Cup of STFU goes to….
Muslim cabdrivers. See it seems that muslim cabbies out in Minnesota are bitching and moaning about the rules that they have to carry passengers who have alcohol or who have been drinking.
The commission that runs the Minneapolis airports in May began enforcing a new policy allowing it to revoke the licenses of drivers who refuse to ferry passengers carrying alcohol — something that has happened to 4,854 travelers trying to get a cab at Minneapolis International Airport in the last five years.
“The increased penalties appear to have brought drivers into compliance,” airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said of the policy — a 30-day license suspension for a first infraction and a two-year license revocation for a second.
Although Hogan said the measure was implemented without incident, it has provoked outrage among some of the 900 cab drivers who work the airport. About three quarters of them are Somali, most of whom are Muslim.
“A few of them are really, really upset about it,” said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in neighboring St. Paul. “They believe they have been forced into something against their faith, something against their religion.”
Really? Imagine the outrage if instead, Jewish or Christian cabbies decided not to pick up Muslims because Islam calls for their conversion/death/or dhimmitude? Well we’d see CAIR action alerts, and protests and the ACLU would be there in full force!
The article also brings up an issue that is big not only for the muslim immigrants here but for immigrants in general right now.
“A few of them are really, really upset about it,” said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in neighboring St. Paul. “They believe they have been forced into something against their faith, something against their religion.”
Nevertheless, Jamal’s group does not support the stand taken by the drivers. “We don’t understand why they do this,” he said. The issue is really “a process of getting adjusted to new territory, new culture.“
Perhaps some more assimilation is needed eh Omar?
Of course, there are some people protesting basic non-discrimination of people drinking in Minnesota.
But Stephen Cooper, former commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, said the change from the previous policy, in which drivers refusing a fare went to the back of the line, is unwarranted.
“Five or six times a month, somebody will get the second or third cab, rather than the first cab,” Cooper said. “That seems pretty minor.”
So, cause we don’t want to offend any muslims, the fair boozers in Minnesota need to get another cab? According to the article it’s about 1000 people a year. Let’s put this in perspective, what if 25% of those people decided to drive since they couldn’t get a cab, and half of them got into drunk driving accidents. That would work out to be about 125 drunk driving accidents in Minnesota per year. Mr Stephen Cooper want to talk about whether that’s pretty minor? Eh Mr Cooper? Enjoy the cup of STFU to both the cabbies whining and to Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
