Back in the 80's shortly after the USDOT confirmed my
suspicion that provisions in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and
provisions of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act applied to items of after market
automobile equipment, specifically automobile interior partitions, I contacted
OSHA about the matter.
No help to correct Partition flaws;
They insisted that despite the fact that many cab drivers
are employees rather than I/C's (the majority), despite the fact that
partitions are responsible for much injury and despite the fact that partitions
are responsible for many deaths... and despite the fact that USDOT letters of
warning had been sent by the USDOT to the manufacturers of taxi & police
cruiser partitions advising them of the penalties for making, offering for
sale, selling or installing sub-standard, uncertified (ie; illegal) items of
after market automobile equipment - such as the partitions they make, offer for
sale, sell and install - it was OSHA's position that; because MOST cab drivers
are I/C's… they would not take any action on behalf of ANY of those cab
drivers, because MOST were I/C's.
Their gutless, pansy, non-committal tactic of merely
‘offering’ - the advice to or the ‘SUGGESTION that’ - partitions be used in
taxis for robbery and assault prevention… falls tragically short of meeting the
‘mark’ of minimum mandatory action as delineated by their charter.
Of course the assertion that partitions are robbery or
assault prevention devices – is absolutely unfounded in fact and ridiculous in
light of the fact that there is NOT ONE CASE ON RECORD of a partition EVER
keeping an assailant from shooting a driver through the 'weapon access hole' in
every taxi partition made, or through another window.
SWC
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