DAYTONA BEACH -- Joseph Young noticed it was raining as he left
for work on Oct. 1 -- so he donned his Boston Red Sox ball cap.
That decision cost Young, a cab driver who works double shifts to
make ends meet, $103.
The cabbie, a driver for All-Florida Cab, Shuttle and Limo here, said
he was not aware that he was breaking any laws by wearing a baseball cap
inside his cab.
"This is so stupid," Young said earlier this week.
After only four months on the job at All Florida, Young found out the
hard way about a city ordinance that regulates the appearance of cab
drivers. Such laws are also on the books in other cities across the
country.
Dave Durante, a supervisor at All Florida, said all his drivers are
told up front that baseball caps are out, but Young said he doesn't
remember the admonition.
On Oct. 1, he was parked along the curb at the intersection of
Grandview Avenue and Seabreeze Boulevard when a Daytona Beach officer
sidled up to his cab.
According to a police report, the officer noticed Young was parked
illegally -- then spotted Young's Red Sox cap.
"He gave me a $40 ticket for parking along the yellow line," Young
said. "The cap ticket was $103."
Baseball might be as American as apple pie, but baseball caps -- and
a few other specific items of apparel -- are not, in Daytona Beach.
Part-time Daytona Beach resident Betty Monaco said she feels the
cabbie dress code is paramount.
"I think baseball caps, especially when worn backwards, do not look
good," said Monaco, who wore a smart corduroy, cream-colored blazer and
dark slacks as she boarded a Yellow Cab at the airport Wednesday. "I
like to see a well-dressed taxi cab driver."
Deputy City Manager Paul McKitrick, who helped amend the taxi
driver-appearance ordinance in 1995, said company owners and the city
wanted to improve cabbies' looks.
"There were too many cab drivers in the city wearing baseball-type
caps, and it gave a slovenly appearance," McKitrick said. "The thought
was that they did not look professional."
The municipal ordinance that emerged is brief but packs a punch,
according to cab company owner Tony Ciulla.
The fact that the ordinance does not rule out other types of hats --
such as cowboy hats, straw hats, beanies, etc. -- really irks Ciulla.
"I think if a cabbie was wearing a straw hat inside his cab, he would
look like a dork," said Ciulla, owner of Southern Komfort Taxi.
Ciulla says he is also upset that cabbies can't wear T-shirts.
Cut-off shorts and swimsuits are also illegal, as are sandals.
Young can take some solace. Other cities around the country have
their own standards for cab-driver attire.
It's illegal to dress like Elvis while you drive a cab in Seattle.
And cabbies in St. Louis must wear black pants, black shoes and white
shirts.
If you're a taxi driver in Philadelphia, make sure you're wearing
socks before you turn on the meter. And in Chicago, where some cabbies
must don khaki pants and polo shirts, umbrellas are a required accessory
to keep passengers dry in the lousy Midwestern weather.
Daytona Beach cab driver Mitch Moore has a problem with penalties
that can slam cabbies if they're not mindful of their wardrobe.
"There's nothing wrong with trying to maintain a standard for
drivers, but I think they're picking on people who don't make that much
money to begin with," Moore said.
As far as Young is concerned, the whole issue is much ado about
nothing.
"I usually wear a cap when it's rainy out," he said. "That's
all."
