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How can they tell someone is transporting alcohol?
September 19, 2006
In another sign of increasing Muslim intolerance in the U.S., Islamic taxi drivers - primarily of Somali extraction - at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport are refusing to accept fares whom they suspect of possibly transporting alcohol.
Recent changes at the terminal have proved a boon for the drivers, forcing passengers to use the ubiquitous taxis to get around within the confines of the airport making them ripe for exploitation.
Another angle is that such discrimination by Muslim drivers might make it possible for them to weed out the low fare inter-terminal travelers from those wishing to travel outbound at substantially higher fees, thus assigning themselves all the longer distance fares while the infidels are taking the short ones
Why airport officials have caved to the unreasonable religious demands of an extremist minority is puzzling but the involvement of the Muslim American Society - an Islamist group whose name pretty much denotes their ultimate intent - in this process may help explain it, MAS being adept at injecting itself into such controversies and always on the side of the extension of Sharia into mainstream America.
Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan though unwilling to tackle the issue head-on, did at least give lip service to the image problem this was causing the airport "Travelers often feel surprised and insulted...Sometimes, several drivers in a row refuse carriage."
Partially addressing the obvious inequities in such behavior, airport authorities are now forcing those who have refused a fare because of the alcohol issue to go to the end of the line in the taxi queue.
Reports have claimed that a system of roof lights might be proposed by the airport as early as today with the idea that for instance a yellow light would indicate a taxi willing to take a fare carrying alcohol whereas one having a red light would not.
Might this be expanded?
Possibly a cab adorned with a Hamas insignia would indicate taxi's willing to take passengers wearing bomb-belts?
Or perhaps one with a white flag could offer Christian or Jewish passengers free conversion to Islam?
The mind reels…
Assuming Mr. Hogan and his employer come to their senses, it might simply make more sense for the airport to refuse demands by intolerant Muslim immigrants from Somalia to force the citizens of a pluralistic country to accept the dictates of Sharia law.
Drivers who refuse to operate by such rules should be fired by the taxi company as a condition of keeping their city license to operate.
Additionally, all such drivers should in any case be required to pass a security check as well as prove their legal immigration status.
But its STILL okay for them to sell alcohol at their personally owned convienent stores? Hmmmm??
How can they tell someone is transporting alcohol?
No one is searching bags, but a Napa Valley wine box or a see-through bag from the duty-free store can be enough to leave a fare waiting for the next cab. Airport officials estimate that happens at least three times a day.
estimates that three-quarters of the 900 airport cabdrivers are Somali, most of them Muslim. Hogan said drunken passengers haven't had trouble getting a cab, just the ones who let on that they're carrying a bottle.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/15656476.htm
I would think many conservatives would see this as an ultimate display of both free market economics and religious fundamentalism. If the cab drivers want to be so picky about the fares they take, it seems logical to conclude that they won't be able to sustain themselves in the business and will eventually be replaced by more lenient drivers. On the other hand, the cab drivers are protesting the consumption of alcohol, something that is legal but contrary to their religious views. Why should cab drivers be any different than those who burn books or protest at abortion clinics? Again, if they can persuade enough people by appealing to the need for convenience, they'll attain their goal; if they can't, however, they'll end up out of business.
Because all cab drivers of Muslim descent own and operate convenience stores?
Nice generalization about Muslims.
What if they have a bag of pork rinds?
yes, as long as the market is allowed to operate without undue govt. limitations at the airport. ie: There is a cab company owned and operated by Muslims, and IT has the contract at the airport, so few, if any, competing cabs are allowed in - meaning no compe ion, or impetus to change; otherwise fine.
...and I won't be going & spending any of MY dollars in Mn/St. Paul anytime soon, either. (another way the market can affect change.)
Yet another Muslim bashing thread.
Anybody get the sense that only half the story is being told in the most biased way possible?Muslim intolerance
exploitation
discrimination
unreasonable religious demands
extremist minority
obvious inequities
Hamas insignia
bomb-belts
free conversion to Islam
intolerant Muslim immigrants
force the citizens
There is nothing to discuss other than the obvious xenophobia represented here and the lack of critical thinking evidenced by the op-ed/blog piece.
Critical thinking questions:
What is the author's purpose in writing this piece?
What information is NOT presented?
Are the conclusions drawn by the author supported by the presented evidence?
Is the presented evidence credible?
Perhaps snake could answer these questions. I would love to see some critical thinking being done by the thread originator.
If the post originator doesn't have the intellectual honesty to address the critical thinking questions, I will do so later today.
I think it is fun to expose illogical predjudices and the effects it has.
If it were Baptist taxi drivers refusing to allow alcohol-carrying passengers on, would your reaction to the article be the same?
Sorry Mr P.C., let me rephrase. Why is it okay for these taxi drivers to do what they are doing yet other Muslim's who own C-Stores can readily stock and sell alcohol?
Is that better? Sorry, I'm just an infedel like all the rest of us living in the USA I guess.
Perhaps because the Muslims who own convenience stores don't see the possession and distribution of alcohol as contrary to their religious principles.
That some Christians think that dancing is fornication doesn't mean that no Christian should ever dance. Just as not all Christians view their religion the same way, I'm sure all Muslims don't view that religion the same way.
But, again, nice attempt to generalize. I'm sure you'll convince someone that all Muslims think and act alike.
If you will note the topic of the thread was PLEASE DISCUSS. The purpose of the post was to have people do just that. Perhaps you can contact the writer of the piece and ask him/her to answer your questions as my intention was to hear others thoughts on the issue.
Sorry, me and my "intellectual honesty" are vacationing on the left coast at the moment. I'll be sure to drop everything a little later and come back and so I can get your opinion of what's really going on.
Perhaps if you had actually looked up the original source article instead of posting an overly biased, ignorant, and obviously xenophobic op-ed piece, I wouldn't have had to be irritated enough by it to get snippy.If you will note the topic of the thread was PLEASE DISCUSS. The purpose of the post was to have people do just that. Perhaps you can contact the writer of the piece and ask him/her to answer your questions as my intention was to hear others thoughts on the issue.
Sorry, me and my "intellectual honesty" are vacationing on the left coast at the moment. I'll be sure to drop everything a little later and come back and so I can get your opinion of what's really going on.
Which was better describes the motivation for posting the "article", lazy or dishonest?
Critical thinking questions:
1) What is the author's purpose in writing this piece?
To instill a sense of paranoia that their (assumedly christian) beliefs are under attack by "Islamic extremists". This is supported by the previously posted excerpts of biased and emotionally loaded language.2)What information is NOT presented?
Note the author implies the refusals are new policies. The original source article says that has always been the policy.Cabbies without the light who refuse fares will be sent to the back of the line — often a three-hour wait until it's their turn again for a fare.
That's how such refusals are handled now. Cab drivers said some have refused two fares in a day, which can burn up nearly half a 12-hour shift. Cab drivers said they'd rather wait for another fare than risk punishment in the afterlife.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/15656476.htm
3)Are the conclusions drawn by the author supported by the presented evidence?
No evidence presented to support this thesis.Another angle is that ....
There is also no evidence to support the assertion that the MSA's involvement here is to "promote Sharia [muslim law]
Basically the only evidence to support the author's overall thesis is low-paid cabbies are giving up 1/4 to 1/2 of their daily incomes to comply with what they feel are their religious beliefs.
4) Is the presented evidence credible?
The evidence of the fact that some fares are refused can be confirmed by outside sources.
The author cannot, however, prove any of the assertions made in the article about "extremists" "imposing Sharia" on unwilling westerners.
This particular assertion is directly contravened by a reporter who actually spoke with the drivers, if you read the original Twincities article. The motivation is not to impose religious views on others, it is to obey their own consciences.
The only real conspiracy here is of indivuals accepting pay cuts to comply with their religious beliefs.
Doesn't sound quite so sinister now, does it?
I think that can safely conclude the discussion.
Unless one wants to discuss the "lazy or dishonest" part.
Personally I think it is a bit of both.
I find the original article to be incredibly biased.
and this in particular :
to be hatefull and paranoid.but the involvement of the Muslim American Society - an Islamist group whose name pretty much denotes their ultimate intent - in this process may help explain it
Well I guess it could be likened to pharmacists that refuse to dispense certain prescriptions because of their religious beliefs.
Bingo.
I don't think this is the "discussion" that snake wanted, heh.
Last edited by RandomGuy; 10-04-2006 at 04:51 PM.
I call bull on this story. Not only is it rabidly written, but I doubt that it is factually correct, and you have failed to add a link to where it came from.
I drove a cab for 6 years, and here drivers are only allowed to turn down fares for very specific reasons such as drunkeness, abuse, or suspecting that the person can't pay the fare (in which case you can ask them for it up front). The reason? So that cabbies can't turn down short fares. I have a feeling that the law in Minne/St Paul would stipulate something similar, otherwise cabbies there could turn down any short fare they felt like.
I say again, bull .
Or perhaps I simply like to watch people get all worked up and irritated like you did. Mission accomplished!
Thanks!
The classic comeback from intellectual midgets.Or perhaps I simply like to watch people get all worked up and irritated like you did. Mission accomplished!
Thanks!
"I just did it to mess with you guys".
You post something stupid, don't have the brainpower to actually think about the subject and end with this. It is on the same level as ringing a doorbell and running away.
What is the policy of the Taxi Code, if there is such a thing, for Taxi Drivers? You would think they would make it a stipulation that you cannot refuse service if they are the passenger is carrying liquor legally.
OH NOOOOES! You figured me out. As I said, I come on here for pure entertainment. Unlike you, I have better things to do then write pages of babble about every post that made. If you gauge intelligence by whats posted on a Spurs forum, I'm not sure what to tell you. My time is better spent actually doing constructive things like making a living. If that makes me a intellectual midget, so be it. From the looks of some of your posts, it doesn't appear that the Mr. Intellectual thing is working out to good for you outside of Internet Land.The classic comeback from intellectual midgets.
"I just did it to mess with you guys".
You post something stupid, don't have the brainpower to actually think about the subject and end with this. It is on the same level as ringing a doorbell and running away.
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