Cabbies Clam Up

Rising passenger complaints compelled New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission to pass a new regulation ordering cabbies to stop using their wireless phones on the job. Drivers who violate the rule will be fined $200 and receive two penalty points on their licenses. The regulation, which doesn't apply to 2-way radios that cab drivers use to contact dispatchers, takes effect July 1 and makes New York one of the first cities in the United States to outlaw wireless phone use while driving -- and the only one to specifically target professional drivers. Response to the ban has been contradictory -- non-taxi drivers agreed that cabbies should clam up when driving, yet those same individuals said it's OK for others (themselves included) to talk and drive.