The city launched an investigation yesterday to find out why several cab companies allowed a violent taxi driver to get behind the wheel after he was arrested three times and his license was suspended.
The city Taxi and Limousine Commission, which regulates the cab industry, also said it may shut down the companies that permitted Ramez Akladious, 26, to drive cabs with three open suspensions and an arrest record.
“The TLC has commenced an investigation into the circumstances of this individual having access to a taxicab while under active license suspensions with the goal of holding the responsible fleets and/or leasing agents fully accountable,” agency spokesman Allan Fromberg said.
The TLC launched the probe after The Post reported Akladious hurled racial epithets, spat at and grabbed the coat of a female passenger who turned out to be a TLC operations manager after a dispute over her fare.
TLC Commissioner Matthew Daus on Friday revoked his license at the recommendation of a city administrative law judge.
Sources said Akladious appears to have hopped from one cab company to another to “try to stay under the radar screen.”
After his first arrest last May for punching another cabby in the head during a traffic jam in Manhattan, the TLC suspended Akladious’ license, but he was still given a cab.
“He’s the worst cabby ever,” said the victim, driver Rahmatullah Taher, 47. “He should not be driving for the yellow cabs.”
Another victim was horrified to learn Akladious was still driving after he was indicted for slashing the man in the arm with a boxcutter during an argument over the route Akladious took in Manhattan last June.
“I saw his face in the paper. I got the chills. It stresses me out to see his face,” Brooklyn resident Kevin Perez said after reading the story. “I didn’t take a cab for two to three months after the attack.”
Both cases are pending court appearances.
Additional reporting by Jamie Schram
sally.goldenberg@nypost.com
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
nyctaxiphoto 03.25.09 at 5:29 pm
We can’t have this anymore, we need to build our reputation not destroy it, zero tolerance for jerks like this, otherwise our whole industry suffers.
And why isn’t he being arrested for attacking someone?
Cab Rider 03.27.09 at 9:10 pm
This guy is not really the “worst cabby ever.” He is simply one of many very frightening NYC cab drivers with very abusive attitudes. This guy got red-flagged and got significant media attention primarily b/c one of the passengers he abused happened to work for the TLC.
After my recent experiences with several abusive and clueless NYC taxi drivers, I am going to try to set up my work schedule so that I NEVER have to take another taxi in NYC again. Sorry good drivers, but there are far too many bad seeds behind the wheels of NYC cabs, and I’ve only seen it get worse and worse during the last 6 years that I’ve been living here.
Case in point: I had to take a cab from the UWS to East Harlem today to meet w/ a student’s mom. I simply asked the driver for advice on which route he thought would be quickest to 124th and 3rd Ave on a Friday afternoon at 4. He mumbled that he didn’t know. (And of course I was interrupting his personal cell phone conversation by ‘daring’ to ask him this question.) I said “Okay, well, which way do you intend to go? Because I know the traffic up the East Side can be really heavy at this time on Fridays b/c of the Triborough entrance.” No answer. None at all. I clearly repeated “Which way do you plan to go?” (Perhaps “intend” was not in his vocabulary.) Still no answer. When I asked again, he got angry and shouted that he would turn on 116th and take 2nd Ave up.
Hmmm. 2nd Avenue up to Harlem. Brilliant. Only problem is that 2nd Ave runs south. When I pointed this out to the driver, he got angrier at me and began an abusive tirade. “You want to do my job? You want my job? Stupid girl. You don’t know how to drive this city. What your job? You don’t know how to drive this city.” I asked him to stop the cab, stop the meter and told him I was a teacher. “You a teacher!? Realllllly? You a teacher? I feel sorry for you students. Stupid girl. You not a teacher. You have nowhere to go, or you not get out of my car. You have nowhere to be. You waste my time.”
I really think that at this point, early in a ride, when dealing with a clearly incompetent, incredibly rude driver, a taxi rider should have the right to get out of the cab and flag down another, more competent driver, without having to pay the 2.50 or so initial charge to the first driver, when the first driver had no clue what he was doing and was violating the Taxi Rider Bill of Rights, to say the least.
If you can’t do your job on a basic level (i.e. don’t know how to drive to a specific destination within NYC and are talking on your cell phone and yelling abusive comments at your passenger to boot) why should you get paid? I ended up putting the charge on my credit card anyway, and of course got screamed at for not tipping the driver. He put his foot on the gas when I had the door open and was trying to get out. I’ll report him, but I’ve been through that process with abusive drivers before, and unless I take time away from my students to show up at the hearing, nothing will happen to this guy. I CANNOT leave my job with home-bound special needs students to attend hearings for taxi drivers who should be off the road. The TLC needs to do their job of overseeing drivers so the good ones can do their jobs and the bad ones can take a hike! It’s not my job to clean up the city’s cab drivers!
A. Louis 05.26.10 at 12:40 pm
http://matthewdausisahorsespatootie.blogspot.com/
You have to file a complaint. Since around a year ago passengers don’t have to show at hearings, they can participate by telephone. As a taxi driver while i absolutely sympathize with you I’m a bit tired of being the complaint department.
Mahatma 05.26.10 at 6:59 pm
Way too long to revoke Hack License. First violent act, punching cab driver in head, Hack license should be no more, for life.
Someone Who Knows 07.29.10 at 10:51 am
I think i may know where this guy is. Have they found him yet? I think I know a friend of his and he’s just as scary!!
Help
Someone Who Knows 07.29.10 at 10:54 am
Check out the attached link…or just look him up on Don’t Date Him Girl.com
I know the person that he’s supposedly associated with.
http://www.yellowcabnyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/DontDateHimGirl.com – Empow…pdf