Canada: Indian AIDS worker denied Taxi ride

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Canada: Indian AIDS worker denied Taxi ride

AIDS worker denied ride, T-shirt slogan leaves man on the curb

By PABLO FERNANDEZ, CALGARY SUN

All he did was wear a t-shirt promoting awareness of the AIDS

epidemic, said a group of friends who are outraged after one of

their own was kicked off a city taxi.

" Shocked, appalled, and confused, " Hans Billimoria was allegedly

kicked out of a Mayfair cab outside a Kensington home Saturday night

after the driver noticed he was wearing a t-shirt that read " HIV

Positive, " said the man's friend Chiara Fritzler.

The driver told the group he will not give rides to people with HIV,

she said.

Fritzler said the driver alleged he was a doctor and told them that

they don't " know what happens when you let HIV positive people

around you, " and continued in a " prejudicial rampage, " against

Billimoria, even after he found out that the India national was not

actually HIV positive.

" As the daughter of a medical doctor, and considering that a few of

those wanting to get into the cab are medical professionals, I was

completely taken aback by this ignorant comment, " she said.

Billimoria was told by the driver that he'd get no service unless he

put on a different shirt, which her friend, not wanting to delay

their night further, agreed to do, said Fritzler.

Billimoria, a resident of India and project manager with the Light

House Society HIV/AIDS Project in Pune, was only in Calgary for a

short visit after attending the International AIDS Conference in

Toronto.

The cabby's actions are the result of the man's deep bias against

those inflicted with the deadly disease, Fritzler said.

Ironically, that is what her friend is working to remedy through his

involvement with HIV and AIDS, said Fritzler.

" I feel that this behaviour is despicable and discriminatory, " she

said.

" I am infuriated with the treatment of a friend from India whose

purpose in coming to Canada was to attend a conference that

encourages better understanding, advanced collective response and

forward thinking of HIV.

" The manner in which this driver conducted himself is an

embarrassment to Canadians. "

, a Calgarian who met Billimoria while working in

India, said she was disappointed that she was taken in by the Indian

people with open arms, but when in Calgary, her friend " didn't even

make it out the door. "

Mayfair Taxi could not be reached for comment.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/08/22/1770065.html

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