You Be the Judge: Should Muslim Cab Drivers Be Allowed To Say 'No' To Fares Carrying Alcohol In Their Luggage? I Do a Bill O'Reilly Rant

Whenever I fly into the world's eighth busiest airport--that would be the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport--I have an eight out of ten chance of encountering a taxi with a Muslim driver behind the wheel. 

Which is fine with me.

While St. Paul became my home three years ago, I used to live in Washington, DC, and New York City for decades, and one of the fun parts of both those cities is the ethnic and religious mix of drivers; I loved getting to know the entire United Colors of Benneton array of cabbies. 

But a few months ago, a group of Muslim airport cabbies that serve MSP decided they needed to follow the dictates of the Koran and refuse to transport anyone carrying any kind of alcohol.  So if you deplaned carrying a cardboard box with a couple of bottles of wine you picked up while in the Napa Valley, or if you bought a bottle of liquor as a hostess present in the airport, well, you best not let your cab driver see it.

This was not exactly new behavior.  A Twin Cities friend of mine, a National Geographic contributor named Dan Buettner, said that five or six years ago, he took a cab with his kids and then wife from the airport on a cold and snowy day.  A mile or so later, the driver figured out there was a bottle of alcohol in the cab, and he pulled over to the side of the road and demanded the Buettner family exit.  Dan told him that simply wasn't happening, and finally the driver relented and delivered them to their destination.  He refused to accept payment.

About a year ago, about 77 passengers a month were refused service at MSP airport because they were carrying alcohol, according to Patrick Hogan, an airport spokesman.  Oh, and a half-dozen or so people that year were refused service because Muslim drivers refused to transport animals, including service animals such as seeing-eye dogs.

The issue stayed under the rader until last fall, when someone came up with the idea of putting lights on all cabs that would not accept anyone accompanied by alcohol or an animal.  But the cabbies protested, fearing it would cost them fares.  In October, I delivered a "Savvy Traveler" commentary on public radio's evening business show, "Marketplace," that sounded more like it came from Fox News than public radio.

I pointed out that only certain taxis from the Twin Cities that are licensed by the airport are allowed to pick up airport passengers.  Therefore the companies or individuals that controlled those licenses had a government-protected monopoly.  And I argued that if you're going to work for such a company whose job it is to serve the public, you should abide by local laws and regulations, none of which permit a taxi to refuse a passenger who happens to be carrying unopened alcohol or an animal.

Minnesota's neighboring state of South Dakota has for all intents and purposes outlawed abortions. Which has driven some women to come to Minnesota to seek them.  Should a taxi driver who doesn't believe women should be allowed to have an abortion have the right not to transport a woman to a clinic if he happens to recognize the address?  What if a driver--Muslim or not--doesn't like Goths?  Or the political message on someone's t-shirt? 

The questions can be endlesss.  Should a Muslim pilot not fly a plane on which alcohol is offered?  (I know national airlines from Muslim countries often don't serve alchohol.  Fine.  But I have a hunch there are Muslim pilots flying US planes, as well.)

Last week, MSP airport officials finally screwed up their courage and suggested that drivers who refuse to accept passengers for no legal reason should have their licenses suspended.  The first offense would cost them their licenses for 30 days; a second one would result in a two-year suspension.  Hearings will follow, and the airport hopes to have the new rules in effect by May 11, when drivers must decide whether to renew their aiport licenses for another year.

I say, "Bravo." 

We don't land in Muslim countries and demand that everyone abide by our laws by, say, bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant in downtown Jeddah.  I don't expect to be held to the standards of the Koran when I enter a government-licensed taxi in the US. 

I'm glad the airport bosses decided that instead of trying to bend over backwards to be politically correct, they realized that taxis are at the airport to transport passengers.  Now I just have to change the mind of the Minneapolis transit official who relented when one of his bus drivers announced he wouldn't drive a city bus with an ad for a gay magazine on the side of it.  Puh-leeeze. 

Am I verging too closely to Bill O'Reilly here?  Do let me know your opinion.