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| Muslim Cabbies in Trouble at Minneapolis Airport |
| 2007-01-04 |
| Airport Battles Some Muslim Cabbies Jan 4, 12:20 PM (ET) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Officials at Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport are proposing stiffer penalties - including suspension of an airport taxi license - to Muslim cab drivers who refuse service to passengers toting alcohol or service dogs. Service dogs? - Where in the Koran does it say that a fatwa shall be on all disabled people... Leave 'em in the airport, forever?!?! Officials on Wednesday asked the Metropolitan Airport Commission for permission to hold public hearings on a proposal that would suspend the airport licenses of cab drivers who refuse service for reasons other than safety concerns. The penalties would also apply to drivers who refuse a fare because a trip is too short. Too short? Is that news? Where have those officials been the last 40 years? Drivers would have their airport licenses suspended 30 days for the first offense and revoked for two years after the second offense, according to the proposal. "Our expectation is that if you're going to be driving a taxi at the airport, you need to provide service to anybody who wants it," commission spokesman Patrick Hogan said. The commission is expected to vote Jan. 16 on the request for public hearings. Airports Commissioner Bert McKasy said the issue raised by Muslim cab drivers who say that carrying alcohol or dogs, including those that help people with disabilities, violates religious beliefs is "unfortunate." Unfortnate? Tell 'em to carry the service dogs, or carry their asses with their unclean cabs somewhere else. "I think it's pretty much the consensus of the commissioners and the staff that we have to provide good service to the public, and that's pretty much the bottom line," McKasy said. Each month, about 100 people are denied cab service at the airport. Airport officials say that in recent months, the problem of service refusals for religious reasons has grown. About three-quarters of the 900 taxi drivers at the airport are Somali, many of them Muslim. Anyone wanna have some fun? Be carring a couple of canned hams when you go to Minneapolis...see if there is trouble geting a cab... They didn't talk about that one... I bet that is trouble too... Hogan said the goal is to have a new policy in place by May 11, when airport taxi licenses come up for annual renewal. "We want the drivers to know about the policy in advance, so that if they don't think they can work under these conditions, they have the option of not renewing their license," Hogan said. they have the option of not renewing their license Duh... Last year, the airports commission received a fatwa, or religious edict, from the Minnesota chapter of the Muslim American Society. The fatwa said "Islamic jurisprudence" prohibits taxi drivers from carrying passengers with alcohol, "because it involves cooperating in sin according to Islam." And we issue this "fatwa" against jackasses who don't want to carry a blind person with a dog. Carry them or else face a civil discrinmination suit...Allah Akhbar, Baby! Eva Buzek, a flight attendant and Minneapolis resident, said she was recently refused service by five taxi drivers when she was carrying wine as she returned from a trip to France. "In my book, when you choose to come to a different country, you make some choices," said Buzek, a native of Poland. "I never expected everything to be the same way as in my homeland, and I adjusted. I never dreamed of imposing my beliefs on somebody else." But Hassan Mohamud, imam at Al-Taqwa Mosque of St. Paul and director of the Islamic Law Institute at the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, one of the largest Islamic organizations in the state, said asking Muslims to transport alcohol "is a violation of their faith. Muslims do not consume, carry, sell or buy alcohol, and Islam also considers the saliva of dogs to be unclean, he said. Dog saliva is unclean, and the inside of most cabs is like an operating room? LOL! Well those cabbies so offended should find other work... Perhaps Garbage collector? No they'd have to handle all those empty beer cans, and bacon wrappers... Mohamud said he would ask airport officials to reconsider. But many Somali taxi drivers don't have a problem transporting passengers with alcohol and are worried about a backlash, said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center. Jamal said he supports the tougher penalties. "We tell the taxi drivers, if you don't want to do this, change your job," he said. "You are living in a country where alcohol is not viewed the way it is in your country." |
| Posted by:BigEd |
| #18 ADA act? After all, who is more disabled than a total drunk or a blind traveler with a dog? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-01-04 23:00 |
| #17 More fun just hit me: Sue the Metropolitan Airport Commission since as a governmental body, they cannot refuse service to anybody and if they continue down the appeasement path ,that, to this plain ol' country boy, looks like they are doing just that. and then jerk the cabbies ticket, don't wait for renewal time, do it now. (sinister idea, find out where the selective cabbies live, and if they take their cabs home, perhaps, just sayin now, their taxi medallion could come up missing. Theat should be good for keeping their ride off the road until they go through the "lost license" hassle. probably costs a few $$ also. Rinse and repeat as needed. |
| Posted by: USN, ret. 2007-01-04 22:54 |
| #16 WHile the ham and booze thing would be funny, nothing would get as much attention as filing a discrimination suit. and if the plantiffs were both black, white, male, female, disabled that would make for so much more merriment. Especially if the ACLU were petitioned to support them. And then ask Congressmen Osama whatshisname for a statement. (picture a room with a floor, a big ol' can of paint and some brushes. choose your corners, boys) |
| Posted by: USN, ret. 2007-01-04 22:49 |
| #15 airport licenses are make or break in most cities. Those practicing Islamic discrimination should get the same leeway as a Klukker refusing service to a Black: None. Refuse: find another job |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-01-04 22:43 |
| #14 and we could have our own t-shirts made up lol |
| Posted by: Jan 2007-01-04 21:26 |
| #13 BA, lol I have tears in my eyes I've been laughing so hard. Maybe we need to have the next Rantburg reunion there and we can all bring hams and bottles of Jim Beam lol. I can just picture it now... |
| Posted by: Jan 2007-01-04 21:25 |
| #12 Somalians seem to adjust to adjust quickly. The temp doesn't seem to bother them. I think its a cockroach thing. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2007-01-04 21:22 |
| #11 Anyone wanna have some fun? Be carring a couple of canned hams when you go to Minneapolis... Heck, I don't drink (much) either for religious purposes, and I dang sure have never had a hankering to go to M-SP, but this p!sses me off so bad, I'm willing to fly there, get off with a fifth of Jim Beam and a Kirkland Brand (Costco sized) honey ham in each hand, wearing a Mohammad cartoon on front and Nuke Mecca on back t-shirt. This is our country, dang it, no matter how far lib M-SP has gone. And, a serious question...how in the world are Somalis gettin' used to the cold up there in M-SP? Turn off their gas/heating oil, and I'd bet they'd comply REAL quick. |
| Posted by: BA 2007-01-04 20:51 |
| #10 The cabbies don't have a serious problem yet, but if they keep this up, I am going to round up a crew and we're bringing l Luisville Sluggers down to where they all hang out. Then, they are going to be in real trouble. I already have mine marked with "goodnight" on the bottom. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2007-01-04 20:39 |
| #9 So do the cabbies put ethanol free gasoline in their tank? Is methanol forbidden? Because if it is, they have problems with their windshield washer fluid. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2007-01-04 19:19 |
| #8 The airport administration is gutless from the very beginning. Why don't they ask CAIR for permission to hold hearings? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-01-04 19:16 |
| #7 Has anybody explained how exactly most of the Minnie airport cabbies are Somali moslems? And don't tell me driving a cab is a job Americans won't do. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-01-04 19:15 |
| #6 Show up carrying a smoked ham in one hand and a bottle of Kentucky bourbon in the other. If they refuse to carry you, file a discrimination suit on the grounds they're biased against Southerners. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2007-01-04 19:12 |
| #5 I think you womenfolk in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit better get your orders in for the Burqas that you soon will have to wear. Maybe I could start a business of male escorts that would accompany single burqa-clad woman to/from work, shopping, etc? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-01-04 19:02 |
| #4 Have someone selling ham sandwiches or BLT's for a buck or two along with a tall cold one on the curbside. Hey I kind of like this idea, it would improve the time that one has to wait ;) A dogs saliva is dirty? Compared to which of their hands? ASSIMILATE DAMNIT! If you want to live in America then be one of us. Don't bring your baggage with you. If you like it that much go back to it. |
| Posted by: Jan 2007-01-04 18:47 |
| #3 So do the cabbies put ethanol free gasoline in their tank? |
| Posted by: DMFD 2007-01-04 18:44 |
| #2 "presentability inspection" LOL Now, that can open up a whole new can of worms! |
| Posted by: BigEd 2007-01-04 18:28 |
| #1 Airport cabs queue up and the one in the front gets the fare. If he refuses the fare for any reason he goes to the end of the line. The cabs that want fares will get fares, the rest will pay their fees and keep going to the back of the line. Of course, if all the cabs are radical Muslim this won't work, but the solution to that is to allow anyone who pays the fee (and passes safety/presentability inspection) to be an airport cabbie. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-01-04 18:21 |