What you are about to read is a collection of short stories and information I have put together with the help of other taxi drivers/dispatchers/passengers in St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. These stories date from the early 1980's to present day (2016), and they range from funny to sad to thought-provoking, and perhaps even disturbing.
While all these stories are true, and most of them are from my own experiences behind the wheel, other events have been related to me by other drivers/dispatchers within the industry.
The dialogue/monologue of some of these stories have been taken directly from video/audio surveillance equipment I have installed in my car, while others are from memory and news reports from the past.
Where necessary, I have added information to complete the story based on the character of the driver/passenger who told me the tale. Because, after all, many taxi drivers in St. John’s are transient in nature, and becoming a taxi driver in St. John’s is often a stopgap measure to supplement their incomes before going on to better things in life. Some of the passengers I have had in my car over the years I am likely never to see again, and the same can be said about former taxi drivers.
I have been very careful not to identify the teller of the tale unless I have had the explicit permission of that person to do so, or the story has already been reported in the media. That being said, I have still omitted/changed some names because of privacy considerations.
There are stories about passengers I have had in my car over the years I can’t write about. Some of those stories are so compelling and sensitive I can’t even mention the subject matter let alone write about them, because the information those passengers freely relayed to me may very well put the lives and reputations of some individuals and their families in St. John’s in immediate jeopardy.
I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.
