THE COP
Patrick Boylan, a Traffic Enforcement Agent in Times Square, ruins box-blockers' days with a clear conscience.

His enforcement of the "Don't Block the Box" policy is bolstered by his belief that the policy really works. An imposing man with a disarming demeanor, Boylan spends most of his time directing traffic and giving directions to lost pedestrians, not ticketing drivers.

But Boylan won't hesitate to slap drivers with tickets when they push the yellow light and get trapped in the busy intersection. After all, they are the culprits who stop the efficient flow of vehicles through New York's narrow, busy intersections. On "a bad day," Boylan will issue five to six of these tickets, which count as a moving violation and come with a $65 fine.

During a citywide "Don't Block the Box" crackdown, Boylan's rules change. Rather than directing traffic, he stands on the corner and simply waits. Once vehicles block the box, Boylan delivers the tickets.

In a given week, about 40 percent of Boylan's tickets will go to cab drivers. "I love writing up cabbies because they are the worst," Boylan says.

THE BOX BLOCKER
Salvador Nunez has driven a cab in New York City for 27 years, and he's still smiling.

But his smile fades when he thinks about the "Don't Block the Box" policy that carries with it a two-point moving violation. For the first 25 years of his career, Nunez remained ticket-free. But in the past two years, he has received four tickets, two of which were for box-blocking. Tighter enforcement of the anti-box-blocking policy has stung him. Two more tickets of this kind in a six month period will cause him to lose his license.

Nunez believes that traffic enforcement agents target cabbies. "They're crazy about cab drivers," he says.

His most recent ticket for box-blocking was issued on December 12, 1999. He plans to plead not guilty. "Traffic wasn't moving, and only the back part of the car was in the box," he says.

New York cabbies are well-known for negotiating the city's clogged streets with daredevil tactics. But speed is a must, say the city's frantic taxi drivers. New York's 40,000-plus cab drivers gross $190 in tips and fares on a typical day, for an average take-home pay of between $6.26 and $8.24 an hour, according to Schaller Consulting, a transportation consulting firm.