"Taxi Drivers Are Not Sandbags" Frustrated Drivers Speak Out About Abuse

Passenger in 50s Commits 'Random Assault' on Taxi Driver
"Please Wear a Mask" Request Leads to Driver Assaults
Taxi Groups Emphasize Need for Protective Barriers
Experts Say Distorted Sense of Privilege Leads to Violence

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "'It's even scary to say 'Please wear a mask.'"

Recently, assaults against taxi drivers have continued, becoming a social issue. Passengers have verbally abused and assaulted drivers simply because the drivers requested them to wear masks, and some passengers have indiscriminately attacked drivers without any reason, causing public outrage.

As a result, a taxi organization is demanding the installation of protective partitions for drivers, similar to those on city buses. Experts point out that assaults on taxi drivers stem from distorted class consciousness.

On the 18th, the Incheon Western Police Station booked a woman in her 50s, Ms. A, on charges of assaulting a driver under the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

Ms. A is accused of grabbing the hair of Ms. B, a female taxi driver in her 60s, and punching her face multiple times inside a taxi running on a road in Gajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, around 9:30 p.m. on the 17th.

It was understood that Ms. A suddenly assaulted Ms. B, who was driving, after stating her destination from the back seat of the taxi. Due to Ms. A's "random assault," Ms. B reportedly lost hair and sustained injuries to her lips.

Cases like Ms. B's, so-called "beaten taxi drivers," are increasing. According to the National Police Agency, the number of cases of assaulting drivers (taxis, buses, etc.) while driving were ▲3,149 in 2015 ▲3,004 in 2016 ▲2,720 in 2017 ▲2,425 in 2018 ▲2,587 in 2019. Over five years, 13,885 cases were reported, averaging more than seven assault incidents per day.

In particular, recently, conflicts between taxi drivers and passengers over mask-wearing have continued. These conflicts mainly occur between passengers not wearing masks and drivers requesting them to do so, during which some drivers have been assaulted.

On the 13th, a current police officer intoxicated with alcohol caused a stir by assaulting a taxi driver who asked him to wear a mask. The officer refused the driver's request, rambling incoherently. Notably, the officer said, "I am a police officer," while hitting the driver's chest and kicking the taxi, displaying violent behavior that sparked public outrage.

Meanwhile, last month, there was a case where a passenger verbally threatened a taxi driver who requested mask-wearing, saying, "I will kill you." The passenger, intoxicated, verbally abused the driver and assaulted the driver's arm and other parts.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As assault incidents repeat, the need for protective partitions to ensure taxi drivers' safety is emerging. A "partition" is a transparent wall separating the driver's seat from the passenger area, preventing direct contact and blocking assaults. Many taxis with partitions operate in countries such as the United States, Japan, and Europe.

Some local governments have promoted pilot projects to install protective partitions in taxis, but continuous support has not been provided due to installation cost burdens and low demand. In fact, Seoul City subsidized 100,000 won of the 200,000 won installation cost per taxi through a protective partition support project in 2019. However, due to low demand, the project was not carried out last year.

Some voices call for mandating partitions to prevent accidents in advance, as assaults against taxi drivers have recently increased.

Choi Nakbong, Policy Director of the National Taxi Labor Union Federation, said, "In the past, many drivers found partitions uncomfortable because the driver's seat had to be completely surrounded by thick partitions to protect taxi drivers. But now, the design of partitions has greatly improved compared to before. Therefore, the resistance will be less than before." He added, "Also, due to COVID-19, passengers and drivers are anxious about each other. So, the demand for partitions has increased compared to before."

He continued, "The problem is the cost of partitions. There remains the issue of whether local governments or the state will support the cost," adding, "Since the number of passengers has decreased due to COVID-19, making taxi drivers pay for the partition cost would be a significant burden."

Experts point out that assaults by passengers on taxi drivers stem from a distorted sense of privilege. Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "Passengers pay money to taxi drivers. Therefore, they may feel like they are in the 'superior' position." She emphasized, "Another problem is that there is no mediator when disputes occur inside taxis. During conversations between passengers and drivers, emotions can be hurt, and since there is no one to mediate these conflicts, it can lead to assaults."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.