From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (Harel Barzilai)
Subject: URBAN Politics/Culture: Life & Death of Cab Drivers
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 05:18:47 GMT


*Subject: URBAN Politics/Culture: Life & Death of Cab Drivers 
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Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 12:34:56 PDT 
From: Hal Muskat <hmuskat@igc.org>
Subject: Muskat: Cabbie Murder/Giants' Wake 
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/* Written 12:33 pm  Aug 14, 1992 by hmuskat in cdp:pn.opinions */ 
/* ---------- "Muskat: Cabbie Murder/Giants' Wake" ---------- */ 

The following has just been sent to the Op-Ed editors of the SF Chronicle, 
SF Examiner and Sunday Datebook. 

------------------ 

copyright Hal Muskat 

While many San Franciscan's grieve the Giants, taxi drivers will also
mourn Luxor Cab driver Richard Harcos, the third cabbie to be murdered
here within a year. It's most unfortunate that news of his murder was
all but lost in the headlines of the Giants' wake.

A Forty-five year old Vietnam Veteran, Rich was murdered last week
while walking back to his cab after helping three women to their front
door with groceries. Death is the ultimate threat taxi drivers face.

While the loss of the Giants will have negative financial implications
for many, the dangers inherent in driving a taxi causes hundreds of
cabbies to suffer All Star stress. Daily, cabbies are threatened in
deed and word, physically and economically. Much misplaced aggression
is constantly pitched our way. A cup of coffee thrown in frustration
or anger on the windshield is a violent act. We have a limited amount
of time to negotiate traffic, tourists in rental cars with maps on
their laps and cameras in their faces, jay-walkers, smoke spewing
busses and legal and illegal limos stealing our rides. We are expected
to drive all who are in need of our services, cheerfully and without
prejudice, to their destinations. Yet, most black men report
difficulty flagging a cab, any time day or night, no matter their
destination or appearance.

Sometimes, it seems, everyone has a hand in our pockets or a pistol to
the back of our heads. We are fleeced daily by a felonious group of
extortionists posing as hotel doormen, limos pretending to be taxi's,
and hotel desk clerks who receive kicked back dollars from airport van
companies forcing cabbies into competition we or the tourists can not
possibly win. We have been strung out for three years by legislators
and well-meaning PUC and City bureaucrats over the issues of limo and
van pirates, licensing and monitoring.

And, just because we do our jobs, we are beat up, robbed and murdered.

We need elected officials to do the right thing without threat of a
baseball bat to their hides. Door locks, emergency flashers, and radio
transponders to immediately identify our location to police or taxi
dispatcher's may help. A comprehensive study of the ugly and
protective shields used elsewhere couldn't hurt. The City and cab
companies must play a greater role in driver safety.  And, we need a
Mayor's office that cares about our welfare on several fronts.  >From
lowering the flag for our dead, to offering reward money, to genuine
interest in our safety, not just our numbers. We need the Giants too,
but more importantly sports fans, we don't need our cabbies murdered.

Driver safety training and technology offer solutions. Police escorts,
due to social and budgetary concerns, do not. Whatever device(s) are
added to cabs, drivers will pay for in the end.

Hundreds of drivers have been threatened, assaulted and robbed this
year.  There are approximately 2,000 of us and while it may be easier
to replace a cabbie than a ball club, our survival odds must be better
than those of any professional sports franchise remaining in one
location.

Rich Harcos didn't even have three strikes. There's more to save in
San Francisco than the Giants.

(Hal Muskat, a Veitnam Era Veteran, is a 16 year vet of cabbing the
streets of San Francisco.)

	[And regular contributor to PeaceNet's pn.opinions and other
	conferences -- Harel]
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