Page 75 - Charlie MacDonald, Taxicab Driver

ISSUE : Issue 52

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/8/1

They knew me. Calling me Charlie. I said, "Listen, boys. Do me a favour." "Sure! What do you want us to do?" I said, "Driv? er"- -I called him by name. I said, "Wait for me. It's a little blowy going up the harbour." "Oh, Charlie, do you think we're drunk?" That was the answer I got. "We're not drunk, Charlie. There's no trees, no ditches. We'll get to Atlantic Spring, up the harbour." And they went (across the ice). Took off. Well, my fellows were coming right behind. Two gamblers I had--they were gamblers. But the other fellows were on a party over there. Lot of wild women over in North Sydney, Sydney Mines and North Sydney. Same as Sydney and Glace Bay. So, anyhow, I was watching them. I knew just where to go.... They were going. They were moving, too. Of course, cars then only went 40 mile an hour at the top. About the best you could get out of a car then. Win? tertime, especially. Cold gas and eve? rything, and not adjusted, you know-- carburetor--for winter. About 30 mile an hour. That's all. My big Buick, you know, was working like a clock. So I caught up to them. Gee. My God, I looked. And (my) fellows in the front seat, "Charlie," he said--well, that wasn't the first time I drove them. I drove them dozens of times. "Charlie, they're heading for the creek!" That', what they called it--the creek. I said, "God," I said, "they're bearing left. They should have beared right." Fol? low Westmount side coming out, you know. I said, "I can't do much about it." And they were getting about a mile from it. The opening was nice. The moon had come out. And you could see up the harbour, but you could see right in to the creek, almost up to the bridge. I said, "Gentlemen, hold on," I said. "Oh, we'll go along, Charlie." I said, "I'm going to try and hit them in the rear bumper, and push them right." So. The big Buick, you know, they had big bumpers then. And their old car had a big bumper, too, you know. And on ice, you know, you only had to tap them and they'd slide--you'd loose the wheel and they'd slide. If the ice was good. Well, I knew the ice was smooth. I gave them quite a bump. My God, I drove them across to West- mount about a quarter of a mile! You should have heard the hollering and swear? ing at me, that I hit them. Dave's Cycle Sales Here's something the whole world agrees on 455 GRAND LAKE RD., SIDNEY 562-4343 ABC Yamaha YAMAHA is your #1 choice Wemalietiiedifferetice. for 4-wheel drive. Want The Inside Stort oh "EXTRA' EXTRA! Available right in Sydney" • Industrial Cape Breton facts & statistics. • Delicious recipes featuring Nova Scotia Products • Nova Scotia and how it looked in the 17th and 18th centuries through the Mapmaker's Eye. • A young sailor's account of the seafaring life in the mid-1800s. • Our common and more interesting land mammals and birds. • The history of making lumber in the sawmills of Nova Scotia • Struggles of the Loyalists to rebuild their shattered lives in the town of Shelburne. These and many more stories are under cover at Pages, The Downtown Bookstore, in Sydney. Come in and browse: we're located at 361 Charlotte Street, or phone us at 539-8551. A catalogue listing other government titles is available free upon request from the Nova Scotia Government Bookstore, P.O. Box 637, Halifax, N.S., B3J 2T3, or by phone toll free 1-424-7580. ''[wil' Information 'K' Service

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