Taxi driver heads to court to defend religious symbols
TORONTO, ON - The workday is coming to an end on Bay Street, and I'm standing at one of the country's busiest intersections looking for religiously decorated dashboards. In the time it takes the traffic light outside the Hockey Hall of Fame to cycle through more than 50 taxis go past.
A handful have prayer beads hanging from their rearview mirrors. Two have crucifixes and one has a large swinging picture of guru Sathya Sai Baba. A driver named “Ham" has a large green crystal pendant, which he rubs constantly while talking.
“It's just for good luck," he tells me, explaining that the crystal keeps his taxi lucky, by warding evil away.
I ask him if he's heard that a Montreal taxi driver was recently fined $1,400 for displaying personal and religious items in his taxi.
He has.
And what does he think of the decision?
He laughs, nervously.
Personal preference?
Municipalities across Canada set the rules about what can and cannot be inside a taxi. While most, like Toronto and Winnipeg, have no problem with drivers displaying personal items, Montreal's taxi authority recently made headlines when a court upheld eight tickets issued against a driver who “cluttered" his taxi with Jewish scrolls, Canadian and Israeli flags, and pictures of his children.
In February, a Quebec court upheld $1,400 in municipal fines against 66-year-old taxi driver Arieh Perecowicz, who also has three photos of Hasidic rabbi Lubavitcher Rebbe in his car, and mounted mezuzahs over his door frames. Perecowicz argued that the bylaw violated his freedom of expression. He has lodged a $5,000 complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission and says he's prepared to argue his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
During his seven-day trial, inspector Stephanie Johnson testified the issue was one of volume, saying that while inspectors may overlook “one small item" his crowded dashboard created “the overwhelming sensation of so many things coming at you." Perecowicz however has questioned whether either a Christian or Muslim driver would have been treated the same way.
Rights of the rider
Drivers like crystal-loving Ham need not be so nervous, as long as they work in Toronto.
Toronto drivers can decorate their taxis to the max, as long as they keep it safe and clean, according to Bruce Hawkins from the Municipal Licensing Standards Office for the City of Toronto.
Hawkins says that taxis are inspected twice a year in the city, and a small handful of drivers have shown a creative inclination for interior decorating, including one who decked out his cab to resemble the set of a Bollywood movie. However, passengers do have the right to a quiet ride.
“Everything in the cab has to be secure," he says, “so that in the event of an accident it doesn't go flying. Plus it cannot obstruct the driver's view out of the back windows, side window and it can't obstruct the camera."
Hard stance
The situation is similar in Winnipeg according to Joan Wilson, secretary of the board for the Manitoba Taxicab Board.
“Certainly I think Montreal took a very hard stance on the gentleman," she said, “but we don't do that here."
Gary Stillson, chief inspector of the Manitoba Taxicab Board, adds that along with upholding regulations regarding cleanliness and safety, inspectors also look at each taxi on a case by case basis.
“If somebody's got something hanging from their mirrors," he says, “we're not really worried, unless it affects their line of sight... It's our responsibility to manage the supply of reliable transportation in the city of Winnipeg, and anything which (disrupts) that we are going to take a dim view of."
“There would be concerns if it was offensive," Wilson adds, “or made it so the camera wouldn't work, or that you couldn't see, or if it was likely to fly at the customers sitting in the back. Certainly that would be a concern."
Public service
Supporters of Perecowicz argue that the taxi is a driver's “office" and that drivers should be allowed to decorate it freely just as any other employee would.
Not so fast, says Mohan Singh Kang, president of the British Columbia Taxi Association, a not-for-profit organization that represents taxi companies throughout British Columbia.
Kang says that while Vancouver's regulations are similar to those in Toronto and Winnipeg, drivers should also keep in mind that “the cabs are not home. They are there to provide a service to the general public."
Peaceful feeling
Back in Toronto, I notice a discrete silver chain hanging from “Mo's" rearview mirror. The script on it is Arabic. It's a verse from the Qur'an, he tells me.
“It's like how Christians like to have the cross in their car," he tells me. “It really shouldn't bother any customers, I don't think, because it's my belief.
“I just feel at peace when it's there."
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
