What is the Police Report Number?
What time was it for this incident?
When is the court day, and where?
What was Mr. Goins arrested for? How much for the bond?
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From the Chicago Dispatcher, June 25, 2008
Astor House Doorman Arrested
Cabdriver alleges doorman punched him for complaining about a poached fare
By: George Lutfallah
On the morning of Friday, June 20, Mohammed Siddiqui was driving his cab down Astor Lane in Chicago when he noticed the light flashing at Astor House indicating someone needs a cab. Siddiqui drove into the building's driveway and pulled up in front of the door. A limousine pulled in behind him. According to Mr. Siddiqui, he saw a woman standing next to the building's doorman. He expected the woman to come to his cab but says that the doorman instructed her to take the limo.
Mr. Siddiqui said he told the doorman, "You are not supposed to tell her to take the limo." After that he said the doorman approached him and told him to move his car. Mr. Siddiqui said he continued to tell the doorman that he wasn't supposed to direct passengers to limousines when the doorman began punching him - three times in the face and twice in the ribs - and then ordered Mr. Siddiqui to move his cab again, while he was still sitting in his cab with his seatbelt buckled.
After that Mr. Siddiqui called the police. When the police arrived Mr. Siddiqui said the doorman spoke with them first. When the police came over to Mr. Siddiqui, he gave his account of what had happened and then he said the police directed him to get out of his cab and to go to the awaiting ambulance. He was taken to Lincoln Park Hospital at Webster and Lincoln where he was treated and his ribs were X-rayed. Mr. Siddiqui said the police arrived after that and gave him the police report indicating the battery charge and the key to his cab, which they had moved off to the side after Mr. Siddiqui was taken to the hospital.
Mr. Siddiqui called a friend to ask him to pick up the cab before it was towed. A friend of Mr. Siddiqui called the Chicago Dispatcher and informed us that Mr. Siddiqui was at the hospital.
I went to meet Mr. Siddiqui at Lincoln Park Hospital as he was being released later that same morning and he told me of the incident. After Mr. Siddiqui explained to me what had happened, I asked him what happened to the doorman. He said, "Nothing." I asked if the doorman was arrested and he told me that he wasn't. I asked why and he said that he didn't know. I asked if the police asked him if he wanted the doorman arrested and he said he was never asked but that there was a phone number for him to call that was circled on the police report. The phone number was for Area 3 Police. I called the number and spoke with Officer Gregoriotregio who told me that the report hadn't come in yet from the 18th district and that it might take some time and advised that I call the 18th district directly. He gave me the number. I called the 18th district police station and spoke with Officer Raitano who told me that according to their report Mr. Siddiqui declined to have the doorman arrested. Mr. Siddiqui denied this to me and said he was never given the option and said that he did want the doorman to be arrested. I asked Officer Raitano what Mr. Siddiqui's options were. Mr. Siddiqui could wait about three days until the detectives got the case, who would then make a determination if an arrest was warranted, or Mr. Siddiqui could drive back to the scene of the incident and, after identifying that the doorman was there, he could then call the police and have him arrested.
Mr. Siddiqui decided to go back to the scene and to call the police. He drove there with three friends, Mohammad Ramzan, Barkat Alwani and Mohammed, who went to see him at the hospital. When they got to Astor House at 1340 N. Astor, Mr. Siddiqui called the police. After the police arrived - first a wagon with two officers and then two squad cars - the officers entered the building and spoke with the doorman in question. After many minutes of deliberation, they finally arrested him, after he changed out of his uniform.
Police identified the arrested doorman as Keith Goins. We tried unsuccessfully to speak with Mr. Goins however I did speak with Mr. Lawrence Ventresca at Astor House, who identified himself as the building's owner.
Mr. Ventresca said he had heard about what had happened from the doorman and tenants. According to Mr. Ventresca, there was a livery car parked on Astor that periodically picks up people from the building. He said that the tenant had turned on the cab light but that when she saw the livery, she went directly to it. Mr. Ventresca said the cabdriver accused the doorman of sending the limo there and that he refused to move his cab and called the doorman names. Mr. Ventresca said the doorman asked the cabdriver to move but the cabdriver was poking the doorman in the chest. "The cabdriver went absolutely berserk," according to Mr. Ventresca. Mr. Ventresca said the doorman hit the cabdriver while the driver was sitting in his cab after the cabdriver refused to move and "looked like he was reaching for something."
I asked Mr. Ventresca if he thought his doorman had done anything wrong. Mr. Ventresca said, "Absolutely not. He protected himself. You don't know what the guy is reaching for in his car."
Mr. Ventresca said that a number of his tenants were ready to go to court to testify on behalf of the doorman, though Mr. Ventresca wouldn't say how many and declined to provide me with contact information to any of his tenants.
Unanswered Questions
Many questions have come about as a result of this incident. Was it proper for the livery driver to pick up the fare? Livery drivers are only supposed to work with "prearranged" pickups. From my conversations with both Mr. Siddiqui and Mr. Ventresca, this fare did not appear to be prearranged. So was the pickup by the livery driver improper or illegal?
Many cabdrivers argue that limousines routinely take their fares and that many doormen, especially at many major hotels, sell fares to limousine and taxi drivers alike. Some drivers complain that they can't get good fares at certain places unless they pay the doormen. Are these payments tips, bribes or just plain extortion? According to Commissioner Reyes, the Department of Consumer Services has cracked down on these payments in the past, though the management of some hotels sees nothing wrong with the practice of cab and limousine drivers tipping doormen.
Will the doorman be charged with a felony under Weidersberg's Law, which makes attacking a cabdriver while the driver is on duty a felony?
The Chicago Dispatcher will continue to ask these questions and will keep you apprised of the progress of Mr. Siddiqui's case against the doorman.
You aren't being fair to Mr. Foulks, Clueless. It isn't the job of Foulks to have indictments issued against the b a s t a r d s who batter cabdrivers on duty. It isn't even Foulks' job to run down the details on where the simple battery charges are being heard or the number of the police report or anything for that matter. You aren't being fair to the guy in criticizing him for failing to do so.
Foulks' only job is to drive a cab and do what interests him. So if he doesn't find it interesting enough to use his contacts in the Office of the State's Attorney to get charges stepped up to felonies when cabdrivers get battered while on duty, what's the difference? He's still going to be the President of the Chicago Cabdrivers, and I am sure he will do lots of good for the drivers generally. Or he will do good in other areas, no doubt.
He will just pick other issues to focus on. Driver safety won't be his priority. So what?
You need to stop criticizing Foulks. It serves no good purpose.
Donald Nathan
No criticism to either Foulks nor the C-C-O-2!
There is no treasure or treasurer out there.
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You aren't being fair to Mr. Foulks, Clueless. It isn't the job of Foulks to have indictments issued against the b a s t a r d s who batter cabdrivers on duty. It isn't even Foulks' job to run down the details on where the simple battery charges are being heard or the number of the police report or anything for that matter. You aren't being fair to the guy in criticizing him for failing to do so.
Foulks' only job is to drive a cab and do what interests him. So if he doesn't find it interesting enough to use his contacts in the Office of the State's Attorney to get charges stepped up to felonies when cabdrivers get battered while on duty, what's the difference? He's still going to be the President of the Chicago Cabdrivers, and I am sure he will do lots of good for the drivers generally. Or he will do good in other areas, no doubt.
He will just pick other issues to focus on. Driver safety won't be his priority. So what?
You need to stop criticizing Foulks. It serves no good purpose.
Donald Nathan
All, Doorman are liars and crooks. Just go the Hyat on Wacker Driver, And, the Marriott on Michigan. That place is full of them crooks.
They watch me like a hawk when I drop off at the Hyatt because I used to pay them off for airport loads.
I "stole" a few of their "special customers" without paying them, so they practically surround my cab when they see me dropping off.
(Cab # withheld to protect the guilty!)
My standard operating procedure (after dropping at the Hyatt)is to hang around as long as possible, pretend like I am waiting for a pre-arranged ride and I usually get what I want -- I get to "steal" a load from the idiots.
One guy told me the City (DCS - all the way to the top of the pile) knows about this and the payoffs from the limo companies and drivers, but they won't lift a finger to stop it.
The City protects this doorman extortion and bribery racket as if it were their own.
You watch, that doorman will most likely walk with a slap on the wrist and a pat on the back from Commissioner of High Corruption Reyes.
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Replying to:
All, Doorman are liars and crooks. Just go the Hyat on Wacker Driver, And, the Marriott on Michigan. That place is full of them crooks.
Don't count on Foulks to show up, EVER!
According to the court record:
Case Number: 08-MC1-1229848
Police Report Number: HP-405512
Keith Goins (the doorman) was charged as a misdemeanor Simple Battery, 720-5/12-3(a)(1)
Court Date: 7/15/08 9:00 a.m.
Location: Branch 29, 2452 West Belmont, Chicago.
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Replying to:
They watch me like a hawk when I drop off at the Hyatt because I used to pay them off for airport loads.
I "stole" a few of their "special customers" without paying them, so they practically surround my cab when they see me dropping off.
(Cab # withheld to protect the guilty!)
My standard operating procedure (after dropping at the Hyatt)is to hang around as long as possible, pretend like I am waiting for a pre-arranged ride and I usually get what I want -- I get to "steal" a load from the idiots.
One guy told me the City (DCS - all the way to the top of the pile) knows about this and the payoffs from the limo companies and drivers, but they won't lift a finger to stop it.
The City protects this doorman extortion and bribery racket as if it were their own.
You watch, that doorman will most likely walk with a slap on the wrist and a pat on the back from Commissioner of High Corruption Reyes.
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All, Doorman are liars and crooks. Just go the Hyat on Wacker Driver, And, the Marriott on Michigan. That place is full of them crooks.
Cabdriver Sultan Shaikh says he was attacked by two men on Michigan Avenue.
Location 300 block N. Michigan Ave
Crime date May 9, 2008
Case number HP326613
Crime time 3:25 p.m.
Primary type Battery
Secondary type Simple battery: Simple
Place Taxicab
Case Number: 08-MC1-228211 Reynaldo Leflore
08-MC1-228217 Alfonso Munoz
Court Date: 7/15/08, at 1:30
Location: Branch 29, 2452 West Belmont, Chicago
Charge: Misdemeanor Simple Battery.
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Replying to:
They watch me like a hawk when I drop off at the Hyatt because I used to pay them off for airport loads.
I "stole" a few of their "special customers" without paying them, so they practically surround my cab when they see me dropping off.
(Cab # withheld to protect the guilty!)
My standard operating procedure (after dropping at the Hyatt)is to hang around as long as possible, pretend like I am waiting for a pre-arranged ride and I usually get what I want -- I get to "steal" a load from the idiots.
One guy told me the City (DCS - all the way to the top of the pile) knows about this and the payoffs from the limo companies and drivers, but they won't lift a finger to stop it.
The City protects this doorman extortion and bribery racket as if it were their own.
You watch, that doorman will most likely walk with a slap on the wrist and a pat on the back from Commissioner of High Corruption Reyes.
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Replying to:
All, Doorman are liars and crooks. Just go the Hyat on Wacker Driver, And, the Marriott on Michigan. That place is full of them crooks.
Great job Chicago Dispatcher!
