Al Roker - Taxi driver snub was racially motivated

[mikebol]

Al Roker says taxi driver's snub was racially motivated

Hope this is acceptable and in the correct forum.

 

[bradmedic04]

 

[rhino]

So . . .

When this actually happens, is it only bad when a white (or apparently white) cab driver does it?

Or is it also a social crime when a non-white cab driver refuses to drive a customer because they are black (which includes at least some black taxi drivers as well)?

 

[mikebol]

I am so tired of ---

* Race being the source of all that is unacceptable to the self involved.
* Questioning MY actions solely on the grounds I was born white.
* Race baiters stirring up "<group> lives matter" when we should be standing together - ALL lives matter.
* Lack of compassion, empathy for those that protect us, public servants - even Taxi drivers.
* Reverse racism going ignored.

Mike (likely to be banned today.)

 

[printcraft]

I'll just leave this here........

[video=youtube;qfRazBKBUc8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfRazBKBUc8[/video]

 

[Cet2survivor]

Brought some to share

 

[Gluemanz28]

I'll just leave this here........

I see what you did there. The Cabbie wasn't concerned about Al's skin color. He just didn't want him to poop in his cab.

I can understand that.

 

[ajeandy]

Maybe he didn't want him to poop in his taxi?

 

[Kutnupe14]

He flagged down a taxi with his son, it stopped, Roker reaches for the door and it drives away. Goes one block, and picks up another guy (who happened to be white). I won't say it's racism, but having had issues catching cabs in a variety of cities, it makes you wonder. And I HAVE been told explicitly, by another cab driver, that I wasn't being picked up "because your black." But that was a long time ago in a land far away.

 

[printcraft]

I hope this is true.....

I mean.... I don't hope this is true....
BUT I hope Big Al is not pulling a brian williams/hillary clinton and inserting himself to be part of the story.

 

[mikebol]

He flagged down a taxi with his son, it stopped, Roker reaches for the door and it drives away. Goes one block, and picks up another guy (who happened to be white). I won't say it's racism, but having had issues catching cabs in a variety of cities, it makes you wonder. And I HAVE been told explicitly, by another cab driver, that I wasn't being picked up "because your black." But that was a long time ago in a land far away.

Agreed. I do not condone this behavior - to any race, from any race. We're all Americans. The End.

What I find frustrating is the media air time this will get due to AR being a television personality. I'm sure there are an equal number of occasions where alternate races have this happen in the Bronx or China town or Jackson Heights or Queens or ... These incidents are selectively plucked from the news to form the basis of talk tracks by political candidates.

Frankly, I would have run over white guys to pick up someone like AR because he could tip well. Just saying.

Mike

 

[mikebol]

Sorry, double post.

 

[HoughMade]

Al Roker says taxi driver's snub was racially motivated

Hope this is acceptable and in the correct forum.

Talk about burying the lead!

Al Roker can read minds!

 

[Kutnupe14]

Agreed. I do not condone this behavior - to any race, from any race. We're all Americans. The End.

What I find frustrating is the media air time this will get due to AR being a television personality. I'm sure there are an equal number of occasions where alternate races have this happen in the Bronx or China town or Jackson Heights or Queens or ... These incidents are selectively plucked from the news to form the basis of talk tracks by political candidates.

Frankly, I would have run over white guys to pick up someone like AR because he could tip well. Just saying.

Mike

Ditto, and if the cabbie had noticed who it was, he probably would have picked him up. Roker isn't the same since he lost all that weight. I've have been passed over by cabbies in NYC, Boston, Berlin, London... but surprisingly, never Chicago. In Berlin, I had to hide behind a building and let a white person who felt sorry for me flag down a ride. In London, I finally got a cab when I walked up to cab with it's light off, and asked why I was having such a hard time. Not missing a beat, he said "Oh, it's because your black." Then he was like "Well, they think you're Black English, and want to go to Brixton" (Brixton is the equiv of what Harlem used to be in NY). He ended up taking me to my hotel, and advised me to yell American when I tried to flag down a cab. It actually worked. NYC, I know better, I just ride the subways now. Boston..... F Boston.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

I know a person who is in the food service industry their entire life. In restaurants it is well known that there are people who fit into certain demographics who are needy and also do not tip well or at all.

Is it racist if the prejudice is financially motivated? I suppose it is. Still it's the weight of the tip jar that's being profiled, not the ethnic background. A thing can be prejudiced and still be true, certain people on average tip less than others.

In this case I'm sure that the decision was a foolish mistake. Instead of calculating white over black =$, the equation should be National celebrity over random schmuck =$.

 

[HoughMade]

We're all speculating, even Al, as to why what happened, happened.

Look I can do it too: clearly the guy was on radio call and as he pulled up to Al, realized that the fare he had been sent for was a block up the street and he was at the wrong address.

 

[Expat]

Do we know for sure that the cab hadn't been dispatched to pick up a fare and realized he was picking up the wrong people?

ETA: Oops, I see HM beat me to that idea.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I know a person who is in the food service industry their entire life. In restaurants it is well known that there are people who fit into certain demographics who are needy and also do not tip well or at all.

Is it racist if the prejudice is financially motivated? I suppose it is. Still it's the weight of the tip jar that's being profiled, not the ethnic background. A thing can be prejudiced and still be true, certain people on average tip less than others.

In this case I'm sure that the decision was a foolish mistake. Instead of calculating white over black =$, the equation should be National celebrity over random schmuck =$.

And those of us in that demographic often receive comparable service based on that assumption. It occurs, at least for me, so often, that I don't eat at middling restaurants. And when I tip it's always in the 25-30% range.

 

[HoughMade]

While we're at it...

http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=29887

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

And those of us in that demographic often receive comparable service based on that assumption. It occurs, at least for me, so often, that I don't eat at middling restaurants. And when I tip it's always in the 25-30% range.

Hey! You assumed the demographic, I didn't put it on you. (we're all adults here, we know what is being said) Yes you do get service based on the perceived odds of a return. I am talking white, Spanish and black waitresses/Servers alike. They all know what tables will pay out and what tables won't, at least they think they do.

Look, don't kill the messenger. I just report what lifelong restaurateurs tell me. I am certain that cabbies have assumed the same presumptions. It's pretty bad that in the 21st century Kutnupe14 has to be profiled but hell "Ain't that America". If it's any consolation you should see me trying to get service at 38th street McDonalds. life's tough all over!