Muslim cab drivers, mostly Pakistanis, at Chicago’s O’Hare airport are being served traffic tickets while they are offering prayers at a special trailer provided to them by the city for that purpose. The Chicago Sun Times reports that Muslim cabdrivers are finding it difficult to stay true to their faith lately, as they’ve been hit with a rash of tickets for parking in access lanes leading to the airport terminals near where the city helped set up a prayer trailer for them. “For most of us who need to pray, that’s part of our religious duty,” said Faisal, a 13-year-cab veteran.
The cabbies say they are caught in a Catch-22 – they can pray in a location provided to them by the city, but they are ticketed for parking near that location. The commercial access area is only open to commercial vehicles. More than 500 cabs have been ticketed. Ultimately, drivers are responsible for paying the tickets — ranging from $50 to $80 — which can cut their daily profit in half. The City Aviation Department spokesman said authorities do not want to interrupt Muslims, but maintained that cabbies must leave the area clear of traffic for operations to run smoothly. |