A Portland, Oregon Cabbie Is Murdered---Strategies For Dealing With Suspect Passengers

 Reese Lawhon, 10-Year Veteran Portland Cab Driver, Fatally Stabbed In The Neck On Easter Sunday, April 9th, 2023

For those of us driving passengers for hire to and from destinations, it a commonplace scenario to discover that the person sitting in the seat behind you is somewhat suspect, poorly concealed anger or disrespectful commentary telling you must be prepared for the unexpected, with usual behavioral protocols no longer in play, understanding full well you could be physically assaulted or worse.  One serious mistake made in this kind of situation is to remain complaisant, because, having experiencing one too many nutty passengers, you find yourself thinking "oh, here we go again," comparing past fairly benign encounters to the current deranged person now menacing you from the back seat.  

I say this because Reese Lawhon was a taxi veteran, and with ten-plus years on the road, surely had dealt with with more crazy passengers than he could have remembered.  It is something we all know and daily negotiate, accepting it as all part of our daily routine.  But assuming that the trouble will past minus quick intervention can be fatal.  Back in the mid-1980s New York City, on average over 50 cabbies per year were murdered on the job.  And today you will find daily reports of Uber, Lyft and cab drivers being attacked, sometimes fatally.  So knowing how to respond before it gets to that point is of the utmost importance.  You can't play games with fools.  They just might kill you.

So what do you do, how do you properly respond when trouble enters your cab/car?  As I have noted previously, it is a serious mistake to act like everything is normal when it isn't.  The troublesome or dangerous passenger ALWAYS displays behaviors that can't or shouldn't be tolerated.  What I have learned is to tell the passenger directly what I think is occurring minus any avoidance.  If the person is drunk I tell them that and issue guidelines for the ride to continue.  If I think there is potential danger, I alert the person that I know they are dangerous and that I won't tolerate any nonsense.  This includes possible thieves, strongly hinting it would be best if they behave themselves and pay at the end.  Especially with criminals, you can be sure they understand fully when given "a rattlesnake shake" of a warning.  They want a simple robbery, not an end to their lives.  More than once this has worked in my favor.  

Again, be confrontative but remain soft with your threats, unless all hell breaks loose, then of course the rules change abruptly.   When a situation escalates, remember you are in control of the car and use it to your advantage.  When necessary, I have blown through red lights while swerving at telephone poles.  I have also stopped in the middle of busy intersections and opened all the doors.  That's when they run away, and good riddance is all I can say.  One friend tells me he stops the cab, takes the keys and walks away.  All this kind of behavior delivers the strong message that the ride is over, and if you don't leave, your next conversation will be with the cops.  

I repeat, be vocal.  If you think the passenger is psychotic, don't hesitate to tell them you think they are in psychosis.  To be honest in these types of situations can be self-preserving for both you and the passenger, hopefully preventing the worst consequences.  And don't concern yourself with the fare.  Screw that.  Your only goal is to get the person out of your vehicle, nothing else, your prime objective is your personal safety and survival, nothing else.

The suspect in the Lawhon murder, Moses Lopez, was quickly apprehended.  He will surely be convicted as the knife attack was recorded by the cab's security camera.  And this is when I can tell everyone what kind of sentence I think Moses Lopez should receive.  While against the death penalty but believing in accountability, I suggest something that currently doesn't exist as an option though it certainly would be a strong deterrent if put into place.  I call it an "earned life sentence."  This is how it would work.

Back when I was ten years old, I lived for a couple of years in far northern Alberta, Canada, with winter temperatures averaging 40 degrees below zero F.   This is where my "earned life sentence" comes in.  When convicted of murder, the murderer is transported to a frigid part of Canada or Alaska and placed in the middle of say a 50 mile diameter circular corridor, and told, that if you make it to the outer edge, you have earned your life sentence.  Otherwise, the cold will be very consequential, gripping you in its icy fingers, thus killing you.  It is a humane death because the cold puts you to sleep, a sleep from which you never awaken.

My thought with this is simple.  Moses Lopez never gave Reese Lawhon the ability to defend himself, cruelly stabbing him from behind.  My "earned life sentence" solution provides Lopez the opportunity to survive, something Lopez didn't give to the cabbie.  If you are interested in real justice, this is it.  No games.  You are held accountable minus excuses.  Murder isn't some kind of game.  It is serious business.