The City of Columbus, Ohio’s Vehicle for Hire Board is considering fining people who vomit in or otherwise “soil” a cab after drinking too much, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
An exception would most likely be made for kids and ill people who are seeking medical care, according to the newspaper report.
A fee hasn’t been established, but other cities charge $50 to $75, according to the report. In Key West, Florida, taxicab drivers charge $50 for soiling the inside of a cab “with bodily fluids or solids,” and in Manhattan, drivers charge $75. Chicago charges $50, too. These fees are in addition to the normal fare.
The proposed rule, however, would require that cab drivers post the fine in the back of their cab, The Dispatch reports. Ramona Patts, chairwoman of the Vehicle for Hire Board, noted that drivers should warn potential passengers who are drunk about the fine prior to allowing them into the vehicle, according to the newspaper report.
Oh, I wish I could have fined my children for every disgusting vomit episode in my car. I’d have a nice college fund started!
The rule took effect this summer in Chicago, according to a WebProNews report.
Retired Chicago cabbie Stan Schulz told WebProNews the added fine “is a good thing.”
“Since I mostly drove nights and dealt with a lot of drunks, I had to clean up passengers vomit many times,” Schulz said.
To read about taxicab puking mishaps, check out BarfBlog.com. Just make sure you don’t do it while you’re in a cab. You just might toss your cookies and have to pay for it.
