The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

I would be more than happy to make out with as many boys in the back of the Blue and White cabs to find out for you.

But if I had to offer a hypothesis before the experiment...I doubt it.

Let me guess: were the drivers Somali (Muslim)? If Blue and White, probably. Were you intentionally trying to provoke them? Sure you were-- the second time at least. You expect them to have some courtesy toward your feelings? You should try it yourself.

Cab driver is not a profession for the easily offended. And I'd love to know how often they bitch when random hookups are getting their jollies in the backseat on their way to a Craig's List style Casual Encounter after bar close.

"Excuse me sir, this is a commercial vehicle. If your hand is in her pants for purely recreational purposes, please refrain from getting it on until you reach your destination."

Because yeah, commercial vehicles are never used for sordid purposes. Nothing ever happens in the back of a Greyhound.

Correction: Link added.

This has happened to a few of my friends. And not even for making out. You also cannot be a drag queen in a commercial cab, it offends religious sensibilities.

I do however think you should boycott any of the companies if you feel they in particular are bad about this. Also right a letter to the city council and get those boneheads to get more taxi licences out there now instead of waiting 4 years...then someone could start a company that catered to whatever demographic they wanted.

341.170. Duty to accept passengers.No driver shall refuse or neglect to convey any orderly person or persons upon request anywhere in the city unless previously engaged, provided that such person agrees to pay the legal rate of fare. No taxicab driver shall refuse or fail to provide services to any person protected under the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances section 139.10. No taxicab driver shall carry any other passenger than the person first employing the taxicab, except as provided in section 341.730, and then only with the consent of the first passenger or passengers. (88-Or-004, § 5, 1-15-88)

139.10. Findings, declaration of policy and purpose.(a) Findings. The council finds that discrimination in employment, labor union membership, housing accommodations, property rights, education, public accommodations and public services based on race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including sexual harassment, affectional preference, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance or familial status adversely affects the health, welfare, peace and safety of the community. Such discriminatory practices degrade individuals, foster intolerance and hate, and create and intensify unemployment, substandard housing, undereducation, ill health, lawlessness and poverty, thereby injuring the public welfare.

The bolded portions pretty much spell it out. They are inviolation of mpls code and are risking revocation of their license.

And tuberbrain...private companies have to abide by the license agreements they sign or risk revocation.

Same thing happened to me 2 years ago in a Yellow Cab, and the discourteous provocation was a mere peck. Shame on me.

One little more ditty from the Mpls Public Code:

139.20. Definitions. Affectional preference: Having or manifesting an emotional or physical attachment to another consenting person or persons, or having or manifesting a preference for such attachment, or having or projecting a self-image not associated with one's biological maleness or one's biological femaleness.

I think a caste kiss would fall under the definition of Manifesting.

man·i·fest (mn'Y-fst')
adj.
Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious. See synonyms at apparent.

tr.v., -fest·ed, -fest·ing, -fests.
To show or demonstrate plainly; reveal: Mercedes . . . manifested the chaotic abandonment of hysteria (Jack London).

They have to allow all kinds of kissing in their cab, just like we have to put up with conservatives on this board and out in the world.

If I was the cabbie, I would be more worried about adjusting the mirror for the best view, and still staying on the road. Then again, I'm not at all sure you people are attractive.

Again, Msparber puts everything in proper perspective. If there is going to be any sort of anti-marraige amendment, it should first be geared toward the uglies among us. Think of the children. Imagine the lawn signs!

How dou ugly people breed anyway? I can't imagine ugly people are actually okay with sleeping with other ugly people.

Thank God I'm just rather plain.

Amber is sounding rather frustrated above.

Eeeeeks.

It's not about the kiss, kwatt. It's about the judgement of who's allowed to kiss who.

A word about uglies...I happened to be in a Wal-Mart, aka Fifth Dimension of Hell, recently, and I came upon a pair...the man was clad in cut-off acid-washed jeans that seemed to be the male version of Daisy Dukes (for reals, I could see parts of him I never want to see on a man in Wal-Mart) and a muscle shirt, and the woman was wearing old ratty polka-dot stretch stirrup pants, an "Achy-Breaky Heart" tee shirt, and her ensemble was complete with a neon-green fanny-pack. Both had mullets, both were missing a large quantity of teeth. They walked off into the parking lot, hand-in-hand, and I remember thinking, "Aww...Uglies need love, too."

And tmayhem, normally I would say "it's that obvious, huh?" but really it just boils down to the fact that I just like to make out. And if I get to make a social statement by making out...well, far be it from me to deny the world the chance to become a better place.

We were left at the curb by three taxis in a row at the airport because we were bringing back a half-case of wine. It's another religion trumps the law thing with Muslim cabbies.

Kwatt, what are you talking about? Oh, so you DO see the significance of two men not being allowed to kiss in a cab? Oh good. Let's remember that you're the one who made the comment dismissing someone elses' concern about discrimination. If you didn't care, than why not just move onto another thread and comment there? That was the point that I should have tried to make first, so really, I apologize.

I "have a thing" about my uterus? And that's a bad thing, right, since it's MY uterus and all?

This thread is shows how homophobia is so ingrained into our society that people can get away with it without anyone barely questioning them.

Makes me fucking sick. If I ever met some of these people (kwatt) I would probably not even know he was a raging homophobe. I'm throwing TBartel into the catagory as well defending someone who was obviously making a homophobia comment saying that the gays were provoking the cab drivers for kissing. How fucking LAME! I may be simple but I have an open mind.

If you are denied cab service by any driver and you are in the right you should take down their cab number and report them to the city. These people have to held to the requirements they sign when they accept a cab license they cannot pick and choose fares, it's against city code.

I'm now waiting for the "I have many gay friends" comments. I bet if they kissed in front of you, you would think, "Why do they have to flaunt that in front of me" and think less of them even thou you keep it to yourself.

Perhaps the driver didn't want things to progress to the point where he'd have a mess to clean up in his cab.

That is why no children should be allowed in cabs or in public. Seeing children in general offends my religious sensibilities too.

Well, looks like we finally heard from people of The Dumbass Variety. Thanks, boo hoo, for not even being able to back up your comments with your actual/registered name.

Balls, man. Baaaallllsss.

Amber-
Please attack my argument not the fact that I don't find it necessary to register to promote my rhetorically challenged blog.

I love the conjecture that attempts to nullify the argument.

You gave him a kiss? Or you made out with him?

He said he kissed him. It's the first fucking thing that was stated.

A Kiss...boo hoo trys to make it something it was not to implement his phoney arguement. I'm guessing boo hoo gets a boner when he sees two chicks kissing but not two guys. Or maybe he does! Just not real secure in his sexuality!

Kwatt, I know you're not boo hoo. And even though we're butting heads today, I still like you. High five.

Boo hoo...you have a rhetorically challenged blog? How nice for you. But you're right...I really should attack your argument instead of the fact that you aren't even willing to back up your own argument with your name.

Mpls Simpleton-
Do you REALLY think that a simple peck got him booted out of not one but two cabs? C'mon man. As far as my sexuality goes, lets just say I am comfortable enough to wear pink Izod golf shirts. For someone that fancies themselves as MR. acceptance your attempt at a rip on me borders on homophobic.

Kurt-
a simple peck got you kicked out of two cabs? If so that is ridiculous, I just find it hard to believe. Maybe one cab with an unruly driver but for two drivers to kick you out........... seems farfetched. I call bullshit...... sorry.

Seems that Kurt was not the author of the original post, just a commentator sharing a similar story.

I'm not afraid I might attack myself at night.

I believe that's a non-homophobic side effect of a certain sleep aide the spam filter won't let me write the name of.

It's too bad they're still cab drivers.

File a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The cabbie violated the Human Rights Act if you were discriminated against because you're gay. It's against the law, and violators should be punished. There are way better cab companies out there than Blue and White who deserve the business.

Having been directed to this story by another blog, I ended up speaking to an investigations officer with the Civil Rights Office of the City of Minneapolis about this. They are willing to investigate all such incidents of discrimination (and this statutorily is clearly such an incident). However the parties need to contact them directly.

If anyone suspects that they have been discrimated against for whatever reason within the city of Minneapolis, including their sexuality, please please please contact the Civil Rights office. They are easy to talk to and willing to take on issues such as this.

For more info, visit:
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us

From a legal perspective I would think the cab company would say the driver removed you b/c of an act you committed (kissing) not because of who you were (two guys). May or may not be true, but that seems to me what the company would say. If the company prohibits kissing or other suggestive action you can't sit there and commit the act and claim you're exempt from their policy because you are a member of a protected class, because the company policy would be against the behavior, not the persons behaving.

If you could somehow prove that cab drivers routinely ignore the rule when it comes to straight or lesbian couples, then maybe there would be more of a case. But (and keep in mind I'm not a lawyer) as long as the policy inquestion is against an action, I think it would be very tough to mount a discrimination case.

My boyfriend called the cab company ("I'll talk to the driver") and Lisa Goodman's office ("File a complaint at City Hall"). I wish we had done so, because things are obviously in no danger of changing until someone gets a smackdown.

I believe gay and lesbian are listed in state statute as protective classes so if it's not in city ordinance wouldn't that apply?

I guess what I said earlier was more of a question, is the case that they kicked you out because you were kissing or because you were two gay men kissing? Wouldn't protected statutes only apply if the company's ban or whatever was only on gay kissing? If they prohibit all kissing, then what does it matter that you are gay, unless they ignore the prohibition for straights and lesbians?

What a despicable act, and I mean the kiss in the cab. I own a shop, if someone were to do that in my shop I'd kick them out. It's complete disrespect towards me. You really should be ashamed of yourself, get some class.

No if it were a boy or girl I'd sit down and grab a bag of popcorn. Give me a break.

Nobody wants to see a gay couple making out in their workplace and have the full rights to kick them out. End of discussion.

There's a difference between making out and kissing. But, sine you seemingly get to decide when conversations begin and end, I guess we're done. I'll just remind you that the law actually gets to decide, not you, and if you violate people's right to be free of discrimination, the conversation might just end with a lawsuit.