Cab Drivers Want Sign To Remind Passengers of New Law

By Margaret Lyons in News on Jun 23, 2008 9:59PM

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]