Washington Post columnist learns about cabbie discrimination against blind people in DC

The intro to John Kelly's Washington column Dec. 4 in the The Washington Post:

Jim Dickson (pictured) had the feeling empty cabs were zipping past him without stopping as he stood at 17th and L streets NW the week before last, his hand raised for a taxi. He didn't know for sure, though. Jim is blind. Standing next to him was his 3-year-old black Lab guide dog, Pearson.

I watched for a few minutes as taxis -- their rooftop lights lighted, their back seats vacant -- ignored Jim and Pearson, then I walked up and suggested he might have better luck at the Mayflower Hotel's cabstand.

"This is not a unique experience to me," Jim said. "People with guide dogs and people with wheelchairs complain all the time about cabs refusing to take them."

That seemed pretty cold -- refusing to stop for a disabled person? -- but then we got to the Mayflower. There were no cabs at that moment, but National Cab No. 64 soon pulled up and disgorged a passenger. The hotel doorman held the door for Jim and Pearson, but when the cabdriver saw them, he started shouting. The cab rolled forward a few inches, the door still open. Then the driver got out and started swearing at the doorman. After the door was shut, he got back behind the wheel and drove off.

The doorman was as disgusted as I was. Jim took the next cab.

A few days later, I spoke with Jim, who is vice president of government affairs for the American Association of People with Disabilities. Lots of drivers don't like dogs and won't stop, he said. "The only place it doesn't happen is up on Capitol Hill," said Jim, 62. "I usually get a Capitol policeman to flag the cab for me."