11/04/2009
Gay Couple Thrown Out of New York Taxi Cab for Hugging
A gay New York couple was kicked out of a taxi cab earlier this week for hugging, the New York Post reports.
"Paul Bruno and his partner hailed the yellow cab Monday night at 13th Street and First Avenue and sat close, Bruno told The Post.
But the driver, identified by Bruno and city records as Medhat Mohamed, was apparently appalled by their shows of affection -- and pulled the cab over two blocks into the trip. 'You guys have to get out of the taxi! Hugging is not allowed in here!' the driver said, according to Bruno.
Stunned, the lovebirds exited and watched the taxi peel away. 'I was shocked,' said Bruno, 27, who called the act 'discrimination against homosexuals.'
The encounter took place at 10:20 p.m. after the couple attended a birthday dinner and hailed a ride to East Harlem. 'To pull over after two blocks and be so blatantly intolerant is outrageous,' Bruno said."
The Taxi and Limousine Commission says it is looking into it: "It would be considered a 'service refusal.' The first offense is a $200 to $350 fine, the second a $350 to $500 fine and a 30-day suspension, and the third strike is license revocation."
UPDATE: Choire Sicha at the Awl points out the outpouring of sympathy from New York Post readers.
Posted 11:37 AM EST by Andy Towle in Discrimination, New York, News | Permalink
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We were going home from the bar one night here in Atlanta a few years ago and my friend and I were told not to touch.
Posted by: Matt | Nov 4, 2009 11:48:25 AM
A lost cab driver who speaks no English,
completely understandable,
a tradition even.
A prudish cab driver?
Incomprehensible.
I don't understand the modern world.
Posted by: Nonplussed | Nov 4, 2009 11:49:26 AM
Is it me, or is sh*t really hitting the fan incessantly as of late. It seems everyday, in the news, there are reports of hate crimes, deaths, bigotry, inequality and other words I can't think of right now to describe being Gay in the state of the current world. Is there so much hate and intolerance among the human race? Really? *Shakes head*
Posted by: scb | Nov 4, 2009 11:54:21 AM
i would have gotten so goddamned crazy in the back of that cab, he'd have to drag me out with both hands. and then it's on.
Posted by: b mac | Nov 4, 2009 11:55:30 AM
Damn, I'd be sitting close to "Mr. Bruno", too. Woof.
Posted by: JeffRob | Nov 4, 2009 11:59:29 AM
I don't understand people who take jobs that deal with the public and then expect the public to comply with their specific sense of morality. Just like pharmacists who refuse to fill Plan B prescriptions.
You chose the job, now deal with it!
Posted by: David R. | Nov 4, 2009 12:01:11 PM
Same thing happened to me and my then boyfriend in SAN FRANCISCO in 2002. Cab driver put us out in the rain. It was evident that he, too, was an adherent of Islam. RELIGION IS THE PROBLEM, PEOPLE.
Posted by: GM | Nov 4, 2009 12:01:51 PM
I'd like to hug Mr. Bruno's face with my legs. I'd give the cabbie a damned good reason to throw us out of his cab. I just shoot. I don't aim.
Posted by: donkeytrot69 | Nov 4, 2009 12:03:47 PM
I got kicked out of a cab once for kissing my date on the cheek. We'd been holding hands in the back and when I first kissed him, the taxi driver slammed on his brakes causing us to hit our heads on the partition. We were confused, but didn't think we'd been the cause of his horrible driving. The next time he swerved across 3 lanes of busy traffic to kick us out - AND demand payment for the 4 block trip.
Posted by: TRP | Nov 4, 2009 12:05:22 PM
The solution is to refuse to get out of the cab and call the cops if need be... no cabbie wants to be shown to be the ass-wipe that he is if he is that bigoted moron.... plus they would be officially written up and that would go towards their record along with a fine. FUCK the haters... I am done with them all. Gloves off time.
I am glad that the guys got the name and number of the cab and that they reported it. Time for silence is over. Call the bigots on it at every turn... shame them at every turn. Let their friends and neighbors know what's in their hearts... if they wanna hate they have to live with the consequences!
Posted by: CKNJ | Nov 4, 2009 12:07:20 PM
My suggestion should this happen to anyone else is that you keep your ass planted in the cab -- what is he doing to do, physically drag you out? then you have a REAL lawsuit -- and dial 311 from your cell phone to report him to the TLC while you're sitting there.
Posted by: Glenn | Nov 4, 2009 12:09:14 PM
Go check out the hateful comments on the NY Post page. Disgusting!
Posted by: Xtopher | Nov 4, 2009 12:09:43 PM
Get real! Medhat used to date Paul and got jealous. Promiscuity is to blame here.
Posted by: BottomsUp | Nov 4, 2009 12:11:00 PM
Relgious fundamentalism is the mark of ignorance.... and Islam and Christianity sure do pull in the low level fools.
Lets just hope America does not go down the same path as the Middle East with those seeking to keep power pandering to the street of fools.
(Yes I am thinking Sarah Palin.)
Posted by: RJP3 | Nov 4, 2009 12:16:26 PM
i agree with SCB.....I'm trying to be optimistic...but are we losing this war or what???
Posted by: joe | Nov 4, 2009 12:20:30 PM
Gosh, as a Black man I find this incident shocking. Shocking I tell you.
Posted by: soulbrotha | Nov 4, 2009 12:25:05 PM
Are these two New Yorkers? Cuz a real new yorker would NEVER get out of a cab just because some Taliban driver told them to. I got in a cab outside of a DC hotel once and was refused service by the cretin driving because he thought he'd get a better deal by waiting for a hotel guest and I went nine kinds of crazy on his ass and refused to leave until he took me where I was going---and I yelled at his ignorant ass the entire way.
These two should have stayed put and dialed police first, taxi commission second. Pussies
Posted by: Christopher | Nov 4, 2009 12:36:03 PM
They also need to file a complaint with both the NYC and NYS Human Rights Commissions, which have oversight for discrimination complaints that include sexual orientation. The driver or his taxi company (if he's not the one who owns the medallion for the cab) might then need to pony up some money to pay for a lawyer or could result in additional fines if found guilty.
Posted by: Scotto X | Nov 4, 2009 12:37:47 PM
Yup, SOULBROTHA. And as a black queen, I'm stunned...that I think Bruno is so sexy. I wonder what the Muslim taxi driver looked like...if Egyptian--probably gorgeous.
MY POINT IS: nasty cab drivers have done much worse. As SOULBROTHA just pointed out, ask your average black man about cab drivers that never stop to pick you up....better yet, ask your average black drag queen. Ooops, I mean, transwoman. (ooooh, child, I forget)
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Nov 4, 2009 12:44:56 PM
SCB and Joe, I agree that this issue is unfortunate, but one NY cabbie's bigotry is hardly indicative of the state of gay rights. They got the driver's name, and he'll be reprimanded. No violence occurred, and they reported the incident (one that likely happens many times a day in many urban areas). Things could be a whole lot worse.
Posted by: Paul R | Nov 4, 2009 12:58:55 PM
Hmmm... We could use this to our advantage. Just say that you want to be dropped off maybe a block away from your destination. At your actual destination, give your boyfriend a little smooch, and bam! free cab ride!
Posted by: Matt | Nov 4, 2009 1:01:10 PM
You know, on second thought, I can remember being treated pretty nasty by city transit employees (back before I started looking like a regular man...dammit). This story is about a taxi driver, but the situation and degradation is similar. The memories still hurt and make me fantasize mass murder of city bus drivers and transit cashiers.
So, I retract my earlier attempt at humor regarding this event. Public humiliation for being gay or gender role non-conforming at funny.
Actually, everybody in Philly wants to kill the city transit employees today. They're on strike.
...still think Bruno is hot.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Nov 4, 2009 1:14:20 PM
" Public humiliation for being gay or gender role non-conforming at funny."
aint funny, or isn't funny....or twas never funny
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Nov 4, 2009 1:16:36 PM
Kudos to these two for keeping their cool because I doubt I would have been able to control my rage and most likely would have blown the incident way the fuck up. Given what happened in Maine last night I think we have all had enough. It's time to drag this country into the 21st century wether it wants to come - or not.
Posted by: Giovanni | Nov 4, 2009 1:37:59 PM
I was in sanfrancisco a few years back for pride and to visit friends. I hailed a cab, and as soon as I got in he started making obscene antigay comments (I was wearing a pride pin on my shirt), so I called him a cunt and departed the vehicle. He got awfully upset about that (hispanic fella-- and from what I was told later on by some hispanic friends, that's a trigger word), pulled up alongside, parked hopped out and ran up to me screaming his head off that he was gonna kill me. Got a couple of quick jabs in, too. LOL! Too bad for him, he didn't know just how angry he'd made me, nor comprehend the danger he was in. Let's just say he won't be doing that ever again...to anyone. Depending on where he began that evening, he either found religion or lost it.
Posted by: TANK | Nov 4, 2009 1:44:11 PM