Getting cabbies to kick that hands-free habit isn't as simple as passing a law.
Since the city's new cell-phone ban went into effect on January 29, it's been easy to spot drivers breaking the rules.
Some use high-tech bluetooth devices. But even if a bluetooth is turned off, the city says it's against the law if it's in a taxi driver's ear.
"They should report the offense to 311," says Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky. "The driver will get fined."
The penalty can be up to $350, a steep fine considering some cabbies only earn a hundred bucks per day.
"You can get in trouble," says driver Jose Vazquez of Brooklyn. "We can't pay a fine for the telephone."
The TLC says it has handed out more than 1500 summonses to gabby cabbies in the last three months.
