Paul Bruno and Erick Ruales hailed a New York City cab on Monday evening, and were shocked when the driver, Medhat Mohamed, pulled over after driving two blocks, allegedly muttered something about "No hugging" and tossed the pair out onto the street.
Bruno and Ruales, who are romatically involved, said they began to kiss and hug when they got into the cab, yet even a deputy TLC commissioner says "there's no record of passengers ever being ejected before because of any of it."
"I don't know if it was a personal or religious thing. But it's never OK to deny anyone a ride, especially when it's such blatant and direct discrimination," Bruno told the New York Post.
NYC Mayor Bloomberg was quick to condemn the driver's actions. "I thought the taxi driver's behavior -- if it is as reported -- was a disgrace," Bloomberg said.
Mohamed told the New York Post that "I wanted to pay attention to getting them to their destination instead of worrying if they were going to have sex or not."
HBO made a reality show series based on the goings-on in the back seats of taxi cabs, but we won't be seeing this report on camera anytime soon. Both Bruno and Ruales have filed reports with the NYC Taxi and Limousine and Human Rights Commissions, which are investigating.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission "would take such an allegation very seriously and fully investigate," said spokesman Allan Fromberg.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn also called on the city's Commission on Human Rights to levy charges.
"Its outrageous," Quinn said. "If true, it's a clear violation of city human-rights law."
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