Once upon a Wednesday rush hour a cabbie swerved in front of me and stopped in the bike lane to pick up a fare! I shared my outrage with him at his callous lack of respect for that sliver of macadam we cyclists like to think of as inviolable, sacred space. I then called 311 to register my complaint, and was told I'd have to appear at a hearing to formally file such. I feel it my duty to do so, but I'm wondering: can I really expect any satisfactory recourse? Or am I about to plummet into a rabbit's hole of ludicrous NYC bureacracy?
Rabbit holes in Central Park?
Mon, 01/01/2007 - 5:00pm
Tue, 01/02/2007 - 5:48am
#1
The TLC will sanction the cabdriver when you have a legitimate complaint, and will impose relatively severe financial sanctions. While these guys barely eke out a living in their job, if the conduct warrants sanctions - and in my opinion this does as I have been in your situation more than once - then you should file a complaint.
Barry
Tue, 01/02/2007 - 8:09pm
#2
tlc court
"You are performing a community service by doing this. Bad news travels fast and the taxi drivers will be more careful about violating traffic rules
you can file a TLC complaint online at http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/file_complaint.shtml
you can pick which weekday and time is more convenient to you. Write down all the information so you have a record for the hearing. Using a cell phone to record the information at the scene is a good idea. Note the exact location, time and cab number. Note exactly where you were in the road. For example if there are three northbound lanes note the position you were in, lane 1 is illegal parking/bus stop lane , lane 2 is travel lane ,3 is travel. Example bicyclist was in lane 2 just outside of door zone of parking lane. If you know where the taxi came from, make note of that, but don't make stuff up. Look at the lane markings to see if the taxi driver crossed solid lines and was doing a illegal lane change. Make note of everything, your hearing will be in about 6 to 8 weeks.
I wish we could report and have our day in court with regular vehicle drivers,
"
Wed, 01/03/2007 - 5:11am
#3
Thanks for the tips, Mike.....It was in Central Park; in our beloved bike lane. That's why I was so upset. (As for streets I've pretty much accommodated myself to the fact that anything goes.) I wish I'd thought to use my phone camera, but I have all the relevant info.
