Taxi drivers want a raise - and respect

MICHAEL LEVENSON'S article "Taxi drivers push for fare increase" (Page A1, June 2) does an injustice to taxi drivers in the city of Boston.

Is his comment about "malodorous interiors" another way of saying that cab drivers smell? He offers the comments of three people in their 20s who refer to the proposed rate increase as "ridiculous" or "definitely annoying," and then goes on to talk about how fewer people will take cabs because of the expense. We heard all this the last time we asked for a fare increase.

I work 50 hours a week, and I'm in danger of losing my home. We're tired of being exploited and treated like doormats by hackney customers and the media. We deserve a living wage, and it's about time we got one.

MIKE STRIFF
Halifax