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Woman sues taxi company for hell ride: the same thing happened to me
I checked my email last night and I found a short and simple email from my former roommate, a guy I lived with for a couple of years in Astoria, New York (Queens). He had included a link and a "Does This Sound familiar?" subject line. When I followed the link, my heart sank as I read the story: Woman sues cab company after cabbie's hell ride.
Amy Ewertz was trying to pay for her New York cab ride home with a credit card--something common in the city, but still frowned upon by many cabbies. The cabbie, according to the New York Post's story, was angry she was using a card and sped off with Ewertz, terrified, in the back seat of the car. Understandably frightened, Ewertz hurled herself out of the taxi and was injured in the process. She has now filed a lawsuit against the cab company.
In July 2008, the same thing happened to me. Except I didn't have the option of hurling myself out of the taxi... the cabbie had child locked me in.
I was coming home late one night from working and I tried to pay my fare with a credit card when the cabbie arrived to my home in Astoria. The cabbie was blatantly irritated that I wanted to pay with a card and he claimed that the card wasn't reading and he needed cash. Well, I didn't have cash. And in New York City, you're not supposed to need cash to ride in a taxi since you can verify whether or not a taxi has a credit card machine before agreeing to ride--something I had done in this case. (Read more about using credit cards in NYC taxis here).
The cabbie insisted that my card wasn't reading. He claimed that sometimes it just 'doesn't read', although I'd been paying cab fares with card at least a couple of times a week in that very same spot for years. I requested he try the card at the end of the block, if reception due to location was, in fact, the issue.
The cabbie grew increasingly hostile with me. I could hear him cursing at me under his breath while I tried the card again at the end of the block. I was frustrated. It was his responsibility to have his machine working and I told him as much. But in an effort to eliminate the rising tension, I told him I would get cash from my bank, 5 blocks away, if he'd drive me there.
Upon requesting that he drive me to my bank, he became furious. He child locked the door and sped off down the street. He said he was taking me to the nearest police station and this made no sense to me. Why was I being punished when all I was trying to do was pay my fare? Why was I being locked in a taxi against my will? I became genuinely afraid when I noticed he wasn't driving me toward the nearest Astoria police station at all.
The grave mistake I made that night was not charging my cell phone before heading out for the evening. I panicked. I started screaming, kicking at the windows, and I even tried to reach my hand through the hole in the glass divider to get his attention. He swatted my hands away violently and I didn't know what to do.
I got through to 911 on my phone, with my battery light blinking red, ready to die at any moment. I noticed a police car ahead of us on the street, and a combination of 911's ability to radio the officers and the cabbie's fear that he'd be making a bad situation worse by continuing to keep me trapped in the car resulted in us pulled over on the side of the street. I frantically tried to explain to police officers what had happened and he angrily explained to them his side of the story: that I was 'refusing' to pay and that he was driving me to the nearest police station.
What happened next I had a hard time believing: the police officers told me it would be best if I would just pay my fare and file an official complaint with the taxi company. Completely shaken up and desperate to distance myself from the cabbie and get home to my bed, I paid the fare--which included the distance we'd gone as part of my own taxi hell ride.
A few months later, I was summoned to the NYC Taxi & Limousine Court. I sat in a small room alongside the cabbie before a judge. I told my story. The judge, for what it's worth, seemed to empathize with me. He scolded the driver on how irresponsible it is to lock a young woman at 3am in his car. He seemed to understand how terrified I must have felt. But here's the kicker: in NYC, it is legal for a taxi cab driver to child lock a passenger in his or her car and drive the passenger to the nearest police station if the driver believes the passenger will not pay their fare.
I was speechless. This is legal? How is this legal? Why is it ok for a person, in my case, a young woman, to essentially be kidnapped by a complete stranger and he's allowed to get away with it as long as he claims he was taking me to the nearest police station if he gets caught?
In the end, the cabbie had to pay a small fine and lost some points on his license and that's it.
When I saw Amy's story, I felt for her. I understand that cabbies need protection, but this law is unlawful. Any driver who wants to take advantage of a passenger by taking advantage of this law can get away it, and I believe that's what happened in my case. Furthermore, if this kind of behavior is going to be legal, shouldn't passengers be made aware of it? Why isn't there a sign in taxis saying something to the extent of: If you don't pay your fare, or if the driver thinks you aren't going to pay your fare, or if the driver is irritated you're trying to pay with credit card, you will be held against your will in this car and driven, supposedly, to the nearest police station.
If this bogus law is going to be held up in court, as it was in my case, shouldn't it be common knowledge to New Yorkers and those visiting the city that this could happen? I think so. And that's why I decided to tell my story in response to Amy Ewertz's lawsuit.
Quick internet research has shown me that there's either been a recent spate in taxi kidnappings since my incident or that it has always been a problem. Regardless, these open-ended laws protecting cabbies are harming passengers. Something needs to change. I wish her well with her suit and more importantly, I hope our incidents, and similar incidents experienced by others, help change this terrifying law.
The cabbie insisted that my card wasn't reading. He claimed that sometimes it just 'doesn't read', although I'd been paying cab fares with card at least a couple of times a week in that very same spot for years. I requested he try the card at the end of the block, if reception due to location was, in fact, the issue.
The cabbie grew increasingly hostile with me. I could hear him cursing at me under his breath while I tried the card again at the end of the block. I was frustrated. It was his responsibility to have his machine working and I told him as much. But in an effort to eliminate the rising tension, I told him I would get cash from my bank, 5 blocks away, if he'd drive me there.
Upon requesting that he drive me to my bank, he became furious. He child locked the door and sped off down the street. He said he was taking me to the nearest police station and this made no sense to me. Why was I being punished when all I was trying to do was pay my fare? Why was I being locked in a taxi against my will? I became genuinely afraid when I noticed he wasn't driving me toward the nearest Astoria police station at all.
The grave mistake I made that night was not charging my cell phone before heading out for the evening. I panicked. I started screaming, kicking at the windows, and I even tried to reach my hand through the hole in the glass divider to get his attention. He swatted my hands away violently and I didn't know what to do.
I got through to 911 on my phone, with my battery light blinking red, ready to die at any moment. I noticed a police car ahead of us on the street, and a combination of 911's ability to radio the officers and the cabbie's fear that he'd be making a bad situation worse by continuing to keep me trapped in the car resulted in us pulled over on the side of the street. I frantically tried to explain to police officers what had happened and he angrily explained to them his side of the story: that I was 'refusing' to pay and that he was driving me to the nearest police station.
What happened next I had a hard time believing: the police officers told me it would be best if I would just pay my fare and file an official complaint with the taxi company. Completely shaken up and desperate to distance myself from the cabbie and get home to my bed, I paid the fare--which included the distance we'd gone as part of my own taxi hell ride.
A few months later, I was summoned to the NYC Taxi & Limousine Court. I sat in a small room alongside the cabbie before a judge. I told my story. The judge, for what it's worth, seemed to empathize with me. He scolded the driver on how irresponsible it is to lock a young woman at 3am in his car. He seemed to understand how terrified I must have felt. But here's the kicker: in NYC, it is legal for a taxi cab driver to child lock a passenger in his or her car and drive the passenger to the nearest police station if the driver believes the passenger will not pay their fare.
I was speechless. This is legal? How is this legal? Why is it ok for a person, in my case, a young woman, to essentially be kidnapped by a complete stranger and he's allowed to get away with it as long as he claims he was taking me to the nearest police station if he gets caught?
In the end, the cabbie had to pay a small fine and lost some points on his license and that's it.
When I saw Amy's story, I felt for her. I understand that cabbies need protection, but this law is unlawful. Any driver who wants to take advantage of a passenger by taking advantage of this law can get away it, and I believe that's what happened in my case. Furthermore, if this kind of behavior is going to be legal, shouldn't passengers be made aware of it? Why isn't there a sign in taxis saying something to the extent of: If you don't pay your fare, or if the driver thinks you aren't going to pay your fare, or if the driver is irritated you're trying to pay with credit card, you will be held against your will in this car and driven, supposedly, to the nearest police station.
If this bogus law is going to be held up in court, as it was in my case, shouldn't it be common knowledge to New Yorkers and those visiting the city that this could happen? I think so. And that's why I decided to tell my story in response to Amy Ewertz's lawsuit.
Quick internet research has shown me that there's either been a recent spate in taxi kidnappings since my incident or that it has always been a problem. Regardless, these open-ended laws protecting cabbies are harming passengers. Something needs to change. I wish her well with her suit and more importantly, I hope our incidents, and similar incidents experienced by others, help change this terrifying law.
Filed under: Activism, Learning, Stories, North America, United States, News, Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Christina R Feb 2nd 2011 5:15PM
Wow, what a scary story! I had a taxi ride from hell in London, of all places, but it was nothing compared to your experience. How awful.
Elizabeth Seward Feb 2nd 2011 5:22PM
Christina,
I'd love to hear your story, as I'm sure others would, too. I feel like there should be a dialogue, especially online, about the things some taxi passengers go through. Thanks for reading, by the way.
Christina R Feb 2nd 2011 5:47PM
My story? Two years ago I was traveling alone and staying in downtown London on the same block as the British Museum. I went out with a girlfriend who also was in town, and ended up at her hotel's bar. It was only about a mile away, but it was late and I didn't want to walk back alone, so I grabbed one of the private sedans out front. I knew I would pay a little bit more but it was worth it to get home safely.
I had given my hotel name to the concierge but the cabbie didn't know where it was. As he pulled away from the lobby, I told him that I was staying on Montague Street right next to the British Museum, but he proclaimed that he didn't know where the museum was! He insisted on having a postcode to enter into his GPS, but I didn't have it. I asked him to enter the British Museum into his GPS but he didn't.
I asked him to pull over and let me out, but he refused. He wouldn't pull over so I could get my bearings, although I knew immediately that we were going the wrong direction. What should have been a 5 minute car ride turned in to 15-20 minute car ride into the outskirts of London, with him repeatedly yelling at me and me ending up in tears with a fortune of a cab bill.
I was just shocked that the Soho, one of the best hotels in the city, would attract and allow inept cabbies such as he. In the end, I wish I would have walked and risked the minimal safety issues.
The lesson I learned is always make sure your cabbie knows where to go BEFORE leaving the pick-up place. That way, if you're not confident or think you'll be taken for a ride, you can get out and at least you know where you are.
Ashley Feb 2nd 2011 5:29PM
I've had TWO similar incidents... one in NYC after a late night on the town. A girlfriend & I hailed a cab who said he'd happily take us to Ridgewood in Brooklyn until we told him we'd be paying with a card; he then said he was done for the evening & began angrily yelling at us. My friend, a New Yorker, obviously familiar with such demeanor yelled back telling him it was his duty & responsibility to take us and that it was the law since he already accepted us and that he had no legal way of refusing us service because of our method of payment. He sped away with us in the car and in the opposite direction from where we were going... we were nearly clearing air as we sped over hills and train tracks. My friend called the police explaining the situation as the sun was rising and luckily there was an officer very nearby who forced the car to pull over & reprimanded the cabbie, finding us another taxi, & allowed us to leave without paying our fair.
The other time was in Boston. We'd hailed a taxi after a night out to go back to our hotel just outside the city. I'd explained to the taxi driver that I didn't have cash & would need to go to an ATM, which he never stopped at. We were unfamiliar with the area but told him repeatedly we needed to stop. He didn't and we finally arrived in our small town without any way of paying. He continued driving insisting he was "looking for an ATM" though none were nearby. Our fare had doubled by the time he located a bank which we couldn't access because the ATM was indoors. My friend & I called the police because the cab driver was becoming incredibly hostile, though we'd explained our situation from the beginning. Mind you, we were hiding behind a bush behind the bank talking to authorities because we were afraid of what the cabbie may do if he'd seen us NOT withdrawing cash. The police came and thankfully drove us back to our hotel and insisted we only pay half our fare given the cabbie's lack of regard for listening & driving around aimlessly for miles and miles, just multiplying our fare.
Christine H. Feb 2nd 2011 5:54PM
Cabbies in NYC are awful. They constantly kick my friends and I out, one time it was my mom and I, once they find out we're going to Brooklyn. And I live right across the bridge in Williamsburg.
Another time, I was told that the driver didn't feel like going down the one way street I was to be dropped off, he gave me the option of getting dropped a street away or an avenue away. When I protested he laughed and said, 'well, it's out of my way, so you make the decision,' again this was with my mom in the car.
Christine H. Feb 2nd 2011 5:55PM
And there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it. I took a picture of the guys' id one time and he laughed and shooed me out (after again he wouldn't drive to brooklyn) and he just laughed like, 'okay, okay, see what that does.' And then found out there's an informal court hearing I have to 'attend' over the phone in order for him to even possibly be reprimanded, though I said I'd do it, but never got a call. It seems like a lot of bs and they get away with murder.
Jade Feb 3rd 2011 12:04AM
I have a similar story, a few years ago I sprained my ankle and couldn't drive. I was able to carpool into work, but coming home some nights I couldn't get a ride with friends so had to use Taxis. I always called and scheduled a pickup, made it clear I would like to pay by credit card, and that I would be on crutches and I was going from a major city area to a suburb. "No problem" they always said on the phone, and I always confirmed before getting in. I used it many times with no problems, but it only takes one bad incident to change things.
The last time I used this service, the guy started getting agitated when he didn't know where he was going. I gave him directions and guided him each way, but the further away from the city the more angry he got. When we reached my destination I tried to pay by credit card but he flatly refused, and he wouldn't let me pay by check. He locked me in and started yelling at me for wasting his time and trying to rip him off. Fortunately, my destination was my parents house and after a little while my father noticed the taxi sitting outside and so he came out and rescued me. I then had to borrow money from my father to pay for the ride. The kicker? After all that they guy demanded a better tip "for going so far out of his way" and demanded we write out turn by turn directions back to the main highway. Unbelievable!
Elizabeth Seward Feb 3rd 2011 12:37AM
Jade: I am so sorry to read that you had such a bad experience, too. I have no idea why it is permissible for anyone, taxi driver or not, to lock another person against their will in a car, or a house or any other kind of space. Doesn't seem right.
RobK Feb 3rd 2011 11:55AM
Hello,
I am in a medium sized city. And we have a lot of Pakis and Africans driving Cabs here. Let me share a few stores.
I once needed to Cab to get to the hospital, and I got the Paki. he never said a word to me, be just yelled on his cell phone to someone. He was all over the road. But I got there OK.
Now, let me tell you something from someone that was kind of on the inside. I was going to drive a Taxi with a small co. (But it never worked out)
We took CCs. BUt the Co TOOK a portion of the credit cards money to proces it for the Cabbie. And rather then give him the money they would apply it to the lease. So it kept you there. They took like 10%. And it sometimes took month to get.
I have no idea how it is in NY. But here, and a lot of places, a Cab driver is considered an Independent contractor, and not an employee. At Yellow Cab here, if a Cabbie leases a Cab for the whole 7 days, its over 700 dollars! Plus he pays his own fuel. Plus a bond. Plus the City not only makes them pay YEARLY for a permit the also screw them over by making them by another permit to work the airport on top of that! But thats not all, the charge you every time you pick up a passenger. In 2002 it was 5 bucks a pop, I have no idea what it is now. And not they are making you buy permits to access the fair grounds I understand.
These guys and gals are being ripped off left and right.! There is very little if any regulation to help the Cabbie out. None. Plus, they must file quarterly taxes just like other self employed persons. And they need to do the impossible, estimate their earnings. Ad if they under estimate, they get a penity! And Interest charged! Plus they have to pay for an accountant to do it as most do not have the education to do that. They have no unemployment. None at all.
Here many Cabbies do not like to go past a point in town due to runners. People fare jump all the time. But if you refuse to take them, they will report you, and claim racial discrimination. Then you can loose your job. And the thug know it. You either give them a free ride, you you loose your job. Take your pick.
There were some cabbies that were making some people give them a deposit depending upon where they were going. They got in trouble for this, but many still do it.
We had some old project here. There was a trick to get the Cabbie to drive down into them at night, and they would beat ,and rob the Cabbies. And when there were some that while they would take you home, they would not drive into the projects. Of course, they were called racist for that. But the projects have all been rebuilt (at tax payers expense) so not its not as bad.
Many Cabbie have had to go the the extra expense to buy a good GPS. Because when people make claims that the drivers were not taking the shortest route, they would either blackmail the cabbie into a free or discounted ride, or they would report them, an make up stories how they were drive way out of their way. Granted, sometimes the shortest route is a matter of speculation depending upon time of day and so on. And at times, the longer way, is the quickest way. (Lights, and so on.) So many just use the GPS rather that street smarts to cover their butts, and keep their jobs.
And the City rules and ordinances are written it seems against the cabbie.
And here you can not pick up from the streets, the fare must call you on the phone. That makes it harder to make a dime, and not pay a huge inflated leasing cost. Yellow Cab gets 95% of all the calls, as they get the biggest ads, and people know them due to market saturation. And plus, they own most of the licenses for a car. In NY you would call it a Medallion.
Look, everyone knows that a Cab driver, for what ever reason here, can not to much else. And they need this job. So everyone form the city, to the public takes advantage of them, and looks down on them. They are treated like customers of a buy here, pay here car lot. They have no other choise but to do business there. And they get taken advantage of. Badly.
Oh, and here is another gem, they can not get healthcare. And there are NO benefits. You see, more barley live above poverty. But they take in a lot of money sometimes, but are hit with lease, gas, fees, and they gross a a good amount. But they do not clear much. And that's what the government looks at more of the time, gross. You can get sometimes free drugs from the drug cos if you have a hardship, but they look at the gross on last years taxes. And that knocks you right out of the ballpark. So you do without.
Look, I am not making excuses for assh*le cabbies. There is not excuse to not treat someone nicely when you are are also being treated nicely.
But I just wanted you all to get a look at what most Cabbies have to live with here in the US. Mostly cites. And that its not as easy as it looks. Most work at least 12 hours a day 6-7 days, and nights a week. 12 hours PLUS a day.
So please, cut them a little slack. If they are jerks, report them to the city as well as Taxi firm where they lease from. Some will care.
But otherwise, give them a little slack. They have a hard, and thankless job.
Elizabeth Feb 3rd 2011 11:58AM
Hey Rob: totally agree with you on the thankless job part. And for my one very bad incident I must have had hundreds of normal, successful rides. But thankless job or not, some cabbies have been crossing a very important line with this locking passengers in the car business, and that's what I feel needs to be addressed. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts.
Lauren Feb 3rd 2011 12:28PM
I had an un-similar taxi incident, but scary nonetheless... I gave the driver the fastest directions to my job, and when there was traffic he went BALLISTIC. Started screaming at me that he never should have listened to a ...woman, we're all cunts and we're all wrong, how dare I tell him how to do his job, I thought he was going to murder me. Before we were even stopped in front of my job I jumped out of the car and threw the fare at him, and he refused to leave until a bunch of guys form my job went out and threatened him. Called the dispatcher, they said they'd take care of it. I actually got the same cab driver about a month later when I was going to a different place, but he was less threatening because my ex was in the car too - although he decided it was proper to tell me that women take too long to get ready while we were waiting for my boyfriend, who was clearly male. Asshole.
KT Feb 3rd 2011 1:44PM
In this age of smart phones it is easy enough to take pictures of the cab number, the hacks license and a picture of the driver with out them knowing. This information can then be used in a formal complaint. Recording your conversation might help as well. My few times in new york I was very uneasy in taxis I opted for the subway.