Part 1-In the Beginning
It was back in 1994 I believe, I (Kimberly) started working as a part-time dispatcher for Frank’s Taxi above Bueti’s Deli in Bedford Hills, NY, I soon became a full-time dispatcher eventually driving occasionally. Actually, surprising since I kind of hate talking on the phone. Anyway, I moved on from Frank’s to Katonah/Bedford Livery. Dispatching with my son, Christian in his rocking seat on the desk next to me. Then, throw his car seat into the front seat of the Lincoln and run around picking up customers; couldn’t do that today. We had some fun times at Katonah/Bedford Livery.
Things were so much different back them. The taxi business has always been pretty cutthroat, fighting over fares at the train stations; running gas guzzling Lincon Towncar’s, Ford Crown Victorian, and Chevy Caprice’s all over town. My daughter tells me I need to lead off with a good “hook” story…lol So here I go.
One night while dispatching, my shift was almost over and the phone rang, it was a trip from the nearby bar (Sidelines, Bedford Hills) going to Croton Falls. My boss tells me he didn’t feel like going, to take the car and do the trip on the way home and I could just keep the fare. SURE! I’m thinking it was about 1am, I pull up to Sidelines and the man comes out and jumps in the back seat. I ask what the address was, while telling me his address I realize that….he has a HOOK for a hand. Don’t mean to sound like I’m making fun of his handicap or anything, but I had a flash of a horror movie at that moment. He takes me down this what seemed like a 10-mile-long driveway in the middle of the woods. Now, I swear that I am going to die. Well, I’m still here. I dropped him off, he gives me the fare plus $20 tip, he was really a nice guy.
Another time I went to Sidelines with the taxi, not actually to drink but for the 10ยข wings. I ended up coming out at like 11pm, go to get in car and realize that I had locked the keys in the car. Of course, I didn’t want to explain to my boss what I was doing at the bar in the taxi, so I call a friend (Patty and her mom Chris) come with a metal coat hanger and somehow, we got it open. Patty & I had some fun times, drunk Russian’s, sliding down Babbit Rd with the rear-wheel drive Lincoln’s in the snow, and can’t forget the New Years Eve party at their house.
Good times! Stay tuned for more fun stories as I tell the story of how “845” came to be, starting long before it was even a thought in any of our minds.
