IT'S UP TO THE TAXI DRIVERS TO GET OTHER JOBS

Submitted by Sofa Sogood (United States), Feb 21, 2007 at 20:34

I totally disagree. Contract law states that when an offer is made and then accepted, a contract is completed. The light on the top of a taxi is a legal offer. That is why (aside from anti-discrimination laws) it's illegal for taxis to refuse to pick up people of a race that don't like. Of course, drunken, roudy or otherwise threatening behavior would be an exception.

Besides the law, many religions have prohibitions which would preclude the practitioners from carrying out the obligations of certain jobs. Those people usually just get other jobs, and the jobs are left to other people who are able to fulfill the responsibilities required. An observant Jewish person cannot force the owner of a busy restaurant to hire him only for shifts other than Friday night and Saturday, when to work those days is a requirement of the job -- or to insist that other waiters serve customers who order pork. He has to get another job.

Taxi drivers cannot pick and choose their customers -- it's the law. And this is not even about a religious edict. It's a matter of preference. And, actually, it seems it isn't sincere, but rather a test case of some sort -- to see how far inroads can be made into public acceptance of Sharia law -- one step at a time. No provision at all should be made to accommodate this pushy intrusion. It should be nipped in the bud.

The taxi drivers, if they are really sincere about this, could possibly form their own private call-up car service, with the up-front provision that no alcohol will be carried, or that it is only for people wearing purple!

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".