The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1921-11-14

! New York City. Nov. 12-Any-
body who has ever had occasion to
use Manhattan taxicab will be
glad to know that a reform move
ment is now in progress among
! taxi drivers here. They have de-
i cided to abandon their bold, bad
ways in favor of a life of virtue.
| Sir Galahad is their working model
this year instead of Captain Kidd.
Honesty, accuracy, courtesy and
quick service are the new slogans
of the new League of Independent
Taxi Chauffeurs which recently an
nounced that it would exclude from
its membership and seek to have
punished any driver found guilty
of the piracy methods SO much in
vogue last year
While it might be pleasant TO as
sumo, gentle reader. that this sud
den change of heart on the part of
| the taxi drivers is a sign of i'm
provement in the human race. We
cannot ignore the fact that it is
doubtless dictated by expediency.
Hard times have hit the taxi busi-
ness a particularly heavy whang.
Many people, judging from painful
experience that all taxi chauffeurs
are robbers, will walk miles rather
than use cab, while the rapidly
decreasing number who do use
them are most careful to see that
they are not cheated.
Last year. when the pubIic's
pocketbook was considerably fat
nff ho
less in the matter of taxi fares. but
now at the first suspicion of over
charge, it calls d policeman or re-
ports the matter to the city license
bureau.
The complaints of citizens
against taxi drivers are heard ev-
cry Friday afternoon in the little
courtroom attached to the depart
ment of licenses at 81 Center street
They are nearly always proved to
be justified. in which case the driv-
er is ordered to refund to the pas
senger the amount overcharged
and is lucky if he does not also
have his license suspended.
Typical Case.
On the Friday We attended this
tribunal for example. a young
woman complained that she had
been compelled to pay taxi driver
s5 for a trip which should have
cost but $50. She had hailed a
cab on West Eighty-sixth street
and asked the driver how much it
would cost her to drive to a Thirty
third street hotel. About So" he
replied. Whereupon the young
woman got into the cab. At the
entrance of the hotel, however, the I
driver insisted that owing to sew
eral delays in traffic the meter reg
istered $500 The passenger pro-
tested, but finally paid the bill to !
avoid a discussion that was attract
ing attention.
As she was entering the hotel !
the hotel starter thrust a small
piece Of cardboard into her hand. (
While you were talking with the
driver, l looked at the meter and ii
registered $3.50 he said. Here is
the number of the cab. If you will !
report this to the license bureau it /
Will see that you get a refund.
1t did. And inaSmuch as this was /.
the second complaint registered +.
against the same driver, he was de-
prived of his license.
The moral of this story is quite T
plain. If you have reason to be-
ieve that you are being oveTcharg-
I'd by a New York taxi chauffeur,
ion't waste time in argument and
II a policeman hap
pens to be within hailing distance,
ell your troubles to him II not,
simply take the number of the cab
and if possible the number of the
iriver. exhibited on his shield. and
seek the little courtroom i'll Center
street Here you are apt 10 meet
your taxi robber face to face. In all
likelihood he will protest his inno-
'ence. swear that he has never seen
'ou before and claim that he was
II in bed at home on the day you
ay he overcharged you. But if you
re able positively to identify him.
he ODDS are all in your favor For
ong experience has taught the de-
'artment of licenses that people dO
lot make the labOrious trip TO
enter street unless they have sub
tantial grievances
In accordance with rules laid