WARRNING - This is a little depressing - it’s all

I drive a taxi here in Kingston. I’ve done this job for about 9 or 10 years now and have had few problems outside of a couple of shouting matches with obnoxious or drunk customers. I’ve been short changed, had a few runners (those who get out of the car without paying before I could hit the door locks). Been handed bad or stolen credit cards, been given bogus pay checks/cheap watches and other junk as security for a small unpaid fare, been threatened for no apparent reason, and had to clean up after an over imbibing imbecile.

But this past Sunday something much more important occurred. A driver here picked up a fare near the local YMCA about 6:30 on that Sunday morning. A few blocks away the person he picked up stabbed the driver repeatedly in the chest. This cab driver died a few minutes later. There was no robbery involved.

After hearing the news of this senseless killing I initially felt little emotion. Don’t get me wrong, I did feel for this man’s mother who depended on him to help and support her. I did feel for his friends since he was known as one of those “nice guys who never did anyone wrong”. The out pouring of grief and anger from virtually all the other cab drivers I’ve spoken too dominates most conversation. But in the end, at least at first, I felt there was little personal effect. My world felt unchanged.

But as the days moved on I began to discover a new wariness. There is a palpable sense of anger and fear in my day-to-day activities at work. I size up my customers, I run scenarios in my mind of defensive actions if anything were to happen from whoever I’ve picked up. I even tossed a short changing creep out into the rain - surprising even myself at the quickness of my anger.

I guess my arrogant sophisticated near uncaring bravado was just a front. I really do feel for David Krick, his mother and his friends. I also feel for all the rest of us who are waiting for the local police to announce the murder’s arrest. That bastard is still roaming the streets somewhere looking for another victim in his twisted ugly grotesque world.

The following was taken from the Kingston Whig-Standard’s website this morning.

"Krick may be the first taxi driver murdered while on duty in Kingston, although it is not a rare occurrence across Canada.

According to Statistics Canada, 11 taxi drivers were murdered between 2001 and 2005, while 10 police officers were murdered on duty in the same period.

Krick will be buried tomorrow in a public funeral being held at the chapel at Tompkins Funeral Home on Colborne Street, beginning at 11 a.m."

What a incredible senseless loss.