Richard Bostwick Reminiscences

Home Page

Welfare Office Stories
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Cab Driving Stories
Introduction
The Way It Was - 1930
The Gambler And His Gal 1927
The Last One To Know 1926
Just A Couple Of Hustlers 1925
Cash On Delivery 1923
One Born Every Minute 1923
Fun Is Where You Find It 1923
An Ace In The Hole 1922
And A Little Child Shall…
Gold Tooth Murphy
Aiding And Abetting 1929
Buried Treasure 1927
The Good Samaritan
Just A Country Trip
The Prodigal Son
Occupational Hazard
Four Bags Full
Overtime Pay
Above And Beyond The Call
Fourth Down And Ten
Let There Be Light
Take It Or Leave It
Double Or Nothing
Bandit
The Champ
Three Of A Kind
My Silent Big Spender
N.P.R.R. (Northern Pacific Railroad) Mr. Moody

Extras

Prohibition Stories
A Little Competition
Some Did Burn
Last Words

 

Overtime Pay

The time was about 2:00 a.m. on this cold and blustery night. I had just checked in my night's receipts with Howard, our dispatcher. I was driving for the Royal Cab line on the swing shift-1: 00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. I had worked a little overtime due to my last trip having lasted longer than expected.

It was cold out and I was dog-tired. I was anxious to get home, for due to the weather, I was busy all night. All the rest of our cabs were out on calls. I was just about to leave for home when five young fellows came up and rapped on the window indicating they wanted a cab. Howard said, “Go ahead Dick, make one more trip. Take them where they want to go, I will not have a cab in for quite awhile.”

I complained that I had already checked in and was tired, but Howard insisted. So I went outside, loaded all five passengers in my cab and asked the usual, “Where to?”

These fellows were not city boys, but instead were real bumpkins-fresh off the farm and evidently looking for a good time. One fellow answered my query by asking me if I knew where the Dixon Hotel was. I told him I did and he said that was where they wanted to go. The Dixon was only a few blocks down the street. It was known to be a real “hoopty-doo” joint-girls, booze, and what have you.

Upon arrival at the hotel, I opened the cab door for my passengers and as the first one got out, he inquired as to how much he owed me. Even though it was a short drive, the total fare for all five of these fellows came to $1.00, so I told him, “$1.00.” He gave me $1.00, and as each passenger alighted (and much to my surprise), they each handed me $1.00 and went on up the stairs.

Well, I just figured that's $4.00 the girlies won't get. I drove back to the cab office, turned in the required $1.00 for the trip, put my cab up, and proceeded on my way home with $4.00 in my pocket that I considered “overtime pay.”

 

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Updated: 7/30/2007