People always say that New York City is crazy, but until you’ve driven through the boroughs as a taxi driver or limousine driver, you don’t know exactly what they are talking about. Any driver can talk about a dozen different incidents which are all beyond belief, but the place where so many of the drivers get caught is when they are issued a Taxi and Limousine Commission ticket or when they are summoned to appear before the TLC.
Driving in New York City can be surprisingly fraught even if you have nerves of steel and a thorough knowledge of where everything in the city is. When you somehow managed to run into trouble with the TLC, the repercussions can be severe. Even if you get your charges exonerated, you will have wasted at least half a day dealing with them, and you will also be in a place where you may have had to pay a rough fine. If you have never driven in NYC before, you need to understand that the State of New York regulates its drivers a great deal more firmly than other areas. You may find yourself fined, suspended or even entirely banned from serving as a driver under the TLC rules.
If you are a driver in NYC, you know how fast life moves and how you have to keep up with it. However, even as you are trying to get this client to the airport and that client to the hopsital, you have to be very careful. A speeding charge can be fatal to your career. The same goes for DUI/DWI charges. These things can have serious consequences. They may affect your ability to work in the state in the future or to continue as you have been doing.
There are many things that can get you called up on charges of violating rules set down by the TLC. For example, you may be cited for not having the training or the license to operate your vehicle, or for soliciting a passenger that did not contact you first. You cannot use an electronic device while operating your vehcle and you cannot tamper with your interior lights or your meter. You cannot refuse to assist a disabled passenger and you cannot refuse a passenger based on their age, gender, sex or ability. These are all serious things that will get you called up to answer for yourself. Missing a summons to appear or ignoring a TLC ticket can also land you in hot water.
This is why so many NYC drivers retain the services of TLC violations lawyers. Anthony Sharnov is a TLC lawyer in New York specifically for this reason, and he is the attorney to call if you know that you are heading into trouble. Hiring a good lawyer is not an admission of guilt or a sign that you believe you were in the wrong. You are entitled to protect yourself, and hiring the right lawyer is just one of the best ways of doing it!