From the Chicago Dispatcher
September 2009

To the officials in the city of Chicago,

If you believe in the Constitution and the Amendments and human rights, you should answer these questions:

1) Why is the court system at 400 West Superior not in accordance to the Constitution and amendments, and that it is bias?
2) When the city sold a property, the new person is the owner and not the city. Why is the city, after selling the property, still talking about owning it, such as in the case of Artur Shehu?
3) Why is it when Chicago has the lowest rate for cab ride, the city reduces cabdrivers' income with credit card charges and letting their fare stolen by limo and suburban cabs in the city and at the airports, causing the cabs more time running empty and more time waiting at the airport and in front of the hotels?
4) Why do we have to take responsibility for free ride to seniors and children under 12 while we pay for gas, maintenance, insurance and time. What would happen if an accident and injuries happen, can the city forgive the free ride for seniors and children under 12 while the city pays for driver's insurance, fuel maintenance? Why should I give free rides while I am paying for everything?
5) Why does a customer never get fined for filing false complains?
6) Where are my protections?
7) When even an accident happen, they wait for certified official like trained police officers to determine whose fault it was. Is that why every private driver can judge my driving and file a complaint against me about my driving? Is it not better and logical if we call the consumer services the non-consumer services?
8) Why is it that I can't say anything when limo and suburban cabs steal my passenger because I'm scared that they (even the doormen at hotels) will give someone my cab number and make false complaint against me?

I was driving southbound on State Street in Chicago when the taxilight on 1130 N. State went on and a suburban limo pulled in front of me to pick the passengers up. I called the police who was sitting there in his car and he chased and pulled the limo over. As usual, the limo driver said that the passengers called him and prearranged. The police asked the driver for his phone and to show the customers' number on his phone, and then the passengers said that they didn't prearrange and that they were going from 1130 N. State to Park West on Armitage and Clark. The police let them go and I called 311.

As usual, when they know you are a cabdriver, they don't care and no one called me back. Even at the airport we got the same problem when telling the starters this limo driver or that suburban cab is stealing passengers, the starters will say that it is not their job to do anything about it.

Why is it that everybody, even limo drivers, can make complaint against cabdrivers but cabbies cannot make a complaint against no one. 311 and other officials in the city just can't get serious about cabdrivers and they don't care about bribery by doormen in front of hotels where the limo drivers can go inside and steal passengers from the lobby and take them to their limos.

Why doesn't the city obey its own regulations, yet keep embarrassing the cabdrivers with illogical regulations? These days, every act or behavior of cabdrivers deserves to be punished and every phone call to 311 against cabdrivers is taken seriously by the city.

Even we cabdrivers know it is better that no one knows our cab numbers. For example, there was a picture in the Sun-Times a few weeks ago showing a cabdriver but not his cab number on the toplight. Even when you are off duty, you must be careful. If I say something is within my right, this is what I will hear: “Get the f*** out of here, I got your cab number.”

Every cab complaints are already decided and cabdrivers are not considered professionals. Truck/bus/private car drivers and pedestrian can complain against a cabbie while the cabbie cannot make complaint against anyone. For example, when doormen at the hotels take bribes to load the limo and if we act against that, the city will just act against our right and will take a cabbie to court while the city won't take limo drivers and doormen to court even though they are breaking the law regulated by the city.

The city can send every single day inspectors to the airport to write tickets for any small infractions but the city can't send inspectors to the front of hotels and airport terminals to stop the breaking of the law regulated by the limo drivers and doormen.

The consumers and non-consumers can do any cursing or punching our vehicle and disrespect the cabdrivers and they will never get punished, while the cabdrivers with every call to 311 will get ignored and punished. It means that everybody in this nation is right and professional and can make a good judgment except for cabdrivers who are considered 3rd class citizen and who are always wrong.

David Rhine

Hello. You mention good points. I haven't time to get into this now. Watch for my answer soon if you want to get real detail of how the City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings system works. I have been studying this rip off for years. Perhaps I can get George to publish an article about this........Abused Cabbie.