This is a bonus story about an issue that plagues the New York City Taxi Industry: Taxi Ride Service Refusals.
Every year hundreds of passengers are refused service across the city. Service refusals primarily affect people with disabilities and communities in the outer boroughs who are disproportionately Black/People of Color. The Taxi and Limousine Commission’s latest campaign against taxi ride service refusals asks passengers to report drivers to 311 - but has this approach worked in the past?
Julian and Yanny break it down by looking at the last time a taxi ride refusal caused a stir - when the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carmen Yulin Cruz and then City Council Speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, fought two yellow cab drivers. Tune in as we speak to one of the drivers, who for the first time ever, speaks about how it all went down. Make sure to visit the website for the fully translated transcription to follow along for the parts in Spanish. (http://bit.ly/2TNCQim)
Audio Mixing and Assistance: Kyle Kerley & Carlos Perez
Music credit: Talib Kweli, Geto Boys, Jay-Z, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Nas, Lucho Bermudez, The Temptations.