Cabbie. Most dangerous job in the city?

**401don** · October-03-12, 07:51 AM

And you thought being a firefighter or cop was dangerous:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...1-days-Detroit

**Gannon** · October-03-12, 08:13 AM

Plus, if you are a newbie driver, the veterans will place false calls into the dispatch to get you to drive clear across town to some random abandoned house...losing many chances for the nearby fares the vets snag when you are out of the rotation.

Nasty job, this taxi thing.

**poobert** · October-03-12, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

And you thought being a firefighter or cop was dangerous:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...1-days-Detroit

A friend on my street is a cabbie. Made me think of him.

Sad but not surprising they're being victimized.

I find it especially sad in that it is one of thew few legitmate ways an industrious person who wasn't born with a silver spoon, didn't get a gold-plated education, and doesn't have a relative at the car companies can learn a living in the city if they're willing to work. Not a lot of halfway decent jobs to go around if you don't have a fucking Master's Degree.

**rex** · October-03-12, 10:52 AM

i would have said drug dealer

**EastsideAl** · October-03-12, 11:24 AM

Back in the late '70s I applied for a Detroit cabbie job, thinking it would be an interesting way to earn a few bucks while I was deciding about going to college. Just the manager's explanation of what were supposed to do "when" [[not "if") we had a gun pulled on us was enough to scare me off.

**Hamtragedy** · October-03-12, 11:55 PM

Pizza delivery guy. Or ambulance driver. Take your pick.

**WaCoTS** · October-08-12, 04:01 PM

i was a driver for a while based out of a garage in Warrendale. i always carried my gun, ALWAYS. and wore my kevlar vest most days too. luckily i wasnt in the biz long enough to have a gun pulled on me, but it is definitely an intersting and unique line of work, to sum a lot of things up in one sentence. unfortunately it was not lucrative enough for me to continue. but then again maybe thats why i am alive still to tell the tale.

**Wheels** · October-16-12, 10:07 AM

Latest victim. The hits just keep on coming!

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/19...oits-east-side

**ordinary** · October-16-12, 10:27 AM

I think I'd rather be on duty in Afghanisan than drive a cab in Detroit.

**brizee** · October-16-12, 12:03 PM

Where is Bing?

There is obviously a trend with attacks on cab drivers right now.

And the mayor has no special unit to investigate these specific crimes? No offering of methods to prevent future incidents? Not even a statement?

THIS is why he's such a dogshit leader.

**Hypestyles** · October-16-12, 01:15 PM

God bless...

-- In a recent Jack Lessenberry article, he said he ran into former Freep blogger/copy editor Oneita Jackson, who reportedly said she was leaving behind the Free Press to be a cab driver..

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-16-12, 02:51 PM

There's quite a bit of cab action in my part of town, checker, city cab, motor city cab, all are or were within feet of my home. You get to know the regulars if you're a street kid like me. Ive known a few cabbies that are dead now, not because they were killed by gunfire, but because they died from stress and alcoholism. Most were decent guys with criminal backrounds who couldn't find work anywhere else.

A few Cabbies have died sitting in their cars at the cab stand outside of the Grayhound station in the last few years too.

**Danny** · October-16-12, 03:15 PM

That cabbie was killed by 2 black men who are the 3rd generation of second wave black folks who come to Detroit. They rather kill before they steal!

**Mark Smiles** · October-16-12, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

God bless...

-- In a recent Jack Lessenberry article, he said he ran into former Freep blogger/copy editor Oneita Jackson, who reportedly said she was leaving behind the Free Press to be a cab driver..

I thought it was to be a graphic artist.