This news story I heard back in the days leading in to Christmas 2006. To me we are going in to the third week after Christmas.
The reason I write about it is that I work in the industry that is the backdrop for this story. Apparently, there are Muslims from Somalia who drive taxis in an American city and are refusing to give service to people carrying alcohol and/or have a dog with them.
People who are apposed to these actions by these cab drivers make their arguments on basis of a person should do the job they are getting paid to do and it is discriminatory to refuse a blind person a ride because he or she has a dog.
I have not heard that these taxi drivers are specifically refusing blind people and their dogs a ride. They are refusing any one with a dog a ride.
My first disclaimer is that I am not a Muslim nor a proponent of the Muslim way of life. Personally, I think we are being lied about how loyal Muslims in America are to the extreme side of the Muslim religion. I fear one day, because of our lack of attention, we will find our selves surrounded by gun toting extremist.
However, this is not my concern here. I run a taxi in “worthless” El Paso, Texas. I am self-employed and I consider myself an independent businessperson. I do not know about any other American city, but in this miserable southwest town, no cab driver is an employee of any cab company.
People are right when you are an employee and cashing the paycheck you should do the job you are paid for. In my opinion, self-employed individuals have the right to decide whom they will or will not sell their goods and services to in their industry.
The area I work in is very impoverished. People think it is my job to drive poor people ten blocks. In addition, there are many people with medical complications and little money that also think it is my job to take them ten blocks for free.
I am in business to make money. If I spent my day driving the infirmed and poor around, I would never make any money. I sympathize. I think we all sympathize.
However, the reality is that I am not running a social service non-profit. However, members in the society are quick to moralize that I am required to take them.
If it was left up to the average person to tell me who to provide service to and how much to charge I would be giving my services away.
Now come to my main point. I think since this story about Muslims cab drivers got in to the mainstream news other mainstream news people have been moralizing all over the place about Muslims cab drivers is America not conforming to American life and trying to impose their Muslim religion on people.
The reality of the Taxi business is that is a hustle. You have to get out there and earn your daily earnings. Any cab driver refusing to give service is loosing money.
Therefore, instead of airport directors going crazy because of cab driver refusing service, they should wait for the market to correct it self.
I am sure there are cab drivers that want to make money and are willing to get out there and hustle to get all those fares standing on the curbside with their Rum, Tequila, and Golden Retrievers.
One of the worst mistakes city governments make is to try and please all individuals in an industry they try to regulate.
I think it would be best if they just let market forces such as “the one that gives the best service gets the customers” run the industry.
It is impossible to micro-manage everything. Moreover, cab drivers are not city employees. No city employee should be trying to micro or macro manage them. Taxi drivers should live or die by the business rules.
If cab drivers of any religion want to gather under a shady tree criticizing all the infidels, let them.
I know independent business people like me will be coming around to pick up the customers.