http://www.qando.net/ - As it should be: Muslim cabbies can’t discriminate

Airport commissioners insist it's simply a customer-service issue. But many Muslim taxi drivers say it's an unfair new penalty that violates their religious prohibitions against handling alcohol.

Both sides agree that the dispute, part of a cultural conflict in the Twin Cities that has already drawn national attention, is probably heading for a court challenge, which in turn could become a national test case.

On an 11-0 vote Monday, Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) members voted to crack down on drivers refusing service, making Minnesota the first place in the country to decide how to treat Muslim cabbies who decline to transport alcohol-toting riders on religious grounds.

Starting May 11, any airport taxi drivers who refuse riders will face 30-day suspensions. Drivers will have their licenses revoked two years for a second offense.

We have discussed this in the past and from the libertarian point of view, the cabbies should have the right to refuse service to anyone while on the street. But when you get in a venue in which the rules of the venue limit the availability of cabs and designate which cab is "next" and thus which cab the customer must take, that venue should also be able to set out groundrules as to how business will be conducted.

Obviously, if the cab driver doesn't want to participate on the chance that at some point he may be forced to take a rider with alcohol and thereby violate his religious principles, then that cab driver should choose not to seek fares in that venue. What he shouldn't expect is the venue, especially a governmental one which is required by law to not discriminate or support discriminatory practices, to accommodate his discriminatory preferences.

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The larger story is the way that government "assistance" inevitably morphs into even greater restrictions on freedom as government is forced to choose between different constituencies as a result of the tradeoffs necessitated by its regulation. This is a minor example, but think of attempts to require motorcycle helmets or ban transfats (justified by government healthcare), efforts requiring schools to admit ROTC (justified by government education spending), etc.

Written By: Sean
URL: http://www.myelectionanalysis.com

Yep, when government gets involved it necessarily must start dictating the terms. It’s unavoidable. Freedom is incompatible with government spending and regulation. Witness the rampant PCness anywhere the government drops an ill-gotten dollar.

Written By: Douglas Black
URL: http://

Yep, when government gets involved it necessarily must start dictating the terms. It’s unavoidable. Freedom is incompatible with government spending and regulation.

Yet in many democratic states people are far more free than in authoritarian or totalitarian states. So the level of ’dictating terms’ must be flexible. I think the Minneapolis decision is reasonable here, and not one that will lead to government dictation. Beware of extreme positions; reality is more complex and usually involves trade offs.

Written By: Scott Erb
URL: http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~erb/blog.htm

To keep specific to the issue..........has anyone considered the potential danger of taking a ride with a Moslem who hates being forced to carry you.....
Hope this works out ok, but damn what if................

Written By: darohu
URL: http://

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