50 Years Driving Experience

Born and Raised on Whidbey Island, I started driving taxi in Seattle in 1973.

Drove Tow Trucks in Snohomish county from 1986 until 2009

Also drove Taxi in Everett from 2001 until  2009.

Started my business in 2009

For me this is not just a job, it's my life 24/7 365 days a year.  I first started my business on the weekends as I had two jobs driving tow trucks in Lynnwood at the time.  The one job was Monday thru Thursday during the day and the other was two or three nights during the week.  I was living in a friends mobile near Bayview and it was a good starting location for doing the south end business.  I started by doing road service on the weekends and driving tow trucks on the mainland during the week.  In 2009 the daytime business was sold and the people who bought it were going to operate it themselves.  The economy was bad at that time and the drivers at the other company were looking for more hours.  I stayed on the island and tried to have roommates to share the rent.  That didn't work out so I ended up living in my car and tent.  I had a couple different spots I could camp in the woods or I just slept in my car at a gas station, depending on where my last job had been.  Road Clubs were sending me to Anacortes and even Mount Vernon occasionally.  I got paid for the extra mileage and that's what kept me alive in the beginning.  I added taxi service and as people began to know there was a dependable taxi service I didn't have to go off island as much.

When business picked up I was able to rent an 8'x12' office in Freeland and lived in it.  The next year I rented a place with a friend that had his own taxi and we basically split the south area, plus I could still go further north to do the road service.  He was more harmful than helpful so I went to Greenbank and lived in an office there with my travel trailer I got from some friends out back.  I was able to add a second car for the south end and a couple drivers for it.  I was able to provide service to Coupeville until the office sold and I didn't get along with the new owner.  We had a couple yelling matches and when I said he needed to learn the laws he said he had my lease and he was the law.  He said if I found a different place within four days he would let me out of the lease.  I found an office in Coupeville in two days and went there.  I briefly had three taxis until my south end driver died and had no driver down south any more.  I was driving from Coupeville to the south end to take care of my reservations as my other car/driver was also in Coupeville.

At the start of 2019 I was looking for a place to rent on the south end.  The rents and gone up greatly and it was tough to find a place I could afford.  Luckily I was able to start buying a mobile basically on the same property where I had grown up on.  I was able to get it for nothing down, just start making payments and pay the space rent.  I think I was able to get it because the lady liked my stories of growing up there.  The mobile payment and space rent were pretty much the same as the cheapest studio apts I looked at.  Near the end of 2019 I helped a friend start a taxi in Arlington and I provided the phone number and dispatch service to him for a small fee.

When the Covid epidemic hit in 2020 I had to shut everything down for a month and a half.  I was able to get my mobile payments delayed and reduced and was able to stay on the island.  I thought I was going to have to beg my sister to let me live in my travel trailer on her property and start over in Arlington.  When I was able to start the business again I could only afford to insure one taxi.  I even offered to give the Coupeville cab to the Coupeville driver but he couldn't afford the start up expense either.  Since Covid I've had to live off of my credit cards to help me survive for a couple years and I'm still trying to get them paid off.  The nice thing about operating all by myself is not having to worry about other cars and drivers.  I refer the excess business to the other south end company and have a good relationship with them.  When my car recently broke down they were going to loan/rent one of their cars to me but their car had some mechanical issue the night before they were going to let me use it.  Luckily I had reduced my credit card debt enough that I could buy another car the next day and keep my business going.

I got a pretty good deal on a luxury version of the Crown Vic, rather than the police versions I usually buy at auction.  I had to replace the windshield and rebuild the rear end but I think it will be a good dependable taxi for several more years.  The windshield and rear end work is done by professional shops but most of the other work I do myself.  I put most of what I make, including tips, into keeping the business going.  If I had to pay a shop for all the work I've done over the years there's no way I would have been able to stay in business.  This is not just a job, it's my life and I really enjoy doing it.  I also enjoy giving people a little history lesson of the island along with their ride.