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💔 Hit, Punched, Bit, Shot, Killed...Safety A Main Focus For Many NYC TLC Drivers (PART 1)
Violent attacks 🤕 on NYC TLC drivers are on the rise. How can regulators, elected officials & App companies help? How can NYC TLC drivers protect themselves?
Another day passes, another story of an NYC TLC Driver being subjected to violence 🤕, vehicular or physical (both sometimes). Just in the past week we’ve had two tragic stories involving TLC drivers come to light.
A few days ago, 45 year old Astoria resident and NYC TLC Driver Robert Godwin was killed in a hit-and-run, while another driver was shot in front of a base dispatch office in the Bronx (we have no confirmation of that driver’s current condition).
Before we get into it, our thoughts are with all the families and friends of these drivers & the other drivers we’ll cover in the article (or haven’t covered, but have been subjected to abuse)
As I looked into the current general safety conditions for NYC TLC drivers more, as I've covered specific incidences before, it actually shocked me how many violent incidences, vehicular and physical, have occurred just over the last several months. In addition, one must recognize that these are only the publicly covered incidences that have media reports 📺. I'm sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other un/underreported events that NYC TLC drivers face everyday - from racist passenger rants to general rudeness & other unkind acts.
Everyone recognizes the different risks of being a for-hire transportation driver in New York City 🗽🍎, but there are also recognized limits that one can reasonably be expected to handle.
We apologize in advance if we don't cover an incident you thought was important (please include any in our comments section). The main point here is to highlight that a lot of violence, vehicular and physical, is occurring, NYC TLC drivers are increasingly feeling unsafe and something needs to be done.
High Level Next Steps (More in Part 2)
The NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), elected officials, Uber / Lyft should at this point clearly acknowledge the violence, both vehicular and physical, and communicate action steps with the broader TLC driver community, many who’ve become increasingly nervous about doing their jobs.
In the next section, we've included a selection of local news stories related to NYC TLC drivers being subject to violence since…September 2021! (Yup, all within the last 10 months!) We also appreciate, the TLC, elected officials and Uber / Lyft are attempting to address citywide violence everyday against passengers and drivers alike. This is not a finger pointing article or exercise, but rather a FURTHER & TARGETTED call to action 🔊🔊🔊.
It’s time to come together, to address serious problems in the hopes of keeping people safe. 🤝🏿🤝🏽🤝🏻🤝
Selected Notable NYC TLC Driver Incidences Since September 2021
NBC NY: Caught on Camera: Lyft Passenger BITES Driver After Trying to Steal His Phone | NBC New York
The dash camera caught the moment a passenger attacked a TLC driver (May 20 2022)
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ABC NY: Uber driver speaks out after forced out of car with box cutter, body cam footage released
Carjacking of a TLC driver in Midtown Manhattan (January 14 2022)
CBS NY: Attack Could Leave Uber Driver Blind In One Eye
A TLC driver is still recovering, a month later, from an attack that could leave him blind is one eye (September 30 2021)
ABC NY: Uber driver shot in NYC during attempted robbery dies
Police say a gunman got into the Uber, which had a passenger at the time, in an ill-fated robbery attempt. A 21 year old NYC TLC driver was killed (September 08 2021)
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Some Advice On How NYC TLC Drivers Can Keep Safe
Finally, in Part 1 of our two part piece on the safety environment that NYC TLC drivers currently face, we’ve included a link to safety tips from the The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published for taxi drivers in November 2019.
Look out for PART 2 soon! As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or by emailing us at info@automarketplace.com.
AutoMarketplace.com NYC covers the for-hire transportation industry and automotive news. Check out AutoMarketplace.com on YouTube ▶️