Good news, for a change

Sigh. You can just smell the CAIR lawsuit coming over this:

Muslim cab drivers at Minnesota's biggest airport will face new penalties including a two-year revocation of their taxi permits if they refuse to give rides to travelers carrying liquor or accompanied by dogs, the board overseeing operations ruled Monday.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission, responding to complaints about the liquor issue, voted unanimously to impose the new penalties beginning in May.

A large number of taxi drivers in the area of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are Muslim Somali immigrants. Many say they feel the faith's ban on alcohol consumption includes transporting anyone carrying it.

Some also have refused to transport dogs, both pets and guide dogs, saying they are unclean.

Um, is it just me, or isn't it illegal to refuse to transport people with guide dogs?

The new rules cover any driver who refuses a ride for unwarranted reasons, including those who refuse to take short-haul passengers in favor of more lucrative longer trips. They can still refuse fares for certain reasons, including threats to their safety.

Under the new regulations a first offense would result in a 30-day cab license suspension and a second in a two-year taxi license revocation.

Good. I'm all for religious tolerance, but we have to draw a line somewhere. And when religious tolerance has to bend to religious intolerance, that's never a good thing. And if, say, Hindu cab drivers were refusing to carry Muslim passengers, you can guess what the reaction would be from the likes of CAIR and other Muslim groups, and rightly so.

Besides, this way, the cab drivers will be taking on more fares, so that's more money for them. Everybody wins!