New York City Council and Mayor Bloomberg: Keep NYC Live -Real Tour Guides Not Pre-recorded Narrations

Keep NYC Live -Real Tour Guides Not Pre-recorded Narrations

Hi,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: New York City Council and Mayor Bloomberg.

----------------
Keep NYC Live -Real Tour Guides Not Pre-recorded Narrations

Dear New York City Council and Mayor Bloomberg,

We need your help. We need your leadership in city government to stop an illegal monopoly from harming a vital NYC industry, abusing and endangering consumers, and destroying living wage union jobs. I hope you will lead the fight to legally require live, licensed sightseeing guides on NYC sightseeing bus tours, as a basic standard of quality and consumer protection for guests to our city. Twin America, is threatening to fire their live, licensed NYC Sightseeing Guides, currently serving on Gray Line "hop on-hop off" tours, and replace them with automated narrations. I hope you will join me in supporting real live guides for a real live city, because, eliminating live licensed guides on sightseeing bus tours would:

-Hurt consumer service in the tourism industry (a top source of jobs in NYC) and thus, undermine New York’s competitive advantage, when compared to other destinations.

-Endanger passengers on double-decker busses. Double-decker bus rides may be especially hazardous in NYC where overhanging lights, signs, branches, etc. often pass within inches of passengers heads. Experienced, licensed guides do, in fact, save lives.

-Eliminate valuable jobs, for no reason other than corporate greed. Twin America/Gray Line NYC is highly profitable, but rather than rewarding the workers who built this company, this employer prefers to profit in the short term by while eliminating the experienced live licensed guides who are a major asset to the company and New York City.

Because of city government's duty to defend the vital public interest, the city establishes baseline quality and safety standards for everything from hot dog carts to horse and buggy rides. Legally establishing a live licensed guide standard for bus tours in NYC would defend the vital public interest by:

-Supporting the tourism industry through helping maintain our city's competitive advantage when compared to other destinations. Live licensed sight seeing guides offer the human touch of a "friend in town" to hundreds of visitors every day. They are the real live faces and voices of a real live city, telling the stories which bring NYC's heritage to life, answering questions, and reacting in real time to the most dynamic place on earth.

-Maintaining, the best defense against passenger injury and death on double-decker busses: The experienced, live licensed guide, who knows when to warn about every possible hazard, in every possible circumstance of weather, road/overhead conditions etc.

-Saving at least one hundred living wage jobs. And probably preventing the loss of many more jobs as visitors choose other destinations, or no longer hop off NYC bus tours to spend money in places beyond Times Square. Many guests will only explore NYC beyond the main tourist zones, because of advice from live tour guides who have earned their trust.

One might think that competition would provide an incentive for a company to maintain a live licensed guide standard of service. But, in a closed monopolistic market this company is showing a total disregard for service, safety, and labor. Twin America currently operates both Gray Line and City Sights tour buses in NYC, thus controlling over 90% of the double-decker sightseeing market in New York. Although this joint venture has already been deemed an illegal monopoly by state and federal regulators, Twin America, is appealing and it appears that the regulators will not split up this monopoly in time to save vital jobs, and the live licensed guide standard of service.

Who can come to the aid of consumers and workers in this vital NYC industry? You can. I appreciate the concern you have shown for quality consumer service and living wage jobs in the past, and your help is needed more than ever today. Councilperson Gail Brewer, State Senator Tom Duane, and other leaders have expressed strong support for real live guides legislation. Now we need your leadership in city government to fight for a real advantage for NYC tourism, real living wage jobs, and real live licensed guides.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

[Your name]