Talk isn’t cheap if you’re a cabby on a cellphone.
Nearly half the $200 summonses issued to taxi drivers in the past couple of months in an undercover operation have been for illegal phone use.
Officials at the Taxi and Limousine Commission said 169 of the 381 summonses issued since Jan. 23 in “Operation: Secret Rider” were for cellphone violations.
Only 18 were for refusal to accept a credit card, the next most common charge.
The summonses covered 2,844 rides by TLC agents posing as passengers.
Cabbies aren’t allowed to use cellphones under any circumstances when driving, even if they’ve got hands-free devices.
“One hundred percent of a taxi driver’s focus and attention should be on the road and the passenger,” said TLC Chairman Matthew Daus.
In addition to the $200 fine, cabbies are slapped with two “persistent violator” points each time they’re caught on the phone.
Six points within 15 months results in a 30-day suspension. Ten points in the same period and a cabby has to start looking for another line of work.
“It’s ridiculous,” protested Bhairavi Desai of the Taxi Workers Alliance. “It’s such a double standard.”
She pointed to state laws that allow motorists, including truckers, to make hands-free calls.
“If a police officer pulled over a [taxi] driver, he couldn’t give him a ticket,” Desai said. “It’s not a violation of DMV regulations. Only the TLC has this.”
Desai also said cellphones are safety backups.
“Two weeks ago a woman driver was assaulted by a passenger,” she said. “She had her phone on and [other drivers] heard her scream for help.” It’s a lifeline for drivers.”
The cellphone rule is so strict that it even caught an administrative law judge off guard.
Judge Lisa Strax dismissed three summonses involving hands-free phones last year, only to be reversed on appeal.
“Use of a Bluetooth or other hands-free device involves functions such as turning the device on and off, adjusting the volume of the device and receiving, making or disconnecting phone calls,” said appeals Judge Daniel Curry.
He concluded that constitutes cabby “use of telephone,” which is prohibited in any and all forms.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
jose 04.09.08 at 4:37 pm
I carry my phone and if my family calls me on the phone I will answer like I did in the past 8 years it dos not matter who do I have in my cab and whatever dictator Bloomberg and his pal Matthew Daus says. My medallion is 9V45 and my hack number is 422928. Jose.
CreditCardCabbie 04.10.08 at 5:36 pm
“One hundred percent of a taxi driver’s focus and attention should be on the road and the passenger,” said TLC Chairman – I do agree with that! – But what about the distracting partition in the smaller cabs or the TLC’s favorite back-seat taxi TV, volume-up! just to get the cabbies attention to focus better and serving the riders needs …
Are the passenger and the driver “one hundred percent safer” in this L-shaped partitioned enviroment?
howard e. morseburg 04.18.08 at 12:26 am
18 tickets issued for refusing credit cards? That’s a crime in itself. The 5% is like a TAX on the cab-driver’s earnings.
It takes around 10% of the profit for the ride.
If you’re going to be forced to take plastic, then add 5% to the fare! Even that is not enough though. Go to: http://www.howardsviews.com/Cabs.htm