Under what circumstances should a cabbie stop their meter? This past Wednesday night a 29-year-old Park Slope man threw up in the back of a cab while traveling down 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. He told the cabbie he'd clean up his sickly mess, at which point the driver pulled the car over on 14th Street so his passenger could presumably throw up some more, outside of the vehicle.
Reportedly when the man, Shelton Ross, was finished, he realized the meter was still running. The two began to argue—which led to the cabbie getting punched in the face (he was then brought to the hospital where he received stitches)! Ross was charged with assault in the second degree, menacing and harassment.
So, should cabbies keep the meter running when a person is getting sick outside of their cab, or cleaning up their mess inside of the cab? They're losing money and they'll probably need to use the extra cash to buy air fresheners... though maybe there should just be a fine.
