The Chainlink

How efficient Cab Complaints are?

I filed my second complaint yesterday.

The night before, on my way home from work, I was cut off by a cab (the same cab!) several times within a few blocks between Grand and Chicago on Orleans. Every time the driver did it only to stop on the red light, so it was totally not necessary, whether he was vacant or with a passenger. On a top of it, he was changing lanes unexpectedly in front of other cars (and other cabs), earning well deserved angry honks from them. Last time that bastard passed me on the left literally within a couple of inches. I knocked on his window (he was standing on the red light behind a few cars, for Zeus's sake!) and told him he has to give me at least three feet. He brushed me off, but did give me a wide berth next time while passing me.

Still, I decided to file a complaint with the Dept. of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection of the City of Chicago.

I've done it once before, not by calling 311, but online. It takes a couple of months for them to process the whole thing. This is from the letter regarding my first complaint:

"Based on your report, our department has identified the driver and recorded this complaint into the driver's permanent history. We will continue to monitor this driver for future compliance with City laws."

The question is, Does it work? Will a taxi cab driver be more careful knowing that he is being "monitored for future compliance"? Is it worth the trouble either calling 311 or submitting the complaint online?

I am not trying to cast doubt on Steven Vance's article in Grid Chicago, posted in June of this year, just wondering: even if the offender is punished in some fashion, does it have any effect on other cab drivers?

(BTW, Steven, it was the same company as in your case, 3CCC.)

*****

In case anyone is interested, I'm not dead, just been busy at work to actively participate :)

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on November 9, 2012 at 12:42pm

I got the same response in October for a July incedent with the same reaction as you. I even wondered if it was a cabbie's red badge of courage. Do they then wallpaper their bathrooms with the complaints?

Permalink Reply by Will on November 9, 2012 at 12:46pm

Yeah, all they do is record the complaint, which may or may not be available in case something really bad happens, like the cabbie kills a pedestrian. Other than that, cab complaints are pretty worthless.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on November 9, 2012 at 2:08pm

It's been several years since I filed a complaint.  There was an on-line .pdf file no longer available, but a web page - http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/bacp/provdrs/consumer/sv... - which is hard to use.

 

After filing the complaint I received a call to attend a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge in a building just north of the river near downtown.  At the date and time only a lawyer was present requesting a delay in the hearing.  The city lawyer wasn't happy but had to go along with it.  I was asked if I could come back a second time. 

 

I agreed to return.  At the second hearing the driver was present with the lawyer and once my presence was noted they conceded defeat.  The license of the cab driver was suspended for 30 days.

This was for a cab driving in the bike lane on Lawrence Avenue, westbound, between Western Avenue and California.

 

AT least then my single complaint called for a hearing, but according to the comments here that doesn't seem to be true any more.  The complaint is just noted or filed and nothing more seems to be done about it.  If another incident occurs with the same driver do you even get notified about it?  Do you ever get invited to a subsequent hearing?

 

Maybe the Active Transportation Alliance could let us know a little more detail about the effectiveness of the complaints and what follows after a complaint is filed.

Permalink Reply by S.Presley☠ on November 9, 2012 at 3:15pm

I e-mailed a taxi cab company this picture of a cabbie coming to "break my head"(quote)...

I got this response...

Good Morning,

I apologize for the situation this driver put you in and I appreciate that you took the time to bring it to our attention. We expect all cab operators operating vehicles with our company name on it to operate the vehicle in a safe and respectful manner. As soon as we received your email, the taxi driver was brought to our office and his contract was terminated. This individual will never be allowed to enter into a driving contract with us in the future. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Thank you,
Abraham

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on November 9, 2012 at 4:16pm

I totally read this thread's title in a Yoda voice...

From my experience, 311 cab complaints are typically worthless. One time a cab driver purposely swerved into the bike lane trying to hit me with his car, and got out screaming at me to stay away from his cab. He had previously cut me off, so I safety-slapped his car, which is what set him off. I got his cab number and called 911 on him, but the police department claimed that it's only assault if he makes a verbal threat (which is BS). They filed a 311 complaint, however, but I never received the follow-up mail-in form.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on November 9, 2012 at 4:41pm

I was redirected from the 911 dispatcher to the police department to 311 back to the police department. So I personally talked to the 311 operator.

Serge Lubomudrov said:

Interesting . . . Who were "they" that filed the complaint? The police? A 911 operator?

Is on-line filing better because it leaves a paper (or electronic) trail?

Adam Herstein said:

I totally read this thread's title in a Yoda voice...

From my experience, 311 cab complaints are typically worthless. One time a cab driver purposely swerved into the bike lane trying to hit me with his car, and got out screaming at me to stay away from his cab. He had previously cut me off, so I safety-slapped his car, which is what set him off. I got his cab number and called 911 on him, but the police department claimed that it's only assault if he makes a verbal threat (which is BS). They filed a 311 complaint, however, but I never received the follow-up mail-in form.

Permalink Reply by Adam Herstein on November 9, 2012 at 4:44pm



Serge Lubomudrov said:

. . . Oh, did you mean Master Yoda?


Adam Herstein said:

I totally read this thread's title in a Yoda voice...

Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on November 9, 2012 at 10:05pm

This is my experience, as I've made a few complaints. I've received an affidavit in all cases (a form that's mailed to you about 2 weeks after you file the complaint with a 311 operator). 

In one case I got a call from someone working for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), the department that regulates chauffeur licenses. The agent asked me to confirm the taxi number. I told him the same number I had submitted over the phone and in the affidavit. He then told me that that taxi number didn't match the description I gave of the taxi. He said I could try again. I gave him one more number, with two digits swapped. It was still not matching. I asked if he could just search the database for a taxi matching the description I gave with similar digits. As you might imagine, he declined. So, the case was closed. 

In another case, I went through all the way to "the end", testifying as the City's witness in a case against a taxi driver who harassed me, a case that I originated. I was not the plaintiff. In these hearings, if anyone's a plaintiff, the City, representing the citizens of Chicago, is. You can read my story, as Serge mentioned in the original post. 

The tipping point in whether or not you are called to testify seems to be whether or not the city can persuade an administrative hearing judge to issue a "punishment" (fines and suspensions). 

I'll be testing a new complaint soon, and that's reporting two cab drivers who parked in the bike lane. I asked one to vacate the bike lane and he refused. I advised him that it was illegal to park in bike lanes and that a driveway was available nearby. 

Permalink Reply by blair on November 10, 2012 at 11:43am

I used the online cab complaint form earlier this year.  In less than two weeks, I had something in the mail asking me to write my statement out again.  I did and another week or two later, I received something in the mail stating that they were able to identify the driver.  My complaint was placed in his file and would be reviewed.  That was the last I heard.  I know the cab had a camera in it which I'm assuming was able to confirm everything I had written.

Wasn't asked to show up at a hearing, but it was better than calling 311 (in my experience I've always waited on hold for 10 mins and then gave up).

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on November 10, 2012 at 6:59pm

Aren't cab drivers basically customers of the cab companies from which they lease cabs?

Is there any legal incentive for the cab company to discipline or dismiss the offending cab drivers?

Permalink Reply by S on November 11, 2012 at 12:13pm

Yeah, the legal incentive is that if those cab drivers have a history of complaints and then get in a crash, the cab company could potentially be very much on the hook for damages and penalties.  Also, I'd characterize the cabbies more as independent contractors for the companies than customers.

MagMileMarauder said:

Aren't cab drivers basically customers of the cab companies from which they lease cabs?

Is there any legal incentive for the cab company to discipline or dismiss the offending cab drivers?

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on November 11, 2012 at 5:48pm

I filed a couple of complaints in early 2011, and both eventually produced an email saying:

Based on the investigation of your taxicab complaint, the Department filed formal charges against the identified taxicab driver or taxicab company (also known as the "Respondent") for violations of the City of Chicago's regulatory laws. The Department filed these charges at the City of Chicago's Central Administrative Hearing Facility. The charges against the identified Respondent were resolved before an administrative hearing officer without the necessity for a trial.

The administrative law judge found the Respondent liable of violating the Municipal Code of Chicago and applicable rules and regulations and entered an order imposing fines and penalties against the Respondent. This order is now part of the Respondent's public chauffeur / public vehicle license history record.

Thank you for reporting this experience and for taking the time to follow-up with the Department. Your participation helps the Department achieve its goals, which include 100% clean and safe cabs and 100% courteous and safe cab drivers.

The complaints I've filed since have gotten the same response as the original post. And some of the complaints before & after were about the same kind of behavior, e.g. turning in to a crosswalk that has the right of way and pedestrians are present. So I don't know what changed but it seems something has.

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