Crack down on taxi troublemakers    • Article by: EDITORIAL
BOARD , Star Tribune   • Updated: July 2, 2014 - 6:41 PM  Some
cabdrivers are breaking the law in Minneapolis.   Cabs lined the
streets at taxi waiting areas in downtown Minneapolis.  Photo:
RENÉE JONES SCHNEIDER • Star Tribune file,  CameraStar Tribune
photo galleries  Cameraview larger  President Obama visited the
Twin Cities amid all the fanfare and security that any
presidential visit brings. Yet, there’s a chance that as an
African-American, he might have had a hard time getting a cab in
downtown Minneapolis at night. If he had ditched his security
force and tried to hail a taxi, he might have been out of luck.
And even if a cab had stopped for him, it may have driven off if
his destination was too close by or if he wanted to pay with a
credit card. All of those things are illegal in Minneapolis.
City ordinances say taxi drivers can’t refuse to pick up
customers or deny rides due to payment method or the length of
the ride.  But as a recent Sta