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Crime Report: Cab Driver Punched

Published February 14, 2013 at 9:55AM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:33PM

An intoxicated man tried to rob a cab driver, then punched him in the face, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

Police say the incident started as Arlington resident Christopher Arrington, 31, was providing turn-by-turn directions to the cab driver. The driver demanded to know a specific address, at which time the men started fighting. According to police, Arrington tried to grab cash the driver had placed in a cup holder. A struggle ensued and police say Arrington punched the driver in the face.

News

Crime Report: Taxis Stolen

By ARLnow.com

Published January 30, 2013 at 5:00PM

Arlington County auto crimes detectives are “actively engaged in” an investigation into the thefts, said ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck, who couldn’t recall any other taxi thefts in Arlington in the past year. The cabs all had D.C. tags and ranged in model year from 1998 to 2004.

From the stolen vehicle portion of this week’s crime report:

News

Board Nixes All-Electric Cab Fleet

By Katie Pyzyk

Published December 11, 2012 at 10:10AM | Updated December 11, 2012 at 10:39AM

Arlington start-up EV Taxicabs had requested permits for 40 cabs, for which County Manager Barbara Donnellan gave a stamp of approval in October.

The topic has garnered much discussion over the past few months, and was held over from last month’s Board meeting to allow for more time to examine the details.

Around Town

SoberRide to Offer Free Cab Rides Throughout the Holidays

By ARLnow.com

Published December 3, 2012 at 3:59PM

From Friday, Dec. 14 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, SoberRide will be providing no-cost cab rides to those who call 1-800-200-TAXI from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Last December, more than 2,000 D.C. area residents used SoberRide in December, according to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP).

In addition to the SoberRide program, WRAP and Red Top Cab recently unveiled a half-taxi, half-police cruiser that has been parked in Clarendon in an effort to deter drunk driving.

News

Taxi Drivers Accuse County of Racism

By Katie Pyzyk

Published November 28, 2012 at 2:55PM | Updated November 29, 2012 at 8:34AM

Members of Arlington United Taxi Operators (AUTO) and Tenants and Workers United (TWU) took part in the protest, which was staged to highlight claims of unfair labor practices by Arlington cab companies and to show that drivers’ human rights had been violated based on their national origin.

ARLnow.com requested details regarding examples of human rights violations, but did not receive information about specific incidents. Instead, a TWU representative said the basics included “ad hoc firings, arbitrary changing of working conditions, and the fact that drivers are being bound to a single company.”

News

Transportation Commission Recommends Against All-Electric Cabs

By ARLnow.com

Published November 5, 2012 at 9:00AM

While the commission was supportive of the idea of more environmentally-friendly cabs in Arlington, it expressed doubts that the proposal — from Arlington-based startup EV Taxicabs — was feasible.

The company is proposing a taxi fleet of Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, each equipped with 4G WiFi hotspots and iPads for passenger use, plus a network of publicly-accessible electric vehicle chargers around Arlington. A commission member said it’s a good idea in theory, but in practice electric cabs — which would have a range of 60 to 105 miles on a single charge — could present a problem for passengers and drivers.

News

ACPD, Red Top to Unveil Anti-Drunk Driving Vehicle

By ARLnow.com

Published October 26, 2012 at 10:25AM | Updated October 29, 2012 at 11:42AM

Update on 10/29/12 — The press event has been postponed until after Election Day (Nov. 6) due to Hurricane Sandy.

Arlington County Police, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Red Top Cab are preparing to reveal a secret weapon in the fight against drunk driving.

Traffic

Wreck Involving Taxi on Washington Boulevard

By ARLnow.com

Published October 25, 2012 at 1:50PM

A D.C. taxicab somehow went up a steep embankment, ran into and partially went over a guardrail on Washington Boulevard this afternoon.

The accident happened around 1:00 p.m. on the section of Washington Boulevard between I-395 and Columbia Pike. Initial reports suggest the taxi was heading northbound from I-395 to Washington Boulevard when it ran up an embankment and into the guardrail along the southbound lanes of Washington Boulevard.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published October 24, 2012 at 8:25AM | Updated October 24, 2012 at 8:45AM

Board Votes Against Taxi Driver Proposal — By a contentious vote of 3-2, the Arlington County Board last night voted against a proposal that would allow taxicab drivers to be issued taxi operating certificates on an individual basis. Currently, only taxi companies are granted certificates in Arlington. County Board Chair Mary Hynes, along with Jay Fisette and Libby Garvey, voted against the proposal, arguing that the current system is working well for riders. Chris Zimmerman and Walter Tejada took the side of a coalition of taxi drivers that has been pushing for a driver-based certificate system. [Sun Gazette]

Meetings for Noise Control Ordinance — Updated at 8:45 a.m. — The County Board last night voted unanimously to defer a scheduled hearing on a series of proposed changes to the county’s noise control ordinance. Instead, two public meetings will be held to discuss the changes, in advance of a Board vote on advertising and holding a public hearing on the revisions. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the 2012 Navy League Building (2300 Wilson Boulevard). The second will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Shirlington Branch Library (4200 Campbell Street). [Arlington County]

News

All-Electric, WiFi-Enabled Cabs Get Nod from County Manager

By ARLnow.com

Published October 16, 2012 at 5:05PM

As part of this year’s taxicab certificate allocation process, Donnellan is recommending that a total of 65 additional taxis be added to the county’s existing licensed fleet of 765 cabs. Among the companies receiving a recommended allocation from Donnellan is an Arlington-based upstart, EV Taxicabs.

In addition to being all-electric, the cabs will be equipped with a high-speed 4G WiFi hotspot and an Apple iPad, both for passenger use. The cabs will be dispatched using what’s described as a “state-of-the-art cloud-based dispatch solution… running on Samsung Galaxy 7 tablet.” Passengers will be able to book the cabs via smart phone or the company’s website.

News

Taxi Driver Tased Outside Arlington National Cemetery

By ARLnow.com

Published September 7, 2012 at 12:25PM

The incident happened around 11:00 a.m. According to U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Brooks, an officer approached a cab that was waiting for a fare on Memorial Drive, near the cemetery, and asked to see the driver’s hack (taxi) license. The driver refused, became disorderly and exited his vehicle without being asked to do so, Brooks said. There was some sort of confrontation and the officer used a Taser to subdue the driver.

Medics from Arlington County responded to the scene to evaluate the driver, per standard procedure following a Taser deployment. The driver was arrested, but Brooks was unable to say what he was charged with.

Around Town

Arlington Police Help Wake Up Drunk Passenger in Ocean City Taxi

By ARLnow.com

Published September 5, 2012 at 1:15PM | Updated October 7, 2016 at 1:31PM

Police responded to the cab, which was parked on S. Joyce Street across from Pentagon Row, around 4:00 a.m. on Monday morning. They were told that the passenger was intoxicated and, following the 150+ mile drive from Ocean City to Arlington, the driver was not able to wake him up.

Police arrived on scene and assisted in waking up the man. Within a few minutes, the cab was on its way back to Ocean City.