Fear

This is part of an interview earlier this year for JJJ's Hack with Ronan Sharkey...

In the space of an hour last weekend, a full moon, I ejected two passengers. The first, an obnoxious Irish woman who complained of travelling the world alone, decided she’d blow up the radio speakers whilst flicking coins at me.

The next evictee was a strung out nutter who boarded on Crown Street. Surry Hills. My first mistake was stopping after he suddenly emerged from the dark with a late hail. When he climbed in the front seat his short cropped hair and oversized army coat screamed Travis Bickle.

“Darlinghurst Road,” he requested without acknowledging me or making eye contact. I suspected trouble and decided to test him.  When I inquired which block, he replied, “Where did I say?” It sounded like he’d already forgotten where he was going. Great.

I told him, “Mate, I’ll take you to the start of Darlo Road and you can show me.” By then I’d decided that no way were we leaving Darlinghurst Road for some dodgy side street late on a Sunday night. Then he caught me with a surprise question which changed everything.

Looking straight ahead he quietly asked, “How long have you had the power?” For some reason this triggered an exchange I once had with a homeless guy whilst working at the Matthew Talbot hostel. He’d challenged me with, “Are you Jeremiah, son of the third prophet?” Then, it was tempting to quip, “Nup, but I know his brother, Jimmy Myer.” Of course he was sick puppy like my passenger and demanded serious attention.

Stopping for a red light I answered, “Mate, we’ll get you to Darlinghurst Road, no worries.” Now he turned to me and I saw his cold, sunken eyes. “You don’t need to get agro," he intoned, "I just wonder why you’re using this power on me.” Instinctively my hand felt for the screwdriver in the door pocket.

We were only three blocks from police headquarters, I figured, then spotted a patrol car waiting across the intersection. I hit the hazards and flashed him with the high beam a few times. The cop waved me over to the corner.

After telling the cop the passenger was freaking me out he was ordered out of the cab. When he hesitated the cop, clearly annoyed by the intrusion, yelled from his seat, "Don't make me come over there-get_out_of_the_taxi!" I thanked him and left, leaving the clown pleading his innocence with the copper. Idiot.

Further reading: Sydney cabbie robbed with syringe.

Comments

[darloboy]

"reached for the screwdriver"
mmmm.....I wonder how many Cab Drivers there are not just in Sydney but Newcastle and the wild Wollongong ,thatcarry "unintentional" weapons with them such as screwdrivers,wheel braces,steering locks,etc?
And of course theres always those who carry "intentional" weapons that are illegal,mace,knives,etc
What percentage do you think in Sydney that carry weapons,be it wheel braces beside there seats?

[manly cabbie]

adrian why do you work that part of sydney i get a fare there and i'm straight out of there its bad enough working in that area as a firefighter but in the taxi i go there and i'm back over the coathanger as quick as i can,there may be some dickheads on the northside but gee i gave the screwdiver away 20 years ago.

[adrian]

Darloboy, I suspect a sizeable percentage of drivers have 'tools' at hand.
Manly cabbie, the northside is good on good nights. However on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, one must go where the money is. FWIW the last (alleged) premeditated murder was in Marsfield/North Ryde. Before that a manslaughter in Cabramatta. Also years ago there was a murder in Manly and another in Nowra. Granted the inner city has a larger percentage of scumbags but the higher pop. density and police presence reduces their opportunities.