By Roderick McClain
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/whqr/local-whqr-956613.mp3
03-09-11 –
Downtown Wilmington nightlife fuels the local economy, but as bars close, the night's sheen can blur from vibrant to violent. Some say there's not enough transportation available, which leads to long waits and overcrowding, but nobody agrees on a solution.
Currently, there are one-hundred-fifty-five taxis licensed to pick up flagging customers in the city. Other drivers can work at the airport and the beaches, but they can't pick up downtown, even if danger is imminent. In part two of his series on Wilmington taxis, WHQR's Roderick McClain watched the late-night, downtown scene unfold, and has this account.
A milky fog hangs above the quiet streets of downtown Wilmington. It's two on a Saturday and police officers stand in groups, watching herds of drinkers stumble the gauntlet that is Front St. Within that shapeless crowd, three marines from Camp Lejeune are trying to get back to their hotel, but all the cabs that pass are full. They wave for a ride anyway.
"We like to come out and have fun, but at the end of the night we gotta go home, right? We wanna go home, and it doesn't happen forever. It takes about an hour, hour and a half."
That's James, who didn't want to give his last name. He and his friends come to Wilmington every few weeks. Like usual, they can't get a taxi, even though they planned ahead and made a reservation for pickup.
"We get frustrated. There'll be a race. Eventually a taxi will pull up right there, and we're here, some guys are there, some guys are over there, and everybody races to the same taxi. And that leads to drama every time."
Along with the drama, Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous says that some bar-goers wait three hours for a taxi, or worse, they amble down side-streets. In 2010, there were five murders, nearly fifty reported sexual assaults, and hundreds of robberies By three o'clock, James and his friends have waited an hour. Just as it seems their options have run out, the trio finally flags a cab and heads home.
On the other side of town, Cab driver Nial Johnson is eating French fries with ketchup at a twenty four-hour diner. As a non-W driver, he only goes downtown when he's been called by a client.
"I've actually had people get into fistfights on holiday weekends over trying to get into my cab. And the worst part is, neither one of them was the person I was supposed to pick up. And I'm like, Why are you guys fighting? I'm not taking either one of you."
Johnson, who unwinds here each night with other cabbies after the bar rush, says it's risky picking up his clients downtown. A few of his colleagues have even been ticketed. But he's worked too hard at building his client base.
"If I get a call to pick up one of my girls in Wilmington, I'm picking up my girls because they know when they ride with me, they're safe, they get home safe, they don't get harassed, they don't get sexually assaulted. Wilmington be damned, they can write me all the tickets they want, they can throw me in jail. I'm gonna get my girl home, and I'm gonna get her home safe."
Chief Evangelous says the safest solution to post-bar disorder won't come from taxi drivers or police; it'll come from the individual.
"But nobody wants to be the designated driver. That's what we need to be working towards, because if you do that, you can move lots of people out of there quickly."
Johnson disagrees. He's happy to be a designated driver and says he should be able to pick up clients who choose him. Lt. ET Bluford, who oversees taxis in Wilmington, says there are nights when people wait too long for cabs, but a flood of taxis would dilute business for everyone.
"If you want to put two-hundred cabs for just Friday, Saturday night, you know, the rest of the time, what are they going to be doing? A lot of those guys aren't making a lot of money."
As the early morning meal wraps up, there's hushed talk, bordering on legend among the cabbies, of a possible ordinance that would enable police to impound non-W-taxis caught operating illegally. An official from the city of Wilmington says there has been behind-the-scenes discussion of the idea, but nothing has been brought to council. Meanwhile, Johnson's phone is full of clients, and when one calls, he's going to answer.
Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? If so, we'd like to hear from you. Please email the WHQR News Team.