I'm usually not one for vindictive posts or review...

I'm usually not one for vindictive posts or reviews, but when you play stupid games you win stupid prizes.

So at approximately 12:40pm on 9/20/17 I was returning to my office with my lunch I just purchased; I was waiting at the intersection of State and Monroe for the light to change. As I started crossing Monroe on the east side of State a Yellow Cab just made it through the yellow light and was pulling into the Taxi line for the Palmer House Hotel. It was at that time Choice Tax #3104 accelerated through the intersection, quickly veering around the Yellow Cab slowing down, while nearly hitting me in the process. His taxi was close enough to me that I literally hit the top of his trunk with a closed fist and yelled "watch where you're F'n driving".

Ok, here's where it gets good. I continued through the intersection and was awaiting the light for State street to change when I noticed that Choice Taxi #3104 was now parked in the middle of Monroe Street and the driver was rushing towards me. This lovely gentleman who apparently makes a living dealing with the public, and who I might add is at least double my size and build, was now directly in my face (literally less than an inch away) screaming at me for touching his cab. He demanded to know why I did so, and when I told him it was because he nearly ran me over his was response was simply "but I didn't".

At this point the whole confrontation escalated with some very colorful language and screaming on both of our parts, mind you I was holding my ground the entire time and not backing down from this lovely gentleman that was still less than an inch from my face while towering over me. Apparently this aggravated him further as he then proceeded to physically assault me by knocking my phone and my lunch out of my hands (keep in mind that this is happening in front of a hotel taxi stand over the lunch hour in the middle of the Loop). By this time there was a nice crowd gathering and watching this transpire and at this point he then proceeded with stomping on my lunch like a small child having a temper tantrum.

The taxi industry is the perfect example of an archaic industry refusing to change or adapt to modern needs and technology while better serving the public. Hence why they are fighting Uber and Lyft tooth and nail to have them banned from major cities and airports. This whole experience only solidified this image of them, not for me as I gave up on taxi's long ago in favor of cleaner, nicer and more reasonably priced Ubers and Lyfts, but for the 50+ people that witnessed this transpire in the middle of the afternoon in Chicago's business district. The fact that this lovely gentleman decided to have a melt down directly in front of a major hotels taxi line in plain sight of the hotel guests and employees was priceless in my opinion. He is sealing his own fate, as well as others who are probably much nicer and professional, by reinforcing the already tainted reputation this archaic industry has. He gave every potential customer waiting in that taxi line a taste of the rude and abrasive service that has come to been associated with the taxi industry. Not to mention a great excuse to order an Uber or Lyft for a more reasonable cost in a much cleaner and friendlier environment.