New York cab driver fined $10,000 for threatening to kick out lesbians who kissed in his car
A cab driver from New York City has been fined $10,000 for telling a lesbian couple to stop kissing, and for threatening to kick them out of the car.
Mohammaed Dahbi was issued the fine after he took the fare with couple Kassie Thornton and Christy Spitzer in 2011.
The couple said he discriminated against them by telling them “keep that behaviour for the bedroom”, when they kissed.
After instructing them to stop, he said he would kick them out if they ignored him.
Dahbi called the couple “b*****”, “c****” and “whores”, after they refused to pay and walked away.
At a hearing over the incident, the driver claimed to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings that the couple had “touched each other all over”, and that they were “kissing heavily”.
His lawyer Ali Najmi said the driver never mentioned the couple’s sexuality and that he has a “standard of decency”.
The couple said they only kissed on the lips, and that Dahbi said: “Don’t make me out to be an asshole.”
Despite Dahbi’s claims, Judge John Spooner ordered him to pay the fine of $10,000 (£6,817). He was also ordered to attend anti-discrimination training and to pay $5,000 (£3,406) in civil penalties to the city of New York.
On his cab firm’s website, Dahbi announced that he would pursue an appeal of the ruling, and that “there was no real injury here.”
