It's the law: A yellow New York City
Of course, that's not always how it works in practice. In June, I flagged down a cabbie in the East Village. He locked his doors and demanded to know my destination before I got in. I told him I wanted to go to Queens. He drove off.
I may also have shouted "I'm going to call the TLC!" while gripping the door handle of an accelerating Ford Escape.
- Josh Barro (@jbarro) June 22, 2013
I made good on my threat, and I got results: The Taxi and Limousine Commission notified me by email this morning that the driver who jilted me has pleaded guilty to refusing a fare.
Josh Barro / Business Insider
A TLC representative informed me that the driver's penalty was a $100 fine, which seems fair. Had he pleaded not guilty, there would have been a hearing, which I was kind of excited to attend and write about. But I'll take this outcome, too.
The best part is, the process was really easy. I didn't actually call the TLC because you can make a complaint online. Then, a city employee will call you to gather information ab0ut your claim. The city will notify the cabbie, and either he will plead guilty, or they'll schedule a hearing, where you can testify in writing or in person. (If you're not a journalist looking for fodder, you'll probably want the in-writing option.)
If more passengers file complaints, cabbies will be less inclined to break the law.