O'Hare Muslim Tent is safehaven for all religions and nationalities

A tent set up three years ago to provide religious assistance to Muslim Limo/Black drivers is now an essential safe haven for all drivers regardless of race, religion or nationality at O'Hare Airport

By Ray Hanania

FREE/Ride Share, Limousine, O’Hare Airport/Monday, Sept. 22, 2025

Over the years, we have watched the corporate-run taxi industry be eclipsed by the new individually-based Uber Black Car industry, and commissioner limousines and “Black car” rides.

These drivers are critical to the success of many businesses, but most importantly to the success of our airports, like Midway and O’Hare International.

During the past few years, Chicago has renovated O’Hare and one of the things they have done is make it more difficult to find long term parking at O’Hare. Passengers have found themselves relying more and more on Limousine/Black Car drivers through private companies.

I always take a rideshare service to and from the airport as they have reduced parking at the former parking lot near the train tram. It’s impossible to get parking there these days. That’s one of the major design flaws the city made in renovating O’Hare.

To accommodate the changes, the Chicago Department of Aviation created a Uber Black Car staging lot to accommodate 200 parking spots located near the airport in Des Plaines one block east of Mannheim Road off Higgins. (Mannheim is the name of LaGrange road when you drive north of Cermak.)

One of the problems the city didn’t address was for a temporary shelter for the drivers. That’s important during the harsh winter months and during the hot summer months. Drivers would have to sit in their cars, sometimes for hours, waiting for passengers to arrive and clear the baggage retrieval terminal.

Many, but not all of the drivers are Muslim of Arab, Pakistani, Asian, and other nationalities. Three years ago, the Arab Muslims decided they needed shelter and approached the Aviation Department asking if they could erect a temporary tent using their own money – no taxpayer money – where drivers could not only find rest but also address their religious needs.

The city approved the tent, which is located on a part of the side corner of the lot that is not used for parking spaces.

Since then, the Arab Muslims have erected a 20x20 heavy material tent on the northeast corner that can withstand Chicago’s harsh weather. It has a gas generator for electricity, a wood floor covered in carpets and rugs, decorations along the tent to provide a homey atmosphere, and a place to pray. Outside under a tent extension is a seating area with chairs and small tables, a water cooler, and some lights. They even added an air conditioner for the hot summers and a heater for the cold winters.

The city placed six porta-potties along the fence of the lot toward the center. And since opening the tent, the Arabs and Muslims opened it to all drivers regardless of race or religion.

Devout Muslims pray five times through the day. Many Christians pay on Sundays. Jews, who will soon be celebrating Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, will also pray several times each day for their High Holidays.

Even those who are non-religious have been welcomed. The wives of many drivers would prepare food, and a small Halal Food Truck vendor stops on the east side of the lot. Nearby is a Mobile Gas Station and a 7-Eleven.

But as Middle East tensions rose, one inspector, the drivers said, threatened to shut the tent and rest area down. The drivers complained to the city but received no response. It wasn’t until I wrote about the issue in my column at Hanania.com last month that the city suddenly took notice.

Recently, someone tried to harm the drivers by putting some kind of garbage in the water cooler.

The drivers even purchased sandbags to put around the opening to prevent rain flooding.

It doesn’t matter whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, extreme Right or extreme Left, when the news media gets involved and a story gets published, elected officials suddenly find the need to “act.”

The Aviation Department eventually told me they planned to find a permanent accommodation for the drivers – remember, they are an essential service to many airport travelers.

But nothing has happened since, and the drivers continued to be bullied.

Instead of treating the drivers with the respect they deserve for the important services they provide, they are marginalized, sometimes bullied, and ignored.

If Chicago were to create a permanent location to accommodate their religious and personal needs of the drivers – erect a permanent building next to the staging lot on vacant land that has cleaned and managed toilets for men and women, they would be doing the airport travelers a favor.

They should ensure the same is done at Midway Airport.

The limousine and Uber Black drivers will hold a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, beginning at 10:30 AM at the staging parking lot (1 block east of Mannheim Road, on Higgins Road.)