Taxi light will mean 'no alcohol'- Islam forbids carrying liquor, cabdrivers say

Pioneer Press ^ | 10-2-06 | JOSHUA FREED

[Rakkasan1]

Cabdriver Muhamed Mursal doesn't wear his Muslim beliefs on his sleeve, but he soon may broadcast them via a light on top of his cab.

Mursal and hundreds of other Muslim cabdrivers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport refuse to take travelers they know are carrying alcohol. No one is searching bags, but a Napa Valley wine box or a see-through bag from the duty-free store can be enough to leave a fare waiting for the next cab. Airport officials estimate that happens at least three times a day.

Now, the airport and cab drivers have worked out a proposal that calls for cabdrivers who won't carry alcohol to have a cab light that's a different color. That way, the airport workers who hook up travelers with taxis can steer alcohol-carrying fares to cabs that will take them. Airport officials hope to have the lights ready by the end of the year.

[The Worthless Miracle]

That's an excellent point- what about gasoline?? Geez, these "people" are nuts. Nice thing to get up in arms about...

[ndt]

"The cab is their property and they have a full right to control what occurs in their cab."

Not really, they are given a very lucrative position by the airport. The airport should be able to let them go if they choose not to service their customers. In this case, it looks like the airport has no problem with it so it's not an issue. I would have made a different call, but so be it.

[El Gato]

The cab is their property and they have a full right to control what occurs in their cab.

But they are a licensed service. The terms of the license require certain things. I'll be there is a nondiscrimination clause in there somewhere, especially in Oh-So-PC, Minneapolis.

[kinoxi]

Not in some jurisdictions, it's called discrimination.

[rhombus]

Yes, some are rented and others are owned by the driver. However, even a cabbie that rents his taxi has the right to refuse service to anyone they wish.

I wonder, could a driver in such situations decide they didn't want to take a fare to the abortion clinic, or how just certain neighborhoods because he thought they were dangerous? I expect they'd have some 'splainin' to do from certain groups.

[AndyJackson]

Where do I get one of those?

[randog]

How is this any different than pharmacists refusing to carry the morning after pill, but are forced to do so against their own personal or religious convictions? Customers can go to a different pharmacist.

Good point. Now what happens when a cab company refuses to hire muzzies because they won't cater to certain customers, or fires muzzies for the same reason?

[El Gato]

An employee refuses to do the job. This employee is still employed because.......?

Many cabbies are not employees, but rather independent owners, even if they are dispatched and wear the livery of a cab company.

But if they are employees, they should be outa there, yesterday. But of course that would result in all sorts of "discrimination lawsuits". In some places, Muzzies are allowed to pray in special rooms in schools set aside for that purpose, but Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus are not.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

"...hundreds of other Muslim cabdrivers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport..."

There's the real problem, IMO. Get those subhumans out of the business!

[n230099]

Is it illegal yet to lie to the driver about what you have or don't have? Are you required to declare alcohol, that you are Jewish??

Also like the idea of calling up the next cab and asking if the driver is muzzie. If yes wave him on. shouldn't have to happen for very long.

[trumandogz]

I drove a cab in college and refused service to people for being drunk, belligerent, suspicious looking or just a plain A -Hole.

My number one job was not to taxi people from point A to point B but to maintain my own safety.

If I thought I would go to hell for taking a certain person in my cab, I would refuse that fare.

[razorback-bert]

What kind of PC government allows this?

[Centurion2000]

Cabdriver Muhamed Mursal doesn't wear his Muslim beliefs on his sleeve, but he soon may broadcast them via a light on top of his cab.

Mursal and hundreds of other Muslim cabdrivers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport refuse to take travelers they know are carrying alcohol.

That's fine, now people will know which taxis to avoid like the plague, and which ones to rub bacon grease on or put bacon strips on top of.

[trumandogz]

A cabbie can refuse service if he thinks his safety or well being will be at risk.

[aShepard]

I think that is both good news, and bad news!
The good news is that you should show up at an after hours Club and breath on the cabbie! "You had alcohol, bad!" Goodby!

The other good news is that it will put all these smelly cab drivers out of work for lack of revenue.

The bad news is that CAIR, and others, will teach these maggots how to wire bombs!

[umgud]

I'm color blind and when I get drunk I'm just plain old blind.

[JoanVarga]

Good point. I remember a while back about blacks complaining that they were being discriminated against by cab drivers.

Chickens. Roost. Gotta love it.

[Zeppo]

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). The Metropolitan Airports Commission was created by state law in 1943. A public corporation, the commission was designed to provide for coordinated aviation services throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

It would appear to be unconstitutional for the government to support a religion in this fashion. Where, oh where, is the ACLU? Where are the anti-discrimination zealots?

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

I want Jihad-free cabs. How about a lighted cross or star of David on the cab?

[bdfromlv]

or women on their periods.