Yeah, It's the Cab Drivers Fault!

[Lloyd Danforth]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CHILD_LEFT_IN_CAB?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US



Girl left in Boston cab; driver faces punishment

BOSTON (AP) -- Supporters of a Boston taxi driver say he should not be the one punished after a family left a 7-year-old girl behind in his cab.

Joseph Cohen picked up six adults and the child at Logan International Airport Sunday and gave them a ride in his minivan to their home in the city's Mattapan neighborhood.

About 20 minutes after the drop off, the driver received a call alerting him that the little girl had inadvertently been left sleeping in the back of the van. He immediately turned the cab around and returned the child to her relieved family.

The Boston Police division that regulates taxis says Cohen faces suspension for violating rules requiring drivers to inspect their cabs for forgotten items after dropping off a fare.

Cohen can continue to drive while he appeals.

[CJS]

  I owned a cab for three years , till 9/11 destroyed the industry here ... funny none of us received any " bail out money  " like the airlines and hotels .. lol .

  Checking our vehicles for property after each and every ride is a big responsibility so I do feel the driver erred ... but don't necessarily think he should be punished .. the family of the child are the ones who would be the guilty party.

  What a shame that a funny anecdote is now in the hands of those who earn their living looking for ways to punish / fines others . 

[K. Darien Freeheart]

The only problem I see here is that the police are regulating the industry. Otherwise, I could very well imagine a company policy to check the cab. If an employee of mine was in the cab for 20 minutes without either noticing a human being or picking up a passenger, I'd be concerned.

That said, I feel all freaked out when I'm leaving places because I'm afraid I might have left my cellphone behind. How the HELL do you forget a kid?

[Lloyd Danforth]

I drove a cab in CT in the mid 70's.  I always tried to remember to look in the back seat after dropping off. I remember that a particularly miserable (to me) woman left behind a 20 dollar bill.  Minimum Wage at the time was $1.60 to give you an idea what the 20 was worth then.
Situational Ethics almost ensued, but, I knocked on her door with the 20 in my hand.  She didn't answer.  I kept the 20.
Once in a while a lady would leave me a piece of her clothing on the seat except for the Miss Porter's student who threw the panties over my shoulder as she exited the cab.(I've got another great Miss Porter's story)
You could be dropping off a drunk and get a call to pick up the Governor's kids.  You had to check the back seat.

[CJS]

  Lloyd was a hack ?
This is for you then. Had a semi-regular super short airport ride $18.50 he'd pay with a twenty and make a big deal about keeping the change. One time he handed me a folded hundred,made his usual big deal about keeping the change so I did.

We should chat sometime , cabbies always have the most interesting stories to tell 

[UOGSammich]

My mother has driven a schoolbus for the last 10 or so years, I would assume the rules apply to all public transport. The vehicle must be checked after use. Although I have NO IDEA how a family could forget about a 7 year old child.. there is responsibility issues on both parties, but I believe the parents should be hit the hardest.

[KBCraig]

Local school buses here have an alarm system that starts buzzing when the driver puts it in "park" and turns off the engine. To shut off the alarm, the driver has to walk to the back of the bus and turn it off. These systems were installed so drivers would have to check for kids or property left behind.

Trouble is, the walk to the back is now about turning off the alarm, not looking for kids. That's why a sleeping 7 year old was left on a bus for 4 hours last fall, despite the driver walking right past her to turn off the alarm.

[UOGSammich]

Local school buses here have an alarm system that starts buzzing when the driver puts it in "park" and turns off the engine. To shut off the alarm, the driver has to walk to the back of the bus and turn it off. These systems were installed so drivers would have to check for kids or property left behind.

Trouble is, the walk to the back is now about turning off the alarm, not looking for kids. That's why a sleeping 7 year old was left on a bus for 4 hours last fall, despite the driver walking right past her to turn off the alarm.

Its the same way here, there is no actual alarm hardware like buttons or a keypad though, the driver just has to open and close the back door.