Sam Hauss

That's our member behind the wheel. He was pulled out of the cab and suffered shock and physical injury to his arm, back and head. The whole city is elated about our hometown team — and that includes drivers who watched the game last night at airport lots while waiting for the next fare, listened on their radios while cruising for the next job, and huddled at hotel lines with the same heart-stopping anxiety that turned into the most beautiful joy. Pulling the cab driver out of his seat, stomping on and shattering his hood turned our joy into a nightmare. When you see the yellow, do you not see the person behind the wheel? That's someone's spouse, child, parent or friend — a New Yorker. He wasn’t out there for a joy ride, he was working to make ends meet and to get his fellow New Yorkers home safely. Cabbies pay just to go to work. They pay for their cars — whether through loans or leases. Drivers need safety on the job, both in the quiet moments of ordinary days and in the middle of public celebration. Shame on anyone who turns these joyful moments into nightmares for fellow New Yorkers.