Elected officials Plan to Take Stand between Taxis and Topless Bars
07:37 AM PT, Dec 20 2005
The strip club Vs. taxi cab controversy is heating up again with the Clark County Commission set to review an ordinance today banning topless bars from paying per head bounties to taxi cabs for delivering customers (who, of course, have already paid the taxi driver to be taken to the club). The problem is that limos are not included by the regulations, and, as a result, there is no enforcement of the ordinance. Commissioners can amend the rules to include limos but it seems more likely that they will suspend the regulation altogether and leave the clubs and taxi drivers to work it out amongst themselves. If this happens it will be disgraceful. In the Review-Journal today, Clark County Commissioner, Tom Collins (using the sort of logic that gave Vegas politics its wholesome reputation) says, of these kickbacks: "It's the American way, It's the Nevada way, anyway." Part of the problem is that to some Commissioners, outlawing the kickbacks feels like siding with wealthy club owners against hard working taxi drivers. To others it seems like a huge waste of resources to enforce the provision. But these are both bogus arguments.
Commissioner Collins sees the kickback as a tip for good service saying in the Review- Journal:
If someone wants to give someone a tip for good service, whether they're playing blackjack, driving a taxi or serving hot food, I have no problem with that at all.
But how could a club know how good the service was the passenger received on his trip? The clubs are not paying taxis and limo drivers because they are thrilled with the quality service the drivers provide; they are paying because they fear that if they do not pay their customers will be steered to another club; that is why the club owners want this practice banned.
As for the enforcement issues, every regulation is hard to enforce, but if you make the penalty substantial enough---for example, the potential loss of a liquor licence for a topless bar or a taking away a taxi medallion from a driver----even a small chance of getting caught would be too much risk for most.
This weekend I spoke to a club manager (who fears retaliation from cabdrivers and did not want me to name his club) who is refusing to pay bounties right now. He challenged me to just try to take a taxi to his club or some of the others that are trying to stop the practice and see if the driver does his job or instead tries to take me to another topless bar that is paying the kickbacks. The club manager suspects that I will be told by the taxi driver any number of lies: that the club is gross the dancers ugly, or closed or burned down or anything that will keep me from going there. Of course, I intend to be more insistent than your average tourist. So. I will report back to you on The Buffet what happens when I try to pay a taxi to take me to a topless bar of my choice.
(photo by Wendell Donahoo/HBO)
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You should want the cab drivers to make more money. They are not hurting anyone, including the clubs or customers, and they are hard-working men and women in a tough and dangerous profession.
Posted by: Joe Shea | December 21, 2005 at 01:10 AM