Fare vs. unfair

If Hack writers want to get real with their fictional Philadelphia cabdriver, they might consider looking into some of these issues, raised by Reformed Taxi Movement President Jorge Lambrakis and a couple of his colleagues in a meeting last week at the Daily News:

• The cabs-vs.-limousines situation that the cabbies claim has them losing the more lucrative bits of business - such as rides to and from the airport - to sedans whose drivers are subject to fewer regulations.

• The racket operated by doormen at some Center City hotels that require drivers to "tip" a percentage of the fare to the guy hailing the cab for a hotel guest. Drivers who don't tip are often either turned away from hotels or denied the better fares, they say.

• Safety. Though a Police Department spokeswoman couldn't confirm or deny it, Lambrakis, who was robbed at gunpoint earlier this month, said he's recently heard of an increase in cabdriver robberies in the city.

Ellen Gray