Love Field Cabbies Unhappy With Natural Gas-Guzzlers Getting Line-Skipping Privileges Strike This Morning

One of my colleagues just flew in from Houston and couldn't find a taxi at Love Field to take into the office -- because the cabbies are on strike. Those waiting in line for taxis were instead ferried into shuttles and limos airport officials called in when they discovered the...

By Robert Wilonsky

March 10, 2010

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One of my colleagues just flew in from Houston and couldn't find a taxi at Love Field to take into the office -- because the cabbies are on strike. Those waiting in line for taxis were instead ferried into shuttles and limos airport officials called in when they discovered the strike was on for 8 this morning.

Terry Mitchell, assistant director of operations at the airport, says, yes, this is related to the city council's vote this morning that will allow compressed natural gas-powered taxis to hop to the front of the line at Love Field, which the Transportation and Environment Committee was briefed about on Monday.

"A lot of the cab drivers apparently object to that, and as a statement, at 8 this mornng they went on strike," he tells Unfair Park. "I've been assured they will go back as soon as the issue is dealt with. The council just approved the ordinance, so they should be back on the job shortly." As for the strike itself, Mitchell says, "it was a bit of an inconvenience but nothing extraordinary. It seemed to go quite smoothly."

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