Indigenous actor Jack Charles again refused taxi in Melbourne in 'act of racism'

[Wiggo4PM]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-...les-again-refused-a-taxi-in-melbourne/7324796

Didn't see this posted as I felt I need to have a rant about it.


NO, its not a racist act for not picking you up. Ive been refused a taxi in the CBD of Melbourne because I wasn't going to the airport on a Friday afternoon. At least 15 taxis all did the same thing to me, locked the doors, wound down the window - asked if i was going to the airport - I say no - they drive off. Happened a few times actually.

Is it racist if the Indian driver does it to a white person ? I mean I didnt care as I was in no rush nor felt entitled to the cab. Couldnt help feel discriminated against - for not being rich enough to want to go to the airport on friday afternoon.....cant say its because I was white..

 

[Gough]

It's not the first time it's happened to him. There's a really powerful documentary about Uncle Jack called Bastardry, it's not comfortable viewing, but well worth a look.

 

[Max zero]

So do we know he was refused based on race? Or is that just an assumption?

Maybe the taxi driver didn't feel it was worth his time.

Been knocked backed plenty of times because I need to be dropped off south of the river and the taxi driver thought it wasn't worth it.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

Is it racist if the Indian driver does it to a white person ?

Yes. Why wouldn't it be? Do you think only white people should be allowed to be racist?

I mean I didnt care as I was in no rush nor felt entitled to the cab.

"Entitled"? The rules are that a cab has to accept your fare. They were in a taxi rank.

So do we know he was refused based on race? Or is that just an assumption?

Have you ever been refused service from a rank? I haven't.

When cabs are out and about it's not hard for them to come up for an excuse - 'on my way home', 'not going that way', etc. But not from a rank. Last time he was refused a can leaving the Australian Of The Year ceremony - he is Victorian Sr Australian of the Year...

 

[kickazz]

Gotta admit I've never been rejected at a rank, but have otherwise, based on where I am going.

I did have a driver crack it though and take me up s**t creek when I had a short distance to go from the airport.

The article does suggest that the rejection occurred after the destination was discussed.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

Gotta admit I've never been rejected at a rank, but have otherwise, based on where I am going.

I did have a driver crack it though and take me up s**t creek when I had a short distance to go from the airport.

The article does suggest that the rejection occurred after the destination was discussed.

Not quite:

The group went to get into a taxi in a dedicated rank near Flinders Street station, but when Mr Charles began to discuss where they were going, the taxi driver told them he had "knocked off" and tried to drive away.

i.e. They hadn't even gotten in the vehicle and were beginning to say where they were going. Obviously we can't know what was in the driver's mind, nor the next driver in the queue who also refused them. To have sat in a rank that long and not take a fare is weird. How many Flinders St passers-by would be going to the airport? I'd imagine a lot of them are fairly short trips given how many people would be getting out of trains.

And that guy who took you the long time around - was that a while ago? They now have a rule at the airport that means if you get a short fare you can jump back up near the front of the queue.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

At least 15 taxis all did the same thing to me, locked the doors, wound down the window - asked if i was going to the airport - I say no - they drive off. Happened a few times actually.

You being refused 15 taxis in a row, on multiple occasions, is way less believable than what Jack Charles said...

 

[Wiggo4PM]

You being refused 15 taxis in a row, on multiple occasions, is way less believable than what Jack Charles said...

Well I didn't want to bore you with the details. I was working for Price Waterhouse Coopers at the time as a chef, this was in their old office on Collins Street. I had a function I had to go to in Saint Kilda bowls club for the company at 6pm (after the normal day shift) so I had some trays and etc with me that I had to take..not a lot really but fit in a decent tub I could easily carry and put in the boot. I was waiting outside the taxi rank on 333 colins. Friday Arvo, I s**t you not at least 15 (from memory as it was nigh on 11 years ago mate) When I finally got one an old lady just arrived so I gave it to her - as Im nice like that. Got bumped off 2 more times before I finally got one. If it wasn't so bad, I wouldn't have cared about the article. But because it occurred, meh. how about 14 then. I know assumptions make an ass out of us both but there you go. If it was few I wouldn't have cared but because it was soo many and I still remember it as if it was yesterday, I am more confident about the number of cabs that bumped me off because I wasn't "going to the airport"

Its ok. Chin up.

Yes. Why wouldn't it be? Do you think only white people should be allowed to be racist?

Clearly my sarcasm was lost on you with that throwaway comment because we both know that nothign about other people being mean to whites will ever fly in the media these days, so it was a bad joke, but still partly true.

"Entitled"? The rules are that a cab has to accept your fare. They were in a taxi rank.

In an ideal world that would be true, but we both know its not.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

Clearly my sarcasm was lost on you with that throwaway comment because we both know that nothign about other people being mean to whites will ever fly in the media these days, so it was a bad joke, but still partly true.

So you were being sarcastic, but you think "nothign about other people being mean to whites will ever fly in the media these days" and that what you said was "partly true".

Should I employ your assumptive rhetorical style and say "we both know" that you are trying to dig yourself out of a hole?

 

[Wiggo4PM]

So you were being sarcastic, but you think "nothign about other people being mean to whites will ever fly in the media these days" and that what you said was "partly true".

Should I employ your assumptive rhetorical style and say "we both know" that you are trying to dig yourself out of a hole?

I am not in a hole nor did I made an error other than you reading too much into something..try again.

 

[Max zero]

Not quite:

i.e. They hadn't even gotten in the vehicle and were beginning to say where they were going. Obviously we can't know what was in the driver's mind, nor the next driver in the queue who also refused them. To have sat in a rank that long and not take a fare is weird. How many Flinders St passers-by would be going to the airport? I'd imagine a lot of them are fairly short trips given how many people would be getting out of trains.

And that guy who took you the long time around - was that a while ago? They now have a rule at the airport that means if you get a short fare you can jump back up near the front of the queue.

If anything it makes more sense. If we didn't want to take him based on race then why bother talking at all?

The knockback occured right as they were discussing destination.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

If anything it makes more sense. If we didn't want to take him based on race then why bother talking at all?

The knockback occured right as they were discussing destination.

As I said, we don't know what the driver was thinking, or the next driver. But it's pretty rare to be rejected from a rank - particularly a long "dedicated rank" like the one at Flinders St. There's plenty of reasons to think that it's both - they might accept taking in a passenger they don't want, if the money is good enough. It's just funny that people assume Jack Charles is making it up. This guy made a whole documentary detailing how he was a bit of a bastard, a cat burglar and that he stole from friends. He's hardly 'precious'.

I am not in a hole nor did I made an error other than you reading too much into something..try again.

Yes, there's me reading the english language definition into words again. I must stop doing that.

Oh, and you did say:

At least 15 taxis all did the same thing to me, locked the doors, wound down the window - asked if i was going to the airport - I say no - they drive off. Happened a few times actually.

So are we going to get your other stories of how a taxi rank had 15 cars refuse you. They don't all have to include the granny arriving to take the one cab that would take you...

 

[Max zero]

As I said, we don't know what the driver was thinking, or the next driver. But it's pretty rare to be rejected from a rank - particularly a long "dedicated rank" like the one at Flinders St. There's plenty of reasons to think that it's both - they might accept taking in a passenger they don't want, if the money is good enough. It's just funny that people assume Jack Charles is making it up. This guy made a whole documentary detailing how he was a bit of a bastard, a cat burglar and that he stole from friends. He's hardly 'precious'.

Yes, there's me reading the english language definition into words again. I must stop doing that.

Oh, and you did say:

So are we going to get your other stories of how a taxi rank had 15 cars refuse you. They don't all have to include the granny arriving to take the one cab that would take you...

Didn't say he was making it up but as you have said we don't know what was in the driver's mind. Branding them as racists before we know that seems harsh.

Charles may not be making up the incident but he is certainly making what he thought the reasons for it were.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

Didn't say he was making it up but as you have said we don't know what was in the driver's mind. Branding them as racists before we know that seems harsh.

Charles may not be making up the incident but he is certainly making what he thought the reasons for it were.

I wonder if there's a key difference between people on this forum and Jack Charles who was there at the time... Any difference you can think of?

 

[Max zero]

I wonder if there's a key difference between people on this forum and Jack Charles who was there at the time... Any difference you can think of?

So Jack Charles is a mind reader now? Like you said you don't know what that driver was thinking but you seem happy to brand him a racist when an alternate reasoning seems perfectly reasonable.

 

[Gough]

James Brown, Otis Redding, Mavis, and Pop Staples, and Public Enemy beg to differ.

 

[Power Raid]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-...les-again-refused-a-taxi-in-melbourne/7324796

Didn't see this posted as I felt I need to have a rant about it.


NO, its not a racist act for not picking you up. Ive been refused a taxi in the CBD of Melbourne because I wasn't going to the airport on a Friday afternoon. At least 15 taxis all did the same thing to me, locked the doors, wound down the window - asked if i was going to the airport - I say no - they drive off. Happened a few times actually.

Is it racist if the Indian driver does it to a white person ? I mean I didnt care as I was in no rush nor felt entitled to the cab. Couldnt help feel discriminated against - for not being rich enough to want to go to the airport on friday afternoon.....cant say its because I was white..

I thought taxis can't refuse to pick you up based on destination?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Nearly had a punch up with a cabbie at the Perth airport a long time ago.

I got in, he asked where I was going, I told him and then he told me to get out. Said he'd been waiting in the queue at the rank for two hours, I told him tough, let's get going and you get in the queue again.

Once he realised I wasn't going anywhere, he didn't have a choice.

 

[Power Raid]

Nearly had a punch up with a cabbie at the Perth airport a long time ago.

I got in, he asked where I was going, I told him and then he told me to get out. Said he'd been waiting in the queue at the rank for two hours, I told him tough, let's get going and you get in the queue again.

Once he realised I wasn't going anywhere, he didn't have a choice.

I wouldn't want to go to leinster either

 

[Fire]

Uber.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

So, unless the taxi driver hops out, gives him a signed affidavit that says "I taxi driver X have refused to pick you up because you are Indigenous person. I openly admit to discriminating based on base and believe on both your cultural backwardness and genetic inferiority" then it's not really racism, and anyone who says it is racism is actually being racists against whites themselves.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

So, unless the taxi driver hops out, gives him a signed affidavit that says "I taxi driver X have refused to pick you up because you are Indigenous person. I openly admit to discriminating based on base and believe on both your cultural backwardness and genetic inferiority" then it's not really racism, and anyone who says it is racism is actually being racists against whites themselves.

Yes, that's exactly what people are saying.


I have no idea who Jack Charles even is, but taxi drivers acting like campaigners (for whatever reason) should come as no surprise to anybody.

 

[kickazz]

So, unless the taxi driver hops out, gives him a signed affidavit that says "I taxi driver X have refused to pick you up because you are Indigenous person. I openly admit to discriminating based on base and believe on both your cultural backwardness and genetic inferiority" then it's not really racism, and anyone who says it is racism is actually being racists against whites themselves.

That really adds nothing to the conversation.

I don't think we can know for sure whether this incident arose out of racism, or often any individual incident for that matter. Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast.

Collective data could point to an entrenched problem though, and on the surface it seems Uncle Jack has had more than his average fair share of asshat cab drivers.

 

[kickazz]

I thought taxis can't refuse to pick you up based on destination?

Correct, but they often do.

 

[Ratts of Tobruk]

I don't think we can know for sure whether this incident arose out of racism, or often any individual incident for that matter.

We can't, no. But it's odd that everyone assumes Jack - who was there - wouldn't know.

Of course last time they couldn't besmirch him that way because there was an upstanding white fella there to witness it:

"We saw one up ahead and Uncle Jack said to me, 'you go up and grab it, mate, you know what the cabbies are like with us Aboriginals'," Ms Capogreco said. "So I stopped the cab and he was fine, but as soon as he saw Uncle Jack he asked where we were going. I told him where I was going and that I would get out first, and then Uncle Jack. And then he demanded that we prepay. I asked why and he said 'because he may not pay'. I told the cabbie I had a cabcharge and he said it wasn't good enough. He said 'I need prepay because he might not pay'."