outcome of a mental illness, such as depression. By the same line, they are
not a choice - usually they are the outcome and a symptom of a generally
treatable condition.

Suicides, self-harm, attempts or ideation/fantasizing about them are not
healthy, and usually aren't a choice, no more than a runny nose is a choice.

If you or someone you know exhibits these symptoms, get help.

<end PSA>

~~~
DoreenMichele
I think it is a lot more complicated than that.

I have an incurable medical condition. I am frequently incredibly miserable. I
am frequently suicidal, in part because it is literally the only means to
really escape the misery my body inflicts upon me.

I am pro right to die. There are circumstances under which it is cruel to act
like wanting to end this situation the only way it can be ended is somehow
crazy.

I am still here. I am doing all I can to pursue non-drug alternatives, for
which the entire world gives me shit. That also fuels my suicidal ideation
because it is such a no win, fuck you situation on so many levels.

But I wish people would not simplify this for some feel good PSA and act like
wanting to die is simply evidence you are crazy. It is just not quite that cut
and dried.

