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Thanks to a new state law, assaulting an on-duty cab driver is now a class-3 felony. Now cab drivers want a sign in the back of cabs indicating the new law in the hopes that it will keep them safer, but Norma Reyes, the City's commissioner of consumer services, says "You don't want to put too many messages back there." What the hell?
Cab drivers say the signs will serve as a deterrent, and that at least four cab drivers have been attacked in the last two months. A spokesman for the United Taxidrivers Community Council says, "We want the riding public to be aware that, if you attack a cabdriver while he’s on duty, you’ll be charged with a felony," and that his group will distribute the signs "whether it’s technically authorized or not."
If cabdrivers are truly concerned about their safety, Reyes said they should work with her to make certain that "every single driver" in Chicago complies with the city’s mandate to accept credit cards."The reason drivers are targets for crime is that they work alone and they work in a cash business," the commissioner said.
Here's a list of the 30 most recent crimes committed in cabs. [S-T, photo by p2wy]
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maybe they should be reminded that there is a sign in the back of the cab, alreadfy that states they shouldn't be on the damn phone...
But really, don't beat them up ;-)
How about the do not abduct your fare signs?
I was in a cab and the guy took me to my apt and he told me to pay and I was short of cash so I gave him my CC and he flipped out locked the doors and sped down a one way street.
I slammed the plexi glass over and over till he let me go.
Fuckhead.
matty - holy crap. I hope you reported him
Cabdrivers serve the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, eventually driving on all of the streets of Chicago. Unfortunately for us, becoming the victim of a violent crime is just a matter of time. Driving a cab is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. It is much more dangerous than being a police officer, for example.
One such victim, true "veteran" cabdriver Steve Wiedersberg, successfully worked with state legislators to expand the law to include cabdrivers, which now protects police officers, firefighters, utility workers, and others who are out on the streets, all of the streets, at all hours of the day, often performing their duties alone.
It has been in effect in the entire State of Illinois since the beginning of this year. More need to know about it, for our sake and theirs.
The negative attitude many have towards cabdrivers suggests to a few that they have the right to verbally and physically abuse us. They do not. In fact, thanks to Steve Wiedersberg, those who attack cabdrivers can face felony charges.
As the use of cameras as a safety device becomes more common, certain members of the public will either think twice or be more easily convicted with incontrovertable evidence of their unacceptable behavior.
Commissioner Reyes and Deputy Commissioner Riedle have not worked closely enough with any of the newly-established groups of cabdrivers working for political improvements. The long-standing attitude of the City of Chicago towards hard-working cabdrivers, expressed most recently through Mayor Daley's insufficient "gas surcharge" ordinance, is the major stumbling block to making satisfying progress for anyone involved in this business.
We are trying to work with the Department of Consumer Services...the question is, will they ever work with us?
Ms. Reyes proves either how out of touch or disrespectful she is when she suggests that wider use and acceptance of credit cards will help solve the problem being addressed here. Often, these assaults are not about robbing the cabdriver whatsoever.
In fact, the difficulties in processing some credit card transactions has many times led to a less amicable experience for all.
It is sad that some still wish to use us cabdrivers and these issues as political punching bags; at least, we have refused to be physical punching bags anymore.
I intend to affix stickers and display a placard warning potential perpetrators in the same fashion that the CTA does for its employees, passengers, and others.
I hope that this will help prevent potential injuries and deaths suffered by my fellow cabdrivers, including my own. It certainly doesn't hurt anyone.
Unless, of course, DCS simply chooses to pervert this promotion into yet another source of revenue by issuing tickets and collecting fines. I'm surprised the City hasn't mandated this signage to be purchased from them for its petty gain.
Rather, we should be discussing the next logical enhancement of this deterrent: banning convicted offenders from entering a taxi, permanently if necessary or appropriate.
Before he is paroled, I intend to seek such an "order of protection" to prevent Michael L. Jackson, who brutally murdered cabdriver Haroon Paryani, from ever touching a cab or cabbie again without being sent back to prison.
I cannot fathom why anyone would object to that, or our desire to simply warn people that they can no longer lay their hands on us without serious consequences.
-Mike Foulks, President, Chicago Cabdriver Organization (CCO)
Thanks for your two cents, Mike. You are quite right.
But please, as JoeM500 already stated, get these fuckers off the damn phone!
cab drivers should also come equipped with navigational GPS system, and credit card swippers in the BACK seat. Absolutely no talking on the cell phone, and for god's sake drive the speed limit. I never take the cab, most of them smell and seem to be on a completely different planet, like planet stupid. No tips from me sucka.
Hate to say it, but no amount of signage will deter an attacker...Do you think a sign discouraging bank robbery would make anyone rethink their intentions?...I drive a cab in Chicago and wholeheartedly agree with the legions of customers who've complained about the cell-phone yammerers and credit card refusers; it's lousy and unfair that we're charged 5% to cash credit cards, but it's the rule and has been for years now and those that flaunt it or pretend that they can't precess the cards give the rest of us a bad name...As in any line of work, there's plenty of incivility and assholery on both sides, one can only be responsible for one's own actions...I'm often amused at the various fledgling efforts to unionize, organize, or otherwise gather taxi drivers under one umbrella because one of the few benefits of the job is that there aren't any bosses or co-workers...If we want that, we'd be better served working in a cubicle or a factory...If anything we need less regulations, bylaws, and other impediments...It'd be nice, for instance, not to have to go through the empty ritual of renewing our licenses every year; other than serving as a way to lighten our bank accounts with lost time and fees, this process serves little purpose...
Dmitry SamarovSo now any cab driver can act like an idiot and if someone gets mad and gives em a piece of their mind the cabbie can just call 911 and say they threatened him and the other party will be arrested on felony charges?
Seems EXTREMELY stupid to me. Now cab drivers can cut people off, almost run people over or whatever else, and if you get mad and tell em how you feel they can just say you threatened them and off to jail you go. Cop will say he is acting on a complaint and tell the judge if you say that it is a lie.
Should cab drivers really have this kind of power over the public? Especially considering the habits of most big city cab drivers?