[nagdu] New York taxis

Tue Aug 13 18:51:04 UTC 2013

Ben, the only solution I know is to get the medallion number and file a 
complaint with the City Commision on Human Rights.  They investigate, and 
issue a fine to the taxi company.
Or, my most usual method,  give up on taxis and just walk, take the bus, or 
take the subway. But the Human Rights Commission really does follow up on 
complaints, so it can make a difference.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ben Humphreys" <brh at opticinspiration.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 9:10 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Woman says cab driver refused her a ride because of 
seeing-eye dog

> Marion and others,
>
> I feel the discrimination by New York City taxi drivers remains a huge 
> problem, especially in a city where taxicabs are a primary form of 
> transportation for all.
>
> We get passed up all the time, cabs run away, I've resorted to standing 
> around the corner and having someone else get me a cab and open the door, 
> so we can then jump in or get the medallion number before he runs away.
>
> Then when you're in the cab, and that driver has a problem, you have to 
> have "the talk", which that confrontation pretty much ruins whatever good 
> mood you were in, and if you're lucky, driver will listen, but more often 
> no amount of logical persuasion will do.  He ether reluctantly agrees and 
> has to comment on it for the rest of the ride, or you call the cops, but 
> most of the time, I believe you just get passed up on the street and never 
> even know it directly.
>
> I wonder how many times NYC taxi drivers have really been taken to task, 
> as Mike suggested?
>
> In other cities, like Ft Lauderdale or Phoenix, you can text message your 
> address and taxi will come pretty quickly, and record of taxi's # is in 
> the reply text message.  So if they leave, you know who your enemy is.
>
> But with NYC, when they pass you up, you never know.  I wonder what the 
> solution to this problem is?
>
> Maybe one of those <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeranian_(dog)>
>
> Pomeranian pocket dogs that you could pop in your purse or backpack?
>
> Ben
>
>
> At 06:04 PM 8/6/2013, you wrote:
>>Dear All,
>>         In most jurisdictions, not only is the driver responsible for the
>>discrimination, the company can also be held responsible. Merry and I 
>>fought
>>the cab companies for several years with very little change. After filing
>>several criminal complaints, we filed against the cab company and won. To
>>the best of my knowledge, there has not been an issue since! Take it to 
>>the
>>top if you want to reach the bottom!
>>
>>Marion
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sheila Leigland
>>Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 2:52 PM
>>To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>Subject: Re: [nagdu] Woman says cab driver refused her a ride because of
>>seeing-eye dog
>>
>>i totally agree with this definetely fight back. We did that with a driver
>>and haven't had any trouble since and it has been at least six years.
>>On 8/6/2013 10:43 AM, Michael Hingson wrote:
>> > Make no mistake, it is against the law to refuse to take a blind
>> > person accompanied by a guide dog.  In New York I have taken more than
>> > one cab driver to the authorities because they refused to take me and
>>Roselle.
>> >
>> > There is no negotiation here.  If a cab driver refuses any of us we
>> > should fight back.
>> >
>> >
>> > Best,
>> >
>> >
>> > Michael Hingson
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of rhonda cruz
>> > Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 09:39 AM
>> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Woman says cab driver refused her a ride because
>> > of seeing-eye dog
>> >
>> >   hi i always take a cab places and i never had that happen.
>> >   or if it did i would call another driver.
>> >   but those are my thoughts,
>> >
>> > On Aug 6, 2013, at 8:38 AM, Rusty Perez wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi folks,
>> >> about 13 years ago when I was in Dallas for a convention, I called a
>> >> cab late one night to drive me to my hotel. I waited for a long time
>> >> and finally discovered that the cab had come  and driven off   when he
>> >> realized I had a dog with me. The second cab which came a while
>> >> later, explained to me that some folks have a religeous objection to
>> >> having dogs in their cabs.
>> >> I was pretty upset, but did nothing about it.
>> >> Rusty
>> >>
>> >> Rusty
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On 8/6/13, Ginger Kutsch <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >>> Woman says cab driver refused her a ride because of seeing-eye dog
>> >>>
>> >>> By Bob Heye KATU News and KATU.com StaffPublished: Aug 2, 2013
>> >>>
>> >>> http://www.katu.com/news/local/Woman-says-cab-driver-refused-her-a-r
>> >>> i
>> >>> de-beca
>> >>> use-of-seeing-eye-dog-218052101.html
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> PORTLAND, Ore. - A woman who is blind says a Broadway Cab driver
>> >>> refused her service because she had a seeing-eye dog with her.
>> >>>
>> >>> It all unfolded at Union Station, and an Amtrak worker confirmed
>> >>> what happened to Deb Marinos.
>> >>>
>> >>> Marinos had gotten off the train and was trying to get to OHSU for a
>> >>> scheduled checkup but a Broadway Cab driver, and then a second cab
>> >>> driver both refused to give her a ride.
>> >>>
>> >>> "I have a little tiny bit of vision," she said. "I'm what's called
>> >>> legally blind, but I have no peripheral vision. So the dog provides
>> >>> me the ability to cross streets and find curbs and doors."
>> >>>
>> >>> Marinos rides Amtrak all the time - commuting to work in Salem and
>> >>> Portland and also traveling the country to conferences and
>> >>> legislative assemblies in her job as a vocational rehabilitation
>> >>> counselor for the Oregon Council of the Blind.
>> >>>
>> >>> She was stunned when she went to get into a Broadway Cab and the
>> >>> driver refused to let her in.
>> >>>
>> >>> "And he says, 'No, she has a dog. I'm not takin' her. No dogs. Dogs
>> >>> aren't allowed by the company.'"
>> >>>
>> >>> A second Broadway driver said he'd take her, but he already had a
>> >>> fare. The next cab back was a Sassy Cab, a subsidiary of Broadway 
>> >>> Cab.
>> >>>
>> >>> "The cab behind him, Sassy Cab, says 'No, I don't do dogs either,'"
>> >>> Marinos said. "And then the fourth cab got out to see what all the
>> >>> fun was about and they said, 'OK, we'll take you.'"
>> >>>
>> >>> An Amtrak helper known as Red Cap argued with the cab drivers' 
>> >>> refusals.
>> >>>
>> >>> "Amtrak is so incredibly good at taking care of us, and the Red Cap
>> >>> today was just absolutely. He was just like all over them and could
>> >>> not believe it
>> >>> - that they'd never had that before where they've had someone turned
>> > down,"
>> >>> Marinos said.
>> >>>
>> >>> And if you think allergies to dogs is behind all this, Marinos said
>> >>> that's not a factor. She's allergic to dogs. Her service dog breed
>> >>> is hypoallergenic.
>> >>>
>> >>> KATU didn't get a response from Broadway Cab Thursday night. City
>> >>> regulations say "No driver shall ... refuse to transport to his
>> >>> requested destination any passenger of proper demeanor who is able
>> >>> to demonstrate the ability to pay the fare."
>> >>>
>> >>> Marinos met both of those requirements.
>> >>>
>> >>> A city spokesperson said the city is starting a formal investigation
>> >>> into the incident and that Broadway Cab is cooperating with
>> > investigators.
>> >>>
>> >>>
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