Calgarians share stories of taxi drivers refusing fares after woman gets kicked out
Drivers can only refuse customers in specific circumstances, says city taxi spokesperson
Jenna Leniczek, the 25-year-old woman kicked out of a Checker cab after asking the driver to take her to her nearby car for safety reasons, has discovered this happens frequently in Calgary after posting the incident on social media.
The Facebook post had more than 2,600 shares — and counting — on Tuesday, with many comments citing similar circumstances.
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Leniczek, who had cash in hand for the fare after midnight on Saturday, said the driver told her to leave his car because the six-block drive "was not worth his time."
Shocked by the reaction, Leniczek didn't get the name or number of the driver, which in hindsight she says was a mistake because she could have reported him.
"Apparently this isn't uncommon in Calgary, which was a huge shock to me," she said. "I made it public just so a few friends could share it because they've had similar experiences."
On mobile? Read some Facebook posts here.
We have been denied a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/taxi?src=hash">#taxi</a> ride when it was -35 at 2 a.m. b/c our fare wasn't big enough. I rarely go out in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyc?src=hash">#yyc</a>. <a href="https://t.co/cE0aXjlXpv">https://t.co/cE0aXjlXpv</a>
—@DblELLEBakery<a href="https://twitter.com/CBCCalgary">@CBCCalgary</a> All the more reason for Uber!!
—@DecoyKRS<a href="https://twitter.com/CBCCalgary">@CBCCalgary</a> checker who wishes they could do something to help should start be refunding her fare.
—@JoseePerron_She then got into another cab in a long line of waiting taxis and had to convince the second driver. He relented when she challenged him, asking him if he had a daughter, would he want her walking alone in the dark downtown.
"He didn't say anything and just started driving," says Leniczek, who paid the driver $20 for the $5 fare.
Mario Henriques, the city's chief livery inspector, said it's concerning.
"It's regretful that Jenna had to experience this, and quite frankly, it's contrary to our bylaw," he said. "A driver is actually prohibited from refusing a trip based on distance and there are some pretty severe penalties."
Fines and revoked licence
Penalties for refusing a customer range from fines starting at $700 to losing their licence.
Henriques says taxi drivers have the right to refuse fares in specific circumstances, "but length of trip is absolutely not one of them."
The city is trying to track down the driver, says Henriques to find out more.
"Taxi drivers undergo training and they know they are not supposed to refuse trips," said Henriques. "We'll find out once we get in touch with the driver."
Few exceptions for refusing fares
Cab drivers are expected to take all trips, though there are a few exceptions. They include extreme intoxication and passing out, or disorderly and abusive behaviour.
A driver can also ask for a $30 deposit and they can cancel the trip if a customer refuses for whatever reason.
Henriques notes that while many cab drivers want longer distance fares, such as to the airport, picking up customers is always the "luck of the draw."
"One of the conditions of licensing is that in order to get those long trips you have an obligation to take short trips as well."
Of the eight million taxi trips in the city annually, Henriques said there were around 30 complaints similar to Leniczek's, which he finds surprising because the penalties are so severe.
A Checker spokesperson called the incident "unfortunate" and said it's sorry the situation happened.