Drivers tell Eyewitness News the tension is real. Honest, licensed livery drivers are at-odds with the unlicensed hustlers cutting-into their business.
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"They're taking the business, starting trouble here," a driver said.
At times, it boils over. Police say one hustler attacked a livery driver with a tire iron after a dispute in Terminal 5.
Police say Nathaniel Santana, 26, went on the attack inside terminal 5 by the baggage carousel and then ran off.
He was caught a short time later along North Conduit Boulevard by Port Authority police.
Santana is charged with assault and menacing, and is an ex-con with several prior arrests.
"It is incredibly important for arriving passengers to understand that if they did not pre-arrange a ride, the only legal and safe method of transportation is a yellow taxi," the Taxi and Limousine Commission said in a statement.
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Eyewitness News saw very little security at Terminal 5 baggage claim Tuesday evening. Drivers say the TLC needs to do more.
The victim, himself a licensed livery driver, survived the attack. He has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.