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IATR HOSTS INTERNATIONAL DRIVER RECOGNITION DAY
“International Driver of the Year” Set to Donate Kidney to Passenger by Matthew W. Daus President, International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) The IATR was formed over two decades ago to establish a professional association of municipal, county, state, country, provincial, or federal transportation regulators who are directly or indirectly responsible for the regulation of transportation industries. In general, the purpose of the organization, which is acknowledged as the most active international regulators group in existence, is to:
The IATR’s next annual conference in September 2010, already in the planning stages, will be held in Chicago, Illinois.
Bor ough President Marty Markowitz (center) welcomes the IATR to Brooklyn. At left is incoming IATR president Matthew Daus, and at right is outgoing president Malachi Hull. International Driver Recognition Ceremony The International Association of Transportation Regulators (IATR) hosted its International Driver Recognition Ceremony as part of its 22nd annual conference on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. The conference was held this year in New York City. The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (this year’s conference host) merged its own 2009 annual Driver Recognition Ceremony with the IATR’s to create an international event of unprecedented scope. The event served to bring together the singular most concentrated group of worldwide taxicab and ground transportation regulators, and an exemplary representative slice of those they regulate. “It is important for the IATR to recognize and show its appreciation for drivers who set so strong an example for their colleagues,” said newly sworn in IATR President Matthew W. Daus, who is also the commissioner and chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission which hosted this year’s conference. “Whether it is for exceptional customer service, or heroism, or simply for going above and beyond the call of duty to return a passenger’s lost item, we owe these special drivers our gratitude for what they do. Their stories should be told.” “I cannot tell you how many times I have been inspired by the actions of our drivers,” said outgoing IATR President Malachi Hull, Director of the Atlanta Police Department’s Division of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire.“Our regulated industries are collectively made up of hundreds of thousands of hardworking drivers dedicated to servicing our citizens and guests. Many of whom do extraordinary things on a regular basis.As regulators, we have a responsibility to acknowledge this work as well as to encourage others to follow their example. Today is about recognizing their exemplary service.” The organization lauded 20 carefully chosen honorees that ranged from two drivers whose efforts expanded efforts to serve passengers with disabilities in both Ottawa and Chicago, to New York City’s longest serving veteran “hack” who spent 60 years behind the wheel pampering his fortunate passengers. Other standouts included Washington, D.C.’s 56 year veteran humanitarian cabbie whose singlehanded support has revolutionized the lives and health of 1,500 men, women and children living in a remote South Central African village and a crime stopping hero hack from Manitoba. While most of the international cadre of honorees was able to attend the ceremony thanks to underwriting from their employers, others were honored in absentia with awards accepted by their local regulators. In what was to be the most gratifying portion of the ceremony, the IATR’s leadership bestowed the coveted “International Driver of the Year” award on Phoenix taxicab driver Thomas Chappell who plans to donate a kidney to passenger turned friend Rita Van Loenen, a special education instructor. Chappell’s employer, VIP Taxi, flew Chappell to New York City to accept the well deserved honors. Van Loenen was unable to attend due to the demands of her dialysis schedule. Special guest speaker Ben Bailey, popular comedian and host of the successful Discovery Channel TV show Cash Cab, presented one of the day’s many awards, the “Mobile Muse” award, to NY cabbie Fabio Peralta who was lauded for having inspired many thousands of his passengers to create artistic drawings that he collects to share with others. In addition to the award, Bailey presented Peralta with a drawing in his own hand. Guests at the event also were able to enjoy several classical musical performances, courtesy of several representatives of an exclusive fellowship – musicians whose irreplaceable antique instruments were left in a taxicab and subsequently returned to them thanks to either a conscientious driver, or recent innovations in taxicab technology, the theme of this year’s IATR conference. Virtuoso violinist Hahn-Bin famously left his $650,000 18th century Giovanni Francesco Pressenda in a taxicab. The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission used GPS to find it this past August within several hours after he had lost it. Hahn-Bin treated the audience to Recitativo and Scherzo, Op. 6 by Fritz Kreisler. Renowned violist Ann Roggen, whose own one of a kind 18th century Tyrolean viola valued at over $40,000, along with a pair of $10,000 antique bows, was lost when she left them in a taxicab in September 2008.They were returned by exemplary driver Deniz Getting, one of the day’s many honorees. Ann Roggen played several Bach pieces during the awards ceremony. A detailed listing of honorees follows below. Photos and additional event materials available for download at www.IATR.org.
IATR Secretary James Bisson administers the Oath of Office to incoming IATR President Matthew Daus. Access for All: Celso Flores Celso Flores is a man with strong feelings about the needs of taxicab passengers with disabilities. Acting on these feelings has led Mr. Flores to work to provide demonstration projects designed to educate other drivers, as well as passengers, on the ways to properly use wheelchair accessible vehicles. A Chicago taxicab driver since 1996, Mr. Flores’ efforts on behalf of the disability community earned him the Chicago Taxi Driver Excellence Award in 2004. In recognition of his continuing efforts the IATR is pleased to honor him with its coveted “Access For All Award.” Access for All: Sam Khaddage Sam Khaddage has the distinction of being one of the first taxicab drivers in the city of Ottawa, Canada to provide on demand accessible taxicab service to the city’s persons with disabilities. He has been a cab driver for 20 years. For the past six years he has devoted himself to the needs of the disability community even as he has, at the same time, demonstrated leadership qualities as a serving member of Ottawa’s Taxi Advisory Committee. Mr. Khaddage continually works to improve the transportation mobility options available to those with disabilities, and his commitment to the cause is truly unshakable. His efforts have included supporting and tutoring other drivers so that they can successfully pass the necessary training course as well as also making personal visits to retirement homes and hospitals. The city of Ottawa is justifiably proud of Sam Khaddage and his work to better the lives of its residents and visitors, as is the IATR, which honors him with its “Access for All Award.” Heroism: Abdinasir Kahin Bravery and good citizenship are two traits that one can accurately associate with Abdinasir Kahin, a Chicago cab driver since 2004. What happened on August 5, 2009 tells the story. After dropping off a passenger during the early hours of the day Mr. Kahin saw two men in the act of attacking another person, and police officers capturing one of the offenders. But the other offender ran away which happened to be in the direction of Mr. Kahin’s cab. Acting quickly, and with little thought of his own safety, Mr. Kahin jumped out of his cab and then chased, caught up with, and held the offender until the police arrived. All in all a fine day’s work, and one worthy of the IATR’s “Heroism Award.” Heroism: Balwinder Singh Gill Since 1994, Mr. Balwinder Gill has been affiliated with Duffy’s Taxi in Manitoba, Canada as the owner and driver of his own taxicab. Mr. Gill is a man who acts when situations call for action – situations that others may choose to ignore. This was demonstrated on April 10, 2000 when Mr. Gill saw smoke emanating from a house that was apparently on fire. He quickly swung into action by calling the fire department, honking his horn to arouse people, and knocking on the door of the house to warn any occupants. He also knocked on the doors of other nearby houses as a warning. In 2007, Balwinder Gill won recognition as Driver of the Year in his hometown. The IATR echoes those sentiments and is pleased to honor him with its “Heroism Award.” Humanitarian: Clarence Drew Back in 1953 Clarence Drew became a taxicab driver in the District of Columbia because he wanted to be in business for himself. For 56 years he has served the citizens and visitors of the Washington, D.C. area in an outstanding manner. Of course, this success may be enough to satisfy some individuals, but Mr. Drew, an ordained Minister, was seeking another more spiritual kind of success. His path to that success came in the form of a passenger – a young man from Malawi, a country in South Central Africa. The young man, impressed by Mr. Drew, soon arranged for a friend of his to come to America to be in Minister Drew’s care. Soon thereafter, Clarence Drew found himself visiting Malawi which launched a wonderful chain of events. In brief, his visit to Malawi inspired Minister Drew to “adopt” the Malawi village of Ntandile with its 1500 men, women and children, starting a bible school, assisting in the paving of local roads, and helping in the eradication of ringworms and scabies. He even helped make possible medical treatment for a blind student who today can see thanks to his intervention. He worked to send many of the local children to secondary school (equivalent to American high schools), and dedicated a personal bequest of $9,000 to help educate and buy soccer equipment for the children of the village. Given the scope of his accomplishments, this exceptional Washington, D.C. taxicab driver is a most worthy recipient of the IATR’s “Humanitarian Award.” Humanitarian: Kebede Teshome On what seemed an ordinary day for him, St. Louis cab driver Kebede Teshome one day picked up an elderly lady and took note that the grounds surrounding her house were in great need of care. There were overgrown shrubberies, weeds, never mowed grass – the sorts of things that detract from the appearance of a house. The elderly lady embarrassingly acknowledged all of this, but said she had neither the strength to tackle the problem herself, nor the money to pay others to do it. Kebede Teshome, clearly moved by the situation, took it upon himself to bring the matter to his church group which agreed to help him take matters into their own hands. Mr. Kebede and members of the group went to the house and did what needed to be done -- cutting grass, trimming bushes, removing dead limbs, getting rid of trash, anything and everything necessary. It all boiled down to a few good people led by a very good man extending a helping hand to an elderly lady in need. For performing this considerate and unsolicited deed, Kebede Teshome qualifies as one of those stand out taxicab drivers deserving of recognition…and, on this occasion, the IATR’s “Humanitarian Award.” Humanitarian: Sergio Castillo There’s a phrase that goes’ “if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.” This phrase usually means “what’s real is what’s real.” In this case, the old chestnut can be taken more than one way thanks to his humane and compassionate actions. On June 20, Castillo stopped his cab in the nick of time as a mother duck and her ducklings crossed into Park Avenue traffic. At the risk of infuriating his fellow motorists, who didn’t immediately understand what he was trying to do, Mr. Castillo got out of his cab and helped reunite the ducklings with their mother without a doubt saving their lives. Mr. Castillo, who had a passenger in his cab at the time, grudgingly left the ducklings with another upstanding individual…..a park ranger. For demonstrating such extraordinary humanity and compassion Mr. Castillo revealed himself to be an exceptional individual – exactly the type of person everyone wants to see behind the wheel of a taxicab, in New York City or anywhere for that matter.At the time of his deed he was recognized for his wonderful efforts by the NYC TLC with a plaque and the promise that he would be more elaborately acknowledged at a later date.That day has arrived, and we now present Sergio Castillo with the IATR’s “Humanitarian Award.” Integrity: Hosiar Singh Gill Mr. Hosiar Gill is the owner and driver of his own taxicab, affiliated with Unicity Taxi in Manitoba, Canada. A taxicab driver since 1995, Mr. Gill is clearly a man of integrity. On one occasion he was cleaning the interior of his cab at the end of a long shift and found a wallet containing $525 in cash. Mr. Gill contacted the customer, and proceeded to immediately return the wallet and its contents to the owner who turned out to be a visitor from Ottawa. Mr. Gill is a deserving candidate for the IATR’s “Integrity Award.” Integrity: Deniz Getting When New York City taxicab driver Deniz Getting dropped off passenger Ann Roggen at her Manhattan apartment both failed to realize that a musical instrument had been left behind—a viola valued at $40,000 and an accompanying pair of bows valued at $20,000. Once inside her apartment, Ms. Roggen remembered and called 311. Using GPS technology the TLC was able to determine the identity of the cab that had dropped her off. Text messages to the cab’s computer at first went unanswered as the driver was off duty. When the driver returned to his cab and got the message he looked and found the valuable instrument still nestled on the back seat. The story had the ultimate happy ending when Getting, joined by TLC Commissioner Matthew Daus, personally returned the instrument to a very relieved and grateful Ann Roggen in time for her evening concert in New Jersey……Deniz even drove her there. For his role in this remarkable saga Deniz Getting has earned both an encore performance by Ms. Roggen, and the IATR’s “Integrity Award.” Integrity: Haron ur Rashid New York City taxi driver Haron ur Rashid is a man who likes making people happy.When a newlywed couple, fresh from their wedding ceremony, departed from Haron ur Rashid’s cab they neglected to take the wedding gifts that had been stored in the trunk. When realizing this, they contacted the authorities. Using GPS technology, officials tried to determine which taxicab might be carrying the gifts.A big break came when a relative of the groom spotted a cab with an advertisement on top that the newlyweds had mentioned. The relative stopped the cab and found Rashid driving it. But it turned out that, even as officials were furiously searching, Rashid had already discovered and returned the gifts to the building at which he left the newlyweds and leaving them with the doorman without calling any attention to himself. It was via the relative of the groom that Rashid’s good deed was finally discovered. For his thoughtful act, performed with no personal gain in mind, Haron ur Rashid has earned the Integrity Award.
Left to right -- “Mobile Muse Award” winner Fabio Peralta,TLC Commissioner/IATR President Matthew W. Daus, and Cash Cab” host Ben Bailey. Mobile Muse: Fabio Peralta Presented by: Ben Bailey, Host of Discovery Channel’s “Cash Cab” Fabio Peralta is a New York City taxicab driver with an obvious love for art. When passengers enter his cab he hands them a pen and stack of paper and tells them in his own words,to“create art, any kind of art.” Some hesitate, but others proceed to sketch things as they travel to their destination. At this point Peralta has collected some 7,000 sketches, and whenever he has some extra money he binds them into glossy booklets. He gives the booklets away free to any passenger who participates in his newest project—30-second video skits of his passengers. Some refuse, others agree to be filmed, at which point Peralta pulls over to do some filming. So far he’s made videos of 214 passengers. One might never find another taxi driver who not only drives but encourages his passengers to do their artistic best at the same time – some of them discovering a level of talent they may not have known they possessed. In honoring Fabio Peralta, the name “Mobile Muse Award” just seemed like a natural way to go. Role Model Award: Balwinder Dhanoa When the City of Edmonton bestowed its “Best Driver Customer Award” to Balwinder Dhanoa in 2008, it was in recognition of his record of providing exceptionally courteous, friendly and professional service to his customers. Dhanoa has also been recognized less formally by large numbers of the passengers he has served through the years. The efforts he has expended to deserve all the recognition he has received carries on to this day. It is for that reason that we pause to present Balwinder Dhanoa with the IATR’s “Role Model Award.” Role Model: Gulam Mustafa Gulam Mustafa has driven a taxicab, accident free, for the last 20 years. For the last 15 of these years he has been a member of the All Taxi Management family where his reputation is that of a careful, friendly and exceptionally kind person – someone who not only does his job, but is always ready to do that little bit extra. That’s exactly what he did on a recent occasion when he found $5,000 that was left by a passenger in his cab. He not only returned it, but refused any reward. Selfless acts of this nature coupled with his remarkable safety record and his passenger friendly style make Gulam Mustafa a very deserving recipient of the “Role Model Award.” Role Model: Terry L. Jones For 15 years,Terry Jones drove a taxi in New York City. He then moved to Atlanta where he joined the Rapid Taxi Company. In both cities he has displayed the same dedication to serving the public, being ever careful to satisfy the transportation requirements of his passengers. In so doing, he has created for all to see a bridge of service and integrity between two great taxi towns that take pride in the levels of service provided by their driver licensees. Not surprisingly,Terry has been recognized for his special nature before having been named “driver of the year” by the Drivers Association of Atlanta back in 2003. In recognition of his exemplary history we present Terry L. Jones with the IATR’s “Role Model Award.”
The IATR Board of Directors presents Executive Director Karen Cameron with a bouquet in gratitude for her contribution to the successful conference. Lifetime Leadership Award: Stephen Belcher Stephen Belcher is the recipient of a B.A. degree in Business Administration. He spent two years in dental school. He worked as a Rate Auditor for the Ford Motor Company. And he’s a taxicab driver in his home town of Atlanta, Georgia. As you might suspect from his varied career path, Stephen is something of a departure from what most people would consider a rather routine taxicab driver. In fact, Stephen sees his taxicab driving career as a ministry applying his professional and educational knowledge in every way that he can. He has assumed leadership roles in the city’s taxi industry helping to develop training programs, improve customer service, and shape helpful legislation. He helped develop the Rideshare Program that allows for flat rates to and from the major airports. He served two years as a member of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. As a cab driver, Stephen Belcher has returned lost wallets, helped stranded pedestrians, and has even driven elderly people to their doctors without charge.This has not gone unnoticed as numerous letters of commendation have been written by the many people he has assisted. A devoted citizen of Atlanta, Stephen says:“I like to think of myself as an ambassador for the city.” Stephen Belcher is certainly a fine ambassador for an industry that we all identify with, and a person whose performance in many ways makes him an exceptional choice to receive the IATR’s “Lifetime Leadership Award.” Lifetime Leadership: Steve Wiedersberg For 27 years, Steve Wiedersberg has been a taxi driver in Chicago and, from the beginning, was a champion of driver safety. An advocate for drivers since 1989 Mr.Wiedersberg is the founder and president of the Chicago Professional Taxi Drivers Association, and is a current board member of the Chicago Taxi Drivers Union. His concern for driver safety led him to lobby the state legislature of Illinois for an expansion of legislative protections for drivers, and he was instrumental in the passage of “Wiedersberg’s Law” in 2007 which makes battery of an on duty taxi driver a felony in his state. A former United States Marine, Steve earned a B.A. degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago. For his demonstrated commitment and dedication to the safety of taxicab drivers, Steve Wiedersberg has clearly earned the IATR’s “Lifetime Leadership Award.” Lifetime Achievement: Walter Wolff, Jr. Atlanta, Georgia taxi driver Walter Wolff, Jr. has been associated with the historic city’s Checker Cab Company for over 23 years serving as both a sales associate and a full time taxi driver for 12 of those years. His attention to customer service has won him several driver awards at the Atlanta Checker Cab Company, and he has received numerous letters of praise for his efforts as a passenger caring driver. In one exciting moment of Mr.Wolff’s career, his taxi was the getaway vehicle for the robber of a Burger King establishment. He later assisted the police in apprehending the robber. Walter Wolff, who is a spry 82 years of age, has compiled an exemplary safety record over the years (for which he credits his keen attention to detail) which has become the envy of his considerably younger colleagues. For his efforts over many years,Walter Wolff, Jr. has earned the IATR’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Lifetime Achievement: Jack Dym At an active 82, Jack Dym is a second generation New York City taxi driver who has not only driven his passengers safely, but also in a most entertaining fashion. Through the years he has driven many celebrities that he speaks freely about. Some who come to mind are Jacqueline Kennedy, Diane Von Furstenberg, Jack Lemmon and Sharon Stone. However, to many of Jack’s passengers, it is he who is the celebrity. Known affectionately as "Jack ‘Da Hack," he can best be described as a fast talking, yarn spinning driver with a Brooklyn accent who has fits and has doubtless helped to create, over his 60 plus year career, the decades old stereotype of the New York City cabbie. Mr. Dym has hundreds of stories to tell and has been telling them virtually non-stop over the years much to the delight of passenger after passenger. He has inspired a documentary filmmaker to begin the task of chronicling his fascinating life. While Mr. Dym recently retired at the behest of his family he is actually more active today than ever. In fact, the reason why he could not be here with us today is that he had a prior commitment to participate in a major Masonic conference in the Midwest! For spending as much time as he has behind the wheel of a cab, transporting and entertaining passengers in the most positive way possible, Jack Dym has more than earned the IATR’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
Saturday Night Live saxophonist Lenny Pickett jams with TLC Commissioner/IATR President Matthew Daus (on keyboard).
Left to right are TLC Commissioner/IATR President Matthew Daus, and TLC staffersNichole Polyak and Carolyn Rinaldi – who contributed greatly to the success of the conference.
IATR members were treated to a performance by Dreamgirls star Adrienne Waren. Driver of the Year: Thomas Chappell The gift of giving was carried to extraordinary lengths by Thomas Chappell, a Phoenix,Arizona taxi driver who offered one of his kidneys to a passenger in desperate need. That passenger, Rita Van Loenen, suffered from a deteriorating kidney disease and faced the reality that only a kidney transplant could save her life. Tom Chappell had picked up and driven Ms.Van Loenen to her dialysis treatment sessions on several occasions, and in conversations held en route learned of her plight. But more than simply expressing his sorrow and his empathy for her obvious discomfort, Tom went a quantum leap further offering her one of his kidneys.
Left to right, Jim Hickey (VIP Taxi), outgoing IATR President Malachi Hull, IATR International Driver of the YearThomas Chappelle, and incoming IATR President (and NYC TLC Commissioner/Chairman) Matthew W. Daus. While no less grateful, Ms.Van Loenen took Mr. Chappell’s offer with a “grain of salt,” and was stunned to find out that Mr. Chappell was as good as his word and was tested to see whether he was a good match. Remarkably, and after a number of Ms.Van Loenen’s friends and family had already been tested with no matches having been found, it was revealed that Tom Chappell’s kidney would be a perfect match for Ms.Van Leonen with doctors remarking that if was any closer a match they would have been siblings. Plans are well underway for the transplant to take place later this year. Stand by because there’s another happy side to the story. Six days after the unique story appeared on a local TV newscast Chappell received a call from his estranged daughter whom he hadn’t seen in 31 years. These days they talk almost nightly, mostly about his four new grandchildren. Regarding his daughter Chappell said:“I’d have gave my whole body to see her and all it cost me was a kidney, no big deal.” A self described man of faith, Tom Chappell says: “I never knew what it felt like to give somebody life and that’s what I’m doing.” Tom Chappell…an extraordinary taxi driver…an extraordinary human being…and certainly an extraordinarily deserving selection to be the IATR’s “International Driver of the Year.”
Group photo featuring the IATR’s 2009 International honorees, including Driver of the Year Thomas Chappelle.At far right are outgoing IATR President Malachi Hull and incoming IATR President MatthewW. Daus.
International Association of Transportation Regulators
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