Mar 10, 2008 7:14 pm US/Eastern
CBS 2 HD Goes Undercover To Bust Cranky Cabbies
We Tag Along With Cops As They Bust Drivers For Not Taking Credit Cards, Talking On Cell Phones
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
For months, the fight over credit cards in cabs has erupted into some nasty spats. Punches have even been thrown at passengers.
CBS 2 HD recently went undercover with police officers to crack down on cranky cabbies.
A gang of undercover officers with the Taxi and Limousine Commission have been fanning out across the city trying to catch cabbies yakking on cell phones or denying credit card transactions even when a machine is installed.
In February, one passenger said her driver assaulted her when she asked to pay by credit card.
"He punched me, can you believe it?" the woman said.
Not only does the TLC believe her, but they're doing something about it.
The undercover Operation Safe Ride has handed out hundreds of violations, some of them a couple hundred dollars apiece but the TLC says this is the only way to protect drivers from taking credit cards or talking on their cell phones both of which are violations of the law.
CBS 2 HD's own undercover investigation that aired in December found them flagrantly violating the law.
"It's broken," was the excuse we heard over and over again from drivers when asked if we could pay by credit card.
During our latest undercover operation a driver refused our credit card claiming the machine was broken.
"Oh, you're on the phone?" was our response.
And it was easy to catch driver after driver talking on the phone, just one of several greedy scams.
"The credit card would be declined and then they would accept cash, then it would be a double payment," TLC Commissioner Matt Dawes said.
Dawes says so many riders were complaining he needed to send out his undercover squad to try and clean up the streets. So far, 2,500 cabbies have been tested, 330 were ticketed and they're committed to keeping the mean streets of New York friendly -- at least in a cab.
"We're going to keep it going day in and day out," Dawes said.
Some of this backlash comes from drivers angered over having to pay 5 percent for credit card transactions.
If anything goes wrong on your ride, take down their hack license number and file a complaint.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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