NationStates Jolt Archive

Minneapolis-St. Paul is concerned that its taxi service is deteriorating. Citing their religious beliefs, some Muslim taxi drivers from Somalia are refusing to transport customers carrying or suspected of carrying alcohol. It started with one driver a few years ago, but the average number of fare refusals has grown to about three a day, says airport spokesman Patrick Hogan. "Travelers often feel surprised and insulted," he says. "Sometimes, several drivers in a row refuse carriage."

Taxi drivers and officials from the airport, taxi companies and the Muslim American Society are discussing how to address the issue. Partly out of concern that taxi drivers might be citing religion to avoid short-distance fares, the airport is now forcing drivers who refuse a fare to go to the end of the line for waiting taxis. It is not a popular decision among drivers, Hogan says.

The airport is expected to propose today that drivers who wish to avoid alcohol-toting passengers change the light on their car roofs, possibly to a different color. Hogan says the move will help let airport employees and customers know which taxis serve alcohol-carrying passengers. Drivers refusing a fare won't have to go to the end of the line. "Airport authorities are not in the business of interpreting sacred texts or dictating anyone's religious choices. ... Our goal is simply to ensure travelers at (the airport) are well served."

source: http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2006-09-17-airport-check-in-usat_x.htm


What, exactly, is wrong with being forced to the back of the line if you refuse to pick up a fare? Seems reasonable enough to me. Cabbies get to pretend their still the in backwards hellhole they fled, travelers get to be transported, the only people that lose are people more concerned with sending a message by holding up a line than with doing their job. This concept that somehow my religious beliefs and restrictions(which are placed upon ME by MY god) should be forced on everyone else is disgusting.

More to the point, allowing drivers to refuse to take a fare at an airport because they suspect someone might be carrying alcohol is just asking for discrimination. Don't like the neighborhood this fare wants to go to "sorry, I think you've got a flask." Don't like this person because their color is wrong "how do I know you aren't hiding a bottle of gin?" There is a reason that drivers aren't generally allowed to refuse fares in most cities, and making an exception for religion is just asking for trouble in so many directions. How far are drivers going to be allowed to discriminate? Could a muslim driver refuse to carry jews? What about just muslims? Could they accept only dhimmis? Is a driver allowed to interrogate a passenger before letting them on("what god do you worship, are you carrying alcohol, are you a homosexual, have you eaten pork in the last hour...")? Are we going to make muslim drivers register as musilims? What about other religions? Could a mormon driver refuse to drive unmarried couples or women who he feels are immodestly dressed? Could an atheist refuse anyone wearing a religious symbol?

I heard about this a while back. I think it's discrimination plain and simple.

What does it matter if the passenger has alcohol? It is not as if the driver will be drinking it or that the passenger would actually be drunk. Picking and choosing who has the honor of getting into your cab shouldn't be allowed. You refuse a fare, back of the line with you!

This issue will probably be solved with regards to topology rather than law or ethics. For the airport, the bottom line is to keep people moving. If the taxi has to hold up the rest of the line to get to the back of the line, then the airport won't go for it. If it's anything like my local airport, the airport personnel will simply wave the guy forward and out without a fare in his cab. He then drives around a small parking lot and ends up at the back of the line.

Taxi is especially necessary when you are drunk lol!

Muslims trying to impose their twisted, backward beliefs on the country which has allowed them in? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!

If they don't want to serve the public, and that means all of the (non-life-threatening) public, they can (a) get another job, or better yet, (b) go back to that Turd-World sewer they crawled out of. Maybe they can go find some more nuns to shoot in the back when they get there.

Whatever happened to freedom of enterprise and freedom of religion?

If the cab refuses the fare, so be it. He's the one loosing the money. Sure, the airport can then have a bylaw that you have to get to the back of the line.

But saying this is wrong is just hipocrisy most of the time.

Whatever happened to freedom of enterprise and freedom of religion?

If the cab refuses the fare, so be it. He's the one loosing the money. Sure, the airport can then have a bylaw that you have to get to the back of the line.

But saying this is wrong is just hipocrisy most of the time.

Well, taxis provide a vital service. They keep drunk drivers off the road. Their actions can result in death just as easily as a surgeon who refuses to operate because it's against his religion. They should lose their taxi license.

Well, taxis provide a vital service. They keep drunk drivers off the road. Their actions can result in death just as easily as a surgeon who refuses to operate because it's against his religion. They should lose their taxi license.

There are alternatives to taxis. Not so for surgeons.

Yes, they are acting like jackasses. Last time I checked, it was not a crime. If someone disagree with what they are doing, then they must disagree with the following:

Racial Profiling
Augmented security provisions for muslims
Pharmacies that refuse to hand out birth control

if you are for one of those things, then you can't possibly be against a legitimate businessman running his company like he sees fit (with all the good and bad that entails refusing a customer).

if you are for one of those things, then you can't possibly be against a legitimate businessman running his company like he sees fit (with all the good and bad that entails refusing a customer).

Except he's not a businessman; he's a employee. I'd go as far as using Mr.Burns-esque designations to describe taxi drivers.

Except he's not a businessman; he's a employee. I'd go as far as using Mr.Burns-esque designations to describe taxi drivers.

Bizarre. Where I live, each taxi is an independant worker that has a contracts with the dispatch. Think of it as a union, not a company. As such, taxi here are free to do as they please.

But then, your taxi unions can vary.

What, exactly, is wrong with being forced to the back of the line if you refuse to pick up a fare? Seems reasonable enough to me. Cabbies get to pretend their still the in backwards hellhole they fled, travelers get to be transported, the only people that lose are people more concerned with sending a message by holding up a line than with doing their job. This concept that somehow my religious beliefs and restrictions(which are placed upon ME by MY god) should be forced on everyone else is disgusting.Exactly. We should lower the drinking age to 16!

Muslims trying to impose their twisted, backward beliefs on the country which has allowed them in? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!

If they don't want to serve the public, and that means all of the (non-life-threatening) public, they can (a) get another job, or better yet, (b) go back to that Turd-World sewer they crawled out of. Maybe they can go find some more nuns to shoot in the back when they get there.Get off your high horse. Not being allowed to buy alcohol after midnight or not being allowed to drink in public is pretty backward too, and those particular pieces of legislation are not in place because Virginians are muslim.

Except he's not a businessman; he's a employee.
Right. And if I was in charge of a taxi company, I'd fire anyone who refused legitimate business.

The Market isn't just for those who are in business or otherwise on the supply side. It's also supposed to serve those on the customer side. Erecting false barriers to commerce serves no one, except maybe the self-righteousness of the one doing it. Financially it's stupid.

Since the stupidity is causing legitimate customers to be locked out, I think those taxi drivers should lose their licenses.


If someone disagree with what they are doing, then they must disagree with the following:
Racial Profiling
Augmented security provisions for muslims
Pharmacies that refuse to hand out birth controlThe first two don't result in a refusal of service. Nor are they done merely out of a smug and self-righteous "morality." Although, I do see problems with the practice: How is someone going to know if a person's a Muslim? Middle-Eastern descent is a big clue, but there are also converts, and sometimes those converts are radicals.

And I DO disagree with pharmacies refusing to provide birth control, for the same reasons I disagree with the taxi drivers. People who try to use their businesses as a moral bludgeon can all cram it.

Bizarre. Where I live, each taxi is an independant worker that has a contracts with the dispatch. Think of it as a union, not a company. As such, taxi here are free to do as they please.In my area, it depends on the taxi service. Some are companies, but others seem to be independent. The larger the area, the more likely it will be for all the cabs to be part of a single fleet (same kind, branding, appearance, etc.).

Fergi America;11702936']The first two don't result in a refusal of service. Nor are they done merely out of a smug and self-righteous "morality." Although, I do see problems with the practice: How is someone going to know if a person's a Muslim? Middle-Eastern descent is a big clue, but there are also converts, and sometimes those converts are radicals.
I'll just say "no-fly list" as evidence that the second one does, in deed, amount to refusal of service sometimes.

As for racial profiling: I see what they are doing as discrimination based on their religious view. Racial profiling is discrimination based on race. If you're for one kind of discrimination, you should be for other kind, no? Maybe I didn't explain my point as best as I could.


Fergi America;11702936']And I DO disagree with pharmacies refusing to provide birth control, for the same reasons I disagree with the taxi drivers. People who try to use their businesses as a moral bludgeon can all cram it.

Good for you. I disprove of the practice too but on a medical standpoint more than on a moral standpoint. If they are jerks enough to deny me service, then I am jerk enough to deny me my money and even jerk enough to lobby for a boycott.

What, exactly, is wrong with being forced to the back of the line if you refuse to pick up a fare? Seems reasonable enough to me.

Seems reasonable to me too, but I have to wonder how long it would take before this crippled taxi service. With the numbers of such taxis increasing eventually you'd send several to the end of the line until the line is full and beer toting customers can't find a taxi.

Either they should ban the practice, or they should do something to make it cheaper for tippler-taxiers to practice their trade. I don't know what sort of fees they have to pay to operate. I know that medallions cost a lot of money in NYC. But there could be some sort of gas discount card, or reduced licensing fee or something.

It seems fair since the way Islam spread itself was with Tax incentives.

Get off your high horse. Not being allowed to buy alcohol after midnight or not being allowed to drink in public is pretty backward too, and those particular pieces of legislation are not in place because Virginians are muslim.

Yeah, its because Virginian legislators are christian fundamentalist backbirths. I'd say we should send them back from whench they came but we just don't have enough caves here....

Either they should ban the practice, or they should do something to make it cheaper for tippler-taxiers to practice their trade.

Simple, you don't send them to the back of the line, you take down their cab number and skip them. If theres no one in the cabstand but people who want to discriminate, then you wait for someone to arrive who won't. I give it a day before you have a line of people who either don't care who they carry or are willing to give up their beliefs in order to make an honest day's wage. It isn't like theres a shortage of people who can drive on the level of "cabbie."

Simple, you don't send them to the back of the line, you take down their cab number and skip them. If theres no one in the cabstand but people who want to discriminate, then you wait for someone to arrive who won't. I give it a day before you have a line of people who either don't care who they carry or are willing to give up their beliefs in order to make an honest day's wage. It isn't like theres a shortage of people who can drive on the level of "cabbie."

But this won't do much to discourage the practice because there are going to be plenty of people who aren't carrying alcohol, either because they just don't happen to be, or because Somalia has a high muslim population.

This bugs me just as much as pharmacists here who think they're entitled to steal women's perscriptions for birth control and not fill them.