Taxi Driver Online

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Bulletproof vests for livery drivers


Fourteen bulletproof vests are being put into service to help protect livery drivers in the city's most dangerous neighborhoods, two weeks after a driver was shot and critically wounded during a botched robbery.

"It's so great to see them smiling, seeing that someone cares about them," said Clark Pena of Security USA, which began the program. "Hopefully, this is something that's going to work."

After Pena's security-consulting company donated 12 of the $430 dollar vests, two retired NYPD cops offered their old service vests yesterday, bringing the total to 14.

Fernando Mateo, of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, said he hopes more companies and former police officers will get involved.

Mateo said the idea for putting cabbies in vests came from a brief conversation he had with Pena.

"We asked what can they do to make the industry safer," Mateo recalled yesterday. "He said bulletproof vests wouldn't be a bad thing in places that are in very dangerous areas like East New York, The South Bronx, Jamaica . . . "

So Mateo convinced Pena and his firm to put their money where their mouth is and pay for at least some vests to kick things off.

"We received a ton of calls," said José Viloria, Taxi Federation president and owner of Elegante Car Service in The Bronx. "Many, many drivers asked 'Do you have it yet?' "

The vests being distributed are the same models as those issued to NYPD cops, although the drivers will not wear steel plates the way some officers do. The vests are designed to stop the bullets from handguns most commonly used on city streets and they also offer some protection in stabbing attempts.

The pilot program was started in honor of Cesar Santos, 48, a cabby who was shot and killed after two men refused to pay their fare in The Bronx in June.

Early this month, another cabby, Trevor Bell, 53, was critically injured after he was shot in a botched robbery in Queens. His condition is improving.



Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/fare ... tgQrnRbSWI

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and the fastest bleed to death is the femeral artey i thought?