Taxi dispatches, CB radios, and vehicle identification
Setting: Toronto, 1979-80
Search attempts: Taxi dispatches, taxi CB radio, CB radio channels taxi, taxi vehicle identification, listening very closely to the radio whenever I'm riding in a cab
The protagonist of my story is a cab driver who's just had his car stolen and used in an exciting high-speed chase. He's trying to track it down with little success-the police are unhelpful, the news doesn't give a clear picture of where the chase is headed, and he's without vehicle or wallet. I had the idea of him finding another cab driver and trying to make contact with his own car-successfully or otherwise, since his car is actually at the bottom of the Don Valley by the time he finds it-over the dispatch system.
So my questions:
1. Back in the day, would most taxis have CB radios so that drivers could communicate with each other? Would each company have their own channel? Is there a way to get in contact with a particular vehicle, or would he just put a call out to everyone?
2. I assume they wouldn't use the same code or slang as truckers, but was there any sort of specialized language or jargon that he might use?
3. How are vehicles identified within taxi companies? (I.e., can I have him say, "I'm looking for Crown Taxi car #12345" or something to that effect?)
4. Assuming that the owner of the company is a jerk, which he is going to be, what kind of consequences would my character be looking at once the totaled cab is discovered?
Search attempts: Taxi dispatches, taxi CB radio, CB radio channels taxi, taxi vehicle identification, listening very closely to the radio whenever I'm riding in a cab
The protagonist of my story is a cab driver who's just had his car stolen and used in an exciting high-speed chase. He's trying to track it down with little success-the police are unhelpful, the news doesn't give a clear picture of where the chase is headed, and he's without vehicle or wallet. I had the idea of him finding another cab driver and trying to make contact with his own car-successfully or otherwise, since his car is actually at the bottom of the Don Valley by the time he finds it-over the dispatch system.
So my questions:
1. Back in the day, would most taxis have CB radios so that drivers could communicate with each other? Would each company have their own channel? Is there a way to get in contact with a particular vehicle, or would he just put a call out to everyone?
2. I assume they wouldn't use the same code or slang as truckers, but was there any sort of specialized language or jargon that he might use?
3. How are vehicles identified within taxi companies? (I.e., can I have him say, "I'm looking for Crown Taxi car #12345" or something to that effect?)
4. Assuming that the owner of the company is a jerk, which he is going to be, what kind of consequences would my character be looking at once the totaled cab is discovered?