BronxTalk: Fines for Cabs That Won’t Go to the Bronx?
By Nile Gayle
Bronx Journal Staff
At some point in time, every Bronxite travels to Manhattan, whether they are going to work, to school or to hang out. Although public transportation is convenient, some times you want to rush home to watch Oprah or American Idol, or to catch the end of the Knicks game. And, you realize you’ll never make it home in time if you depend on the subway.
So you decide to splurge and take a yellow cab home. After 10 yellow cabs ignore you, you finally get one to stop. You tell the cab driver you want to go to the Bronx. He tells you it’s out of his work zone and speeds off. Now you’re forced to take the crowded subway home and you miss Carmelo Anthony hit the game winning shot for the Knicks.
In March 2011, Mayor Bloomberg proposed a plan that would fine cabbies that refuse to take passengers out of Manhattan. The law requires yellow cab drivers to take passengers to any destination in the five boroughs. However, many cab drivers don’t want to drive to other boroughs because they fear they won’t get a passenger going back to Manhattan. Some are afraid of not being paid or of becoming victims of crime.
Bloomberg is asking the City Council to increase fines for cabs that won’t take people outside Manhattan. This plan includes $500 for a first offense; $750 and a 30-day suspension within two years for a second offense. If there is a third offense within three years, the cabbie’s license can be revoked.
Here’s what some Bronxites think about Bloomberg’s new plan.
Cut Castro
Cut Castro, 21
Lehman Student, Bronx
Q: What do you think about Bloomberg’s new plan to fine yellow cab drivers that refuse to take passengers out of Manhattan or wherever they want to go?
A: “I think it’s a good idea. He should definitely do that because everyone should be treated equally. Discrimination shouldn’t be looked upon towards anybody of color. We were all brothers at 9/11. Now it’s back to segregation because a cab driver may feel afraid because someone might run out on them or not pay. That just goes to stereotype people of color. You don’t do that to people of color. That’s not right.”
Q: Has a yellow cab passed you when you were trying to catch it or refuse to take you where you wanted to go?
A: “Yeah of course. I feel like it’s not right sometimes. Basically it’s all discrimination, which is not cool whatsoever. They may feel like you’re going to rob them or not pay a cab. At the same time, if I’m hailing down a cab and I got thousands of bags, you should stop. They see I did come from somewhere shopping, where I clearly have revenue to pay for a cab. You should stop. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal.”
Q: Why do you think yellow cab drivers are afraid to come to the Bronx?
A: “I think it is ignorance, not knowing. Everybody’s the same. Everybody doesn’t live in Manhattan. People live in other places. Regardless, it should make revenue for your company if you stop. I don’t know why they’re afraid. I think you should probably ask them, but I think it’s based on ignorance.”
Westly SaintJacque
Wesly Saint Jacques, 20
Lehman Student, Brooklyn
Q: What do you think about Bloomberg’s new plan to fine yellow cab drivers that refuse to take passengers out of Manhattan or wherever they want to go?
A: “That’s a personal choice. If the drivers don’t want to do it, you can’t force them to. You shouldn’t be able to tax them. Just let it be.”
Q: Has a yellow cab passed you when you were trying to catch it, or refused to take you where you wanted to go?
A: “Personally, I never tried to take a cab, so no.”
Q: “Why do you think yellow cab drivers are afraid to come to the Bronx?
A: “They don’t want to get taxed. They want to save money. If they are trying to make money, they don’t want to waste it at the same time. If they trying to come to the Bronx, they might get less money in their pockets.
Marlon Gala
Marlon Gala, 24
Lehman Student, Bronx
Q: What do you think about Bloomberg’s new plan to fine yellow cab drivers that refuse to take passengers out of Manhattan or wherever they want to go?
A: “You as a cab driver are supposed to stop for everybody, regardless if they live in the Bronx, Manhattan or Queens, because people got to get places. Why would you call yourself a cab driver if you’re not willing to transport people where they want to go? On the other hand, if it was in the Bronx and they wanted to go to Manhattan, it would be no problem. Because they want to do the opposite and they don’t want to let cab drivers go to Bronx and Brooklyn. I think it’s wrong. Bloomberg should change that.”
Q: Has a yellow cab passed you when you were trying to catch it or refuse to take you where you wanted to go?
A: “I’ve seen it a lot of times. Especially late night or when you really need them, that’s when they are not there. They refuse to pick you up because they are scared they might get robbed. They’re even scared to just stop by your neighborhood. They got cameras in taxis right now anyway. They have no reason to be afraid. I feel they need to change that.”
Q: Why do you think yellow cab drivers are afraid to come to the Bronx?
A: “Basically they’re afraid to get robbed. I heard a lot of cases where cab drivers got robbed by passengers. I feel they’re scared to come to the Bronx because of people that don’t pay or people that hop out the taxi and just run off. Especially a lot of kids do that.”
Afam Nwogu
Afam Nwogu, 24
Lehman Student, Bronx
Q: What do you think about Bloomberg’s new plan to fine yellow cab drivers that refuse to take passengers out of Manhattan or wherever they want to go?
A: “I feel like that’s a very good thing because Manhattan is the center of New York City. Being that it’s the center, it’s not that far from the Bronx, Queens or Brooklyn. Somebody that’s in Manhattan that needs to take a cab to go to the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens, a cab driver shouldn’t refuse to do that. I really agree with Bloomberg.
Q: Has a yellow cab passed you when you were trying to catch it or refuse to take you where you wanted to go?
A: “A couple of times a yellow cab has passed me, probably assuming because I’m African American I’m not going to pay. That definitely happened to me. Not even yellow cabs. Cabs in the Bronx and the regular cabs. It’s like a stereotype. A couple of times a cab drove pass me and there was nobody in the car.”
Q: “Why do you think yellow cab drivers are afraid to come to the Bronx?
A: “The Bronx has a history of a lot of people that do hop out of cabs. They don’t want to pay. Not only that, the Bronx has a lot of bad neighborhoods. A cab driver I guess will get scared to come to the Bronx with a lot of blocks where the streets are dark. I guess a cab driver won’t feel comfortable going to the Bronx knowing his life might be in danger and I don’t blame him for that. Something has to be done because certain times in New York City, People don’t want to just take the train or it’s too late. People might have money for a cab and they might prefer the cab. It’s the cabbie’s job to take us to our destination.”