A New York City taxi driver is speaking out after he was assaulted and his cab was vandalized outside Madison Square Garden, when some in the celebratory crowds turned violent. The attack happened last week, during the wave of celebrations around the Knicks. He says he is still in disbelief, but also feels lucky to be alive.
The driver, a 59-year-old husband and father of three, had been working the city's streets for the past two and a half years. Originally from Algeria, he had worked as an Arabic-language elementary school teacher before driving a cab in New York. On the night of the attack, he says he was stopped at a red light at 7th Avenue and 36th Street.
It was the end of game four of the finals, after the Knicks' historic comeback win, when crowds spilled out into the streets. According to the driver, fans came out and began damaging his cab. What should have been a moment of celebration for the city turned frightening for him in a matter of seconds.
The driver says he was grabbed by the neck and punched in the head as the crowd surrounded his vehicle. His glasses were broken in the chaos. Rowdy fans even tried to tip the cab over and set it on fire before police arrived at the scene.
He wound up in the hospital, dealing with a dizzy spell and ongoing back pain. Speaking through a translator and surrounded by colleagues from the Taxi Workers Alliance in Long Island City, Queens, he described a night he says he will never forget. The head of the Taxi and Limousine Commission condemned the behavior, saying there is no excuse for it.
Support has since poured in for the driver. A fundraiser circulating online has raised about 68,000 dollars to help replace the income he has lost. Advocates noted that cab drivers are among those who help keep New Yorkers safe, and asked the public to think about the safety of drivers in return.
Police have arrested 21-year-old Saul Vargas, who turned himself in on Monday and was one of three suspects captured on camera damaging the vehicle. The driver says he no longer wants to drive a cab. He says the mayor called to speak with him, and the mayor's office is now working with his union to help him with everyday needs such as groceries.