Shoib Hasan was one in a loyal group of colleagues who attended the funeral of Haroon Paryani, the cabdriver who was killed with his own vehicle after arguing with a passenger early Friday morning.
Hasan, owner of Globe Taxi Association, told RedEye on Monday that Paryani’s funeral was the 16th memorial service he has attended in his 25-year career in the taxi business. Paryani drove for Globe for about six weeks last year, and Hasan knew him from years of chatting while the men waited to pick up airport fares.
Hasan says he is a survivor of cab violence himself. He said that in 1983 a passenger slit his throat, but an onlooker was able to call police in time to save his life.
“One guy was holding me … the other shoved the knife in my throat. I had only $7,” said Hasan, who has a scar on his neck. “He put the knife to my throat and asked for the money. I said, ‘The money’s right here, take it.’ He said, ‘That’s all?’ They heard a siren and ran.”
Cab rage–from drivers and passengers–is a fact of urban life, but the still-unfolding details behind the bizarre killing of Paryani has brought the issue into the spotlight again, with many cabbies calling for more protection from the city.
Complaints from riders about excessive fares and discourteous behavior are common, said Norma Reyes, commissioner of the city’s Consumer Services Department.
Some disputes rage beyond a verbal exchange, however, even though a number of cabdrivers said Monday that they try to diffuse violent situations. All licensed cabdrivers go through customer-relations sessions as part of their city-mandated training programs to help them handle passenger disputes.
John Henry, managing partner of Gold Coast Taxi Association, said the police officer who taught his course told him that gut instincts are the best defense against crime and that drivers should pay attention to their customer’s state of mind.
“I took my training very seriously,” Henry said. “I learned never to let my guard down and to never panic. It’s worked. As long as I’ve been relaxed, things have been OK.”
Still, every time a driver picks up a fare, he puts himself in danger because there’s no way to know if the customer is violent, said Johnny Holmes, president of Taxi Brotherhood, a driver’s group.
“We’re always talking about safety issues in our meetings,” he said. “The shields in our cars are a joke. We are still targets of violence.”
Neimet Raza, who has driven a cab for
25 years, said he was stabbed in the ear and shot by a passenger on Thanksgiving Day in 1996.
“Without any reason, he stabbed me,” Raza said. “I’m afraid. I used to be driving [at] night, but no more.”
Not all situations escalate to that level, but they still can be frightening.
Mohammad Kahn said his scariest moment on the job happened late at night on a St. Patrick’s Day when six guys crammed into his cab.
The men became angry when Kahn did not turn left at a traffic light, and one man tried to punch him before the group jumped out of the cab and began kicking the car and shattering its windows.
Drivers said police often don’t respond fast enough to such incidents.
“As a cabdriver you have no friends,” said Henry, of the Gold Coast Taxi Association. “Not the police. Not the public.”
Sgt. Robert Cargie, a police spokesman, said officers are required to respond to all calls in any situation and that they respond based on priority.
In general, some cabbies said they sense an attitude of disdain for drivers.
People treat cabdrivers like second-class citizens, said Globe owner Hasan.
“After 9/11 it’s been hard because many cabdrivers are foreign,” he said, adding that he sometimes goes by “Sam” for safety reasons. “I can’t even count how many times I’ve been told to go back where I came from. One angry customer called me a ‘monkey.’ “
Ald. Thomas Allen (38th), chairman of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, said that cab safety comes up routinely in his committee’s meetings but that little could have been done to prevent what happened to Paryani.
“What happened is barbaric,” Allen said. “A little fistfight is one thing. There’s something wrong with an individual who would drive a motor vehicle over someone multiple times.”
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When things get out of control
An argument with your cabdriver does not have to escalate to violence, said Norma Reyes of the city’s Consumer Services Department.
A complaint system exists to help settle disputes between drivers and passengers, she said, adding that any person can step away from a hostile situation and have a third party resolve it.
Many things that passengers complain about–from being overcharged to being treated poorly–are fineable offenses.
For example, if a cabdriver isn’t satisfied with the tip you leave and throws it out the window, he can be fined $25.
Fines for repeat offenders who overcharge can be as high as $700, Reyes said.
Each complaint the department receives is investigated and settled. Most are handled informally–a city employee listens to both sides in a claim and then, if it’s a valid claim, mediates a settlement or reimbursement.
— Maegan Carberry
TO FILE A COMPLAINT: Complaints
(or compliments) can be made online at www.cityofchicago.org on the Consumer Services page.
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mcarberry@tribune.com
