Posted on 10/10/2006 6:12:43 AM PDT by Verloona Ti
By Tom Lyden
Web Produced by Michael Durkin
MINNEAPOLIS – In her bright pink hat, Paula Hare has found herself waiting on her stoop a lot lately, for taxi cabs that never come.
Not to avoid confusion, Paula even tells the taxi dispatcher she’s transgendred. But on three occasions when the taxi actually showed up, she says Muslim drivers have refused to give her a lift.
“This is more than just religion, it’s flat out discrimination,” hare said. “And we’ve got laws against that in this state.”
The city of Minneapolis says she’s right.
Of the nearly 2,000 taxis in the Twin Cities metro, estimates are as many as half the drivers are recent immigrants – many Muslim.
The culture clash is most apparent at Twin Cities international Airport, where two to three times a day, taxi drivers refuse a fare because someone is carrying a bottle of alcohol. Some drivers believe the Koran forbids it.
Soon, the airport will even color code the light bar above taxi’s to indicate those who won’t carry booze.
When FOX 9 stopped by the airport taxi lot to talk about the controversy, we got a near riot. No one said they would give us a ride with a bottle of wine, and they told us to go somewhere else.
Back at Paula’s place, the taxi arrives this time, although the driver gives her quite a look. Paula Hare doesn’t care, as long as she gets there.
“They say it’s their religion, but they pick up women without veils,” Hare said.
The owner of Blue and White Taxi says they suspended one of their drivers who refused to give Paula a ride. That driver eventually quit.
The owner also says three local imams, Muslim religious leaders, have said there is no violation of the Koran if you transport alcohol – they just can’t touch it.
While the airport is compromising on this alcohol issue, mainly it seems out of a fear of litigation. The city of Minneapolis is not making a compromise, saying if the passenger has alcohol, or is going to a liquor store, cabbies must still give them a ride.
I said on the alcohol threads that if they were allowed to refuse fares with alcohol , then they'd expand their lists. Apparently they've refused people with service dogs already.
It makes me sick to think there are cities in the USA with one imam, much less several.
How about you paint all the Sharia-compliant taxis green, and let the consumer choose who they want to patronize at the airport? I bet the yellow cabs will be getting a heck of a lot more business than the green ones.
That should make it easy for the rest of us to identify them and not give them our business. Not that I'd be carrying booze, just because I don't like them, I don't trust them, and I don't want them around me.
I'm cheering for the drag queens! They're much less dangerous than the Moozies.
MN ping
I say smack 'em down. And it appears that the city of Mineapolis is going to do just that, even if the airport is caving.
If they don't want to take the next passenger in line (for whatever reason), the dispatcher needs to send them to the back of the cab line to try again in an hour or two. Problem solved.
Suppose some guy dresses up like a really mean looking biker and then calls a cab..... long wait.
Is it discrimination???
Transgender/crossdressing is a CHOICE made by a person who has serious mental problems. We, as Americans, should have a choice as to whether we want to pick up such a freak and give them a ride.
this one SHOULD be easy..
1) you're in the U.S, not a moozlim country...there are laws against this
2) if you refuse a fare, you lose your license
there..
So, a Catholic cab driver can refuse a fare's ride to an abortion clinic?
Just asking.
"Clash of the protected 'victim' classes" ping
Coupla points:
1. If "Paula" didn't make a point of announcing "her" transgendered state, cabbies would probably think "she" looked odd but would pick her up.
2. How come 50% of cabbies in Minneapolis are Somali? Who owns the companies?
3. Where do the cabbies draw the line? What percent of alcohol is needed? Some mouthwash and food flavorings have alcohol as a component.
I just find the situation ironic, because you KNOW liberal/leftists are going nuts, trying to decide which "victim class" outranks the other. Watch for head explosions in the major metropolutan areas of MN.
that is one slippery slope you're on there..once you can do it to one group, the list will expand to include fat people, bikers, people in blue shirts etc..etc..before you respond..
1) war on smokers
2) war on fast food (a result of the war on smokers)
3) war on perfume (see ottawa, canada), a result of 1 and 2 above
once on the slope, the angle of decent increases significantly..
No idea what the city's bylaws are in such a situation-but apparently they do forbid refusing people based on "transgendered status", so...If Christians and Jews can't use their religion to get out of such fares, then moslems shouldn't, either.
Good, and simple.
Agree with you on number one. He probably thought he was being sensitive and thoughtful, but in this case discretion would have been wiser.
If you think the City of Minneapolis is going to be on your side over the long haul, you got another think comin'.
Our governments will always chisel at the edge to grant special rights to these cave-men-come-lately. Little by little they will gain their special rights. Eventually the City of Minneapolis will come up with a compromise position that allow these morons to drive cabs without having the wittle feewings hurt. And the Muzzies will take that gain and keep it, until the next time around, when they'll ask for more.
It is a one way ratchet. Our governmental model of accomodation and compromise is a one way ticket to Sharia. The only question is if we get there quick or slow.
regarding your Nr. 2..
they're just doin the job americans won't do..(I wonder what percentage of those somali's are here legally??)
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