What’s Harder Than Being Black and Hailing a Cab?
As a black person, I’ve developed, somewhat to my embarrassment, a formula to avoid the anxiety-ridden act of hailing a cab: (1) If possible, just catch the bus. The bus does not discriminate. (2) If you’re going to be out super-late, just drive. Spending an hour searching for a parking spot beats being alone and stranded late at night any day. (3) If you’re downtown, especially near a hotel, find a taxi stand—cabs are lined up and they have to take you where you want to go. (4) If the trip is two miles or less, just walk.
While I rarely hail cabs at all anymore, I was reminded of this over the weekend when I had the misfortune of watching a middle-aged blind couple (who also happened to be black) trying to catch a cab near Metro Center. Situated across the street at a patio table outside of Potbelly’s, I watched this couple stand on the curb for about 20 minutes. Every 30 seconds or so, they’d listen for the surge in traffic before they raised their walking sticks into the air. And no one stopped.
Finally, a security guard from a nearby building came out and tried to help. But he was also black, and no one stopped for him, either. He then went inside to get somebody to help. This guy was white and, in a matter of seconds, a cab pulled up. It was one of those moments that you’ve read about or heard about on talk radio. For me, it was a moment that’s played out countless times in my life that I’d forgotten about—like having no one to sit with in the cafeteria; it probably happened to you a long ago, but since you’re not in school anymore, you don’t think about it.
How humiliating it was to watch that scene play out. I felt as helpless as I’m sure the security guard did. While we both had our sight, we still couldn’t do much to help the poor couple since we, too, were handicapped.
6 Responses to “What’s Harder Than Being Black and Hailing a Cab?”
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May 15th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
I’m South Asian, but born in Zambia, Africa. I mention this because even I have an incredibly hard time getting a taxi even though so many taxi drivers are South Asian or African, along with being White, Hispanic and African American
It is incredible that such an openly discriminatory form of public transportation exists without any move to correct. My recommendations are to 1) Establish residency requirements for taxi company owners stipulating they must live in D.C.; 2) Abandon the “zone” system which encourages taxi drivers to seek out passengers picking up and dropping off only in the most profitable Zone 1; 3) Stipulate clear guidelines for the identification of taxis by unique numbers which must be displayed on all sides of the car; and 4) Establish both a phone in number and website where consumers can register publicly viewable complaints about taxis that refuse to pick up consumers.
I’m not concerned with taxi drivers complaints that formalizing the system is going to lead hurt small businessmen. Its obvious that the taxi industry in Washington D.C. is unable to police itself and requires external forces to professionalize.
Thanks, Kamal
May 15th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
That was so upsetting watching the blind couple try to hail a cab. It was like watching a mini-Katrina.
May 15th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Try being from VA and hailing a cab. It is impossible. Leave the race card at the door, thanks.
May 15th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
So I guess people can tell you’re from Virginia just by looking at you?
May 15th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Adam, how can people tell you’re from Virginia until you get in the back and say “take me back to Clarendon?” Do you wear a really large sign around your neck while hailing? Am confused. Need clarification.
May 16th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Kamal, it is stranger than you think. I am white and live in NE. I have learned to get in the cab and sit down before giving the driver my destination. Even though drivers are required by law to pick up anyone and take them anywhere, they won’t. The usual tale: “I’m going off-duty and would pick you up but I’m not headed that way,” as if I was hitchhiking.
A Black man in a suit and tie has a better chance of hailing a cab than Colin Powell in a sweatsuit.
It’s often worth the extra charge to call a radio cab.
BTW, drivers often lend their cabs to unlicensed homeboys on the nightshift. The driver’s cellphone call in his mother tongue might be an attempt to get directions to your location.