Doug Silva The "Taxi" Lawyer----He's The Best & The Communists Were Going To Kidnap This Cabbie & Off To The UK And The Continent

 All Hail Doug Silva, Seattle Taxi's Hero and Savior

A taxi buddy emailed me that the attorney Doug Silva had won yet another case for him, this time getting rid of a speeding ticket issued by WSP (Washington State Patrol).  I believe I have mentioned Doug in the past but his speciality, defeating traffic tickets, is something me and others have appreciated over the past three decades.  He is a wizard, and worth every penny spent his way.  There was a point in time when local cops were intentionally targeting cabbies, and but for Doug, too many of us would have been put out of business permanently, all those tickets guaranteeing we were off the road for the next five years.  

I have many favorite Doug Silva stories, although the top tale for me stems from my last moving violation ticket from at least 7 or more years ago.  A very unpleasant Seattle cop had issued me a ticket for nothing whatsoever.   Knowing it was complete bullshit, I hired Doug but I made the big error of not appearing with him.  If I had, I would have told the judge "I certainly did not confess to this violation!" because that is exactly what the dishonest cop wrote to the court.  Since I wasn't there, I was found guilty.  What did Doug do in response?  He paid my fine!  Truly beyond the call of duty but a great example of how seriously he takes his cases.  More than a lawyer, he was a kind of friend, Doug understanding all too well what the cops were up to.  

More than angry, I wrote a letter to the then Seattle Chief of Police.  He wrote me back but to this day I have never opened the letter, unhappy to the point that no words can right the wrong done to me.  That cop was crazy.  His actions making no sense but when you have all the power, and a gun to back it up, this kind of stuff sometimes happens.  It wasn't Doug's fault.  He was blindsided. 

Here is Doug Silva's contact info:

206-772-2225       FAX 206-772-0355

8404 83rd Ave SW, Suite H, Lakewood, WA 98498

Office hours M-F: 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

No, Steve, You Were Not Going to be Kidnapped in Spain by Communists in 1972

I have a neighbor who once drove cab, and like so many cabbies of an era, he holds outlandish conceptions of what life is like, and unfortunately, existing in their own concocted fantasy world.  Before trying his hand at cab driving, for years he was a ship builder, and had the good luck of constructing Trident-Class submarines.  

Amazing to me, he reported that he and others were taken along on trial runs to Spain and Scotland.  What I found incredibly funny is that he told me that when the boat docked in Rota, Spain, none of the worker crew were allowed to visit the city.  Why?  Because communist thugs were lurking nearby, waiting to kidnap him.  

I asked him if he knew anything about General Francisco Franco, the Fascist Dictator who ruled Spain from 1939 to November 20th, 1975?   Of course he didn't and he didn't care, going on to say they also docked at Dundee, Scotland, which held the same warning: the communists were out to get him.  I said, "But Steve, that is the UK." which prompted his repeated shouts, "It was the Cold War! the Cold War!   After that, I just gave up.   Why even mention George Orwell's classic book about the Spanish Civil War?   There was no point.  

Speaking of the United Kingdom

I will be flying to London on October 3rd.  From there to other destinations.  If I encounter any taxi stories I will relate them.