Outrageous stories from the driver’s seat

By Samantha Rea, Special to The Sunday

Sunday, April 17, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Andrew Gnatovich is the man behind Las Vegas Cabbie Chronicles, a blog and Twitter account that documents the trials and tribulations of a Las Vegas cab driver.

Having grown up near the Mississippi River, Gnatovich moved to Las Vegas looking for adventure. He studied music education at UNLV but dropped out when it struck him as pointless. After working various jobs and being fired, he decided to drive a cab because it seemed like an easy fix with a low threshold for entry.

Gnatovich began writing Cabbie Chronicles eight years ago, initially undercover. His identity first was discovered by his boss, who recognized details of an incident. Since then, Gnatovich’s anonymity has gradually unravelled, but he continues to tweet and plans to write a tell-all book.

Have you had celebrities in your cab?

Yeah, the most recent was David Hasselhoff. He’d been to an Elton John gig at the Colosseum, and I happened to drop off at Caesars at show break. There were 100 people waiting in line and not a single cab. Hasselhoff walked straight to the front with a leggy blonde. I recognized him right away: He’s 6-foot, 5-inches, and he was wearing a green suit like it was St. Paddy’s Day. A guy like that sticks out. He gets in the cab with the leggy blonde and says, “It’s good to be me!” It was like an Internet meme came to life. I took them to the Bellagio with Hasselhoff singing Rocket Man.

Holly Madison once asked me for a ride. She has followed me on Twitter from the start, and she sent me a direct message saying, “I’m at the Peppermill, can you come pick me up?” I was like, Oh my God! The problem was, it was 4 a.m., and I had already turned in the cab. I wrote her back and said I couldn’t. When I told my friends at work, they said: “Why didn’t you pick her up in your own car?” My answer to that was, “Because I’m not a creep!” I thought I was doing the gentlemanly thing.

Have any passengers refused to pay?

I picked up a guy on the west side of town, put the luggage in the trunk and drove to the airport, having a normal conversation. We pull up at Terminal One, and the guy says, “I got something to tell you: I hate cab drivers, I don’t pay any of you guys, and I’m not paying you. What do you think about that?” I said, “I think a couple of things. One, thanks for the luggage, and two, I picked you up at your house, so I’ll be there when you get back. Obviously, you didn’t think this through. I’m not giving you your luggage until you pay me. Also, I’ll let airport security know, and they’re not going to let you through, so you’re not even getting on your plane until you pay me. You want to play hardball? You just lost.” He paid me.

Have you ever been afraid?

Yeah. A guy flagged me downtown, and driver classes tell you flags are dangerous rides, but I’m working and the guy needs a ride, so I pick him up. He gets in the passenger side and slides across the bench to sit directly behind me. This bugged me because I couldn’t see him, and it was odd. He asked me to take him to Arizona Charlie’s. I was spooked, so I used my two-way radio to tell my dispatch I might have a problem. We use jargon, like cop speak, so I said it in code and numbers. As soon as I hung up, the guy said, “What was that about?” I gave him a half-truth about having to call in when we go off Strip.

I was convinced something was about to happen. He said he had $100 and asked if I had change. In training, drivers are taught to say no to that question, so I told him no, I just started my shift, we can change it at Arizona Charlie’s. We get there, and the guy hands me $20 for a $14 fare and gets out of the cab. He walks toward the casino, then turns around and pulls up his shirt to show me a gun. He was telling me he was going to rob me but didn’t, because I was on to him. He was fishing for easy prey, but he knew I knew, and he respected that. When he showed me the gun, it was a tip of the cap.

What’s the most interesting conversation you’ve overheard?

I picked up two guys at the Bellagio, and they were going downtown to the Golden Nugget. One guy’s phone rang. He was talking to his wife and told her they were in Oklahoma City. The fare was $14.95. The guy gives me $15 and says, “Keep the change.” I was looking for my next ride when I heard a phone ringing in the backseat. I answered it, and a woman said, “Who’s this?” I said, “My name’s Andrew, I’m a cab driver.” She said, “There are cabs in Oklahoma City?” I said, “How should I know? I’m in Las Vegas.” She was mad. I asked what I should do with his phone, and she said, “Chuck it out the window.” So I rolled down my window and threw out the phone. I didn’t even hang up. If the jerk hadn’t told me to keep the change, there could’ve been a different end to that story.

Have you kicked customers out of your cab?

I terminated more rides in my first five years than I have in my second five years. My fuse is longer now, and I’m better at sussing out the ones I don’t want to pick up. The last time I terminated a ride was a couple I picked up at the Cosmopolitan. I knew right away she was working and he was a customer. You can try to hide it, but I know. He was drunk, and they were going to the Encore, ostensibly to his room to have fun, but knowing what I know, there was a 50 percent chance she would try to rob him. Halfway there, he’s sick in the cab, so I pulled over and said, “Get out!” The guy was so drunk, he’d have got out anywhere, but the woman refused. I know she’s working and she won’t want the cops showing up, so I get on my radio and out she gets, thinking I’m calling the cops. She was trying to rob this guy, now she’s stuck babysitting him, covered in puke at the roadside.

Have you ever chased customers to get them to pay their fare?

I picked up a girl at the airport; she was visiting her dad. The fare was $40, and she said she didn’t have any money but her dad left money on the table, and she went inside to get it. A minute later, she comes back out and says her dad hasn’t left any money and she has no way to pay me. I said, “I’m down $40 and 30 minutes of my time.” I gave her my card and told her to call me when she had the money. I said, “Your luggage is in my trunk. I’ll keep it until you have my money.” An hour later, she calls me, screaming at me not to go through her bags, then asks if I’ll take a check. I said, “I don’t take checks, nor does anyone else.” Then her dad calls, telling me to bring back her luggage or he’ll call the cops. I said, “Call who you want, I don’t care.” I hadn’t violated any laws. The dad calls my supervisor, who says, “This guy’s really mad!” But my supervisor can’t tell me to let them off the fare, because I have to give the company that $40 even if these people don’t pay me. It comes out of my own pocket. I called the dad, and he said he’d have my money, so I pulled into his street, and eight or 10 guys are standing in the driveway, waiting for me to get there. It was like a “Boyz ’n the Hood” moment. But they gave me the money, took the luggage and I went back to work.

Is there any rivalry between cab firms or with Lyft and Uber drivers?

There’s friendly banter between cab firms, but no animosity. It’s not as aggressive or cutthroat as I thought it would be. People think Lyft and Uber drive us crazy, but they’ve had little impact on our business. Uber’s PR says, “Cab drivers hate us because we’re putting them out of business.” It’s nonsense. Only a fraction of people have an Uber account. There was a big campaign last year: “Nevada needs Uber,” as if people weren’t getting where they needed to go. How can adding an abundance of cars to the road solve any traffic problems?

What’s the worst part of your job?

Twelve-hour shifts are a grind, and interactions with security staff and doormen are a drain on my life. The guys who open the doors to cabs control everything. If they don’t like the way you look, they can tell you to leave, after you’ve waited an hour to pick up. I’ve had that happen countless times. They revel in the power.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

I’m fascinated by different cultures and different perspectives of the world. If I’m lucky, I pick up people who are experts in their field, and I have 10 minutes where I can pick someone’s brain. Those are the rides that don’t last long enough.