The absurdity of the racism defense. Standards are no racist.

Third World Cabbies Say Expecting Them to Shower is Racist

Posted By Daniel Greenfield On September 12, 2014 

Check your hygiene privilege. Cabbies who smell badly are probably just oppressed folks who came directly from their terrorist training camp to the airport and didn’t have time to change.

Body odour is among 52 criteria that officials at San Diego International Airport use to judge taxi drivers. Cabbies say that smacks of prejudice and discrimination.

It does discriminate between cabbies who smell like an open sewer and those who don’t. It further prejudges what a good smell is.

Leaders of the United Taxi Workers of San Diego union say the litmus perpetuates a stereotype that predominantly foreign-born taxi drivers smell bad. A 2013 survey of 331 drivers by San Diego State University and Center on Policy Initiatives found 94 per cent were immigrants and 65 per cent were from East Africa.

And 45 percent were tampering with the meter. (Speaking of foreigners, why is an AP article about California cabbies written to British, rather than American English?)

Driver Abel Seifu, 36, from Ethiopia, suspects they sniff inconspicuously during friendly conversations in the staging area.
“If they want to bring their smell detector, they can use it to test the customers and the drivers,” said driver Negus Gebrenarian, 39, from Ethiopia.

Because the drivers aren’t paying the customers.

The airport authority says it is enforcing a policy of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, which regulates taxis throughout the region, that prohibits foul-smelling drivers and promotes regular bathing. It also says the practice is about satisfying customers.
Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the 18,000-member New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said her face reddened with anger and dismay when she learned about the San Diego practice. She suggested the airport leave it to customers to complain about body odour.

And about the lack of working brakes.

Daniel Johnson, an 18-year-old Marine who came from Flint, Michigan, said it’s fair to grade on body odour, especially considering the $70 fare to get to his base. He has felt trapped in smelly cabs in other cities.
“The smell puts a sour expression on your face and you’re thinking I just don’t want to be in here,” he said.

It’s almost like you’re in Baghdad.