A reader sends the photo above from H Street, NW.
From @DCPoliceDept:
“Traffic Advisory: Rolling Street Closures due Demonstrators (Taxicabs) leaving from East Potomac Park to Freedom Plaza. Expect delays.”
“Traffic Advisory: Rolling Street Closures due Demonstrators (Taxicabs) moving W/B across 23rd & Independence. Expect delays”
“Traffic Advisory: Rolling Street Closures due to Demonstrators (Taxicabs) moving on Independence Ave. Traffic flow maybe slow.”
Ed. Note: We last saw a large taxi protest back in June.
“Traffic Advisory: Rolling Street Closures due to Demonstrators (Taxicabs) E/B 1300 Block of Pennsylvania, NW closed temporarily”
Photo by PoPville flickr user AWard Tour
Woman Held Against Will in Taxi in Cleveland Park:
“I want to make DC aware of something terrifying that occurred to me on Friday evening, September 26th, around 10:30 pm, after taking a taxi home to Cleveland Park.
After repeated personal questions and inappropriate comments (eg “I like you,” “will you go on a date with me?”), the cab driver stopped in front of my building, looked me in the eyes, intensely, and told me I was locked inside his cab until I handed over “enough” cash. (He had not turned on the meter for the trip). I was trapped inside and scared, so I complied with his request to hand over cash.
I filed a police report with MPD immediately following the incident, I have consulted an attorney, and I plan to press charges.
I notified the DC taxicab commision of the incident, and I plan to do the same in Maryland- the cab had Maryland plates.
It is outrageous how difficult it can be for women to travel around this city safely.”
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From a press release:
“Complaints of discrimination against District taxicabs are easier to report because of a new complaint form and process launched Tuesday by the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) and the DC Taxicab Commission (DCTC). The complaint form – now available on both agency websites – simplifies the information required for reporting possible discrimination and simultaneously files the complaints with both agencies. The new process makes filing complaints easier and addresses potential confusion about where to file, while placing drivers who discriminate at greater risk for punitive measures from both agencies.
“Hailing a taxicab is often a challenge for people of color and people with disabilities,” said OHR Director Mónica Palacio. “We have many excellent taxicab drivers in the District, however those who discriminate against passengers because of their race or disability must know we will not tolerate it. Our new complaint process makes it easier to file a complaint when discrimination occurs, and ensures both the Office of Human Rights and the Taxicab Commission can investigate the complaint when it’s received.”
The collaboration between the two agencies began after an OHR Director’s Inquiry revealed only a small portion of complaints filed with DCTC included allegations of discrimination. The low number was in stark contrast to media reports and anecdotal evidence showing people of color and people with disabilities are often ignored by available taxis or treated unfairly after entering a taxi. OHR records also indicate that historically, few complaints of taxicab discrimination are filed with the agency. DCTC and OHR decided to streamline the complaint filing process and expect that drivers facing potential fines from both agencies will be further deterred from such behavior. Read More
A reader passes on the following GW safety alert issued at 12:49am:
“Subject: GW Safety and Security Alert
Incident: Report of Sexual Assault – a female hailed a cab in Georgetown for a ride back to Foggy Bottom. She stated the driver pulled over in front of Tompkins Hall and attempted to have sex with her in the back seat. She was able to get out of the van and ran to a pedestrian who activated a blue light to notify campus police. The cab was described as a silver van with windows, last scene headed north bound on 23rd in the area of H St. NW
Suspect Description: Black male, in his 40s’ he was heavy set.
Location: Area of 23rd and H St. NW
Action: Report anyone driving a cab matching this description to GWPD or MPD. Call 202-994-6111 or 911
Status: The suspect has not been apprehended. Officers are searching the area at this time.”
Thanks to @SDanger_Mackay for tweeting us the photo above and @jhschein for tweeting us the photo below:
“cabs “protesting”. Stay clear of PA Ave.”
“Dear PoPville,
I work in Dupont Circle and my eyesight is about 20/150 (not legally blind, but not correctable beyond that), and live in Brookland. While attempting to flag a taxicab, I went to a taxi that had their light on, but although empty, the driver said he couldn’t take me to Brookland. A man on the sidewalk came up to me after to tell me that the taxi’s light said it was not available, and I shouldn’t approach such cabs. Is it true that taxis leave their light on, even though they are not available? If so, does it make sense that taxis would leave a bright light on, even though they cannot, or will not, pick up passengers, when it would be less confusing to just turn the light off? Was the man that came up to me misinformed, and if not, how is someone without great eyesight able to tell when a cab is actually available?”
Hopefully when all the cabs switch over to the new lights (as you illustrated in the photo above) when the light is lit it will mean the taxi will be for hire.
Thanks to a reader for sending a link to the bizarre story from the Post: D.C. Council member says daughter was briefly ‘kidnapped’ in dispute over taxi fare:
“A taxi driver locked the daughter of a D.C. Council member in his car and drove her away from her home after a late-night dispute over an inoperable credit card machine in an incident that the council member said Wednesday “meets the definition of kidnapping.”
Taxi Cab Commission Chairman Ron M. Linton said he believed most were complying, but he said the commission had learned of “several instances of that locking-the-door business” in which drivers illegally demand cash when a credit card machine is not working.”
Read the full story here.
Following up on a Cab Complaint:
“Has anyone had a recent experience with filing a complaint with the DC Taxicab Commission? I filed via website two days after the incident happened in mid-September. I received an email confirmation from DCTC a few days after. It’s now been over 3 months and I have heard nothing further. A call to the agency left me in telephone tree hell and unable to reach a human.
Should I still hold out hope that this incident will be investigated?”
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“Dear PoPville,
Friday night I was leaving a friend’s house by myself on 11th street around 9 PM. I was walking up 11th, passing Columbia Rd when I saw 3 kids (15-18 years old?) try to hail a cab. The cab slowed down, some words were exchanged, and then the cab sped off without any passengers. The kids were then able to instantly hail another cab and crossed 11th to get in (on the west side of the street). One got in the passenger side, two got in the backseat, but I thought it was odd that none of the doors of the cab were closing–even after 10 seconds. What I also realized was that moments earlier when they were crossing the street, their faces were covered with bandannas (it was cold out last night, so in and of itself, this didn’t strike me as a cause for concern).
I instantly took out my phone and called 911. I was on the phone with the dispatcher when I heard the kids yelling something like “give us the money.” I also saw bodies moving around inside the cab. From behind it seemed like the assailant in the backseat was restraining the cab driver while the assailant in the passenger seat was robbing him.
The 3 assailants ran out of the cab: 2 went West on Columbia and 1 went East. With no cops in sight, should I have followed the solo assailant that went East towards Columbia Heights while on the phone with the 911 dispatcher? Should I have tried to take a video or photos of the events once I got suspicious? I’m left feeling like I should have done something different.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user available_photons
From a press release:
“Councilmember Tommy Wells sent a letter to the Office of Human Rights Acting Director Mónica Palacio calling on her to utilize the authority of the office to investigate racial discrimination by DC taxi drivers and the DC Taxicab Commission’s handling of these discriminatory practices.
“It has recently come to light that DC residents are routinely passed by when trying to hail a taxicab—not because the taxi isn’t available, but because of the resident’s race or disability. DC Taxicab Commission (DCTC) Chairman Ron Linton’s response to the allegations—claiming that this practice is the result of “economics,” not racism—gives me grave concern. DCTC’s role is to ensure that drivers follow the law, not the least of which is the Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in public conveyances.
“My request is three-fold:
1) Open an investigation into how DCTC handles the complaints it receives for failure to haul. This should include—at a minimum—a review of the number of complaints DCTC receives, the resulting investigations and disposition of those investigations, as well as its record keeping and procedures; OHR should then make appropriate recommendations for action;
2) Review current regulations, policies and procedures related to DCTC’s education and training for the taxi industry as it relates to the Human Rights; and
3) Provide the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety with a summary of the number of complaints on this topic that OHR has received over the last three years, along with the disposition of those complaints, and any action OHR has taken to reform the taxi industry.”
WUSA9 has been investigating this issue within the taxicab industry for more than a year, reporting several times about how this failure to haul disproportionately impacts African-Americans. The most recent report, filed this past Thursday, reiterates this outrage, documenting that 33% of cabs passed by black passengers, while zero passed by white passengers.
The full letter from Councilmember Tommy Wells is attached:
