Darn! And I just got out a small-business loan for my "Airport Pony Express." I even invested in tiny ponies to carry the guide dogs and liquor bottles beside the main pony. KHAN!!!

Now, when are they going to penalize pharmacists who refuse to fill perscriptions for certain medications?

Awesome about time someone pulls thier head out and looks out for the passengers. Hooray Minnesota!

Good. If your religion prevents you from doing your job properly, you shouldn't be doing that job. Now we need to see similar rules for pharmacists who refuse to dispense birth control.

"Some also have refused to transport dogs, both pets and guide dogs, saying they are unclean."

Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle.....

WTF?

good. & b/c refusing to service a person with a guide dog is a violation of federal law, i think they should lose their license indefinitely.

@Rectilinear Propagation:

I hope so!

@Dag:

Agreed. There's religious tolerance, and then there's interfering with daily life and being refused basic services.

Minnesota (at least the Twin Cities metro area) is also currently dealing with a few isolated incidents in which cashiers at grocery stores refuse to scan pork products.

@n1ckel5: I shot Coke on my monitor on that one...ROFLMAO!!!

I'm confused -- in NYC I thought short-haul trips were more lucrative than longer trips, not the other way around. Or am I mistaken?

@Nemesis_Enforcer: As long as you have a flat screen you can lie it flat down and snort the coke back in without too much loss ;)

This might be a real boon for the Minneapolis tourist industry, as conservative tourists book trips to Minnesota just to bring a six-pack and a dog, on the hopes of being refused service...

I ask every time this comes up in every forum I frequent: What about ethanol in gasoline? Note that the alcohol added to gasoline nationwide, ethanol, is the same type of alcohol in beverages.

@raybury: That seems logical, but I wouldn't waste my time thinking up logical holes in religious arguments.

raybury: what about that whole "god creating the universe in seven days" thing? it's called religion because it doesn't make sense.

How they hell do they plan on enforcing this? The passenger quickly scribbles down their license info before being forced out of the cab?

@tvh2k: Not when you've spent an hour at the airport waiting for a fare. The reason that they decide to wait the hour is for the hope of netting a nice large fare into Manhattan, not to get someone who is only going to net them a buck or two.

Some airports try to solve this disparity by issuing "short turn" tickets to departing taxis--if they are back at the airport before a certain time has elapsed (because it was a cheap fare), they can jump the taxi queue and pick up a new fare immediately.

@suckonthat: Usually at airport cab stands they have a person who directs the passengers to the cab. I imagine that that person would be the one to note the offence.

@Jozef: Yeah I am not sure my work would dig that one. I have 2 flat screens but I am not going to tempt the IT gods by messing with them.

I have a feeling that the pharmacy situation will turn out to be one of those times when the folks at the bottom take it much harder than the folks at the top. I don't think either group has the right to refuse to do their jobs for religious objections, but pharmacists are well-educated and well-paid, and they won't capitulate nearly as easily as cabdrivers. Nor, I suspect, will they identify them as compatriots in the cause.

great now can we please do something about christian dentists and drs refusing service to folks who don't share their same morality? THEY should lose their licenses.

@n1ckel5: Are you seriously suggesting that Muslims are unclean? Or taxi drivers in general? WTF?

It's about time something like this happened. Canada and the US have both been doing too much backward bending to make everybody happy. What happened to the days of "don't like it, get the hell out"?

@mopar_man: You are super right on the money.

@Rectilinear Propagation: That's what I'd like to know. I've never had a prescription refused on those grounds but if I ever do you can bet I'll be demanding a supervisor immediately and climbing the chain (or just writing to "executive support") if I don't get my medicine.

What I take is between myself and my doctor and no one else.

I don't think the pharmacy situation is directly comparable. Nobody says these drivers HAVE to carry alcohol. The Metropolitan Airport Commission simply said "if you don't carry these people, you no longer are licensed to pickup at the airport." There currently aren't any laws in MN preventing these drivers from "exercising their religious freedom" elsewhere in the greater Twin Cities area.

I don't know that it has happened, but imagine there may be a pharmacy somewhere that has done the same sort of thing (or at least it's within their rights) - telling their pharmacist, "if you refuse to sell birth control then you can't work here." However, in that situation, there aren't currently any laws that prevent that pharmacist from working elsewhere.

My point is that it's not an economic status thing as much as it is about place of work rules. Here in Minnesota, there are very few of us that think the Muslim community will simply accept these work rules without a fight, however misguided some of us think they are.

@whydidnt: But in several states it's actually illegal for the pharmacy to require the pharmacists to fill all perscriptions no matter what. They have to let the pharmacist refuse on religious grounds.

yes,

they both stink@valet_of_the_dolls:

@valet_of_the_dolls: Um yes and yes. I have only had 1 or 2 cab drivers that didnt make me want to dive back out of the cab once I sampled thier aroma...

Ok so most muslims in america who are not recent immigrants are just like everyone else. But the ones that are typically driving cabs are pretty fresh to the country and are not aware of typical customs of our country.

And before anyone calls me out for being a bigot, I have spent a couple of 6 month tours in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. And I have traveled over a great deal of the mideast and Africa. So I am speaking from experiance and not any dislike or hatred...

@jgodsey

that is a completely asnine comment. The free market should take care of those things. The government needs to get our our business and let us make the choices we want. If i as a doctor refuse service to you you can go to another doctor. I am then alienating a certain population of my potential customers. That should be my choice. There are enough doctors in this nation that it would never be a problem.

This is exactly what should happen. A company has the right to govern it's business practices. As an employee those cab drivers have the choice, they can either pick up those customers or be out of a job ( and try and get one elsewhere ). You have no intrinsic right for cab service ( and shockingly you have no intrisic right for health care )

I can't comment on the cleanliness of these cabbies, but as a Muslim, I can say that their interpretation of the religious rules against transporting alcohol is messed up. To begin with, the ban is on profiting from transporting alcohol - i.e. being a distributor, running a trucking company, etc., that traffics in booze. For a cabbie, the deal is the same for them whether or not the fare has a bottle of duty-free whiskey in the carryon. Ergo, no harm no foul.

I'm glad they imposed these punishments. People who want to hit others over the head (literally or figuratively!) should get out of these kinds of professions. Pharmacists included.

@sodium: Agreed!

@indianaguy: There are enough doctors in this nation, but not usually enough in a person's HMO/PPO/crap insurance mandated list of doctor's who are actually accepting new patients.

And in many more rural communities, just going to another pharmacy or physician can actually be quite difficult or complicated.

And while we have no intrinsic right for cab service, the cab driver has no intrinsic right to a medallion. In order to get one, he or she agrees to the rules set out by the city who gives them out. For many cities, this includes not speaking on a cell phone while driving (ha!), being required to accept credit cards, having a certified or inspected meter, picking up a minimum # of fares in an underserved neighborhood/day, etc. In Minneapolis' case, they've now added a stipulation re: fares with dogs or alcohol.

@indianaguy: Wait, so the government shouldn't regulate doctors/pharmacists who refuse service based on their faith, but should intervene when cabbies refuse service based on their faith?

Your post makes no sense.

This is ridiculous...I completely agree with indianaguy. The rest of you are spewing a "you don't have the right to tell me what to do but I have the right to tell you what to do" mentality.

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@indianaguy: Not if you're in an emergency room. Women have been refused emergency contraception by emergency room physicians and nurses after being raped, based on religious principles. You can't always just go to another doctor, especially in a situation where time is of the essence.
That said, people operating private practices can do whatever the hell they want, as their patients do have the option to take their business elsewhere. I only ask that they be up front with any potential ethical conflicts so as not to waste anyone's time and/or money.
As for the cabbies, not carrying assistance dogs is a new one on me, and totally reprehensible.

@valet_of_the_dolls:

D'oh!

Have you ever been in a cleanly cab, regardless of the race or religion? I haven't. But, I haven't lost hope!

To those complaining about the middle eastern and African people not being clean, especially the dude or dudette talking out of experience, you should understand or know from the experience that, in these regions, water is a scarce commodity, and taking 3 showers a day is a luxury that most of these poor people can not afford. When they come here, to the states side, they acclimate but well acclimated ones do not drive cabs in NYC, Twin Cities or anywhere else for that matter. Do you want to talk about the cleanliness habits of some truckers I see daily on my commute, which are/were born and raised in the middle of civilization ?

Making remarks on people's ethnic origins is easy and shows how shallow your train of thought is as much.

When it comes to the matter of refusing to do what they are supposed to perform as their job, on religious concerns, I have no sympathy towards those people. This is a free country and I am sure there will be others who would perform the same tasks without any religious hang ups. If these people were working for me, well, they can't or first time they do such a thing is their last time. Then of course come hell or high water from ACLU, which is another sore point that needs to be erased from the landscape. I am fed up with this political correctness bull crap. I have opinions and if you don't like them, door is that way.

@art

I never said such a thing, I said that the government shouldn't come in to give either preferential treatment.

@formergr

i agree, the cab driver doens't have an special pass to do what he wants, like I ALREADY SAID

"As an employee those cab drivers have the choice, they can either pick up those customers or be out of a job"

Also you give these exceptions, like HMO or pharmacies.

Heres the thing, you make those choices. Nothing in the world says that things are going to be convienent for you. As a matter of fact if your making a statement by moving to another doctor/pharmacy then it will more than likely be inconvienent.

@ManWithLostPassword:

I'll bite on this one! Most cab drivers stink. Don't know why, but they do. Even in 50,000 populated LaCrosse, WI, they stunk. Sorry if I have offended any WI cabbies, but a lot of you stink.

And yes, truckers stink too. I deal with them daily. I understand their position a bit more, since their job is not dealing with the public 100% of the time.

You want a tip on your fare, take a shower. Soap works on all races.

@ManWithLostPassword:
'I have opinions and if you don't like them, door is that way.'

Are you my ex-husband? lol

This went from taxi discussion to klan meeting real fast.

@Nemesis_Enforcer:

Have you ever been to Mexico City, and been on the metro? Nothing can compare with that.

The problem is with cab drivers and FoBs in general, not Muslims. Muslims actually wash before prayer, which is more than can be said for a good chunk of the local bum churchgoers.

Any withholding of service based on religious grounds should be immediately punished. Period. If you can't do your job, then your butt needs to be fired asap. I'm looking at you, taxi drivers, pharmacists, and food services workers.

Gimme an A -- A!

Gimme a C -- C!

Gimme an L -- L!

Gimme a U -- U!

What's that spell? ACLU!

How long until those goofballs step in on behalf of the cab drivers and defend them on religious freedom grounds? Anyone want to take bets?

I like this hate-on for the ACLU. No really, it does my heart good. Especially since the ACLU is pretty much the only group in any position of power to also DEFEND us from religious nuts. Remember Cobb County voting out evolution? Remember who filed over it?

And don't give me that "well, they voted for it, good enough for me!" or "If you don't like it, don't live in Cobb County!" bull. They are American citizens and have a duty to the Constitution before their own opinions. Until the Constitution is amended (and yeah, watch that happen), the Establishment Clause is in full force and effect in public schools.

I live my life by a set of fairly strict religious guidelines, similiar to these taxi drivers. I am Jewish, wear a kippah, don't eat pork, etc. Yet I won't let my religious beliefs interfere with my job, and if they do to a point where I would be compromising myself, I wouldn't take the job. For example, I couldn't work at the Saturday-Only Porkatorium (courtesy of Jon Stewart). But, I've worked as a cashier, and I don't mind scanning in someone's bacon. For the cabbies, I think they are overreacting, there's following your beliefs and than being irrational. If it really makes them so uncomfortable, as stated before, they can find a different job. Discriminating against those with guide dogs certainly seems unfair.

(Now of course I have to ask myself, if I were a cabby, would I transport a pig? Hmmm... )

@spiderjerusalem: I agree, I doubt the ACLU would side with the cabbies in this case.

@spiderjerusalem: Just because an organization, from time to time, does a good thing does not mean that it is a good organization. Nor does their occasional good deed effectively overshadow the many, many crazy things they do.