Brooklynite Punched by Cabbie Lives to Tell Great Story Someday
Anyone who has ever tried to take a taxi from Manhattan to Brooklyn is familiar with the hostile tone of a cab driver that generally refrains a Brooklyn address.
But rarely does it come to blows as it did on Washington Avenue and Prospect Place on January 13. Around 10pm, one male and one female passenger in an SUV cab began arguing with the driver, who demanded payment after hitting the male passenger in the face. Shortly after, another car pulled up, the driver hopped out, ran up to the scene and hit the male passenger twice in the face.
So much for a hassle free ride.
Now, since I was only a bystander, I won’t take sides on the matter, but it’s clear that hostilities between Brooklynites and taxi drivers are reaching an apex when the cops show up to break up the fight.
For Brooklyn residents this is an old story. Here’s the beef: many Brooklynites are frequent passengers of New York City taxis, especially after a night out in the city, and expect the same level of respect their Manhattan counterparts receive when they deliver their destinations to a driver. On the flipside, drivers are often annoyed with frequent trips over a bridge and back again without a second fare.
So what to do about it? You tell me. I’d love to hear your stories, as of course I have a few of my own. Have you been refused a ride to Brooklyn? Has your driver mysteriously forgotten English in the midst of a dispute? Or perhaps gotten lost intentionally?
Do tell. And hopefully detente will come someday.
