Anatomy of a Chicago Police Cover-up
Police dispatcher sends four police officers to answer one question for another police officer

This past Monday, August 18, I was thrilled to see first-hand the tactics some Chicago police officers use to cover up their wrongdoings. They put on a clinic and I felt honored to observe so many such tactics at the same time with my own eyes and ears. What a treat! These guys pulled out all the stops.

Let me set the scene for you. Taxi driver Ted Budzynski was at the O’Hare staging area passing out fliers and talking to drivers about boycotting the only restaurant in the staging area because the restaurant had raised its prices. Ted called me because he was apparently told to stop passing out the fliers by Joe Burgos, an Operations Manager for Landside Operations, and was told to stay within 25 feet of his cab by a Chicago police officer.

When I got to the staging area, Mr. Burgos was there but the police had left. Mr. Burgos explained that it was against the rules to pass out fliers because “foreign object debris” could get sucked into airplane engines causing a safety problem. Mr. Burgos offered that Ted could go around and talk to anyone he wanted; he just couldn’t pass out the fliers. I asked Mr. Burgos why Ted was then told to stay within 25 feet of his cab. Mr. Burgos said I’d have to ask the police about it as that directive came from them.

So I called the Chicago police. That’s where the fun began with some of Chicago’s finest. You guys put on a great show.

I mean right from the get-go with my first call to your dispatcher, you guys really set the tone. Your dispatcher’s rudeness over the phone when she refused to give her name or the name of the officer who allegedly told Ted he had to stay within 25 feet of his cab before she hung up on me…classic. On my second call she identified herself as Denise Donahue and confirmed that she was the one I spoke with earlier. She said the officer was Ruehl. Ted later informed me that Ruehl wasn’t the officer who issued the order to Ted to stay within 25 feet of his cab though Ted said he was there when the order was issued. When I asked her why she wouldn’t give me the officer’s name the first time, she told me that she didn’t know if she could. When I asked her why she hung up on me she said, “I’m going to hang up on you again. Have a nice day.” Nice touch. I almost didn’t call back the third time. I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t have.

And Sergeant Schmidt, when you arrived at the scene, the scowl on your face…you have that Dirty Harry look down to a science. Bravo. Your actions almost discouraged me like Ms. Donahue’s. I mean, I called you guys to ask you about your department’s actions. Rather than answer my question, you barked at me to stop taking pictures and told me that I had no right to because I was on private property owned by the city of Chicago. You did a great job of making it clear that you’re in charge here and I’m going to answer your questions, not the other way around.

You smartly went for the knockout right away by accusing me of “grandstanding” before I had said a word to you. When I did try to speak to you, you literally shushed me before I could get out my first sentence. Then you told me that the staging area was for cabdrivers only and asked me where my cab was. Displacement of blame - great misdirection tactic! Instead of answering the questions about a screw up, make it look like I’m not supposed to be there so you have an excuse to toss me out without any accountability for the actions of the police.

I told you that I did have a cab there so then you demanded to see my press credentials. More displacement of blame - two in a row! Nicely done. I mean, if you can’t toss me out of the lot for not being a cabdriver, you could challenge my credentials as a reporter to avoid answering any questions. You seemed a bit surprised when I opened my wallet and showed you my press credentials. So what did you have left? You snapped at me for not having them displayed around my neck. You got me. I am the bad guy. I knew you’d find something! Atta boy. No, it wasn’t that your guy screwed up by telling Ted Budzynski to stay within 25 feet of his cab. No, the real crime was that my press credentials weren’t strewn around my neck. Outstanding police work. I could feel this case getting closed!

Or how about you Commander Argenbright? You were nice and friendly. You shook my hand. It almost felt like you were doing me a favor when you said, “If you want we can have somebody out here all the time and enforce all the laws.” You said it in such a nice and friendly way that I felt like you were going to invite me over to your house for turkey next Thanksgiving. I almost felt bad when I told you that what you said sounded like a veiled threat. You even got my sentiments going when you said, “We know you’re out here just trying to make a living.” It almost brought a tear to my eye. This guy knows what we go through. He’s practically a brother! I actually forgot for a moment the reason I was out there in the first place – to find out why Ted was told he had to stay within 25 feet of his cab, which was the reason you were summoned to the O’Hare lot in the first place.

I get it. Whereas Schmidt tried embarrassment, browbeating and displacement of blame, you were using empathy and not-so-veiled threats. You were just trying to help me. You would be doing me a favor by not enforcing laws. I almost walked away and thought about putting away my pen.

Then there was Eppling. No beating around the bush. Straight and to the point. If Schmidt and Argenbright couldn’t get me to stop asking my one simple question, maybe Eppling could.

Eppling wasn’t intimidating like Schmidt and didn’t possess and ounce of Argenbright’s charisma. That’s what actually scared me about him. He apparently couldn’t find any justification in his manual for Ted being told he had to stay within 25 feet of his cab so Eppling seemingly just made something up. He said he found the rule. He said that if a driver was beyond 10 to 30 feet of his cab, he had to have his chauffeur’s license with him. I asked if I could read it myself. He told me no and said, “You’re supposed to know the law.” I get it. I’m the dummy here. Good one Eppling!

So I asked the obvious question: What if someone was, say, 15 feet from his cab? Would he be in violation?

I realized immediately the huge mistake I had just made. I did it good now. Clearly I was there to be a wise guy; not to find out why Ted was told to stay within 25 feet of his cab.

That’s when you said to me, “If you want to write down everything I say verbatim, I’ll start writing everyone here tickets.” You pointed to the moving lane of drivers and noted the drivers who weren’t wearing their seatbelts. Not quite as smooth as Argenbright but not bad. C for effort.

I made another huge mistake when I tried to clarify and asked you if it was in fact OK for Ted to be beyond 25 feet of his cab if he had his chauffeur’s license with him. Rather than answer the question, you asked me where my chauffeur’s license was. Shucks, it was in my cab. That’s when you told me to go get it so you could write me a ticket. Fear of administrative hassle and punishment. Nicely played. Also displacement of blame. Between you and Schmidt, you had the trifecta!

Make no mistake about it. I had violated the law but it wasn’t the imaginary law that I had to have my chauffeur’s license with me. I had violated Eppling’s Law – that’s the law where it’s a crime to ask a Chicago police officer a question, especially if he is unable to answer it. I believe Eppling’s Law is a misdemeanor but can be aggravated to a felony if the answer to that question would demonstrate that Constitutional rights had been violated by police. I’m not sure though. You’d have to ask Eppling about that. It’s probably in his magical book.

I obeyed officer Eppling and retrieved my chauffeur’s license, as I obeyed Schmidt when he ordered me to stop taking pictures. I almost always quietly follow the orders of a police officer but there was one order Eppling gave me that I didn’t follow. I’ll come back to that.

Anyway, the officers stood around and deliberated about whether to write me a ticket. One of the officers (I didn’t notice who) loudly said, “Did you run him?” In case I had forgotten, I was the bad guy here. I was the screw up. Everyone within earshot should know that. Public humiliation.

Lucky for me they decided against writing me a ticket. Rather than admit that they had nothing on me, they used another tactic and acted like they were doing me a favor for not writing me one. That was a good one. I ask you a question but since you can’t or won’t answer it, you threaten to write me a ticket and then act like you’re doing me a favor for not giving me a ticket when you know you had no basis for writing me a ticket.

Eppling, I almost said thank you when you handed me my chauffeur’s license back. I almost felt like you actually were doing me a favor! You did a good job of selling that one.

Well I guess you were too uncomfortable with my question and got the sense that I wasn’t quite satisfied with the answer you’d given. Maybe that’s why you pointed to my notepad and plainly said to me, “Take my name out of here now.” Wow. You just went for it, didn’t you? Can’t blame a guy for trying.

My favorite tactic you used was when you approached a small group of drivers and tried to appeal to them by saying that you give them a lot of breaks and they know it.
Then you told them that you were going to write them tickets if I put your name in the paper. Turn my fellow drivers on me. Maybe they could talk some sense into me. Peer pressure…very creative!

Were you being serious with your threats to write drivers tickets if I put your name in the paper officer Eppling? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. That’s the one order you gave me with which I didn’t comply.

Let’s move on to Ruehl. You’re a good guy but you’ve got a lot to learn. You were polite, professional and courteous. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. Just keep hanging around the other three and you’ll get there.

The only thing I didn’t like about your conduct was when I heard you chime in when Eppling made up his 10 to 30 feet rule. You said something to the effect that the initial order given to Ted was correct. My guess is you really knew better but just wanted to be done with all of this. Can’t blame you for that. So did I.

Ruehl, when you took my driver’s license and transcribed the information, asked me if I had ever been arrested and wanted to know my social security number, I took that as standard operating procedure of how you process all criminals and reporters. I know you were just doing your job.

Anyway, let’s wrap things up. Joe Burgos was correct when he said the passing out of literature was prohibited. The police officer who told Ted he had to stay within 25 feet of his cab was wrong. You had no authority to virtually jail Ted like that to prevent him from spreading the word of his boycott. There is no such restriction on drivers unless they are in the first two lines closest to the moving lane. In that case drivers are supposed to be within ten feet of their vehicles. By the way, why didn’t you come back to the O’Hare staging area to answer my question for yourself? I know you have a good explanation. Forget I asked. Schmidt, I had the right to take pictures in the staging area. So does any driver authorized to be in the staging area.

Now before I end this, I just want to say that I don’t intend for this to be an indictment on all police and certainly not all Chicago police. My best friend since I was in first grade has been a police officer for 15 years. Next month I’ll be going to the wedding of another old friend of mine who is also a police officer. Overall police officers do a tremendous job. I’ve also been given my share of breaks by police officers, especially as a cabdriver. Like cabdrivers, police officers aren’t given enough credit for the good things they do and people tend to only remember the bad incidents.

Police officers have one of the most difficult jobs in this country. It’s one of the few jobs out there that are tougher than taxi driving. Most of us taxi drivers realize how tough you have it. We know you’re out here just trying to make a living.

George Lutfallah
CL# 79310

Ted,

the lady who was killed was a cabdriver too, and she wouldn't be able to serve the public any more like the rest of us.

Don't you think that the city should save some flowers for her at the place where she was killed?

I'm sure that you know the spot too when you pass by.

Whats with all of this christian values stuff Ted? Did you know George's family is from Lebanon? While there are a lot of christians there, I don't think they are in the majority.

A good place to question someones christian values would be in the mayors office. Tell Ritchie rich about the one that says not to steal.

Okay, I'll do that.

Ted, Please take the nomination seriously. We need you.

Thank you for letting me know how much I'm needed. Right now I think I'm doing alright alone.

I'm still going want drivers to continue the boycott, till the city hears us loud and clear and gives us the fare increase we deserve.

My understanding is that the city owns the food stand at O'Hare staging. If we all stick together and don't patronize the food stand, than the owner won't have the money to pay the city for the next month rent. This means the city will have to give us a fare increase, if they want the owner to pay the next months rent on the food stand. So, without us cabdrivers, the food stand can't survive, just like cabdrivers can't survive without a fare increase.

We can work together.

TED

Ted, There is power in numbers. Please reconsider this nomination. You have the qualifications all are looking for. Naturally it will be a team effort. Alone isn't what will really help us in the long run!

These three stories are related. The rack missing and the police stopping TB from passing out his fliers and the Union.

If you have to be less than 25 feet from your cab, then you can't possibly have eaten at the restaurant in the staging area, because it's more than 25 feet from any of the cabs! In fact, anyone in the restaurant, the bathrooms, the stamp buying area, or even the prayer area is breaking the draconian 25 foot law!