The Lincoln Continental From An Architectural Point Of View

Although I was stuck, bumper to bumper, with hundreds of frustrated drivers, I was momentarily quite content in my spalike sedan. Even the ubiquitous car honks that New York drivers are infamous for didn’t bother me, thanks to the noise-canceling-glass windows.

Architectural Digest article here

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Lincoln Limousine & Livery Vehicles   Lincoln-Continental   new sedans   premium luxury sedans   Vehicle Reviews   

 

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Uber Gets Silly, Creepy & Cheap

Uber Requires Drivers To Take Selfies For Added Security: Some critics say it’s an acknowledgement by Uber that some drivers have never undergone background checks. The Verge article here

London Uber Passenger’s Horror Commute: Richard Beech called police after an altercation broke out between an Uber driver and a cyclist. After Beech decided to walk the rest of the way, he got an unexpected message around two hours later. Uber informed him he had completed his journey with the small matter of a 90-minute detour to a hospital. Mirror article here

Undercover Investigation Finds Lyft, Uber Drivers Accepting Passengers Illegally: The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has warned consumers against hailing rides off the street from Uber and Lyft drivers. Under state law, only traditional taxicabs can accept passengers hailing them on the street. The Denver Post article here

Man Claims Uber Laughed At Him When He Tried To Report Sexual Assault: A New York man says he was laughed at by an operator at Uber’s emergency hotline after reporting he was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver this month. The operator later hung up after refusing to refer the man to her manager. Gizmodo article here

Uber’s Terrifying “Ghost Drivers” Are Freaking Out Passengers In China: Passengers using the app in several cities have reported seeing their requests picked up by drivers with creepy profile photos of zombie faces. According to Chinese news site Sixth Tone, the point of these ghostly profiles is to scare passengers into canceling the trip, so they are fined for a few yuan (less than a dollar), which goes to the driver. Quartz article here

Keywords

apps   China operators   Colorado operators   criminal incidents   driver behavior   London operators   mobile applications   New York operators   Sexual Assault   TNC travesty   TNCs   Uber   

 

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This Stretch Puts The Live In Livery

SAN DIEGO – Residents in Pacific Beach have been complaining about a stretch limousine they say hasn’t moved in days.

The white, Ford Excursion limo is parked on Chalcedony Street, and people who live there said they think people are living inside.

KGTV-10 San Diego article and video here

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criminal incidents   law enforcement   San Diego operators   super-stretches   vehicle security   

 

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TNCs Dealt Blow In Florida County

TAMPA, Fla. — When TNCs first set up shop in Hillsborough County, Fla. a few years ago, they obviously didn’t realize the West Florida Livery Association (WFLA) would not sit by idly and allow unregulated private transportation services to operate in the Tampa Bay region.

After years of lobbying, testifying and presenting the limousine industry’s side of the story regarding illegal TNCs, the issue came to a head Thursday, Sept. 15, when the Hillsborough Public Transportation Commission (PTC) voted 5-2 to mandate new rules and regulations for TNCs.

Because the issue has been so controversial, the PTC’s vote was the front page headline in the Tampa Bay Times the following day. At the Sept. 21 meeting of the WFLA, members were in good spirits following the vote, but they also know that although they scored a victory, the fight will continue at the state level when the legislature again review bills that could regulate TNCs statewide.

The PTC’s new rules include mandatory fingerprinting, no price surges during state of emergencies, and all TNC vehicles must be no older than 10 years.

“It was a great day— finally they have to follow the rules,” said Tom Halsnik (Black Pearl Limousine/ Walsh Airport Service).

On a cautionary note, Justin Nystedt (Crowd Pleaser Limos) said, “Uber isn’t leaving the county” following the new regulations because there is another public meeting to formally approve the on the vote on Oct. 13, where the TNCs will certainly make another push to rescind the new regulations.

See Tampa Bay Times article.

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Florida operators   limo associations   regulations   regulatory enforcement   Tampa Bay operators   TNCs   West Florida Livery Association   

 

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Top Luxury Hotels Thrive Despite Global Travel Drop

Hilton-owned Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is climbing the ranks in terms of international brand awareness, despite consumers spending less time traveling, according to the Luxury Institute.

JW Marriott, InterContinental, Four Seasons, Grand Hyatt and The Ritz-Carlton have maintained their places as the most visited hotel brands, reported last year and this year in the LBSI Global Hotel study. However, affluent consumers are cutting down on hotel stays with modest decrease in number of nights stayed.

Luxury Daily article here

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business travel   client markets   corporate travel   leisure travel   luxury hotels   luxury market trends   research and trends   Ritz-Carlton   wealthy clients   working with hotels   

 

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How Tech Platforms Are Changing Business Travel

There was a time when a well-used eye mask and worn neck pillow identified a business traveler as a seasoned globetrotter – now it’s a smartphone and apps.

A dizzying number of mobile icons now let executives manage their flights, hotels, rail tickets, security and expenses. You can scan your receipts, locate a taxi or track frequent flyer points across hundreds of airlines and access city maps without incurring roaming charges on a sophisticated, cost-effective device.

Raconteur article here

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apps   business travel   corporate travel   how to   industry trends   mobile applications   mobile technology   online reservations   smartphone reservations   

 

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GCLA Casino Night A Sure Bet For Pro-Industry Efforts

TORRANCE, Calif. — The Greater California Livery Association goes for another gamble at its Casino Night fundraiser tomorrow night: Any non-member who pays to participate will get a gold ticket.

That gold ticket will entitle the non-member to a year’s free membership in the GCLA if the ticket holder shows up at a Oct. 18 Lincoln-Continental preview event co-hosted by South Bay Ford and the GCLA. South Bay Ford livery sales manager Steve Wood has pledged to pay the annual dues for non-members with gold tickets. California limousine companies of all fleet sizes are eligible. The GCLA now has 327 members.

“When it comes down to this Casino Night tournament, it’s a great opportunity to be in front of your peers — large, medium and small companies — for a relaxed atmosphere to discuss business plans and have a good night with friends,” said GCLA President Kevin Illingworth, who will emcee the event.

The Casino Night, to be held at the Penske Cadillac Buick GMC dealership in Torrance, site of lead sponsor Acton/SoCal Penske Professional Vehicles, spearheads the group’s push to raise money for its lobbying efforts in Sacramento. The GCLA hopes to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 Saturday night. EVENT DETAILS HERE.

“The best part of having our own lobbyists is it does set a tone that TNCs cannot get away with everything,” Illingworth told LCT. “If it wasn’t for the GCLA, the TNCs would be running amok.”

An emerging regulatory challenge is the push by TNCs like Uber to get into the advanced reservation business, but avoid the stricter regulations that apply to charter-party carriers like chauffeured transportation companies which take reservations.

“Now they want to do pre-planned transportation, so how can they be regulated one way (as TNCs), and want to do business another way (like charter-party carriers)?” Illingworth asked. “They’re trying to have it both ways. They’re going against their original licensing as being on-demand only.”

Casino Night raises funds through individual tickets bought for the event, group table packages, vendor sponsorships, a silent auction of donated items, and raffles. A percentage of all proceeds raised will be donated to a non-profit organization called The Order of the Knights of Pythias, an international, non-sectarian fraternal order that pays for underprivileged children to attend summer camps.

GCLA Casino Night registration, details & schedule here

Keywords

dealerships   fundraiser   GCLA   Greater California Livery Association   industry charity   Kevin Illingworth   legislation   limo associations   lobbying   SoCal Penske   TNCs   

 

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