What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? TX
I am a male taxi driver who works the airport as the primary source of my income. Recently, a female cab driver has started a vicious rumor at our main taxi holding area where as many as 100 cabs wait to be called to the terminals. She has stated that I am stalking her and has made claims that I drive around her apartment complex and other statements which I am trying to learn. I have just learned that she has filed a complaint with the airport authorities and that they are now keeping an eye on me.
As a result of these rumors, people who would talk to me before no avoid me. Those who I have been friendly with in the past now give me a suspicious look or even an angry scowl. I cannot approach the woman responsible for this rumor as she will not talk with me. A few days ago this same woman approached my vehicle until she saw my wife inside my vehicle and then diverted to another vehicle. I am not imagining this as she looked directly at me while approaching and was directing her steps toward the passenger side when her eyes diverted in the direction of my wife. She squinted to see through the tinted glass and once sure my wife was there acted as if she were looking elsewhere and went to another's cab. Later that day I approached her while she was inside her car and asked whether she had something to say to me. Please keep in mind, at this time I had no idea she had made any claims of stalking against me. She never looked up or answered my questions and as a result I just walked away. The following day I learned from my wife that another cab driver told her that this woman was telling everyone that I was stalking her.
I have not spoken with this woman in about two weeks and even then it was in response to her words to me while we were both in the breakroom at the airport holding area. I was making hot chocolate and while there, she came and sat next to me. Within a few minutes she initiated a very short casual conversation with me with lasted a few minutes while I was heating the water for my beverage. As soon as I finished making my hot chocolate I left the breakroom. This same thing occurred a few times more in the next few days. One day, while walking past her in her car while she was in the que line, I asked her if she knew where she could get inexpensive repairs for the slight damage to her car. She mentioned the person I would have recommended. Knowing she does not have this persons phone and address, I walked to my vehicle, wrote the info down on a receipt card, returned and handed her this card. Just as she received it the call for more cabs to the terminal came and she left. As I turned to return to my vehicle, I see her husband just getting out of his cab. Apparently he was just arriving at the lot and saw this brief exchange. The following day, she happened to come into the lot immediately after me and after parking behind me (first in, first out policy at the holding lot) she told me that we cannot talk to each other, smile or wave or we could get into trouble. I assured her I would comply. For the next couple of weeks, we avoided each other. On my part, I remainded in my cab, except for restroom visits, while in the holding area. The only time I approached her was an attempt to learn what her approach to my vehicle was all about, as I mentioned before. The following day was when I learned about her claiming I am stalking her.
I do not believe that she has initiated this but rather through insistance from her husband. Either way, she is the one perpetuating this claim to both other cab drivers and airport personnel. The day after I learned this, an airport employee informed me that a formal complaint was filed by this woman with airport officials. I was then informed that the TIs, as we call them, the titles are Terminal Agents, were watching me. I called and left a message with the Assistant Airport Director to see what if any action I can take to protect myself from this vicious lie. I also want to learn just what claims she has made against so as to determine whether to seek legal counsel or not.
After reading other horror stories on the internet of those who have been victimized through just such false claims and rumors, I am scrambling to see just what if anything I can do to protect myself.
My question to you:
--Would this action of hers became construed as Slander (defamation of character).
--If so, what action should I take to protect myself.
--I have talked with several other cab drivers who are witness to this but do not want to get involved. Since this action of hers could possibly result in my being banned from the airport with the subsequent loss of my primary source of income, would I be able to file criminal charges against her or civil suit?
--If so on either criminal or civil, can these witnesses be made to provide their testimony, even if through deposition?
--Is legal for airport personnel to act on a complaint without investigation? Can they choose to remove me from the airport based solely upon a complaint. If so, what protection do I have under the law?
As you can see, I am very distressed over this whole situation and as you may surmise this story does indeed have a history. The one thing I can say in my defense is that I have remained congenial in all my contacts with this woman which cannot be said of her.
One last thing, this woman and my wife both have taxi permits through a co-operative named Sun Taxi. My wife is the co-op's secretary while this woman is only a member. There was strife in this co-op, caused by this woman, for the purpose of obtaining a permit for her husband. A vote was tallied and she lost. Since that time, she and others sympathetic to her have broken numerous bylaws in an attempt to take over the co-op to initiate an illegal attempt at obtaining a permit for her husband. To do this they would remove the president who voted against them, install their new choice sympathetic with them and vote to remove an existing permit holder from the co-op thus creating an available permit for this woman's husband. The existing permit holder is my wife's. During this battle, my wife has asked me (I lease my permit through another company) for advice and interpretation of the co-op's bylaws. Every attempt by these people were in direct violation of their bylaws. My advice to her was to document every action taken by them and cite the bylaw provision in violation. I encouraged her to publish this information through a notice to all members to keep them informed of these actions. The purpose was to keep everything out in the open so as to eliminate all suspicion. The only thing these people were successful in was in the removal of the president. The new president is not one of their puppets and is not likely to be removed as the last one was. All in all, they failed to achieve their goals and now, I believe that this latest attack on me is in retaliation for my assistance to my wife.
This woman is deceptive and a huge flirt. She is very attractive and the center of attention when around other, mostly male, cab drivers. They will believe virtually anything she says. Although I have been the spokesman for the taxi industry and have successfully lobbied for a recent rate increase, against her influence I am powerless. HELP!!!
I am a male taxi driver who works the airport as the primary source of my income. Recently, a female cab driver has started a vicious rumor at our main taxi holding area where as many as 100 cabs wait to be called to the terminals. She has stated that I am stalking her and has made claims that I drive around her apartment complex and other statements which I am trying to learn. I have just learned that she has filed a complaint with the airport authorities and that they are now keeping an eye on me.
As a result of these rumors, people who would talk to me before no avoid me. Those who I have been friendly with in the past now give me a suspicious look or even an angry scowl. I cannot approach the woman responsible for this rumor as she will not talk with me. A few days ago this same woman approached my vehicle until she saw my wife inside my vehicle and then diverted to another vehicle. I am not imagining this as she looked directly at me while approaching and was directing her steps toward the passenger side when her eyes diverted in the direction of my wife. She squinted to see through the tinted glass and once sure my wife was there acted as if she were looking elsewhere and went to another's cab. Later that day I approached her while she was inside her car and asked whether she had something to say to me. Please keep in mind, at this time I had no idea she had made any claims of stalking against me. She never looked up or answered my questions and as a result I just walked away. The following day I learned from my wife that another cab driver told her that this woman was telling everyone that I was stalking her.
I have not spoken with this woman in about two weeks and even then it was in response to her words to me while we were both in the breakroom at the airport holding area. I was making hot chocolate and while there, she came and sat next to me. Within a few minutes she initiated a very short casual conversation with me with lasted a few minutes while I was heating the water for my beverage. As soon as I finished making my hot chocolate I left the breakroom. This same thing occurred a few times more in the next few days. One day, while walking past her in her car while she was in the que line, I asked her if she knew where she could get inexpensive repairs for the slight damage to her car. She mentioned the person I would have recommended. Knowing she does not have this persons phone and address, I walked to my vehicle, wrote the info down on a receipt card, returned and handed her this card. Just as she received it the call for more cabs to the terminal came and she left. As I turned to return to my vehicle, I see her husband just getting out of his cab. Apparently he was just arriving at the lot and saw this brief exchange. The following day, she happened to come into the lot immediately after me and after parking behind me (first in, first out policy at the holding lot) she told me that we cannot talk to each other, smile or wave or we could get into trouble. I assured her I would comply. For the next couple of weeks, we avoided each other. On my part, I remainded in my cab, except for restroom visits, while in the holding area. The only time I approached her was an attempt to learn what her approach to my vehicle was all about, as I mentioned before. The following day was when I learned about her claiming I am stalking her.
I do not believe that she has initiated this but rather through insistance from her husband. Either way, she is the one perpetuating this claim to both other cab drivers and airport personnel. The day after I learned this, an airport employee informed me that a formal complaint was filed by this woman with airport officials. I was then informed that the TIs, as we call them, the titles are Terminal Agents, were watching me. I called and left a message with the Assistant Airport Director to see what if any action I can take to protect myself from this vicious lie. I also want to learn just what claims she has made against so as to determine whether to seek legal counsel or not.
After reading other horror stories on the internet of those who have been victimized through just such false claims and rumors, I am scrambling to see just what if anything I can do to protect myself.
My question to you:
--Would this action of hers became construed as Slander (defamation of character).
--If so, what action should I take to protect myself.
--I have talked with several other cab drivers who are witness to this but do not want to get involved. Since this action of hers could possibly result in my being banned from the airport with the subsequent loss of my primary source of income, would I be able to file criminal charges against her or civil suit?
--If so on either criminal or civil, can these witnesses be made to provide their testimony, even if through deposition?
--Is legal for airport personnel to act on a complaint without investigation? Can they choose to remove me from the airport based solely upon a complaint. If so, what protection do I have under the law?
As you can see, I am very distressed over this whole situation and as you may surmise this story does indeed have a history. The one thing I can say in my defense is that I have remained congenial in all my contacts with this woman which cannot be said of her.
One last thing, this woman and my wife both have taxi permits through a co-operative named Sun Taxi. My wife is the co-op's secretary while this woman is only a member. There was strife in this co-op, caused by this woman, for the purpose of obtaining a permit for her husband. A vote was tallied and she lost. Since that time, she and others sympathetic to her have broken numerous bylaws in an attempt to take over the co-op to initiate an illegal attempt at obtaining a permit for her husband. To do this they would remove the president who voted against them, install their new choice sympathetic with them and vote to remove an existing permit holder from the co-op thus creating an available permit for this woman's husband. The existing permit holder is my wife's. During this battle, my wife has asked me (I lease my permit through another company) for advice and interpretation of the co-op's bylaws. Every attempt by these people were in direct violation of their bylaws. My advice to her was to document every action taken by them and cite the bylaw provision in violation. I encouraged her to publish this information through a notice to all members to keep them informed of these actions. The purpose was to keep everything out in the open so as to eliminate all suspicion. The only thing these people were successful in was in the removal of the president. The new president is not one of their puppets and is not likely to be removed as the last one was. All in all, they failed to achieve their goals and now, I believe that this latest attack on me is in retaliation for my assistance to my wife.
This woman is deceptive and a huge flirt. She is very attractive and the center of attention when around other, mostly male, cab drivers. They will believe virtually anything she says. Although I have been the spokesman for the taxi industry and have successfully lobbied for a recent rate increase, against her influence I am powerless. HELP!!!