Unlicensed Cabbie Welcomes Tourists To New York With High Speed Police Chase
Jean-Jacques Dulugat learned yesterday why you should never let an unlicensed cabbie give you a lift from the airport. Police tried to stop Dulugat and his family as they got into a van driven by a pair of known solicitors, but the duo took off and led cops on a high-speed chase through Brooklyn...
It is further alleged that Port Authority police pursued the van in a marked vehicle with their lights flashing and sirens blaring and were assisted in the chase by at least 10 other police vehicles. During the chase from the airport, the defendants allegedly swerved through traffic, forcing vehicles and pedestrians to jump out of the van's way, and at times ran stop signs and red lights and traveled at speeds of 60 miles per hour on crowded residential streets.
In the course of the chase, the five tourists – Esther Mamane and her mother Claudie Mamane, 60, and Gwenaelle Dulugat and her parents, Michele Dulugat, 61, and Jean- Jacques Dulugat, 62 – were allegedly locked in the van and the defendants refused their pleas to stop as they cried and screamed to be let go.
Additionally, it is alleged that when the defendants were confronted by a dead end street, they turned the van into a postal facility at 1050 Forbell St. in the East New York section of Brooklyn and jumped out, fleeing on foot as the vehicle continued to move with their five screaming passengers locked inside.
Rick Seaney has a few tips to help you avoid getting trapped in a runaway cab like the Dulugats:
- Avoid "gypsy cabs" and other non-licensed vehicles: the legitimate cabs are all lined up at the curb. If your cabbie claims to be licensed, and it's a hike to his vehicle, he isn't. By the way, these taxis can cost just as much as the legit ones.
- Check out the transportation choices before you arrive: JFK, for example, offers many alternatives to taxis including trains and a bus system that takes you directly to Grand Central for $27 roundtrip.
- Consider a private car service: it need not be a limo - and it can cost just a few bucks more than a taxi fare.
As for the Dulugat's, they received an apology from the Mayor's office, along with free Broadway tickets and passes to the Museum of Modern Art.
DA: JFK Hustlers Held French Tourists Captive [North Country Gazette]
Day after their ride from hell, French family lives American Dream in NYC [NY Daily News via Rick Seaney]
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Comments:
Other than snobbery and jokes, why do you ignore Newark? Price? Convenience? Ignorance? I live on the west side of the Hudson, so please enlighten me.
The laws against gypsy cab solicitors are completely ignored at all three NYC area airports. It's so blatantly obvious, it would not surprise me if airport security is on the take.
@webothlikesoup: I'm assuming they meant because its such a pain in the ass to try to get there with public transportation that many carless (or friends-with-cars-- less) NYers don't even bother booking out of Newark unless they feel like dropping a fortune on a car service.
Or because NJ totally smells-- ewww!
@webothlikesoup: For me, at least, snobbery is not the reason. Convenience is the big issue. When I used to live in Astoria, Queens and did more bicycle touring, I could bike to the LaGuardia, and give the bike to the airline, and just carry on my saddlebags. Ah, the good ol' days.
In the Bronx, you don't really have the luxury of taking the AirTrain to JFK or the M60 to LGA. I miss the days when I lived on the UWS right outside the M60 stop. Right now, the best option would be to go into Manhattan and then pursue those options, but the travel time would be ridiculous.
Now that I'm totally not within walking distance to a subway (I'd have to take a Bronx bus to a 1 train and then wait for the M60... no thanks!), I take a car service. It's really the only option we get out here. It's a shame that the cars utilized by those services look like those gypsy cabs, though. Utilizing these services confuse everyone and lead them to believe that all cabbies are legit (despite the repeated announcements over the loudspeakers in the baggage claim).
You know what's also awful? The [unlicensed] cabbies who take multiple passengers at once and charge the same amount as if you were getting personalized attention. It's not cheaper, guys!
@nybiker: That I can understand. All three airports were nightmares to get to when I lived in Manhattan, and the ability to bike to one of the airports would've been a dream.
What Carey seems to miss in this post is that Newark has similar bus services to the other airports. Just seems like bad advice to skip over EWR since it has its own flight price wars. And with a $15 one-way bus ticket into the city, it's another good option.
@hedonia: NJ Transit and Amtrack both go there, it couldn't be simpler. Amtrack is a ripoff (about $30) for a 15-20 minute ride. NJ Transit is around $10, for about 30 minutes. I took it a week ago. It runs every 30 minutes at busy times, every hour off-peak, I think it doesn't run from something like midnight till 5am. The NJ Transit ticket gives you a free transfer to the air train.
@mizmoose: And from what I see, it's an everyday thing even for some people who are just drivers, nevermind cabbies (licensed or otherwise).
As for the 60mph, remember, they went from jfk and were caught in Brooklyn, so yeah, no midtown. But still, on the streets of Brooklyn to get to 60mph, it must have seemed like a movie shoot (a very low-budget one) to the pedestrians.
I feel bad for the unlicensed cabbies though, tbh. The monopolization and artificial scarcity created by the taxi corporations in NYC is truly shameful and anti-american. Let's just throw anyone in jail that doesn't have half a million dollars to spend to be "legal".
@bairdwallace: yeah i used to take NJ transit from Penn to get to EWR.
And yeah in theory I could take the A train to JFK...but really, do I want to be on A train FOREVER when I could have just as easily taken the 5 min ride on the LIRR.
And LGA wasn't that easy to get to either...seriously I was in a zone where all 3 airports were just as inconvenient to get to. EWR had the slight edge bc I could hop on the PATH in lower Manhattan and then pick up a train in EWR...yet I never did that. Instead going up to Penn to get the train.
@Radi0logy: i don't feel bad for the ones who locked my grandparents in the car and demanded 25 dollars to get from grand central to 62nd and Park.
Was it really worth risking peoples lives in a police chase to catch a guy for driving an unlicensed cab? I mean, it's one thing if the guy is a murderer, but this seems like a waste of police resources and an unnecessary risk to the public.
@madanthony: Well, I imagine it started as a simple stop which may have resulted in a ticket or an arrest of the driver and get the people in another cab and on their way. But once you run from the police, it's on. It's not like they're going to say, "Oh well, we'll just let them go." They've got to stop them at that point.
@sponica:
LGA is actually the hardest to get to, at least at rush hour. Both JFK and Newark are easily reached by train in less than an hour from midtown to the terminal.
Why ignore Newark? It is a good airport and quite easy to get to on public transit. Plus it gives you another option when it comes to pricing and flight times.
I used to work as a locksmith and burglar alarm installer in East New York. I felt bad that this neighborhood was the introduction to glory that is New York City for these folks (the high speed car chase seems kind of fun, although my idea is more than a little warped). Then I realized that not only are they tourists, but French tourists, so, the hell with them.
Also, if you check Google Maps, you will soon realize the wisdom of not turning down a dead end street when trying to outrun the cops when you are right next to a massive national park with lots of swamps and vast swaths of tall grass you could lose your unlicensed van in:
PS I'm a city boy. I'm hoping that "swamp" is the correct technical term for 'lots and lots of mud and grass covered in about six inches of water and trillions of mosquitoes', but feel free to correct me if the correct terms is actually "marshland" or "wetland" or "mud and tall grass".
When I visit I stick with LGA, the M60 works great for me, though someplace to put my luggage on that bus would be appreciated.
@Cameraman:
It sounds like absolutely nothing you want to drive a van in. It would probably have been better terrain for fleeing on foot though.
@sponica: I didn't say licensing was bad - I said licensing is bad when it encourages monopolistic and unfair practices.
No note on whether the cab driver spoke English, though. C'mon, Daily News, don't miss the lede!
@Vanilla5: Do they, though? They're risking the safety of passengers and passersby, and they have information about the vehicle already. And the odds are pretty good that the guy is only going to stop when he crashes. Here's an article: [www.policedriving.com]
Personally, I'm floored that the cab drivers left the scene without inquiring about their tip.
@Radi0logy:
I absolutely agree with you. I understand NYC and its citizens would want to license cabbies to protect consumers. I don't understand limiting the number of people who could be entrepreneurs.
@floraposte: I see what you're saying but if someone runs from the police with innocent people inside, it's pretty clear that the driver doesn't have the safety of the innocent people at heart.
Yes, the police DO have to stop them. I've got a number of police officers and corrections officers in my family and one thing they harped on when I first got my license is DO NOT try and run from the police. They WILL chase you and when they catch you, you are going to get the book thrown at you.
Airtran might not be a good idea. Depending on how many bags you have and time constraints. Take the E/F to union turnpike and then the Q 10 to JFK.
It will cost you $2 rather then the $5 or so Airtran charges.
I am extremely pleased that no one was seriously injured and that the police caught those idiots.
Last August I took my son and one of his friends to New York to see a baseball game in Yankee Stadium. We took a train into New York. There we took a limo, that I had made reservations for, to the stadium. After the game the same limo picked us up and took us back to the train station. It was well worth the additional cost.
During the 10 minutes, or so, that we had to wait for the limo to pick us back up we were approached by at least 6 unmarked cars asking us if we needed a ride. Needless to say, we declined.
@Radi0logy: what i think happened is they got into a car service car that was taking illegal street fares....had I been with them, it wouldn't have happened. I also would have called 911 from the car...
@madanthony: I have mixed feeling on this subject.
I shudder at the possibility of an innocent person getting killed or injured because of a pursuit. On the other hand I don't like the idea that anyone committing a crime will know that all he has to do to get away is to drive at a high speed.
@webothlikesoup: I live in NJ and I try to avoid Newark as much as possible. I've probably only flown there twice where I wasn't delayed horribly and the problem is usually air congestion.
@floraposte: If it wasn't for the innocent people in the cab, then they could back off and get the guys another day. But since they now have what becomes essentially hostages, they need to get those people out of there. If they don't and then they are found dead the next day, do you think people will say "oh, well the cops didn't want a chase, so it's okay these people died when they let the drivers go"? Nope, they're scream about how the cops let the people go and didn't do their job.
So, a fine of $100 to $250 and/or 15 days in jail or a fine of $750 to $1,500 and/or 45 days in jail (depending on whether this would have been their first or third conviction) under Section 1220b of the Vehicle and Traffic Law vs. "second-degree assault, second-degree assault on an officer, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, resisting arrest, third-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and unlawful solicitation of ground transportation services" and up to seven years in prison.
Yeah, running from the cops seems like a GREAT idea.
I drive Car Service in Brooklyn, NY (Legally I might add) and these jokers are always a problem. 9 times out of 10 it's an illegal immigrant (sometimes they don't even have drivers licenses) driving unlicensed vans without TLC FHV/Hack Licenses.
They pack people into their vans like sardines and their driving skills are...horrible to say the least. If you confront or otherwise approach them they sometimes get violent and they arent above using their larger vans to damage legal cabbies from Private car services.
If you plan to come to NYC and don't want to wait for a Yellow Cab out in the Terminal (though the wait is not usually that bad) you can "sometimes" arrange pickup with a private car service.
Just type in Car Service plus the Boro of your destination into google maps and you'll find what you need. (You'll require a cellphone 9 times out of 10 so the dispatcher can contact you upon landing to connect you with your car, without a cellphone or means of contact chances are they wont risk picking you up.)
The fee should always be discussed and confirmed IN ADVANCE and before you enter a car.
Keep in mind, Yellow Cabs in NYC cost 45$ to anywhere in Manhattan from JFK (and visa versa).
YMWV with Private Car Services. For example. Mine charges 28 to JFK (33 from JFK) to our area of service in Brooklyn.
Speaking of which, hope nobody minds the plug! 718-934-2222 On Time Car Service! :-D They service Sheepshead Bay/Kings Bay/Gravesend/Midwood area. They'll take you anywhere though!
@mizmoose: Cars in NYC drive at 60-70mph all the time, especially in the very outskirts of the outerboros.
This illegal cabbie left the Airport and got unto the Belt Parkway West, then most likely traveled for 2 exits before getting off at Erskine Ave near a shopping mall (there are some new condos in the area but it's mostly a desolate place with lots of empty lots).
I guarantee you nobody on the streets would have paid this guy any attention. In the particular neighborhood he was in I'm pretty sure even the police cars chasing him would have only elicited a scoff of annoyance, most likely at the cops and not at him!
@webothlikesoup: I love getting jobs to Newark airport. That means I get to gas up in Jersey and save money!
The airport itself is horrible. JFK is the best airport in the area.
@sirwired: They arent ignored. Port Authority and TLC are constantly watching and giving tickets.
The problem is thats all they do. There is no jail time unless you catch a major repeat offender and they dont impound nearly enough vehicles.
They are more concerned with giving out tickets to make money and protecting the Yellow Cabs cash flow.
When I used to live in Brooklyn, I actually used On Time a lot. They do not suck, and a lot of their drivers speak English and have bathed recently. Their cars didn't seem like hideous death traps either.
Also, never get into a car service (as opposed to a yellow cab) without negotiating a price beforehand.
Now that I live in New Jersey, I of course own my own car.
All I could think of while reading this was the Japanese couple in the car in "Foul Play."
@Cameraman:
My father used to own On Time, but no longer. I'm glad during his tenure you had good service!
I have not explicitly avoided Newark airport, I've just found it to be more expensive than flying into Kennedy or Laguardia, often by about $100.
The main thing that annoys me about NJT is that they have the same line that goes to both NYPenn to NJPenn, and they're like 3 stops away from each other! This has caused me to twice get on the wrong train when I was tired or in a hurry. That's almost deliberately confusing.
On a trip from Columbus to the Big Apple to see Les Paul for his birthday, the 4 X-Men took a gypsy cab from JFK to Mid Town Manhattan, it was a nice clean souped up van with a killer sound system, our Rastafarian driver was polite and chatted with us as we followed him to his van in a far away parking lot, we also picked up a woman from Europe who had never been to NYC before. She was in for the ride of her life.
Our driver an expert at negotiating big city driving. He was accomplished at several high speed driving skills, driving at high speeds on the berm, left and right hand turns from the opposite lane in front of oncoming traffic, fully aware of the police at all times he once took an exit to avoid a confrontation only to speed back on the expressway once it was clear.
His driving style was effortless and we made it to our 5 star hotel in record time. He got a big tip and we promised to call him for the ride home. It was better than the best roller coaster ride. We knew our trip would be memorable, and we were not disappointed. Can't complain in Columbus, sorry if your experience was not as much fun.
The Original X-Men
"they turned the van into a postal facility" I think there is a federal law against that sort of activity. Horrible to think what some of these hooligans are up to these days.
@sponica: Why not just hop the E train to Sutphin Blvd? It won't get you there in 5 minutes, but it makes a fraction of the stops the A makes to JFK...
The reason that gypsies thrive is because of the lack of medallioned taxis in NYC. Unlike other major cities, NYC holds back on issuing medallions - even qualified cabbies who can afford the medallions have to keep trying to get them. I think that they hold back in order to ensure that the existing cabbies have plenty of business - restrict supply and demand elasticity ensures everyone makes money. Great, except if you've ever tried catching a cab from the Javitz center, or have to get from Park Ave to the airport in a big hurry, sometimes gypsies are the only way you'll avoid missing your flight (it's happened to me).
New York City could significantly reduce the huge business in gypsy cabs if they just made more legitimate cabs available.
@nybiker: Whooops. Mea culpa, that'll learn me how to read. (& me from the giant sand bar, to boot. Shame on me.)
@Vanilla5: Oh, OK. They police have to stop them because they have to throw the book at them, according to members of your family. Makes perfect sense to me.
Ran stop signs and red lights? Nearly missed other vehicles and people? Doesn't that sound like an everyday cab ride in NYC?
The only thing amazing is he got up to 60 MPH. Must have not gone through mid-town.