NEW YORK CITY, NY — Even the Bunnies are tough in New York City — or at least one cab driver thought so.Stephanie Adams calls it “a nightmare.”
Eric Darko says “I didn’t do nothing.”
At issue is what happened between the 40-year-old New York City cab driver and the 35-year-old self-described lesbian Playboy Playmate while they two were bickering over where to stop the cab and deposit Adams, the fair fare.
According to a suit files against Darko and the New York City Police Department, Adams and the grammar impaired cabbie did not reach an amicable agreement about the location of her drop-off point. Instead, Miss November 1992, who caught Darko’s cab on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in order to return to her Chelsea apartment, claims that the driver swore at her and called 911, claiming she had a firearm.
At that point, the attentive model claims that she attempted to exit the vehicle, only to have Darko close the door on her. At this point she placed her own call to 911. Once on the sidewalk, she contends that plainclothes officers surrounded her, guns drawn, grabbed her purse, and shoved her to the ground. After searching her purse and finding no gun, she says they released her with no apology or explanation.
Adams’ attorney, Sanford Rubenstein points out that, given her unarmed status, “It was not necessary for them to throw her down to the ground,” and that the cab driver’s false accusations to the 911 operator were responsible for the rough treatment.
After the May 25th incident, Adams took her grievance to the Taxi & Limousine Commission, which suspended Darko’s taxi license. An investigator for the company reported that Darko reported having told the 911 operator that Adams had exposed her “vampire teeth” and threatened to shoot him.
Although admitting no guilt, Darko insists that he never mentioned “vampire teeth.” Instead, he claims Adams is just making trouble because she didn’t want to pay the $9 fare and insists that she claimed that she had a gun and would use it against him if he gave her any trouble. “I didn’t start anything with her,” he maintains.
Adams has also taken her complaint to the state Supreme Court in Manhattan, contending that she was assaulted by police and “suffered great pain, distress, mental shock, mental anguish, and psychological trauma” from the event.
The city has not yet responded.
