Another Taxi Driver in Debt Takes His Life. That’s 5 in 5 Months.
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Yu Mein Chow, a 56-year-old taxi driver who lived in Queens, died in an apparent suicide. Family and friends gathered on Sunday for a vigil near where his cab was found a block from the East River.CreditAndres Kudacki for The New York Times
By Nikita Stewart and Luis Ferré-Sadurní
That was where the police found the man’s parked taxicab, the biggest investment of his life. The man, Yu Mein Chow, had taken out a loan seven years ago to buy a $700,000 medallion that gave him the right to operate a cab.
Mr. Chow, 56, who lived in Queens and went by the nickname “Kenny,” disappeared on May 11. His body was found floating in the East River about nine miles south, near the Brooklyn Bridge, on Wednesday. Friends and family members believe Mr. Chow jumped to his death, adding to a string of apparent suicides of traditional taxi and livery drivers in the city. It marked the fifth suicide in just over five months. The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death.
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“Rest in Peace. Beloved father, husband, brother, friend, NYC taxi driver.”CreditAndres Kudacki for The New York Times
New York City’s cab industry, dependent on the market value of the once-coveted taxi medallion, has been upended by the proliferation of Uber and other ride-sharing services. Drivers have been demanding changes at City Hall to protect their livelihood, but at least five cabbies have buckled under the strain of debt since December as others describe working 12- and 14-hour shifts to make up for the lost income. One driver shot himself in February outside City Hall after leaving a message on Facebookblaming the industry’s demise on politicians.
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The medallion system was created to limit the number of cabdrivers, but ride-sharing apps have rendered it useless, said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York City Taxi Workers Alliance. Last year, data showed that more people used Uber than yellow cabs in the city. Once sold for more than $1 million, taxi medallions are now selling for as little as $175,000, according to data collected by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
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Mr. Chow’s brother, Richard Chow, mourned his hard-working sibling.CreditAndres Kudacki for The New York Times
Ms. Desai said she has been transformed into a part-time counselor to despondent drivers who call her in the wee hours of the morning and a part-time eulogist who talks to family and friends to share the stories of the deceased.
@kitastew and @
Image
Yu Mein Chow, a 56-year-old taxi driver who lived in Queens, died in an apparent suicide. Family and friends gathered on Sunday for a vigil near where his cab was found a block from the East River.CreditAndres Kudacki for The New York Times
By Nikita Stewart and Luis Ferré-Sadurní
- May 27, 2018
That was where the police found the man’s parked taxicab, the biggest investment of his life. The man, Yu Mein Chow, had taken out a loan seven years ago to buy a $700,000 medallion that gave him the right to operate a cab.
Mr. Chow, 56, who lived in Queens and went by the nickname “Kenny,” disappeared on May 11. His body was found floating in the East River about nine miles south, near the Brooklyn Bridge, on Wednesday. Friends and family members believe Mr. Chow jumped to his death, adding to a string of apparent suicides of traditional taxi and livery drivers in the city. It marked the fifth suicide in just over five months. The medical examiner has not yet determined a cause of death.
Image
“Rest in Peace. Beloved father, husband, brother, friend, NYC taxi driver.”CreditAndres Kudacki for The New York Times
New York City’s cab industry, dependent on the market value of the once-coveted taxi medallion, has been upended by the proliferation of Uber and other ride-sharing services. Drivers have been demanding changes at City Hall to protect their livelihood, but at least five cabbies have buckled under the strain of debt since December as others describe working 12- and 14-hour shifts to make up for the lost income. One driver shot himself in February outside City Hall after leaving a message on Facebookblaming the industry’s demise on politicians.
Subscribe to The Times
The medallion system was created to limit the number of cabdrivers, but ride-sharing apps have rendered it useless, said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York City Taxi Workers Alliance. Last year, data showed that more people used Uber than yellow cabs in the city. Once sold for more than $1 million, taxi medallions are now selling for as little as $175,000, according to data collected by the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Image
Mr. Chow’s brother, Richard Chow, mourned his hard-working sibling.CreditAndres Kudacki for The New York Times
Ms. Desai said she has been transformed into a part-time counselor to despondent drivers who call her in the wee hours of the morning and a part-time eulogist who talks to family and friends to share the stories of the deceased.
@kitastew and @