A taxicab waits at Milwaukee and Western. This is not the driver in question. Call 311 to report incidents.
On Tuesday, May 22, 2012, I will be in court as a witness to my own taxicab complaint. The charges are administrative and are in the context of the terms of the driver’s chauffeur license:
- discourteous conduct
- unsafe driving
- abusive behavior
These are based on my description of the incident, where I told of being honked at, being passed within 3 feet (twice), being told to ride in the bike lane (on a street without one), and having them stop quickly in front of me (twice).
I don’t want to tell you more until after the hearing, which the City lawyer described as an abbreviated bench trial. Each side will make a brief opening statement. The City prosecutor will call me to stand near the podium for a “direct examination”. Then the driver, or their lawyer, will ask me questions in a “cross examination” (look at those big “Law & Order” words).
I should be able to testify from memory but if I can’t remember the details of the incident, then I’ll say “I can’t remember” and I’ll read from my affidavit. I submitted a very detailed attachment with the affidavit, including a geographic diagram of where and what happened.
The City lawyer I talked to told me there are four possible outcomes:
- Fine(s)
- License suspension
- License revocation
- Not guilty
Mandatory retraining (classes at Harold Washington Community College) would be a likely addition, or even a sole outcome.
Updated 19:15 to add “not guilty” as a fourth possible outcome.