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Jitneys

CANNOT DRAW COLOR LINE

St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 22—A St. Louis police court judge decided that owners and drivers of jitney buses in St. Louis could not draw the color line and should haul negroes when the latter sought to be conveyed in the motor cars. The decision was in the case of six negroes who had been arrested when they refused to vacate a jitney car after the driver had declined to carry them. The blacks were dismissed and the motorist warned that the color line could not be drawn, because the motor cars were public conveyances. It is thought the motor people will seek a decision from some higher court before opening their cars to the use of the negros, whom they say would drive away white patronage.

"Taxikriege" 1920 bis 1921

Quellen

Most of Yellow Cab’s competitors were out of business by mid-1920, with their only serious competition being the Checker Cab Company, a small firm founded in 1919 by an Oak Park, Illinois cabbie named Frank Dilger. Checker differed from Yellow in that it was an association of independent owner-operators operating under a single livery, easily identified by their distinctive green and cream paint scheme and logo.

By mid 1920 Checker’s operations were overseen by Michael M. Sokoll (aka Mike Sokol), a competent street-wise manager who proved successful in uniting the city’s remaining independents into the Checker fold.

Hertz saw Checker as a threat and took steps to insure that life was made difficult for the firm. He enjoyed close ties to the administration of Mayor William H. Thompson, and ordinances were passed by the Chicago city council which served to benefit Yellow Cab. The most helpful being an amendment to the 1895 Cab Stand Ordinance that required cabbies to obtain a city-issued permit before they were allowed to work out of a municipal cab stand.

Coincidentally, Parmelee’s Charles A. McCullough was also a good friend of Mayor Thompson.

While all of Yellow Cab’s drivers were issued permits, a corresponding percentage of Checker driver’s were denied. Although the permit situation was eventually resolved, the resulting bad blood between Yellow and Checker’s rank and file came to a head midway through 1920 as reported by the Associated Press on July 27, 1920:

“Taxicabs Used as Tanks In Fierce Street Battle Between Rival Concerns

“Hundreds of Shots Fired By Drivers of Vehicles During Early Morning Hours in Streets On West Side of Chicago—No Casualties.

“CHICAGO, July 27, 1920 - A battle between fleets of taxicabs, in which the vehicles were maneuvered according to the best strategy of tank warfare while their drivers fired hundreds of shots at each other, raged through the early morning hours on the streets of Chicago's west side today. The battle was the result of longstanding differences between drivers of the Yellow Cab company and the Checker Taxicab company, a rival concern.

“Real Mobile Warfare.

“For hours the battling drivers played every trick of mobile warfare against each other that they could think of. Strings of Yellow Cabs, in line, rushed past the headquarters of the Checker company at breakneck speed, emptying revolver broadsides into the latter's offices. Rallying, the black and white checkered cabs of the attacked concern dashed out en masse and ripped into the Yellow for counter attacks according to the best tactics of shock action.

“While these major engagements were being fought, numerous individual battles were fought by drivers, who, racing their taxicabs hub to hub, emptied their pistols at each other at close range.

“Started by Fist Fight - The battle started in a bit of fist skirmish in which two southside drivers of the rival concerns were engaged. The engagement then moved to the west side sector, and became general. The first, powder action began when a lone machine, acting as a scout, moved on a branch garage of one of the companies. Occupants of the machine fired into the garage. This fire was promptly returned, the machine was driven off amid a regular barrage. A few minutes later a dozen cabs in close formation roared by the branch garage of the other company, with pistols of the occupants cracking like machine guns. The garage defenders replied with several volleys, and sent a fleet of their cabs in pursuit. Another branch garage was attacked by a patrol of three cabs, and from then on numerous individual encounters were reported until daybreak.

“So far as the police could learn, there were no casualties. Three of the drivers were arrested.”

One week later the violence returned as reported by the August 5, 1920 Madison Capital Times:

“Chauffeur Shot In Taxicab War

“Chicago, Aug. 5, 1920 - Chicago’s Taxicab war broke out anew this morning when a chauffeur for one of the two taxi lines was shot and probably wounded while standing in a doorway of the company’s garage. A touring car sped by the building and a gunman seated in it emptied his revolver into the garage. Chauffeurs of the two rival companies fought battles in one evening recently. Armed squads would speed by the opposition garage and fired through doors and windows. The trouble is said to have started when 50 cabs of the two lines jockeyed for positions in line before a loop theater several days ago.”

The wire services reported further violence on August 7, 1920:

“Checker Chauffeurs Renew Street Fight

“CHICAGO, Aug. 7, 1920 - Fighting was resumed today between chauffeurs of the Yellow and Checker taxi companies resulting in the wounding of two men. The trouble, it is said, was caused by the difference in rates and the fact that the drivers of one company are non-union”

The confrontations subsided due to an increased police presence, but the violence returned during the second week of June, 1921 as reported by the United Press Syndicate:

“TWO MEN WOUNDED IN RENEWAL OF TAXI WAR

“Chicago, June 10, 1921 (UP) - Chicago's taxicab war broke out again Saturday. Four clashes between the forces of the Yellow and Checker Taxi company drivers were reported. Two men, one a passenger, were injured. The passenger was hurt in a serious smashup when a Checker cab, alleged by its driver to have been surrounded and forced off the street, crashed over a curbstone. Philip Fox, Checker driver, who repudiated his confession that he was in the cab from which Thomas Skriven, a Yellow driver, was slain, was booked this morning at the detective bureau on charges of murder and assault to kill.

“Five other employees implicated in Fox's confession, are reported also to have had truebills voted against them by the state grand jury Friday.”

An article in the June 11, 1921 Eau Claire Leader detailed the City Council’s efforts to stem the violence:

“CHICAGO ACTS TO CHECK BITTER TAXICAB FEUD

“Search Every Machine for Weapons; Five Are Indicted for Slaying.

“CHICAGO, June 10, 1921 - A search of every taxi-cab in the business district for weapons was begun by the police tonight in an effort to halt the taxi-cab war which has resulted in one murder, scores of shootings and many wrecked cabs in the past few days.

“The city council also took action to end the bitter feud between drivers of the Checker and Yellow cab companies by adopting a resolution which declared that unless the condition of lawlessness, crime and disorder was ended immediately the police would revoke the licenses of the drivers for both companies.

“The shooting and killing of a Yellow cab driver several days ago resulted today in the voting of five true bills by the grand jury charging five Checker taxi-cab employees with murder, assault to kill and criminal conspiracy, according to the state's attorney's office.”

An investigation undertaken by the Chicago Tribune revealed that 20 year-old Philip Fox had been summoned to pick up a friend and fellow driver named Morris Stuben and three others at the Checker garage by Michael Sokoll, Checker’s business manager. Fox was told that Stuben had been hit with a brick during a fight with Yellow cabbies at the Hotel Sherman and that Sokoll wanted to get even. The three other men, all unknown to Fox at the time, were enforcers provided to Sokoll by an unknown member of the Chicago crime syndicate.

Stuben’s injury was the culmination of a day-long clash between Checker and Yellow cabbies that included a car accident, a minor shooting, and a vandalized cab. The Chicago Tribune reported that a Checker driver had intentionally rear-ended a Yellow cab at the Hotel Sherman cab stand which resulted in the fight that injured Stuben. A Yellow cabbie was reportedly shot in the foot while waiting for a fare in Logan Square while a Checker Cabbie claims to have been driven of the road by a group of Yellow cabs. A fourth incident earlier in the day involved a Checker cabbie that was attacked by a group of Yellow drivers who proceeded to break all of his windows.

Once he arrived at the Checker garage Fox and Stuben were told to take the back seat inhabitants of a Stutz touring car on a survey of neighboring Yellow cabstands. The fact that the occupants in the rear seat of the Stutz were concealed by curtains did not concern the two cabbies who proceeded to the Yellow cabstand located at the corner of Roosevelt Rd. and Kedzie Ave.

Once they arrived the concealed men, Charles Goldstein, James Mogley (aka Jimmie Mogley), and Max Podolsky, opened fire on the waiting Yellow cabs, fatally shooting Yellow driver Thomas Skirven. Witnesses to the 1:00 AM shooting identified Fox and Stuben as the front seat occupants of the Stutz and the pair were picked up by Chicago’s finest later that morning and within twenty-four hours both men had confessed to the shooting.

Although Fox repudiated his confession two days later, stating he was beaten into signing the document, both men were tried on the charges. A 1922 trial resulted in a mistrial, but the prosecution made sure they got a conviction in the second 1925 trial after which the pair were sentenced to life imprisonment. Although the actual shooters were implicated during the second trial the prosecution deemed the evidence against them to be insufficient and they were acquitted. Fox and

Although Checker’s attorney were less than helpful at the trial, once convicted, they worked behind the scenes to get the “fall guys” released and in late 1928 the pardon board recommended that the governor commute the life sentences and the pair were released in late December.

Michael Sokoll, the man directly responsible for Fox’s involvement in the affair, remained in charge of the Checker Cab Association’s operations until 1935 when he became president of the reorganized Checker Cab Company, a post which he retained into the 1950s.

By 1921 unrelated Checker and Yellow companies were operating competing operations in Racine, Madison, Milwaukee and Janesville Wisconsin and on September 17, 1922 Yellow and Checker taxicab drivers in Madison, Wisconsin launched a war of their own that resulted in a number of injuries. Similar Yellow-Checker wars sprung up all around the country during the next couple of years with injuries and fatalities reported in New York City and Detroit

Entwurf

Im Januar 1921 waren 21.000 Taxis in New York registriert. Verschiedene Automobilhersteller wie General Motors (GM), Ford Motor Company, Premier, HCS oder die M. P. Moller Motor Car Company (mit gleich acht Marken: Moller, Blue Light, Aristocrat, Paramount, Super Paramount, Astor, Five-Boro und Twentieth Century) lancierten verschiedene Taxiflotten und es gab eine ganze Reihe kleiner Automobilhersteller, die sich ganz oder teilweise auf Taxis spezialisierten. Beispiele sind Pennant, Luxor oder Commonwealth; die beiden letzteren begründeten so etwas wie einen Markt für gehobene Taxis.

Durch die Misswirtschaft des Bürgermeisters Jimmy Walker kam es in New York zu einer erheblichen Verschuldung und Korruption in der Verwaltung; der Kampf um Fahrgäste, aber auch um die Mitgliedschaft rivalisierender Gewerkschaften, etwa, als die International Brotherhood of Teamsters auch unter den Taxifahrern Fuß fasste. Die Auseinandersetzungen wurden unter den Fahrern auch mit robusten Methoden ausgetragen. Taxis zu fahren und zu betreiben war aber ein hartes Geschäft in den Wilden 20ern:

Associated Press on July 27, 1920:

“Taxicabs Used as Tanks In Fierce Street Battle Between Rival Concerns

“Hundreds of Shots Fired By Drivers of Vehicles During Early Morning Hours in Streets On West Side of Chicago—No Casualties. “CHICAGO, July 27, 1920 - A battle between fleets of taxicabs, in which the vehicles were maneuvered according to the best strategy of tank warfare while their drivers fired hundreds of shots at each other, raged through the early morning hours on the streets of Chicago's west side today. The battle was the result of longstanding differences between drivers of the Yellow Cab company and the Checker Taxicab company, a rival concern.

“Real Mobile Warfare. “For hours the battling drivers played every trick of mobile warfare against each other that they could think of. Strings of Yellow Cabs, in line, rushed past the headquarters of the Checker company at breakneck speed, emptying revolver broadsides into the latter's offices. Rallying, the black and white checkered cabs of the attacked concern dashed out en masse and ripped into the Yellow for counter attacks according to the best tactics of shock action. “While these major engagements were being fought, numerous individual battles were fought by drivers, who, racing their taxicabs hub to hub, emptied their pistols at each other at close range. “Started by Fist Fight - The battle started in a bit of fist skirmish in which two southside drivers of the rival concerns were engaged. The engagement then moved to the west side sector, and became general. The first, powder action began when a lone machine, acting as a scout, moved on a branch garage of one of the companies. Occupants of the machine fired into the garage. This fire was promptly returned, the machine was driven off amid a regular barrage. A few minutes later a dozen cabs in close formation roared by the branch garage of the other company, with pistols of the occupants cracking like machine guns. The garage defenders replied with several volleys, and sent a fleet of their cabs in pursuit. Another branch garage was attacked by a patrol of three cabs, and from then on numerous individual encounters were reported until daybreak. “So far as the police could learn, there were no casualties. Three of the drivers were arrested.”

Kurzfassung: Am frühen Morgen des 27. Juli 1920 kam es zu wilden Schiessereien in Chicagos West Side. Yellow Cab Fahrer griffen aus fahrenden Taxis die Zentrale von Checker Cab an und schossen wild auf deren Büros. Darauf begannen Checker-Fahrer Yellow-Cabbies zu jagen. Es kam zu wilden Verfolgungsjagden, Radnabe an Radnabe, wobei mit Revolvern aufeinander geschossen wurde. Es grenzt an ein Wunder, dass es keine Opfer gab. Drei Täter wurden verhaften.

Einige Tage später stellte die Polizei fest, dass 50 Personen involviert waren. Es ging um eine komplizierte Gemengelage von Interessen und man wohl das böse Wort "Korruption" verwenden, um die Zustände zu beschreiben. Checker Cab war relativ neu auf dem Markt und mischte ihn mit seinem Konzept auf. Checker-Fahrer waren formal selbständig und das Unternehmen eine Art Franchising-System organisiert. Seinen angeschlossenen Fahrern bot Checker Taxis zu Vorzugspreisen an (die Commonwealth Mogul, von denen bereits die Rede war) und es gab eine gemeinsame Zentrale. Auch die Wartung übernahm Checker. Das Konzept war nicht eben arbeitnehmerfreundlich, denn Selbständige haben keinen gewerkschaftlich erkämpften Tariflohn. Hertz und seine Yellow Cab wie auch Parmelee spürten die Konkurrenz empfindlich, kleine Anbieter wurden ganz verdrängt.

John D. Hertz war befreundet mit Chicagos Bürgermeister William H. Thompson. Er erreichte, dass in einem Zusatz zum Taxigesetz von 1895 festgelegt wurde, dass es eine städtische Bewilligung brauchte um die städtischen Taxiplätze nutzen zu dürfen. Yellow Cabs erhielten diese Bewilligung relativ einfach, ebenso Parmelee, weil auch deren Chef Charles A. McCullough ein guter Bekannter des Bürgermeisters war. Checker-Fahrern wurde sie regelmässig verweigert. Zur Rivalität zwischen den Unternehmen gab es eine weitere unter den Fahrern. Hier ging es um den Verdienst. Yellow-Fahrer waren angestellt und gewerkschaftlich bei den "Teamstern" organisiert, Checker-Fahrer formal selbständig und nicht an Tarife gebunden.

Noch eine Woche nach dieser Schiesserei gab es Übergriffe: Fahrer attackierten sich gegenseitig und ein Checker cab wurde von der Strasse gedrängt. Es gab auch ein erstes Todesopfer, den Yellow-Fahrer Thomas Skirven, der aus einem fahrenden Auto heraus erschossen wurde. Die Täter wurden verhaftet, Mike Sokol, der das Verbrechen wahrscheinlich angeordnet hatte, wurde nie belangt. Er blieb Betriebsleiter der Checker Cab Association bis 1935 und wurde dann Präsident der neu organisierten Checker Cab Co. Die Polizei durchsuchte im Juni 1921 Taxis nach Waffen und beendete die Feindseligkeiten mit einer rechtlich nicht ganz abgesicherten aber wirksamen Drohung: Wenn die Unruhen nicht unverzüglich aufhörten, würden die Taxilizenzen von Yellow und Checker eingezogen.

Zwischenfälle mit Checker und Yellow Cab-Ablegern gab es aber auch in Racine (Wisconsin), Milwaukee, Janesville (Wisconsin) und Madison (Wisconsin); dort gab es in einem Strassenkasmpf am 17. September 1922 mehrere Verletzte. Besonders betroffen waren auch Detroit und New York.

In diese Zeit fallen auch erste regulierende Eingriffe in den Markt, die teilweise lange Bestand haben sollten. Dazu gehörte die Vorschrift, dass der Radstand eines Taxis mindestens 120 Zoll (3048 mm) betragen musste und dass im Fond fünf Personen Platz finden mussten. Gedacht war dies einerseits als Schutz der Taxigesellschaften vor Teilzeitfahrern, die ihr Auto als Einmannbetrieb nutzten und deren Preise drückten und andererseits der Passagiere gegen unseriöse Praktiken und unsichere Taxis. Anfangs machte diese Bestimmung der Automobilindustrie wenig Sorgen, weil zahlreiche Marken geeignete Modelle oder wenigstens Fahrgestelle anboten. Mit den Jahren änderte sich dies und die Hersteller großer Limousinen wurden zunehmend vom lukrativen Markt ausgeschlossen.

Eine andere Vorgabe mutet heute etwas skurril an: An Fahrzeugen mit einem Heckkofferraum musste dieser zugeschweißt werden. Dadurch sollte ein zuvor offenbar beliebter Transportweg für die während der Prohibition in den USA verbotenen alkoholischen Getränke unterbunden werden. Das Gepäck der Passagiere wurde offen seitlich neben dem Fahrersitz mitgeführt. Geschlossene, fest mit der Karosserie verbundene Kofferräume waren 1925 eine Ausnahme, setzten sich aber 10 Jahre später immer mehr durch. Obwohl die Anordnung spätestens nach der Abschaffung des Alkoholverbots 1933 keinen Sinn mehr machte, wurde sie erst 1954 aufgehoben.

Der Mordfall Skirven

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/stranger-in-the-house/Content?oid=908310

Shortly after Skirven's murder, the City Council threatened to revoke all taxi licenses if the violence didn't stop. By 1930, things had become so amicable that when Hertz wanted to get out of the business, Checker absorbed Yellow's fleet.

1930er

DeSoto Motor Company introduced its famous Skyliner taxicabs in New York City. Operated by the Sunshine Radio System, these cabs were notable for their sunroofs.

The DeSoto taxicabs quickly became famous for their comfort and spaciousness, and this continued into the 1940s with the SkyView,

http://www.amny.com/transit/nyc-taxis-through-the-years-from-horse-drawn-cabs-to-hybrids-and-beyond-1.10037203

Literatur

• Ben Merkel, John Fay: Checker the All-American Taxi. Earlswood Press, 2015; ISBN: 0-95747-547-0.
• "The Checker Cab: In Memoriam," Quintessences: the Quality of Having It (New York: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 1983), Seite 94.
• Beverly Rae Kimes (Hrsg.), Henry Austin Clark jr.: Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1805-1942. 3. Auflage. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 1996; ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9.
• John A. Gunnell (Hrsg.): Standard Catalogue of American Cars 1946-1975. Krause Publications, Iola WI, 4. überarbeitete Auflage, 2002; ISBN 0-87349-461-X.
• Richard M. Langworth (Hrsg.): Encyclopedia of American Cars from 1930. Consumer Guide, Publications International, 1993; ISBN 0-7853-0175-5.
• Ferdinand Hediger: Klassische Wagen 1919 - 1939. Hallwag-Verlag Ostfildern (Juli 1998); ISBN 3444103484.
• Roger Gloor: Nachkriegswagen. Personenautos 1945 - 1960. Hallwag-Verlag Bern und Stuttgart, (Hrsg. Automobil Revue, 2. Auflage, 1982; ISBN 3-444-10263-1.
• Nick Georgano, Nicky Wright (Fotos): The American Automobile: A Centenary, 1893-1993, Neuauflage (Sept. 1993), Smithmark Publishers, New York; ISBN 3-6130-1549-8.
• National Automobile Chamber of Commerce (Hrsg.): Handbook of Automobiles 1915–1916. Dover Publications, 1970.

Weblinks

Commons: Chief tin cloud/Geschichte des Taxiwesens in den USA – Sammlung von Bildern, Videos und Audiodateien

• coachbuilt.com: Parmelee, 1. Teil. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 6. Oktober 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Parmelee, 2. Teil. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 6. Oktober 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Parmelee, 3. Teil. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 6. Oktober 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 19. September 2016)
• Ulysses Smith: Stranger in the House. in: Chicago Reader, 18. April 2002. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 19. September 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Yellow Cab, Part 1. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 6. Oktober 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Yellow Cab, Part 2. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 6. Oktober 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Checker Cab Manufacturing Co. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 19. September 2016)
• amny.com, 29. Juni 2016, Cristian Salazar: NYC taxis through the years: from horse-drawn cabs to hybrids and beyond. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 16. Dezember 2016)
• historydaily.org, 16. September 2016, John Titor: Brief History of New York City Taxi Cabs. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 16. Dezember 2016)
• checkercabgroup: The Man That Started It All. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 12. September 2016)
• trombinoscar.com: CHECKER (1922/1982). Vorläufer, Markengeschichte und verschiedene Checker-Modelle. (französisch) (abgerufen am 12. September 2016)
• Settelen: Checker Teil 1. Firmengeschichte auf der Seite des ehemaligen Schweizer Generalimpoprteurs. (abgerufen am 28. September 2016)
• Settelen: Checker Teil 2. Firmengeschichte auf der Seite des ehemaligen Schweizer Generalimpoprteurs. (abgerufen am 28. September 2016)
• Geschichte von Checker (englisch)
• Consumer Guide / How Stuff Works: How Checker Cars Work. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 22. September 2016)
• Consumer Guide / How Stuff Works: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969 Checker. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 22. September 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Lomberg Auto Body Manufacturing Co. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 15. September 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Transit Buses Inc. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 15. September 2016)
• coachbuilt.com: Union City Body Co. (Englisch) (abgerufen am 15. September 2016)
• mlive, 1. Juni 2013: David Markin remembered as a passionate businessman, art-lover, tennis booster, philanthropist and father. (Nachruf, englisch) (abgerufen am 15. September 2016)
• Palm Beach Daily News online, 1. Juni 2013: Businessman, philanthropist, tennis supporter David Markin dies. (Nachruf, englisch) (abgerufen am 15. September 2016)
• [http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/checker-cab-produces-first-taxi-at-kalamazoo-factory history.com: /this-day-in-history/checker-cab-produces-first-taxi-at-kalamazoo-factory
• [http://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/19/nyregion/dueling-for-cab-arms-up-but-this-time-at-sotheby-s.html New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/19/nyregion/dueling-for-cab-arms-up-but-this-time-at-sotheby-s.html

• Website des Checker Aerobus (englisch)

Einzelnachweise

Kategorie:Taxi