LOWER EAST SIDE — A doorman for The Ludlow Hotel became so incensed Friday evening when a taxi driver refused to accept passengers that he punched the driver repeatedly in the face, trashed his phone, then unceremoniously quit his job by fleeing the scene.
The doorman, identified by police as Kris Brown, got into an argument around 7:05 p.m. with a 41-year-old taxi driver outside the hotel at 180 Ludlow St. over whether the driver would take some customers, at one point declaring "You need to take these passengers," according to a police report.
Brown then punched the driver in the face four times, causing swelling and injury to his right eye, then grabbed his cellphone and threw it to the ground to damage the device, police said.
Brown then fled the scene, effectively abandoning his job, and hasn't been seen since, according to authorities, who are still looking for the doorman.
A hotel manager declined to comment when reached by phone.
