""Illegal dispatchers are out there hunting for rides and they have their drivers lined up. We never had that, that never existed.""
""He told me, 'You look so beautiful' and I was like 'Wow, these are things I want to hear.' He said, 'Welcome to New York.' We were so happy to be received like that.""
Taxi hustlers at New York City airports have become more sophisticated, employing illegal dispatchers to connect with tourists and charge exorbitant fares. Jan "Rocco" Uzzo, a former illegal cab driver, noted that these dispatchers now operate with walkie talkies, a practice that did not exist during his time. Reports indicate a significant increase in hustlers since the COVID-19 pandemic, with tourists being charged rates far exceeding legal limits, such as a couple who paid $800 for a ride from JFK to Times Square.
Read at Gothamist
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