Selective taxi drivers

In My Humble Opinion
1

It seems like selective taxi drivers is a hot button topic. Everyone wants to be PC and say they wouldn’t be choosy at all about the passengers they pick up.

But honestly, if you were the taxi driver, and your life were potentially on the line, would you be selective about the people you pick up? Would you judge people based on appearance or race?

2

If I were a taxi driver, I wouldn’t pick up anyone. Did you know the overwhelming majority of violent crimes in this country are committed by people?

3

If I were ever a taxi driver (and I never never will be. I will be a stripper first!) I would only pick up little old ladies! And then only if they looked harmless. I would have bullet proof glass installed between me and the backseat, and have some way of remotely ejecting somebody in case they got on my nerves.

4

I’ve had a taxi driver decline to take me to where I live. I’m a white female, late 20’s, living in Humboldt Park, Chicago, IL.

That sucked.

5

I was a Taxi driver and I can assure you that if you’re too choosy you don’t make much money and if you aren’t choosy enough you might not keep the money you make. I’ve seen Michael Moore film well known Black actors repeatedly failing to hail a cab and I found the skit amusing as I did with much of his TV Nation stuff. But for the most part if a guys in a suit and hailing in a business district I’d have stopped for him no matter what color. On the other hand if someone was dressed in the "disaffected youth of america"™ fashion line and trying to hail me from the wrong kind of business district, I wouldn’t pick them up even if they were white.

I will not deny there is a racial component involved but for the most part the areas I tended to avoid were also avoided by the companies black drivers so while it may be a form of prejudice I doubt that it’s bigotry.

6
      • There was a story on this in NYC some years back I seem to remember, a black newspaper guy did a “test” and found that most taxi drivers did discriminate based on ethinc group, clothes and the surrounding area. The most ironic part was that the black/African taxi drivers were the most unlikely to pick up black passengers dressed questionably. It wasn’t any large scientific study however, but I do recall reading a summary of the whole thing… anybody up in NYC know what I’m remembering?
        ~
7

I was a cab driver for a few years and there were very few people that I didn’t “see” hailing my cab. Those that missed a ride were not skipped because of race, but because of their generally flaky appearance, independent of race. Obvious junkies, pissed off drunks, the teenager with a ball peen hammer in a nightclub parking lot…, catch the bus.

Incidentally, in most jurisdictions, taxis are considered public transportation and cannot legally deny service to anyone.

8

For what it’s worth, I’m an average-looking 35 year old white guy.

In mid-town Manhattan in the middle of the day, when I’m wearing a suit and tie, I have no problem hailing a cab.

Above 110th Street, after dark, when I’m wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I don’t have a prayer.