Jitneys

[stasu1213]

Should jitneys be allowed to hang around any up and coming Meijer or any new grocery that will open on Detroit in the future? Do jitneys bring down the quality of grocery stores?

[dtowncitylover]

Should jitneys be allowed to hang around any up and coming Meijer or any new grocery that will open on Detroit in the future? Do jitneys bring down the quality of grocery stores?

Just curious, why does this question need to be asked? We don't exactly live in a jitney-crowded city.

[stasu1213]

Yes we do. Meijer opening on Jefferson there are bound to be a few hanging around. Lafayette Foods has one. The former Farmer Jack banned jitneys from the storefront saying they are bad for business

[Lowell]

I would think the rise of ride sharing services would make jitneys even less likely. One would think some form of jitneys would evolve out of that, if it hasn't happened already, particularly once the ride-sharing services move to autonomous vehicles.

[Shai_Hulud]

I'm not the target customer, but it's been many years since I've seen a jitney.

I'm sure a few still exist but the cost to operate a vehicle is high and I imagine poor people would be, rightfully, wary of getting into a car with a total stranger.

[ndavies]

Jitneys are illegal in Detroit. They are banned by the city. Anyone operating a jitney in the city is already breaking the law.

http://detroit-mi.elaws.us/code/coor...arti_sec58-1-2

[Zacha341]

When I was a kid/ teen all the grocery stores we frequented had one or two jitneys. They were regulars, you knew who they were, they were nice mannered and seem to adjust their price as they could.

It was illegal then, but it was an option 'discreetly' allowed and people were far more trusting -- the community more tightly knit. Now with uber, lyft etc. forget it! They could never compete with that.

I'm not the target customer, but it's been many years since I've seen a jitney.

[Wesley Mouch]

Jitneys are illegal in Detroit. They are banned by the city. Anyone operating a jitney in the city is already breaking the law.

http://detroit-mi.elaws.us/code/coor...arti_sec58-1-2

They might be engaging in protected social protest against suppression of their freedom.

Jitneys should be legal, although some regulation is appropriate. Just not regulation designed to sustain the current monopoly.

[Sandhouse]

Based on some Free Press reporting of a few years ago [[not on first-hand experience) I have the impression that Detroit's jitneys tend to connect particular neighborhoods with grocery stores, medical appointments, and other regular destinations, for people who don't have cars and find taxis unaffordable or unreliable.

Maybe ride-hailing networks will make a dent in this trade, but I suspect it will be a while before every poor or elderly Detroiter has the cell phone and credit-card account that are necessary to use them. Until then, jitneys perform a useful service. Retailers and the City should not try to stamp them out.

[Dbest]

I would think the rise of ride sharing services would make jitneys even less likely. One would think some form of jitneys would evolve out of that, if it hasn't happened already, particularly once the ride-sharing services move to autonomous vehicles.

The ride-share market is artificially priced. Which is why it looks good for people right now. Take away all the competition and subsidies and suddenly they wont be so cheap.

UBER HAS LOST BILLIONS. That's without even having to deal with any real regulations.

One of the largest transportation networks in the world and their fleet is never inspected. CHARMED LIFE!

BTW Don't forget about the Uber driver in KZOO who was a serial killer. He never had to have a face to face interview with UBER. People rode in his unmarked car while never knowing the true danger. Good thing he never got "the urge" while driving...

[Zacha341]

^^^ Goodness. I'm glad I still have my favorite regulated Taxi driver's mobile to call in a pinch the few times I've needed a Taxi Cab!!

[EastsideAl]

The ride-share market is artificially priced. Which is why it looks good for people right now. Take away all the competition and subsidies and suddenly they wont be so cheap.

UBER HAS LOST BILLIONS. That's without even having to deal with any real regulations.

This is true. Uber has been supported by several infusions of hundreds of millions in venture capital while they are losing tons of money with their artificially low prices. The basic business model of Uber is to leverage those lower prices, and the advantages of their hailing model, to kill off traditional cab companies. The idea is that once that happens, and Uber and its direct competitors with a similar business model, are left standing as passengers' only option, then they can raise prices to profitable levels. Talk about sticker shock!

If that situation does come to pass, I would think that casual ride-shares with lower costs, like jitneys, would become even more common. Certainly Detroit's ridiculously poorly run cab companies will need to step up their game severely in order to continue to compete.

[stasu1213]

I had used Jitneys in the past. Farmer Jack, Chatham, and Great Scott allowed jitneys to operate outside their stores in the 70s. My concern about having Jitneys outside grocery stores is that unwanted characters usually hang outside these stores around and talking with the jitneys. Panhandlers, tree and loosely peddlers etc,

[professorscott]

Jitneys are illegal in Detroit. They are banned by the city. Anyone operating a jitney in the city is already breaking the law.

Burglary and cocaine are illegal in Detroit too. Your point is?

[ndavies]

Burglary and cocaine are illegal in Detroit too. Your point is?

Just as no legitimate business would want burglary and cocaine on their property, why would they want this illegal activity to happen in their parking lots?

This is a huge liability issue. Since Jitneys are illegal in the city, Drivers of jitneys don't need to pass background checks or even have a drivers license. The drivers aren't subject to drug tests.

Jitneys are not inspected. Are they safe and street legal? Do they have sufficient insurance to cover accidents or customer injuries? No insurance company in the world will cover an illegal activity. Their personal vehicle insurance will not cover using the vehicle for commercial transportation.

This thread was started with the questions,

Should jitneys be allowed to hang around any up and coming Meijer or any new grocery that will open on Detroit in the future? Do jitneys bring down the quality of grocery stores?

Why would any large dollar legitimate business enable an illegal activity on their property. They would be putting their business in great jeopardy.

I have nothing against jitneys, However the first step to supporting Jitneys would be to change the city regulation against them.

[Carolyn.F]

Would you consider the buses that ferry sports fans from their favorite bar to Comerica or LCA a jitney? Wouldn't that be a cool way for folks without a car to get to go shopping at the new store?

[Lowell]

UBER HAS LOST BILLIONS. That's without even having to deal with any real regulations.

One of the largest transportation networks in the world and their fleet is never inspected. CHARMED LIFE!

BTW Don't forget about the Uber driver in KZOO who was a serial killer. He never had to have a face to face interview with UBER. People rode in his unmarked car while never knowing the true danger. Good thing he never got "the urge" while driving...

This is true and to be expected as there are huge start up costs, from driver and rider recruitment incentivized by discounts as a battle for market share is happening. But losses are dropping quickly.

Mighty Amazon only recently made a very thin profit buoyed by its cloud services, but no one is running around with their hair on fire because everyone knows it is a 'can't miss' future huge earner.

I tried Uber once just to see how it works. One sees the car approaching on a map, sees who the driver is and their reputation from other riders, the type of car and more. Unless you know your cabbie, like Zacha mentions, how does that compare with calling or hailing a cab?

[professorscott]

Ndavies,

Thanks for clarifying. In particular since you went back to the thread's original question, I'll just point out that since Meijer has control of its own parking lot, it gets to decide what it allows and doesn't allow there.

My snarky comment about burglary and cocaine was to emphasize the fact that the City is not particularly effective at enforcing stuff. I doubt the City has the resources or wherewithal to go after jitney drivers, nor that it's a priority or likely to be. But if Meijer doesn't want them there, Meijer can take action.

The Prof