The cabbie beat up by thugs dressed as Super Mario Brothers spoke out about his ordeal Sunday and demanded tougher laws against assaults on taxi drivers.
“I was really scared….At the time, I really think I’m going to die,” said Ndiaye Serigne, 48, of Harlem, who was robbed and pummeled by four men dressed as Mario, Luigi and other characters at a gas station.
“We want more protection.”
Serigne said he picked up the group in Gramercy around 3:30 a.m. on Halloween night. Trouble started soon after he crossed the Verrazano Bridge.
“Now it’s a free ride,” one passenger said as he reached over and turned off Serigne’s meter. Then he reached into the cabbie’s pocket and grabbed $210.
“I knew this trip was going to end up so bad,” Serigne said. “I know that people already lost their life for this kind of thing.”
He refused an order to pull over on a deserted street and instead pulled into a Staten Island gas station to get help, getting out of the car to call cops from his cell phone.
“They started attacking me,” he said. “They threw me on the ground. … They punch me and they kick me.”
Serigne said they threatened to kill him. The attack was caught on surveillance video, but police have made no arrests.
Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) said he would introduce a bill to make it a felony to assault a cab driver. It’s already a felony to assault an on-duty transit worker.
Serigne said he still has pain in his jaw, but went back to driving after three days off. He hasn’t told his wife and three children back in Senegal.
“I don’t want my family to see this because …they’re going to be more worried,” he said. “I’m a little scared, but it’s part of my job.”
With Jonathan Lemire
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
winky 11.17.09 at 2:32 pm
This all started because one was sitting in the front. NO ONE sits in the front in my taxi. Ever.
winky 11.17.09 at 2:38 pm
And how come this great gps device that Daus touts as so great can’t contain a panic button to alert police?
CreditCardCabbie 11.18.09 at 9:19 pm
This is a good reason why taxi drivers shouldn’t fight against cameras installed inside the cabs. Cameras could make both drivers and passengers safer, depending on the specific circumstances!
hgf 11.19.09 at 6:14 pm
i dont care i keep a weapon, no matter what . if i get arrested whatever , i rather protect my self, cause the police nor the mayor gives a damn crap about me… if you touch me , i keep a lighter and lysol(spray the lysol threw the flame)… .. use it as a weapon for self defence,,… they will run away , dont u cabbys take chemestry 101… uhhh… listen what the teacher tells u.. lol
joe 11.20.09 at 1:27 am
if your windows are open aND THE REAR CLOSED THE FIRE WILL SUCK BACK TO YOUR FACE AND BURN U
NYCabbie 11.25.09 at 5:02 pm
I feel sorry for Ndiaye, it was busy night, and most cab drivers were not going out side of Manhattan to make money.
He did took, long trip and what he got? what happend to humanity, there were people looking at thugs, but doing nothing, at least they could have interrupted the beatings.
NYCabbie 11.25.09 at 5:08 pm
@CreditCardCabbie, all livery cars are installed with cameras, this doesn’t stopped criminals to rob them, last year, one livery cab driver was murdered as he took fare to yonkers. the cut of his throat.
with the partition installed, I can be sure, no one can grab me from my neck and feels more safer than a camera.
there are few videos on youtube of those camera recording, watch them and tell me if you can see criminal, they are not helpful either.
RUDY 11.27.09 at 9:43 pm
PANIC BUTTON CONECTED TO POLICE IT WORKS IN LOT OF EUROPEAN COUNTRYS ,CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE PLUS DIFERENT SECURYTY DEVICES LIKE CAMERAS 3 OR 4. THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS IN AMERICA POLICE IS AGAINST CITIZENS NOT WHITH THEM.
RUDY 11.27.09 at 9:57 pm
DEAR COMMIS. DAUS AND OUR LOVELY MAYOR BLOOMBERG CAN U GENTLEMEN IMAGINE ONE DAY WE TAXI DRIVERS HAVE OUR OWN TAXI LANE ON AVENUES NOT JUST BUS LANE WHAT ABOUT TAXI LANE WHERE WE CAN DRIVE MUCH EASIER, MOVE FASTER, BURN LESS GAS IN TRAFFIC.GUYS THINK ABOUT IT , MAYBE U GUYS CAN CHANGE HISTORY. REMEMBER OUR VOTE PUT U IN YOUR OFFICE. ANYWAY DO YOU WANT TO FIX THIS TAXI PROBLEM ? WE NEED HELP SOON IS POSSIBLE ?
aamir 12.06.09 at 5:01 am
simple salution: Dont let any one in front seat/
KEEP YOUR Partion CLOSE
DONT talk to passanger, dont give them favor, Dont wait for them, Dont let them smoke in Taxi, DONT let them eat inside, Never give direction to OTHER DRIVERS (private Cars). Never pick up in middle of road. and Never open partition…………………………. bye be safe,
RadioFreeTaxi 12.06.09 at 8:29 pm
Partitions don’t assure 100% safety, and can compound or even cause injury. They are horribly uncomfortable for the cab drivers who are over six feet tall, specially in small hybrid taxis. Regardless of a driver’s height, they make the front seat a Hot-Box. There are many better solutions these days than the partition for the security of the cab drivers, and the safety of the passengers. Nearly all NYC cabs are partitioned, and riders know there is NO SECURITY CAMERA INSIDE , so they just feel safe NOT TO PAY THE FARE, when C.Card bill doesn’t go through, or when short with CASH. Actually there are MORE FARE JUMPS, since we have the GPS-Credit Card, then ever before! We NEED SECURITY CAMERAS in All NYC Cabs!
CreditCardCabbie 12.10.09 at 8:23 pm
http://www.examiner.com/x-8816-NY-Taxi-Examiner~y2009m10d7-Taxi-101-Does-a-cab-driver-have-to-pick-me-if-I-hail-him