Cab drivers cried foul over sniff tests they would have to pass at the San Diego International Airport in order to accept passengers.

The body odor test is part of a 52 point system that had actually been in place for years but was only brought to the attention of drivers when a union worker happened to see the checklist among the 568 pages in the revised airport board agenda that was approved in July.

Like Us on Facebook

The checklist differentiates foul odors that come from the vehicle's interiors and those coming from the driver themselves.  However, according to the airport spokesperson, Rebecca Bloomfield, there is no standard procedure in place for the sniff test and no measuring devices such as smell detectors that inspectors use to determine if a cab would pass or fail those points on the list.

In the event that drivers fail the body odor test, they are asked to change before they are permitted to recieve customers from the airport.

Cab drivers, represented by the United Taxi Workers of San Diego, complained that the test opens the door for racial prejudice because it feeds into the sterotype that drivers of different ethnic backgrounds smell bad.

Furthermore, they said that there is no way for inspectors to determine if the smells are coming from the driver, from the cabs back seat, or even from the passengers themselves.

Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, said that when the practice of sniffing cabs for bad odors was revealed on KBPS last week, she was angry.  She said the test was a dehumanizing and no one should treat their employees so lowly.

Bloomfield said that the San Diego airport authority follows regulations enforced by the Metropolitan Transit System which regulates taxis in San Diego and promotes good hygene among drivers, including taking regular showers.

But a spokesman for the agency, Rob Schupp, said that a checklist is not required for taxis to operate outside of the airport and rather than have inspectors routinely sniff cabs, they respond and act upon body odor complaints directly from customers.

Schupp said that, outside the airport, less than five complaints of foul-smelling cabs are reported in a year, while Bloomfield adds that only three drivers annually fail the 52 point checklist which also includes functioning wipers, proper tire air pressure, working brakes, proof of insurance, and other items to ensure a comfortable and safe ride, in addition to having a clean and odor-free cab.

TagsSan diego taxi, body odor test, cab drivers