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Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn says a move to eliminate a hygiene requirement for taxi drivers is appropriate. (AP Photo/file)

Seattle mayor supports removal of taxi driver hygiene requirement

BY Jamie Skorheim  on October 25, 2012 @ 10:20 am (Updated: 12:26 pm - 10/25/12 )

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn says a move to eliminate a hygiene requirement for taxi drivers is appropriate.

The city of Seattle is considering eliminating a regulation that requires taxi cab drivers to wear neat and clean clothes and to be well-groomed and without offensive body odor.

Seattle cab drivers are hard working men and women, says the mayor, and it's not the city's place to tell them how to dress.

"It is a little bit of an affront to their dignity to be told, 'hey, you don't even know what to wear to the job,'" McGinn tells KIRO Radio's Ross and Burbank.

McGinn understands the idea that taxi cabs are regularly used by tourists and the city wants to put its best foot forward, but he says these people are professionals.

"Being told what they had to wear, it just really offended them."

The mayor says the requirement was never really enforced anyway.

The proposed change will be discussed at a city council hearing on budget-related issues on Thursday evening at City Hall.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jamie Skorheim, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.
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Comments (12)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    Mr. 'Mayor' ........... you and your ilk regularly insult average citizens every day
    October 25, 2012 10:20 am
    telling us what's good (and bad) for us. Telling what WE must do. Protecting us from trans-fatty acids, evil plastic bags and 16.0001 oz pops is one thing, but telling a cabbie that keeping his window open is no substitute for occasionally showering and washing his clothing is insulting? ??????

    Here's a clue. If you don't enforce this code, just don't do it. We really do NOT need to waste the time (and cost?) of bothering the City Council when there just might be more important issues to be discussed.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cw1997 wrote...
    The Mayor
    October 25, 2012 10:31 am
    When is this FOOL going to be un-elected...SOON PLEASE SOON!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Fuego wrote...
    This is ...
    October 25, 2012 11:03 am
    important how?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    I hope he has to eat lunch with the unbathed.
    October 25, 2012 11:08 am
    What a wierd deal. I guess if cab ridership goes down because of this he can eliminated them from the streets. Sounds like his agenda.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • adiru wrote...
    Is this to make it easier
    October 25, 2012 11:12 am
    for the occupy movement hippies to get jobs?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    apparently this was a problem enough...
    October 25, 2012 11:31 am
    for a requirement to be imposed?

    honestly, wouldn't people just choose the company that utilized clean-cut, professional, uniform wearing cab drivers anyway?

    does that even exist? is that a market nitch that needs to be filled?

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tlmbrt wrote...
    Mayor of the Absurd
    October 25, 2012 12:16 pm
    It is not offensive to tell workers that represent the city they need to shower and wear clean, decent clothing. That is not "telling them what to wear"! Typical lib (Occupy?) bullcrap. Why is this clown still mayor?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Seattle is a cesspool...
    October 25, 2012 12:41 pm
    ...so why shouldn't the cabbies there smell like it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bremerton Voice wrote...
    Triumph
    October 25, 2012 1:01 pm
    This will be a great step forward for renewing the friendship between Seattle and its Cabbies this will truly be a step forward in progress and probably garner national attention to be more courteous to its cabby friends. Can I get a hurumph?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Brian Oblivion wrote...
    What's that smell?
    October 25, 2012 3:51 pm
    The last Seattle cab I rode in smelled sort of like a Hickory Farms store on a hot day. Maybe the mayor likes that odor, but it was not pleasant.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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