Somali cab drivers will strike Aug. 18

[Nin-Yaaban]

ST. PAUL (AP) - Somali cabdrivers said they will stage a one-day walkout in Minneapolis, but not at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, to honor two cabbies who were fatally shot in the past month and to draw attention to their security concerns.

 

More than 80 cabdrivers met Sunday at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and agreed to park their cabs for 24 hours Aug. 18. They said they plan to ask non-Somali drivers to do the same. There are hundreds of cabdrivers in Minneapolis.

 

The walkout will also not affect cab service in St. Paul, they said.

 

They also announced a fundraiser planned for Aug. 16 to help the families of Ahmed Ahmed and Mohamed Salah. Ahmed, 38, was killed July 10. Salah, 28, was fatally shot Friday. Both were driving in Minneapolis.

 

Meeting organizer Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center, said details of the walkout will be announced at a cabdriver's rally Saturday in Minneapolis.

 

During the two-hour meeting, cabbies also said they intended to drive their cabs in a procession to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's office at the State Capitol in hopes of meeting with him.

 

Drivers at Sunday's meeting said neither their employers nor the city of Minneapolis have done enough to make their jobs safer. They are asking that bullet-proof partitions and security cameras be installed in their cabs.

 

So far, cab companies have been unwilling to pay for such upgrades, and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak made it clear Friday that public money wouldn't be provided for private businesses.

 

Drivers said Sunday that a walkout was the only way to get their message out.

 

"We want to force the city and the company to meet our demands," said Siad Gabeyre, who drives for ABC Taxi. "This is

for safety. This is for life for the citizens of the city of Minneapolis. I hope to force the companies and city to come together."

 

Rybak on Sunday called the recent shootings "tragic" and said that city leaders have been working to address the drivers' needs, even before the recent shootings.

 

Cabdriver Mustafa Hussen said the walkout was worth losing a day's pay to show the solidarity among drivers.

 

"The strike is to remember the two brothers we lost in the community of taxi drivers," Hussen said. "The strike will be an

expression of concerns that have not been addressed."

[king_450]

Well Nin-Yaabin i might be there this wknd , to help those young Brothers Have their say on that day, Unity, that is what is all about being a True Somali.

[Macalin]

Ninka yaaban----see U in Mpls adeer!

 

in support of the brothers of the Taxi--

 

look for the slogan that says----'save the cabbie'-an endangered species

[Instinct.Poet]

Kinda sad, I kinda knew Mohamed Salah From around the way.But yo regardless of Cab Drivers or not,I'me be there, this thing is getting really serious,Just Yesterday as I was Dinning At Safari Restuarant on Nicollet, Somali Cab driver Pulled in front Yelling to some of the somalis that happen to chit chattin in fron,saying"Help me get this guy out of my cab".There was big african american guy sitting in the back, refucing to pay. Well anyway, after he seen all the somalis sorrounding the cab, his consious kicked in he

paid ofcource..But basicaly is a real hassle for the somali cab drivers, they're too easy going,this is a risky bussiness, well you either quit it or get well detailed with the damn job.Minnesota Gun laws is pretty good.Get a gun and carry it in your car nothing wrong with it..

Or else maybe you shouldn't put your self in risky situation like that..

[Macalin]

Poet-------u should know that most somali cabbies don think abt it as that way---ppl are husslin to feed ppl back in som--they not thinkin of payin money on guns...but then agin we should educate on safe trips and waht not

 

we should kick the mayors a$$

[Flamboyant]

Uhm..Interesting

 

Somali Security Guards should follow suit! I'm sure they're being unfairly treated working an Goddly hrs etc...

 

All the best to the cabbies.

 

p.s , is weird but i've never ridden in a Somali taxi..i've been in taxies driven by Indians/ethopians/e-eurpeans etc but never, one driven by a somali brother!

[Modesty]

^^^^to the guy above^^ sounds like you're not in Minnesota.

[Flamboyant]

~To the guy above~

 

I'm not a guy...and yes, I'm not in Mn..

[Reality Check]

how about this, find another profession!

[Nin-Yaaban]

Originally posted by Opinionated:

how about this, find another profession!

Self-Edited. :cool:

[Nin-Yaaban]

Ohh i forget, 80% of the Jamaican population is illiterate thats one in four knows how to read.

[Nin-Yaaban]

Originally posted by Instinct-Poet:

Kinda sad, I kinda knew Mohamed Salah From around the way.But yo regardless of Cab Drivers or not,I'me be there, this thing is getting really serious,Just Yesterday as I was Dinning At Safari Restuarant on Nicollet, Somali Cab driver Pulled in front Yelling to some of the somalis that happen to chit chattin in fron,saying"Help me get this guy out of my cab".There was big african american guy sitting in the back, refucing to pay. Well anyway, after he seen all the somalis sorrounding the cab, his consious kicked in he

paid ofcource..But basicaly is a real hassle for the somali cab drivers, they're too easy going,this is a risky bussiness, well you either quit it or get well detailed with the damn job.Minnesota Gun laws is pretty good.Get a gun and carry it in your car nothing wrong with it..

Or else maybe you shouldn't put your self in risky situation like that..

Instinc thats very sad. But why do they even bother picking up Afrikaan-Amerikaans? I dont understand, if i knew i was in danger of being robbed by an Afrikaan-Amerikaan i wouldn't have picked them up at first place. Why give them the chance to rob you, or even kill you at first place?

 

In Washington DC a similar thing had happened. Cabbies were either killed, or robbed by these ungratefull Afrikaans. They all refused to stop for any single black person, and after 3 months of this. A black community organiziation has started paying for a reinforced glass windshields and sometimes even equiping the cab with a small video cam. They should do the samething to those blaacks. And then mabye they would realize they are only hurting themselves. :mad:

 

Adoon Adoon dhalay.

[Macalin]

Hi Opianted, is that Jamaican b/f of yours reading this?

--------Ninka You was cool Yaqee--see kaa noqote---this is a sister in a forum and i think it was uncalled for!--but hey then again she prolly will get u back for this-and certainly the admin will look@ it

[LuCkY]

My condoLences go out to the famiLies and friends of the victims and i pray that ALLah brings an end to the hatered SomaLi cab drivers(and musLims/africans)face in mnpLs and other pLaces.

 

I wouLd Like to advice the future maLes that want to become cab drivers to choose another profession. I mean there is nothing that we can do to stop time-when your time comes off you go-whether you are at home or driving a cab.*Just a thought to keep in mind*

[Zakariye]

s/alykum

waa run waa in la tagaa, sister Lucky what is wrong being a cab driver, i think it is one of the oldest prefession and ppl do make a living, it is just sad that we are loosing some good somalis while doing a hard earn money to feed their families, without the help of , or handout from others, so sister don't be sarcastic, ezy on the issue.

w/salaam