Freddie P's Blog

June 19, 2008 @ 09:50

Yes, the great defender. The "R" word. When all else fails, roll out the "R" word and see where it takes ya.

If you’ve driven downtown lately, you’re aware of crappy cabs racing all over the city, honking their horns, nosing in, rarely yielding and paying little or no attention to pedestrians.

It’s nothing new, and given the price of cab licenses and gasoline, it’s not surprising that the taxi-cab industry has become so cut-throat, but at some point, if laws are being broken, the police have to become involved.

But apparently upholding the law is not the main focus of the cops. Targeting immigrant drivers because of their skin colour is the reason they stop cabs.

The Police Services Board will hear this today when they are presented with a report by three authours, who have apparently studied the taxi-cab industry over the past 11 months.

Basically, the drivers are OK, but cops are bad.

Looking for an excuse for getting a ticket is a universal reaction that transcends race, creed or colour. How often have you met someone who admits they "deserved" a ticket? We all look for excuses, but some of us are willing to stretch it to the limit.

Of several cabbies quoted anonymously in the report, one told the surveyors that city police "don't like us for no reason. They hate us, maybe because of our race or colour."

Now tell me, how does a cop defend himself against that?