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| Chicago cabbies being ticketed while they pray |
| 2007-09-17 |
| Muslim cab drivers, mostly Pakistanis, at Chicago’s O’Hare airport are being served traffic tickets while they are offering prayers at a special trailer provided to them by the city for that purpose. The Chicago Sun Times reports that Muslim cabdrivers are finding it difficult to stay true to their faith lately, as they’ve been hit with a rash of tickets for parking in access lanes leading to the airport terminals near where the city helped set up a prayer trailer for them. “For most of us who need to pray, that’s part of our religious duty,” said Faisal, a 13-year-cab veteran. The cabbies say they are caught in a Catch-22 – they can pray in a location provided to them by the city, but they are ticketed for parking near that location. The commercial access area is only open to commercial vehicles. More than 500 cabs have been ticketed. Ultimately, drivers are responsible for paying the tickets — ranging from $50 to $80 — which can cut their daily profit in half. The City Aviation Department spokesman said authorities do not want to interrupt Muslims, but maintained that cabbies must leave the area clear of traffic for operations to run smoothly. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #25 Go ahead and gloat. I'll bet they end up with a mini-mosque over their own parking ramp. |
| Posted by: KBK 2007-09-17 22:49 |
| #24 If muslim cabbies must present their butts to the guys behind them and bump their heads on the |
| Posted by: ed 2007-09-17 22:48 |
| #23 Iqbal, another Muslim cabdriver, said the city is punishing honest people duty-bound to their faith. Typical bullshit taqiyya in search of preferential treatment. Any Muslim is absolved if legitimate circumstances interfere with timely observance of prayers. People who knowingly obstruct vital transportation routes are not "honest" and what they are being "duty-bound" to is not prayer but slow jihad. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-17 21:55 |
| #22 (Dons Chicago Cop voice) Hey, we ain't here ta dooya any favors, numb-nuts. We're parking enforcement, get it? Good. Now move it or lose it. |
| Posted by: mojo 2007-09-17 15:20 |
| #21 Thanks, Fred, for posting an article that warms the icy cold heart of this former parking enforcement nazi. ;) |
| Posted by: Swamp Blondie 2007-09-17 15:20 |
| #20 The street lamps are on in Chicago tonight And lovers are gazing at stars. The stores are all closing and Daley is dozing And the fat man is counting the cars. And "There's more cars than places to put 'em," he says. "But I've got room for some more. So round 'em up boys, 'cause I want some more toys. Hit the lot by the grocery store!" To me way, hey, tow them away! The Lincoln Park Pirates are we! From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothing so hairy And we always collect our fee! To me way, hey, tow them away! We plunder the streets of your town! Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy, And no one can make us shut down! Steve Goodman, "The Lincoln Park Pirates" |
| Posted by: mom 2007-09-17 12:30 |
| #19 To pray, they also prey on your rights and laws. Do you oblige your own destruction? |
| Posted by: Duh! 2007-09-17 12:13 |
| #18 If those devout cab drivers are that serious about staying true to their faith, let them pray there. That's a big "IF". IF they were that devout, would they have left their homeland to come to Teh GR8 Satan? I think not. |
| Posted by: eLarson 2007-09-17 10:49 |
| #17 The Sun Times story... Faisal, a taxicab driver who works at O'Hare Airport, wants to be a good cabbie while staying true to his Muslim faith. But Muslim cabdrivers are finding the latter difficult lately, as they've been hit with a rash of tickets for parking in access lanes leading to the airport terminals near where the city helped set up a prayer trailer for them. "For most of us who need to pray, that's part of our religious duty," said Faisal, a 13-year-cab veteran who declined to give his last name. "It doesn't do us any favors if you write us a ticket and you know this guy's going to come back in five minutes and his friend is waiting outside to move the car in case of an emergency," the cabbie complained. ...and everybody knows that the cops are there to do people favors, especially Muslim cabbies. Drivers such as Faisal say they mean no harm by parking in the lanes leading to the prayer trailer on the grounds of O'Hare's commercial lot -- which either have no-parking signs posted or are meant for brief stops. The cabbies say they are caught in a Catch-22 -- that the city provided them the location in which to practice their faith, but punishes them when they park and pray. Drivers are particularly worried about receiving tickets as they celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, a time for steadfast prayer, fasting and spiritual reawakening. Oh...well. Ramadan. Why didn't ya say so... Many American Muslims began celebrating Ramadan last week. The commercial access area is the staging ground for taxis and limo drivers who use various lanes to park their cars for shift changes or for a brief lunch stop. It is only open to commercial vehicles that pick up passengers at the airport and is maintained by the city's Department of Aviation. Wolfgang J. Weiss, one of the managing directors of the Chicago Professional Taxicab Drivers Association, said more than 500 cabs have been ticketed. Ultimately, drivers are responsible for paying the tickets -- ranging from $50 to $80 -- which can cut their daily profit in half, Weiss said."The financial impact, at least from a revenue standpoint, is huge," he said. "We just want them to back off." But Weiss admits that authorities probably won't give them a break, so his association is going to petition Mayor Daley and others for relief. Hey, Mayor Daley. Can our cabbies break the law? It's okay. They're Muslims. Aviation Department spokesman Greg Cunningham said authorities do not want to interrupt Muslims and their prayer habits. But he contends that cabbies must follow the rules at a facility that needs to be clear of traffic in order for operations to run smoothly and safely. Follow the rules? This is obviously...profiling! "It's a temporary parking and holding area," Cunningham said. "If a vehicle blocks off other vehicles from leaving the facility, it becomes a problem." Iqbal, another Muslim cabdriver, said the city is punishing honest people duty-bound to their faith. "It doesn't happen every day," he said. "We need to cover all our bases with God." |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-09-17 10:01 |
| #16 "as theyÂ’ve been hit with a rash of tickets for parking in access lanes leading to the airport terminals near where the city helped set up a prayer trailer for them." I am very familiar with the area. All sorts of cars try to park in the access and circulating lanes, which are actually the lanes leading from the main expressway to and through the airport. Everyone wants to do it, because there is no stopping allowed except for immediate unloading and loading. Therefore, there is no close staging ground for cars to sit and wait. There is a cell phone lot (for you to wait in the car for a phone call from the person you are picking up) nearby, but it is kind of far. That being said, tow em all. There is no parking. If the cab in unattended, tow it. |
| Posted by: Mark E. 2007-09-17 09:01 |
| #15 They will take Everything, Mr. Mczoid! That's the real nature their creed....one that only takes. They know nothing about the Golden Rule. |
| Posted by: Duh! 2007-09-17 07:51 |
| #14 Check out this awesome 8 minute anti-Islam video. It includes a high quality Rap video. The production values are great, but CAIR will chase it off Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9oX5Q2ftmA&NR=1%20%22 My browser won't link. You can download Youtube vids through this website: http://www.viloader.net/ |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-09-17 07:47 |
| #13 When Muslims are true to their faith, they commit jihad terror. Give them an inch and they will take a mile. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-09-17 07:26 |
| #12 RD, look closely at his forehead! |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-09-17 05:37 |
| #11 |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-09-17 03:37 |
| #10 Their "religious duty" entails the rest of the world to kow tow to that, i.e. |
| Posted by: Duh! 2007-09-17 03:09 |
| #9 Testing, the image is located: www. twobyfour. info/img/misc/borcus_minimus.jpg A visit from this boy in their prayer facility would scare them out of their wits. [can mods please check why the image included in he post is causing the whole post to be refused? Not only he image, URL does that too. Inserted spaces so it can pass through.Thx!] |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-09-17 02:22 |
| #8 Cop 1: Hey, it's 5:00! You know what that means! Cop 2: Yeah, time to write some tickets! Cop 1: Sure thing. But this time we're getting them towed, too! Cop 2: What's next week's development? Cop 1: Throw a slice of bologna in the drivers seat if the tow truck can't get to them in time. |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-09-17 02:17 |
| #7 Let's hope the actual tickets go to the cabs and not some other type of transport with the same license plate. (yes it happens all the time in Chicago.) I even got a ticket at O'Hare when I was in London, the wife and kids in New York and all the cars locked in a garage at home. It never hurts to have customs entry and exit info to prove a point... Oh and the major car thefts are by the city towing companies. The city will not tell you what lot your car is in until after their buddies have sold it. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-09-17 01:58 |
| #6 Ticket everyone of 'them', time is money; why should I have to pay extra on my fare because of their thoughts... of their value and place in the universe! |
| Posted by: smn 2007-09-17 01:53 |
| #5 Strange, tried to post an image hosted on my site and the post is not posted... Something changed? I remember it was possible... |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-09-17 01:49 |
| #4 Something more to pray about I'd say. Hope the fines go to.... good use, but somehow om Cook County, I doubt it. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-09-17 01:25 |
| #3 I'm sure there's a convenient mosque within 50 miles of O'Hare Airport. If those devout cab drivers are that serious about staying true to their faith, let them pray there. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-09-17 01:24 |
| #2 Chicago |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-09-17 00:42 |
| #1 Schaweet! Give them their damn prayer |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-09-17 00:34 |