Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-08-16
The Hackers Side

letter from a reader was in
teresting. A critical analysis
Of it reveals interesting mis-
conceptions on the part Of
the author, however.
I'm sure that most hackers
already consider themselves
"full-fledged, self-respecting
Americans, like their patrons
(Sic)." I am a hacker and
not un-Amerlcan, I'm sure.
AS far as being business
men, it's true most cab driv-
ers wouldn't really rank as
very good ones. No one in
this country who was a really
good busin e S S m a n would
think of putting a $4,000
automobile, a $500 two-way
radio. and 10 to IL hours per
day time investment into a
business where. If the breaks
are against you, as they
usually are, you have to carry
some self-appointed public
servant" 40 blocks for 10
cents!
The D. C. hacker has long
been more sinned against
than SHINING. First of all,
Washington has the most
courteous drivers in America,
I've been told countless times
by passengers. The day-ln,
day-out, regular cab riders
know that the service here
is unexcelled. The regular
riders (who are the ones who
really COUNT will tell you so.
Any time some crouch opens
the door and starts the old,
plaintive You never can find
a cab when you need one,"
he's the same guy who
wouldn't be caught dead in a
cab except in the event of
rain, snow or other calamity.
Unfortunately, the ants
seem to have the loudest
voice on the Letters to the
Editor pages. If the people
TO whom cab service is in
dispensable were to be heard
from, 1t would cast a much
better light on the true, long,
suffering nature of Washing
ton hackers. Let people ask
the blind and the crippled
who regularly must depend
on drivers. what the real
Washington hacker is like.
Hundreds Of handicapped
people are able to survive
and maintain their dignity
and standard of living be-
cause Of cab drivers who are
dispatched to their homes or
apartment buildings to pick
them up. Most Of the time
the drivers, in the execution
Of these time consuming
calls. are forced to either
double-park or park in a no.
parking zone while going in
and leading and sometimes
actually carrying out bodily
the passengers. Frequently,
an unsmiling police officer is
waiting with ticket book in
hand when you get back to
the street.
Service like this can't be
paid for. and isn't. If any
one thinks this is exaggera-
ton, just call Diamond, Yell
low or Premier Cab COM
panies, to name a few, and
they can cite hundreds Of
these unfortunate people who
couldn't exist In our society
If 1t weren't for the thought
fulness and kindness of the
much-maligned hackers Of
Washington.
AS far as the subject Of
tipping goes. surely no hack
er ever put his hand in that
writer's pocket and forcibly
extracted a tip. Tipping is
supposed to be for extra serv-
ice, only. The average hack
er doesn't expect too much in
the way Of tips. so the shock
is not too great when none is
forthcoming. If cab drivers
really were hard-headed
businessmen. there wouldn't
be a cab on the street during
the evening rush. It takes a
dedicated public servant to
cheerfully pick up a fare at
Connecticut and Florida ave-
nues at 5 pm. and head out
across the South Capitol
street bridge for 80 cents,
with the temperature at IS,
and arrive. an hour later, in
Anacostia. unthanked. UNI
tipped, and griped at. The
80 cents won't even buy the
gasl / like the freedom and
independence Of my work.
but the next person who
blithely asks me why ! don't
buy air-conditioning for my
cab had better watch out.