As the cabbies protested to city hall for shields from crazy and dangerous passengers, it raises an interesting issue of who will pay for it and how bad could it be?Lem'me remember off the top of my head the incidents I've heard from cabbies... This isn't even news as I found another article from a few years ago with robberies and violence -- not fun stuff.
Both from taking the cab before I got my own wheels in Calgary and from working a few night jobs at front desks of hotel & dorm.... Those guys are really hardcore and worthy of a bit more respect.
Wasn't at dorm for two weeks when I heard about a guy getting punched in the cab - picture smashed window in face - by an angry guy outside the cab. I bet neither party paid for the broken window. I also bet to avoid a fight and avoid the nightly fight club style brawls outside cowboy bars.
Unfortunately, that's not the worst I've heard. Another cabbie told me about his car getting written off when he hit a crack-user who ran into the street suddenly and got nailed going 50km/h. Dude dented the hood in a serious way, totaled windshield and then rolled over car roof. He picked himself up, swore at the jaw-dropped cabbie and ran off half athletically. Junkies are hardcore like that.
The number of nearly passed-out people are basically dragged out of cabs is regularity every weekend and half the week-days too. After the few times I've driven drunk people home, I'm impressed with cabbies' skills. Drunk, passengers are prone to be very sensitive to sudden stops and sharp turns. Imaginable that cabbies don't want to be constantly hosing down seats and outsides of doors.
Being a journalism student, I've had some great informal cabbie interviews for practice. Incidentally I gained more respect from learning how hard cabbies work; dusk til dawn and everywhere in between.
One guy was a former software engineer who had been through the recession in the 80's and 90's. Told me some of Calgary's history and the typical cab-driver stories. About how couples made out in the back of his cab, stampede cowboys, and how some bride-to-be asked him to be her last stand. Also about how some people puked in the back and then refused to contribute to the cleaning bill. He had a huge sense of humour to put up with it all.
Another was an immigrant who was doing time while he was upgrading to be recognized as a nuclear engineer. What struck me was how he had perfect English and commentary on building standards compared to India.
Having studied civil engineering first, this cabbie noted that they have to be creative about being able to recycle site materials -- where it's only recently fashionable or LEED worthy to do so in North America.
Absolutely astute about how general business practices and high standards Canadians have here. Thought some of it didn't make sense but he was glad to upgrade his knowledge. It didn't make sense to me that he could probably come up with some amazing solutions for low-cost housing.
A third cabbie who I had a great conversation with was from Kenya and filled me on how much influence the Chinese and Arabs had economically affected Africa, long before it was common knowledge.
He had been an anti-poacher in his homeland, no kidding, which was basically shooting down and capturing poachers. Had to thank him for that black irony of a job.
Talked about elections comparisons and about how much of a joke NATO and the G8 were for trying to do anything down there. Talked about the Somalian pirates too, all business and support for freedom fighters. Couldn't agree with him on that subject but interesting to get the opinion.
Talking to cab drivers who picked up people from the hotel I worked at for international flights, doctors' appointments and Sunday morning church are incredibly patient, sometimes waiting for 10-15minutes. And they are not running the meter until the traveler got to the lobby or out of their house usually.
Often cabbies would come in towards the end of the shift after 4AM and just chat at the lobby. They had a crazy mix of clubbers, hookers and rhinestone cowboys to deal with every night. Not my idea of employment but I get the impression there's not much choice. At least I had a 4' high desk between me and the crazy people.
Don't remember any particular cabbie who had a knife drawn on him, or worse, but sadly plenty of threats, initial refusals to pay fares and racism.
If cabbies are demanding more safety on the job, who's going to do something about it? There has to be some kind of standards made, and unfortunately, they all own/lease their vehicles from the taxi companies. So it's not something city hall make a quick fix.
--PLR--
image from CBC.ca
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