Shocking experience with LEGENDS car service

law-n-disorder

I'm still in a state of shock about what's happened to me today. I had a couple things that I wanted to sell in that isoldit Ebay store on Flatbush Ave. So I put the things - a juicer, camera and blender into two small-medium boxes. I called the car service I always use - Legends. I explained that I had two boxes and they quoted me $8 to go from my North Slope home to the isoldit store. They said that if my boxes did NOT fit in the trunk and had to go into the actual car - there would be a $10 surcharge.

I went up the car that was waiting outside my home, and asked the driver whether he was from Legends. He looked at me with disgust - like he was looking at a cockroach or rat. He snapped, "It's going to be $18. Do you have enough money?" I assured him I did. I asked him to unlock the trunk. He stood over me, watching me put the boxes in (not offering to help). After I put the second, medium-sized box in he said, "I think its best I call you a mini van this is filling up my trunk." I explained that I didn't need a mini van. When I got in the car he said agaain "It's $18. I want the money right now or I'm not driving any further."

I explained that I'm a very regular Legends customer and that they have my credit card on file since I sometimes charge my fares. I said that if he called his base, they'd assure him there was no problem with me paying. I was feeling pretty insulted at this point. He said, "I'm not driving until you give me the money upfront." I told him he'd get the money when he dropped me at my destination and that the fare also should not be $18, it should be $10. While this conversation was going on, he stopped the car around the corner from where I live. I kept calling Legends on my cell but didn't get through to anybody. I told him that I'd NEVER been asked to pay upfront before and that I wasn't appreciating his attitude at all. He said, "I'm not driving you anywhere unless you pay me first you NIGGER BITCH. In fact, get the FUCK OUT OF MY CAR. I won't drive you anywhere. Take your boxes and get out."

This went on. And on. He told me that I was a NIGGER. That I was an UGLY BLACK DOG. He pointed to a dog on the sidewalk and said that I was a lower form of life than the dog. He went on to say that I didn't have any credit card on file. That the "piece of shit" building I live in (which happens to be a beautiful brownstone) is "nothing" compared to the house that he and his family live in. He repeatedly told me to get the fuck out of his car. I eventually got through to Legends who confirmed that the fare was supposed to be $8 and that he was not to ask for the money upfront. He said "I have to charge upfront for 'people like that' because where's the guarantee that they'll have any money at the other end." I heard his despatcher at Legends order him to drive me to my destination and the driver said, loud enough for me to hear, "I'm not driving that nigger anywhere. I want her out of my car."

Legends didn't apologize - they simply sent another driver. By the time the second driver arrived, there was such a scene going on, with the driver screaming, "TAKE YOUr BOXES OUT OF MY CAR, YOU NIGGER SCUM," that a passing police van stopped and four officers got out to find out what the hell was going on. The driver was rude to the cops when they asked to see his license. When they asked him why he was insisting on charging me an inflated rate and getting the money upfront, he said, "we have to charge upfront for people like that."

The irony is that the driver in question is Egyptian. Never knew the Egyptians had a pathological hatred of their fellow Africans (I'm actually African as opposed to African American). The cops - who all looked Hispanic told the guy to chill out and said, "look, we're ALL minorities here." The driver denied that he was a minority and said that he shouldn't have to drive "people like me" anywhere.

The moral of this story is that I'm looking for a new car service!!! By the end of this I was crying my eyes out.

alafairnadia

whoa! I'm sorry that had to happen to you - that's awful.

my advice: use arecibo - I've never had a bad experience with them. also, they probably wouldn't have charged you any sort of surcharge for the boxes and the fare probably would have been $6. I have used them to go from 7th avenue and 11th st in the slope to my place near the brooklyn museum and have been charged $6-7 every time.

feel better and yeah - you should go to the legends home base and take the CC info they have on file for you.

carnivore

I've never used Legends before, but I definitely don't plan on using them now. I'll stick with Arecibo!

pitu

That's crazy and disgusting. Sorry that happened to you.

Arecibo has been pretty strapped and a little irritable lately, but the one Egyptian guy that works there gave my girlfriend a tape of music they were listening to...

Eleventh St Car Service is my other longtime favorite. They will actually pick you up on a return plane trip if you give them your flight # and cell #, without charging you $40 or something. Don't know if they take credit cards.

findcate

Subject: horrible

oh my god. i'm so sorry that happened to you, i'm in shock reading this. i can't even imagine how frustrating that must have been. i will never use legends either.

isn't it illegal for nyc taxi drivers to refuse to drive people because of their race--i thought they were investigating drivers and fining them showing racism in picking up fares... can't he lose his license?? that driver should be fired.

anonymous

Subject: Legends Car

What a terrible experience!

I think this hatred is isolated to an individual though. He obviously has some serious issues.

I have been using Eatern car service for 8 years. They are abrupt as hell on the phone, but the cars come quickly and the rates are very reasonable.

livetotravel

OMG! I'm been using Legends for at least 10 years - back and forth to airporta and to parts of Brooklyn for dinner etc. Never, never have my wife and I been treated in such a way - quite the contrary actually, a Valentine's Day mad rush to make a reservation where the Legends driver did everything he clould to get us there in time.

You must call and ask for an owner - not just speak with the dispatcher - don'tt let this rest until you get satisfaction that you've been heard. That driver should be dropped from their rooster. It's simply intole4rable and you should keep on this like a pit bull.

quijibo

shit! that sucks.

Legends is for shaaaaiiiiiittttt

when people spew that kind of bile, it's internalized hate that has nothing to do with you, so don't sweat it.

if it keeps troubling you, talk to a lawyer{if you're full-time, some companies offer a legal advice service as part of their comp package} -- that'll get Legends attention right quick

i recommend Arecibo and Eastern also

-- sometimes Cheers in a pinch...

steve

That sucks. If this is true you should contact someone at each of the local papers. Legends is well known, probably the best name branded car service in Brooklyn. You should also file charges. You should contact the police of course too, particularly as you are publicly talking about this. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a hate crime, but I'm no lawyer.

However, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, your story doesn't quite ring true to me, it might be b/c of the screen name you've chosen. I'd be curious to hear the other side.

law-n-disorder

steve wrote: That sucks. If this is true you should contact someone at each of the local papers. Legends is well known, probably the best name branded car service in Brooklyn. You should also file charges. You should contact the police of course too, particularly as you are publicly talking about this. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a hate crime, but I'm no lawyer.

However, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, your story doesn't quite ring true to me, it might be b/c of the screen name you've chosen. I'd be curious to hear the other side.

Thanks for the offensive post!

law-n-disorder

quijibo wrote: shit! that sucks.

Legends is for shaaaaiiiiiittttt

when people spew that kind of bile, it's internalized hate that has nothing to do with you, so don't sweat it.

if it keeps troubling you, talk to a lawyer{if you're full-time, some companies offer a legal advice service as part of their comp package} -- that'll get Legends attention right quick

i recommend Arecibo and Eastern also

-- sometimes Cheers in a pinch...

I've been thinking about that cab driver a lot and wondering where all his hate came from. I kind of agree with what you said, about it being internalized hatred. It's weird, but on the rare occasion when I've been racially abused, it's never by a white person. It's always by another (non black) minority. Maybe the cabbie is being given a hard time here in the US due to his Egyptian heritage and he decided to take it out on me. One thing he kept on and on saying was that I was "nothing" and "lower than a dog" because I'm black. Some non Americans seems to imagine that the lowest thing you could possibly be is black and that it is still ok to openly abuse blacks. The cab driver seemed genuinely shocked that the police were reprimanding him and he didn't even tone his racist attitude towards down in front of them. What a sad loser.

I did speak to Legends. I was told I'll get a call back from the office manager, but I haven't heard from her yet. I was told that the driver in question was a part-timer who has only just started with them and that he was just a "trial employee". They said they are now going to let him go. I sincerely hope they do. If he carried on like he did to me, to the wrong person, he could have wound up with a bullet between his eyes. People have been shot for lesser things for sure.

As for contacting newspapers, I'm actually a journalist and I've written for the New York Post among others. I'm trying to figure out precisely what sort of story I'd pitch

steve

I knew I would hear it if I said what I thought.

My post was largely supportive in fact. I suggested you make yourself heard and report the incident to the authorities properly. If I were in your shoes, that's what I would do, I hope. What you describe is a horrible incident.

I just don't know you from Adam and your story comes across as heavy handed. Should I just believe you outright? I'm being objective.

In fact, if you like, I'd be willing to interview you and see if we can't get this story out there, so that more people are aware of it. Of course, I would have to get in touvh with Legends too, and probably the police officers that witnessed this incident in part. PM me if you want to discuss it more.

law-n-disorder

steve wrote:

I'd be curious to hear the other side.

You might hearing his side quite entertaining. When he explained "his side" of things to the cops, it went something like "Why the hell should I show you my license. Fuck this. I'm not showing any license. Ask her for her license. I don't have to fucking take fucking people like her in my cab. How can you know that people like her will pay at the other end. Motherfuckers..."

Oddly, he also looked at me and said, "I am fucking a woman like you and you are nothing. Nothing."

law-n-disorder

steve wrote: I knew I would hear it if I said what I thought.

My post was largely supportive in fact. I suggested you make yourself heard and report the incident to the authorities properly. If I were in your shoes, that's what I would do, I hope. What you describe is a horrible incident.

I just don't know you from Adam and your story comes across as heavy handed. Should I just believe you outright? I'm being objective.

In fact, if you like, I'd be willing to interview you and see if we can't get this story out there, so that more people are aware of it. Of course, I would have to get in touvh with Legends too, and probably the police officers that witnessed this incident in part. PM me if you want to discuss it more.

Our messages must have crossed. Thanks for the offer of an interview but I'm actually a journalist and author myself and I've already been considering putting this story out there.

steve

law&disorder wrote:
Our messages must have crossed. Thanks for the offer of an interview but I'm actually a journalist and author myself and I've already been considering putting this story out there.

Fair enough. I would do the same. I hope you understand my point about being objective, if you are a professional journalist I'm sure you do, well maybe not a post journalist (just kidding sort of that's a bit too easy to pass up) Good luck with it.

pitu

law&disorder wrote: You might hearing his side quite entertaining. When he explained "his side" of things to the cops, it went something like "Why the hell should I show you my license. Fuck this. I'm not showing any license. Ask her for her license. I don't have to fucking take fucking people like her in my cab. How can you know that people like her will pay at the other end. Motherfuckers..."

Oddly, he also looked at me and said, "I am fucking a woman like you and you are nothing. Nothing."

whoa!
this story just gets worse and worse.
what was the police reaction?

law-n-disorder

steve wrote: [quote=law&disorder]
Our messages must have crossed. Thanks for the offer of an interview but I'm actually a journalist and author myself and I've already been considering putting this story out there.

Fair enough. I would do the same. I hope you understand my point about being objective, if you are a professional journalist I'm sure you do, well maybe not a post journalist (just kidding sort of that's a bit too easy to pass up) Good luck with it.


No offense taken but, hey: I'm a journalist and non-fiction author - not a writer of pulp fiction. What I mean is, I can't imagine why you'd think I (or anyone else who is sane) would make up a story like that! That would just be so random.... Perhaps if I'd mentioned my vague connection with the New York Post before I posted my account of what happened to me, I'd understand your concerns

law-n-disorder

pitu wrote: [quote=law&disorder]You might hearing his side quite entertaining. When he explained "his side" of things to the cops, it went something like "Why the hell should I show you my license. Fuck this. I'm not showing any license. Ask her for her license. I don't have to fucking take fucking people like her in my cab. How can you know that people like her will pay at the other end. Motherfuckers..."

Oddly, he also looked at me and said, "I am fucking a woman like you and you are nothing. Nothing."

whoa!
this story just gets worse and worse.
what was the police reaction?

There were several officers there. One female officer was just trying to calm him down. One of the male officers was trying to calm ME down - by that point I was just crying my eyes out. The police were pretty sharp with him but I got the impression that the things he was doing - shouting racial abuse, generally screaming at everybody and also refusing to take me in his cab unless I paid an inflated rate, upfront - are not actually criminal offences. The police did urge me to write down his plate number and report him to the TLC as well as to the owner at Legends.

I have to admit that I find it funny now that the driver assumed the police came over to caution ME for not paying him the cabfare upfront. He seemed genuinely shocked and upset when they instead reprimanded him for his abusive behavior.

The fact that he didn't even bother to tone it down in front of the cops tells me that he thought he was totally justified in treating me like that....

law-n-disorder

Speaking of cabs, I used Eastern for the first time last night - to take me from my place in North Slope to 7th Street and Avenue A, in the East Village. They charged $30 for this. This seems extremely high. Are they known for charging very high rates to go into Manhattan?

pitu

law&disorder wrote: The police were pretty sharp with him but I got the impression that the things he was doing - shouting racial abuse, generally screaming at everybody and also refusing to take me in his cab unless I paid an inflated rate, upfront - are not actually criminal offences. The police did urge me to write down his plate number and report him to the TLC as well as to the owner at Legends.

I can't remember now if it was the Dept of Consumer Affairs or the AG's office that was (has been?) tracking racial profiling and hired cars. Danny Glover was the lead plaintiff in a successful suit a couple years ago, but that was about yellow cabs and street hails. You won't be surprised that the drivers at fault were as likely to be non-white in the profiling cases.

Sounds like you have access to Lexis/Nexus...

law-n-disorder

pitu wrote: [quote=law&disorder] The police were pretty sharp with him but I got the impression that the things he was doing - shouting racial abuse, generally screaming at everybody and also refusing to take me in his cab unless I paid an inflated rate, upfront - are not actually criminal offences. The police did urge me to write down his plate number and report him to the TLC as well as to the owner at Legends.

I can't remember now if it was the Dept of Consumer Affairs or the AG's office that was (has been?) tracking racial profiling and hired cars. Danny Glover was the lead plaintiff in a successful suit a couple years ago, but that was about yellow cabs and street hails. You won't be surprised that the drivers at fault were as likely to be non-white in the profiling cases.

Sounds like you have access to Lexis/Nexus...

I think the oddest experience happened to a friend of mine. She's biracial and she was with her boyfriend, who is black. They hailed a yellow cab in Manhattan and took it to their home in Fort Greene. The cabbie apparently cursed them when they left just a 10% tip and sneered, "it's not like any other cab would have picked you two up - you should be grateful." Here's the thing. The cabbie was also black.

steve

law&disorder wrote:
No offense taken but, hey: I'm a journalist and non-fiction author - not a writer of pulp fiction. What I mean is, I can't imagine why you'd think I (or anyone else who is sane) would make up a story like that! That would just be so random.... Perhaps if I'd mentioned my vague connection with the New York Post before I posted my account of what happened to me, I'd understand your concerns

Hah! Well, when I said it was your name, that was part of it. It also seems like a lot happened in that short time. A lot of words were said by the driver, not many by you. I would think the cops would have asked you if you want to file a complaint as well once you told them your story. Maybe not.

greenwoodnoodle

I delurked and registered to reply...this is all very disturbing.

I usually use Legends for airport rides since I get those coupon fliers at our building, but now, I don't know. I've always had good, competent and on-time service from them, and it's most likely that the racist driver was an isolated incident as mentioned upthread; nevertheless, I can't help but feel like a business has been tainted for me when I hear that something like this has happened.
I've had a bad experience with 11th St. Car Service before, but it was nowhere near as horrible as law&order's story.

Do let us know if you end up writing an article about this; I'd be interested in reading it.

*edited to add:
yes, $30 to go to Ave A/7th is way too much. I'm usually charged $15-$20 if I'm going to Manhattan below 14th St.

jaha127

I am truly sorry that you had to experience something as awful as that. Hopefully, Legends will really fire this guy and when you write that article more media attention will be brought to this topic.

Surprised why the manager never called you back... that’s bad business on there part... they should try to rectify the situation.

As for fares from Manhattan I usually take cabs back from clubs around 3 or 4 in the morning, and I often notice that some cab drivers try and jack up the price. One cab driver tried to tell me it would cost $40 for a ride to Brooklyn from a club near the Manhattan Bridge. But the yellow cabs are usually really nice…

Sad day in Brooklyn….

law-n-disorder

jaha127 wrote: I am truly sorry that you had to experience something as awful as that. Hopefully, Legends will really fire this guy and when you write that article more media attention will be brought to this topic.

Surprised why the manager never called you back... that’s bad business on there part... they should try to rectify the situation.

As for fares from Manhattan I usually take cabs back from clubs around 3 or 4 in the morning, and I often notice that some cab drivers try and jack up the price. One cab driver tried to tell me it would cost $40 for a ride to Brooklyn from a club near the Manhattan Bridge. But the yellow cabs are usually really nice…

Sad day in Brooklyn….

Thanks. I'm surprised the manager didn't call back as well. I've been doing a lot of business with them. The despatcher I spoke with was extremely nice and apologetic but for all I know this insane driver is still on staff there. Needless to say I'll be transferring all of my business to another firm - probably Brownstone.

I also don't feel comfortable about the fact that the driver knows where I live. I'm not easily scared but the hate spewing forth from this man really terrified me.

drano

"I think the oddest experience happened to a friend of mine. She's biracial and she was with her boyfriend, who is black. They hailed a yellow cab in Manhattan and took it to their home in Fort Greene. The cabbie apparently cursed them when they left just a 10% tip and sneered, "it's not like any other cab would have picked you two up - you should be grateful." Here's the thing. The cabbie was also black."

As you imply, 10% is a crap tip, especially for a ride to Brooklyn. I would have told them to stick it, too - although probably not in those terms.

linusvanpelt

You might want to forward this thread to them, if you haven't already. Turning people off to their business won't do any good unless they know it's happening. And let us know how it goes. I use Legends all the time and I wouldn't boycott them on the basis of one driver's actions, but I would if they refused to do anything if they knew this incident happened.

It's funny how for a lot of people, the two things they pickup first in a new country are the swear words and the racism. I wonder if part of the reason is that people come from countries with different social mores, where there isn't social pressure not to have, or at least not to openly express, bigotry. I don't know much about Egypt, but certainly there are countries where in a street argument, it will immediately go to ethnicity or race or religion. Probably this guy just decided that in America, he needed to transfer his antipathy from whatever group it's socially acceptable to hate back home, and transfer it to black people here.

By the way, sorry if I read past this in your post, but how did you know the guy was Egyptian?

And about the 10% tip, maybe I'm being too easy on the cabbie, but it sounds to me like he was saying, "Look, there are so many a__hole cabbies out there, I bet you know that, and here I am trying to do the right thing and how do you thank me?" 10% is an inexcusable tip except for egregiously bad service. He was probably trying to say the thing he thought would make them feel guiltiest.

anonymous

Subject: Infuriating...

This story is incredibly disturbing. Arecibo is definitely the way to go in the future. I've only ever had very courteous drivers and I've never once been overcharged by them in the 8 years that I've lived in this area.

sebhavers

jaha127 wrote: I am truly sorry that you had to experience something as awful as that. Hopefully, Legends will really fire this guy and when you write that article more media attention will be brought to this topic.

Surprised why the manager never called you back... that’s bad business on there part... they should try to rectify the situation.

As for fares from Manhattan I usually take cabs back from clubs around 3 or 4 in the morning, and I often notice that some cab drivers try and jack up the price. One cab driver tried to tell me it would cost $40 for a ride to Brooklyn from a club near the Manhattan Bridge. But the yellow cabs are usually really nice…

Sad day in Brooklyn….

please don't let Legends forget about this incident. I think they are one of the busiest livery services and may just not worry about losing one customer over this. the manager needs to know your incident will attract a lot of unfavorable notice.

They never had my business anyway. My old company used to have an account with them and they always seemed like they were doing a favor by sending us a car.

anonymous

linusvanpelt wrote: You might want to forward this thread to them, if you haven't already. Turning people off to their business won't do any good unless they know it's happening. And let us know how it goes. I use Legends all the time and I wouldn't boycott them on the basis of one driver's actions, but I would if they refused to do anything if they knew this incident happened.

It's funny how for a lot of people, the two things they pickup first in a new country are the swear words and the racism. I wonder if part of the reason is that people come from countries with different social mores, where there isn't social pressure not to have, or at least not to openly express, bigotry. I don't know much about Egypt, but certainly there are countries where in a street argument, it will immediately go to ethnicity or race or religion. Probably this guy just decided that in America, he needed to transfer his antipathy from whatever group it's socially acceptable to hate back home, and transfer it to black people here.

By the way, sorry if I read past this in your post, but how did you know the guy was Egyptian?

And about the 10% tip, maybe I'm being too easy on the cabbie, but it sounds to me like he was saying, "Look, there are so many a__hole cabbies out there, I bet you know that, and here I am trying to do the right thing and how do you thank me?" 10% is an inexcusable tip except for egregiously bad service. He was probably trying to say the thing he thought would make them feel guiltiest.

The driver refused to give me his name (and I needed that in order to report him to the TLC. So I asked one of the police officers for his name (they had checked his license) and they told me his full name and I also asked them if they knew which country he was from. Then, the replacement driver who finally took me to the Ebay store mentioned being Lebanese. I asked him whether the driver I'd had the trouble with was also Lebanese and he told me that he was Egyptian. Maybe my imagination is running away with me a little here, but if the man's Egyptian, maybe he has been horribly discriminated against in the post-911 climate and maybe he wanted to get the chance to hurl racist abuse at somebody rather than having racial abuse hurled at him. I say this because his behavior was so extreme. It was as though he was filled with pent-up rage and I was the person unfortunate enough to be around when he finally exploded.

law-n-disorder

dd