job. They will always be
remembered for doing that job well. But even after these murders, the game continues
unchanged.
The shock of a drivers death is hard on me. I think about my wife and 2
daughters and what would happen to them if I were murdered in the way these drivers were.
Sometimes it frustrates me that I can't do anything about it.
There is a committee that has formed recently to try to find a deterrent, if
not a solution, to the violence plaguing our industry here in Anchorage. Hopefully they
will find one.
After a few years of the 12-hour shift, I figured that I should have
something to back me up, in case I couldn't drive anymore. I decided I would learn how to
dispatch. I had already worked at a dispatch company, answering phones, before I became a
driver. So I quit driving and started answering phones again. I convinced my boss that I
would do well in the dispatch chair, and I was trained. After a few months, a dispatch
position became open. I got my first dispatch job. That was just over three years ago.
Now, driving a taxi is my backup in case there comes a time I can't dispatch anymore.
DISPATCHING WITH CHECKER CABS
Dispatching is different from driving. Its the other end of the game. If
you've ever played Dungeons and Dragons, you might understand what I mean. I am the game
master. I have to follow the rules, but I am the one who deals the cards. I don't mess
around with luck, as I know a fixed game is not any fun to play. It can be a stressing job
at times. There have been times where I
have put out over 400
calls in the period of an hour. But none the less, it is the satisfaction of doing a job
well that makes me want to do it.
I still drive, but now it is just once or twice a month when I go out for a
few hours after work just to have fun and meet the customers who I send cabs to. I love to
talk to them. There is nowhere else that I have found people to be so open and talkative
about life, then in a cab. Sure, I deal with drunks, prostitutes and drug addicts, but I
usually fare well with them. I treat them with the respect deserved by all human beings.
Most of the time, that respect is given right back to me.
If you Dial a Cab drivers in London ever get a chance to visit, look me up. I
love to show off my town, and I'd be happy to show you around in a Checker Cab.
Editor’s note: I have dedicated Laren Eggleston’s article to the
six tragically murdered drivers in Anchorage.
* Jan. 13, 1984: Thomas Lawson, 45, was shot to death in a robbery in which
only $26 was stolen. He was found in his idling cab. Three juveniles were arrested in
connection with the slaying. Timothy Burris, 15, was found guilty of first- and
second-degree murder in March 1986. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Brett
Blanchard, 17, reportedly was the gunman. He entered a plea bargain with the state in
March 1996 and was sentenced to 35 years. A third teen, 15, was allowed to remain in
juvenile court. He was found guilty of felony murder. Details of his prosecution were not
made public.
* May 28, 1985: Jawed Ahmed, 31, was found shot to death. The case is
unsolved.
* May 14, 1993: Adam Henry Pipien, 42, was found slumped over the steering
wheel in his cab, which was parked in front of a gate blocking the Upper Huffman entrance
to Chugach State Park. His death was part of an apparent robbery. The case is unsolved.
* Aug. 21, 1993: Richard Sandess, 46, was found shot to death in his cab near
the entrance to a baseball field in South
* Jan. 5, 1994: Raymond Maser, 35, was found shot in his cab after it had crashed into the yard of a Midtown home. William "Pumpkin" Smith, 17, was charged with robbery and first-degree murder in Maser's death. He pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 65 years in prison. Three adults also were arrested. Demieceo Benson, 25, was charged with second-degree murder and robbery. Benson had been released from jail 13 days before the slaying after having served time on theft charges. Benson pleaded no contest to theft charges and agreed to testify against Smith. He was sentenced to two years in jail. Michelle Earp, 20, was arrested on drug and weapons violations, and on charges of hindering prosecution. She was sentenced to two years for tampering with evidence. The other charges were dropped in return for her plea. Leif Erickson, 22, was arrested on drug, weapons and evidence-tampering charges.
* Feb. 7, 1998: Randy Stewart, 45, was shot in the head during an apparent robbery minutes after he radioed for help. A 16-year-old Bartlett High School student was charged with his murder Friday.
* March 30, 1998: Dean Marsh was shot in the eye and dumped from his cab on West 15th Terrace after picking up a fare at the Carrs supermarket on DeBarr Road. Delano K. Hall was arrested after a 15-mile high-speed car chase by police. He is charged with murder.
* April 6, 1998: Slobodan "Steve" Tadic, 51, was found shot in his cab in front of the Sports Authority store near Dimond Boulevard. A grand jury has indicted 17-year-old Aaron J. Andrus on murder and robbery charges.
