HAILING A TAXI TALE
When I first put an independent cab on the street in 1978, I purchased a bulletproof shield for my vehicle (“A Widows’ Tale,” by David Freed, Dec. 6). Some of my drivers liked it, some didn’t. No one was killed or injured in eight years of operation.
The arguments over whether cab companies should be required to install shields reminds me of the debates about motorcycle helmet legislation. In theory, drivers should be free to make their own decisions, but in practice, the survivors of murdered drivers often end up on welfare, and we all have to pay, like it or not.
JAMES L. BILTCHIK
Los Angeles
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