Airport Wants To Crack Down On (Muslim) Taxi Drivers (Minneapolis)

StarTribune ^ | 1/3/07 | John Reinan

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport wants to crack down on Muslim taxi drivers who refuse to carry alcohol or service dogs in their cabs. At a meeting Wednesday of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, airport staff asked the commission to give the go-ahead for public hearings on a tougher policy that would suspend the licenses of drivers who refuse service for any reason other than safety concerns.

Drivers who refuse to accept passengers transporting alcohol or service dogs would have their airport licenses suspended 30 days for the first offense and two years for the second offense, according to a revised taxi ordinance proposed by the commission's staff.

"Our expectation is that if you're going to be driving a taxi at the airport, you need to provide service to anybody who wants it," commission spokesman Patrick Hogan said. The full commission is expected to vote on the proposal for public hearings at its next meeting, scheduled for Jan. 16.

[JoeSixPack1]

I did say may.

Yep,, wishful thinking :-)

[Unicorn]

Public hearings my ass just do it.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Like I've said, this is not over, by a looooooong shot.

[sandbox]

Common sense has broken out in Minneapolis. A small, but important, victory. Here's another idea. Ban the Veil (and all public mask wearing)

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

"How long until CAIR files a lawsuit?"

I believe you could hold your breath on this one.

[gwb2OO4]

Why should the government meddle in this business?

If you owned a cab, would you want the state telling you who you must provide service to? What if you don't want bums, or sodomites, or terrorists, or other dregs of society riding in your vehicle?

The government's responsibility ends at ensuring that cab companies can legally and without repercussion require their drivers to transport alcohol, service animals, etc. The state should NOT micromanage business activities.

[pandoraou812]

I just won't deal with them anymore. I have had them try to rip me off when getting gas. NJ isn't a self service state so you have to watch the pumps. My daughter is married to a Sikh and they hate them too... Once when I posted about them owning so many gas stations and little stores I was told mainly Sikhs own them. Thats BS. Here in NJ we have the Pakistan Muslims and they are so rude. They pretend they can't understand you , try to rip you off but when you say cops all of a sudden you get your gas and the correct change. I totally refuse to get into a taxi with them too because they are rude and they scare me. ... I think one of the biggest problems I have is with Muslims is the fact that so many of the American ones are converts from jail. Funny how jail makes people get religion.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

I believe, as licensed common-carriers, they are already regulated by the government.

I could be wrong.

[lesser_satan]

Because you need a license to operate a cab in the Twin Cities. Maybe you shouldn't, but as long as you do the government is controlling the number of cabs available, creating a de-facto monopoly in the cab business. If all the muzzy cabbies get together and decide they're all going to disallow alcohol in their cabs, there is no market mechanism to correct it, whereas in a truly free market, somebody else would realize there's a market for cabs that do carry alcohol and start his own cab company, driving the muzzies out of business.

[peggybac]

I think all non Muslim taxi drivers should refuse to pick up Muslims passengers.

[Ben Hecks]

I take it these Muslim cab drivers have no problem driving a taxi fueled with ethanol?

[maxwellp]

DO NOT COME TO MY BELOVED COUNTRY, AMERICA, AND BE A TAXI-CAB DRIVER WHO WILL NOT ACCEPT LIQUOR OR EVEN OUR BELOVED DOGS IN YOUR CAB. We Americans are different - we enjoy cocktails and our cats and dogs and other pets are beloved. If you don't like it, please go back to wherever you came from. This is the way we are, as President Reagan said "This wonderful breed called 'Americans'.

[mirado]

I agree with Mr. Hogan and yourself.

I've been out of management, after 15 years, for the past 5 years. One of the many objectives I had in the hiring process is to ensure the applicant knew precisely what he/she was applying for. Some, I shuffled around in the company; others moved onto something else. The bottom line is this: If one accepts a job, the job has to be done according to the standards of the employer. Otherwise, as you pointed out: ”Get with the program or look for a different job”.

Frankly, I’m getting tired of Muslims. There are a pain in the *s--worldwide.

[Pharmboy]

The Baghdad International Airport needs experienced taxi drivers. Those miserable muzzies should go there...

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

It wouldn't surprise me if THAT comes up.......

[Eye of Unk]

I absolutely gotta get some pics in when the Seeing Eye Pigs Society has its yearly convention and these muzzie cabdrivers!

[Figment]

"Why should the government meddle in this business?"

Because the airport is government property for one. Second, they are a licensed business, there are dress codes, hygiene requirements and all manner of other rules. Service dogs are allowed in restaurants, on buses and most anywhere else these days. Why not in a muzzie cab?

[taxesareforever]

People need to pack ham sandwiches into the taxis and break em out when they get on the road. Leave a sample on the seat when exiting.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

And I'll wager that the ADA covers the service dog issue.

[William Terrell]

I'll be proud of them. Everybody needs to crack sown on this stuff. It's like the schoolyard bully. First, he intimidates you. You cave. He then wants to kick you around. You tolerate. He wants your lunch money. You go on a diet. Then, he wants you to go down on him.

Et cetera.