Hi-Line Living: Taxi cab confessions

Town Taxi service drivers see a lot of weird things, and they transport a lot of people they would want to meet, as well as the other kind, too.

Rocky Arellano has been a taxi driver in Havre for three years after doing various odd jobs around town - Bear Paw Lumber, Taco John's, driving for BNSF - but, driving a taxi has been an experience.

"It's interesting; I'll put it that way," he said. "There are a lot of strange people, obnoxious people, drunks, idiots."

But, he added, many of the people are just normal, sober folk who need a ride.

The taxi gets, on average, 10 to 15 calls per day on weekdays and jumps up to anywhere from 17 to 20 or more, Arellano said.

"A really busy weekend, we'll have anywhere up to 30," he said.

Generally, there is just one taxi running at any given day, but if they start getting really busy, Arellano's wife, Sheila will get their second car and start driving. Sheila often rides with Arellano during his shifts as well.

"Me and my wife work five days a week, but we ride together because we were told to by the cops for safety reasons," Arellano said.

There are just three drivers for the company: Rocky and Sheila Arellano and the owner, Dan Monk. The Arellanos work Saturday through Wednesday, and Monk picks up the Thursday and Friday shifts.

In addition to safety, another perk in the Arellanos driving together is that they can offer the unique service of driving their passengers' vehicles home or to their hotel for them.

Rocky said they can only do it on shifts they work - Saturday to Wednesday - and only at night, which is generally the time people use the service.

"It's something me and my wife offer just because it's two of us," Rocky said.

Sheila said many people enjoy the extra help.

"A lot of people do appreciate it because they can get to work the next day," she said.

Rocky added they likely also appreciate the fact that they don't have to walk back to their cars or call the taxi again to take them back.

Despite the obvious financial double-win for the taxi drivers in that situation, Rocky said they never consider that.

"I'm not that type of person," he said.

Sheila nodded in agreement.

"We just offer," she said. "If they want their cars driven home, we do it."

She said they also offer frequent-rider coupons, which is five rides for $22.50 if they are within city limits.

The taxi service and local bars also offer a great incentive to keep people from driving drunk. Every bar in town, except for Vic's Place and Oxford Bar, will give a customer a home-free coupon on request.

"As long as you go in, pay for drinks and feel you're incapable of driving your own car, ask the bartender and they'll give you a coupon," Rocky said.

If a friend gets a ride with the person with a coupon, the fee is only $1.

Sheila and Rocky said they have had many interesting encounters with people.

"I enjoy it," Sheila said about her job. "I enjoy meeting people. The conversations - some of them get ridiculous - but, I do enjoy it."

"Many conversations are very sketchy," Rocky said.

"Strange," Sheila added.

Rocky said they have had people talk about their sex lives, and certain events that will happen upon arriving to their homes, events which sometimes begin in the taxi.

Sheila giggled.

"We just say please wait until you get home," she said. "We don't want to see that."

They said they have been in some violent situations as well. One night, Rocky and Sheila were driving a man home and he reached out from the back seat and tried to choke Sheila. Rocky was driving and immediately pulled over to subdue the man and wait for the authorities.

"I'd say 25 percent of the customers are rude and then the rest we don't have a problem with," Sheila said.

Bad situations like that have caused Sheila and Rocky to carry knives and pepper spray, but they don't run into things that bad very often. Every now and then, they will have to call the cops on customers who don't want to pay for some reason or another, but for the most part, it's smooth sailing.

The rates for the taxi are flat rates if the ride is within city limits. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., rides are $9. From 10:01 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., rides are $11. From 2:31 to 6 a.m., rides are $18.

"It's pretty reasonable rates," Sheila said. "Normally, we close around 2 (a.m.), but if we have a special request, we try to do it."

Anything out of city limits is the flat rate, plus $1.50 a mile.

Their area of operation ranges from the Canadian border to Great Falls and Shelby to Malta.

"I enjoy what I do," Rocky said. "It's definitely not a boring job."