Regarding your columnist Laura Washington and her comment about the 25 percent of taxi drivers who are “insolent, hostile, racist and sexist” (“Bootstrap theory works,” Op-Ed, Sept. 15):
I have learned, through careful observation, that many of the taxi drivers who behave inappropriately are in fact not licensed. (When I have asked licensed drivers how many Chicago taxi drivers do not have a license, I hear estimates of 10 to 20 percent.)
The moment someone behaves in the manner described above, I look closely at the chauffeur’s license and photograph. Inevitably, the driver either cannot produce a chauffeur’s license or does not resemble the photo. Licensed taxi drivers go through a course that discusses racial and gender issues; it seems to effectively encourage appropriate behavior.
If the city would also spot-check taxi drivers and/or hold the cab companies responsible for illegal drivers, none of us would face the sometimes dangerous, sometimes offensive experience of riding with an unlicensed taxi driver.
