No it's not. Where the heck did you get that idea? The cab driver gave her 2 possible ways to pay, which is more than enough, and yet she couldn't pay using either method. Even if it was her credit card that didn't work, it was still her fault. In fact, I didn't even know you could pay a taxi driver using a credit card. I pay with cash, which is pretty hard to screw up. You either have the money, or you don't. There's no FAIL! when you use money. You want him to accept cheques? That's funny.
"NYC taxis are required to have their technology package in good working order, and when it’s not, they’re not supposed to be picking up fares.
The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) states in their rules, “if the taximeter is equipped to accept credit or debit card payments for fares, a driver may not pick up or transport a passenger when the taximeter is incapable of accepting or processing credit or debit card transactions.” The exception to the rule is if the driver informs the passenger he can’t take card payments, prior to the beginning of the ride, and gives the passenger the opportunity to find other transportation.
Moreover, the rules state, “In the event that the wireless payment equipment used to accept payment by credit and debit cards is inoperable at the destination of a trip as a result of a technical problem in the system’s communication network that is not related to the equipment in the taxicab, the customer has the option of either (i) paying cash or (ii) requesting the taxicab driver continue to a location where the wireless payment system may communicate with its network.”
If the driver needs to go to another location to run the credit card, the driver is not permitted to charge the passenger for the extra ride.
1. The driver didn’t follow taxi commission rules by not making an attempt to move to another location where the card would go through.
2. If the driver knew the machine was having problems he violated the rules by not informing the passenger the machine wasn’t working right and giving her the option to not take the ride.
3. The Port Authority Police exceeded their authority by threatening to arrest her for non-payment. The young lady wanted to pay, but the driver’s equipment didn’t permit it. The driver was violating the law, and they should have acknowledged that.
4. The girl’s inexperience showed in that she didn’t get the name of all people concerned, badge numbers, etc. If it would have been me, I would have been on my cell phone to the Taxi Commission immediately to seek their help. Also I suspect she could have been somewhat more assertive with the PA police explaining that she wanted to pay but that his machine wasn’t working, and he never told her that before taking her as a passenger.
I think the Taxi Commission’s staff has not done their duty or best to resolve the problem satisfactorily, especially considering the driver definitely violated their rules by not moving the cab to another location to see if the card would go through. Based on what the young lady was told by the card company, it would seem that moving the cab could very well have immediately resolved the payment problem."
Happened to stumble across this, but I'm not sure if it totally addresses your initial statement...
