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It's definitely new territory for the city of Cincinnati. Several weeks after the incident at Fifth and Elm streets downtown, Ms. McEachrin filed a complaint with the city, which licenses taxicab companies and drivers through the safety department. That department handed it off to the city's legal division.

        “At least arguably, each of them raise legal issues that need to be resolved,” said James Johnson, the assistant city solicitor reviewing the complaint.

        Mr. Taher, who has not responded to repeated requests for comment, did respond to the complaint, presenting to the city proof of the Islamic religious conviction that dogs are impure. According to his boss, Sunshine Taxi owner Jamaw Alwali, he also gave the city medical documentation that he is allergic to dogs.

A readers sent me a response received today from the Metropolitan Airports Commission:

From: EHermann@mspmac.org

Subject: [The taxi issue at MSP]

Date: February 13, 2007

To: XX

Thank you for your note regarding taxi service issues at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission's focus is on ensuring all the airport's customers are well served by businesses operating at the airport.

Our taxi ordinance requires drivers to serve everyone unless they are significantly impaired by drugs or alcohol or pose a threat to the physical safety of the driver. In most cases the current penalty for refusing a customer is that the driver loses the fare opportunity and returns to the back of the taxi queue, sometimes waiting two to three hours for the next turn. However, that penalty has not proved sufficient to gain compliance by all taxi drivers.

For the past several months, the Metropolitan Airports Commission has worked with airport taxi industry representatives and with leaders from the Muslim American Society and the Somali Justice Advocacy League. The goal was to find a solution acceptable to everyone and transparent to the customer seeking airport taxi service. Unfortunately, those discussions have not resulted in a workable, voluntary, consensus-based solution. As a result, the Airports Commission is proposing stricter penalties for refusal of service: a 30-day suspension of a driver's airport taxi license for the first instance, and license revocation for a second instance.

A public hearing will begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27, 2007, to solicit testimony from the public on the proposed increase in penalties. Hearing officers will likely break for dinner at 5 and return at 6 for additional testimony. The hearing will take place at the

Ramada Mall of America (formerly known as the Thunderbird Hotel)

2300 East American Boulevard

Bloomington, Minnesota.

Anyone with an interest in the issue is welcome to provide verbal or written testimony at the hearing.

The public hearing record will remain open from the date of the hearing until 12 p.m., Friday, March 2, 2007 for people who want to provide written comments regarding the proposed ordinance change. Comments should be addressed to:

Landside Operations Department

Metropolitan Airports Commission

Muslim Somali Airport Cabbies