Longform
How Some Illegal Taxi Drivers Are Fighting Back Against the Green Cab Program
Categories: Longform
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| It was a busy night, two days before Christmas, and the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant were packed with shoppers. So Emmanuel* was out later than usual. He had just picked up one last fare from his corner in Bed-Stuy, which was usually a safe zone, but moments later he was pulled over by a Ford Econoline van. Emmanuel knew the model. It was what New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission officers used when they did undercover sweeps for illegal cab drivers. He also knew what came next: Two TLC officers would approach his car; he'd roll his window down; one of them would reach in and take his key. He would be booked for driving without TLC plates, his car would be impounded, and he'd have to pay a big fine to get it back. The TLC had recently begun cracking down on illegal, or "gypsy," cab drivers, more than ever before, and this was its modus operandi. So, as the van idled behind him, and as the TLC officers appeared to call for backup, Emmanuel quietly shifted into drive, stepped hard on the gas, and peeled off. The officers, caught flat-footed, didn't even try to chase him. [Single Page] |
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