A New York City taxi driver is under fire for allegedly kicking a gay couple out of his vehicle after he saw them hugging in the backseat, The New York Post reports.
Paul Bruno, 27, and his partner were sitting close to one another after hailing a taxi Monday night.
Bruno (pictured) told the Post that the taxi driver, Medhat Monhamed, pulled the car over after driving only two blocks and said, “You guys have to get out of the taxi! Hugging is not allowed in here!”
The couple immediately filed a complaint against the driver with the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
The city’s TLC spokesperson Allan Fromberg told the Post that the commission “would take such an allegation very seriously and fully investigate.”
In New York, “service refusals” can be costly, because cab drivers can be fined for denying rides to passengers. A third strike can result in the loss of a cabbie’s license.
Bruno said, “I don’t know if it was a personal or religious thing. But it’s never OK to deny anyone a ride, especially when it’s such blatant and direct discrimination.”
Full story at The New York Post.
