The above photos courtesy of Danny Ponomar at http://www.dapo.ca/



Tuesday, January 26, 2010

XXXXXX Closes Saturday January 16, 2010



Ever since the multiple stabbing incident in September of 2009 the only day the XXXXXX has been profitable has been October 31, 2009. If I remember correctly they were well below earnings estimates for New Year's Eve.

For a once popular nightclub how could they afford to stay open? Obviously they could not.

I believe they will/should reopen in August 2010 under a new name and new management. It will be a crucial period for the company to be successful. With successful promoting the reputation of being the "Stab house" should have subsided by this time and hopefully competent management has taken over.

With the influx of new students many bars in Lethbridge stand to profit, although the declining number of students attending Lethbridge's post secondary schools has significantly declined over the last two years, some entertainment facilities are sure to go out of business.

To get back to being a successful nightclub I believe the XXXXXX should do the following:

+ Upgrade interior and renovate some areas (costly)
+ Upgrade sound system (costly)
+ Upgrade kitchen to accommodate better food (costly)
+ Have better live shows (music, comedy)
+ Hire more bouncers at opening so people feel safer (upgrade exterior lighting, include light shows on weekends)
+Promote special events via advertising

+ The building is huge, offer a different feel inside a smaller area of the club to operate throughout the day and open the bigger night club area on weekends or keep open throughout the week.
+Daily Specials

Many expenses need to be considered before reopening. Although renovation would be costly this could once again become a popular hot spot for the younger (and older) party goers.

I believe the major obstacle is reinventing the reputation of the bar.

Any other suggestions of what might bring them back into the spotlight?

The reality is that I could care less about this business. The XXXXXX was known for optimal pricing (based on how drunk you are and how much they think they can charge), which is basically ripping customers off.

The other Nighclubs in Lethbridge have been doing very well and I am happy for that to continue.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Offensive Comment / Response

I was offended by this comment and decided to respond by posting my response.

Anonymous said...
"Actually had you not complied and drove away you would have been charged with at least 2 more charges and probebly lost your job as the taxi would have been towed. What you should do is mind your own buisness instead of getting in the police's way you moron. If you dont like being a taxi driver and want to be some vigalante why dont you move to the states and fight injustice with dog the bounty hunter. Fuck you are a loser!"


The point is Freedom of Expression and complying with Canadian Laws.

I enjoy driving a taxi but at times there are dead spots and I become very bored. At this point I try to find some way to cure my boredom. I believe that I have never interfered with a police investigation what so ever.

I am no vigilante. I am trying to entertain myself. I find your comment rude and offensive, which I am sure I have been on many occasions.

I have allowed your comment calling me a "loser", etc, to remain based on the policy and law that I respect myself, that being Freedom of Expression.

My intentions are never to interfere with a Police Investigation and to comply fully with the Lethbridge Police Service, which I have done.

I may have said that I will not comply with the Lethbridge Police in the future but that is not the case. I only mentioned that I would not be compliant in a fit of rage I suppose (I was upset with the pending charges).

The reality is that the Lethbridge Police Officer acted with the utmost integrity and applied the law as he/she saw fit.

I still oppose the traffic ticket I was issued and will have my day in court.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Charges Dropped

What I received as a result of my actions was a $172 traffic ticket and about 40 minutes talking with the Officer at the Police Station.

Prohibited operation of vehicles, etc.


115 - (2) A person shall not do any of the following:  (i) where that person is the driver of a vehicle, permit any person, animal or thing to occupy the front seat of the vehicle in such a manner so as to impede the driver in the free and uninterrupted access to and use of the steering wheel, brakes and other equipment required to be used for the safe operation of the vehicle;

I intend to plead not guilty to the ticket and defend myself in court. From the video you can clearly see that I had uninterrupted access to the steering wheel, brakes, signal lights, etc. Driving was my number one priority and as you can see from the very poor quality of the video that filming was not the priority.

What I did was no different than using a cell phone or operating a manual gear shifter.

I will post the video as soon as I edit it because I promised not to reveal the identity of the officers on this site. Also older posts are under review and may be edited to comply with our agreement.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Charges Pending

There was an apparent break and enter to the XXXXXX Pawn Shop earlier tonight. I did my usual take on the scene and was filming the Police Officers in the surrounding area. I drove into the alley, which was not blocked off by the police and continued with my filming.

A Police Officer noticed me in the alley near the back door of the XXXXXX and was checking me out with his flashlight as I drove by.

He must have seen the video camera otherwise nothing further would have happened. He yelled at me to stop and I complied and put the camera into the center console.

He came to my door and asked me what I was doing with the camera. I said I was just driving by and was recording the scene. He was pissed right off and demanded the camera. I was unsure of my rights at this point and complied by handing over the camera.

I appologized and complied fully.

The Officer decided to sieze my video camera and I now have charges pending against me in relation to; interferance with a police investigation, obstruction of justice, dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention (because I was filming while driving down the alley at 10km/hr).

What a bunch of BULL SHIT. There is little to no merit and I am sure the pending charges will not be realized. By the end of my shift the Police had offered my camera back but I am still required to appear at the police station today with the possibility of being arrested and charged with the above offences.

At one point I was not even sure I had been "pulled over" after I gave the officer my camera he did not ask me for any identification or anything and he walked away. I got out of the vehicle and he started yelling at me to get back in the car or he was going to put his cuffs on me and take me to jail.

I got back in the car, he came back a while later and asked me for some identification. I gave him my drivers liscence, he ran me through his system and came back and read me my rights and asked if I wanted a lawyer and on and on. I said I understood and had no comment.

This guy was on a serious power trip and I will not be compliant with the police in the future. I should have kept driving after he told me to stop, I could have said that I did not hear him. I should have refused to hand over my property without a warrant and on and on.

What I did was nothing more than drive down an alley with a video camera in hand. There is no way in hell this would ever go to court. In my defence I could bring a front page news article showing the police conducting an investigation with a photo from the Lethbridge Herald, zero difference as to what I was doing. As for holding the video camera while driving, there is little difference to talking on a cell phone while driving, which is not illegal in Alberta.

His reasoning for the obstruction charge was that I distracted him from watching the back door in case the suspect was inside, thereby giving the suspect the opportunity to flee and possibly attack the Officer. The Constable asked me whether I would have helped him if he were being attacked. I said that I would have helped. I think that pissed him off more.

I guess I should be thankfull I was not tazed and taken to jail.

Monday, January 4, 2010

2 X 4

I picked up a XXXXXX guy from the hospital last night and after some random hello I asked him what had happened and he told me he was in XXXXXX and his dad hit him across the head with a two by four.

Streetside Eatery Break and Enter


At approximately 1:00am Sunday morning the Streetside Eatery was broken into. According to police a suspect was found on the roof of the establishment and the search was ongoing for a second suspect. The police had many officers downtown trying to find the other culprit.

The back kitchen door had been broken into. It appeared that the police had later found the second suspect near the half way house beside the XXXXXX Restaurant on 1st Avenue South.




Amature Gay Porno Video

One of the guys I work with was given a video camera Ipod as payment for a fare. The Ipod had a home made video of a man sucking another man's dick on a couch. I watched about two seconds of the video to confirm the story.

Updated Comment October 18th, 2010:

I think this post attracts some of the most attention to this blog (from the stats). Random Gays trying to find a new porno video I am sure.

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year's Eve

I had a decent night tonight, it was as busy as expected. I was suprised at how sober people seemed to be and only a few people throughout the night seemed to have had far too many drinks.

As the night wore on people seemed to be getting drunker and drunker. From 2-5am the progression of drunkeness was pretty amazing.

A few random recollections.

-    This one couple wanted to get a hotel room with a stop at the XXXXXX so they could get some munchies, while on the way to the store they decide they just want to go back to XXXXXX. I said that is was around 95 dollars but that I was unwilling to take them out there because it was so busy in the city (going out of town is my choice). They persisted and I said the only way I was going out there was for $200.

It was after 1am in the morning and it was busy, why would I want to leave town on an icey hiway for an hour with likely no tip because the payment is made before I leave. I felt kinda bad for asking for twice the rate and I actually went into the XXXXXX and up to the front desk and told them if they wanted to go I would take them for $100, which is practically the rate. The guy could only come up with $85 or $90. I said it was $100 and he said "it is only ten dollars", and I said "thats right, it is only ten dollars more", well he called me a "jew bastard" and on and on, so I walked away and left the hotel.

I was on another trip about a hour later and the same couple were at the XXXXXX by the XXXXXX, they came up to me while my customers were in the store and asked again to go to Fort Macloud, I again told them the rate and informed them I was on another trip. He said he was now willing to pay and I did not care. I reminded him about calling me a "jew bastard" and other things and wished him luck getting a cab to take him there, I do not believe be got to Fort Macloud and likely did not get a hotel room otherwise why would he be at the 7-11 an hour later?

-     I picked up from the XXXXXX at 3:00am maybe, two couples had decided to share a cab. They were pretty cool and I enjoyed the trip, the first couple gave me $15 towards the fare and once we arrived on the West side the fare was $31.00. The guy gave me $30 and his girlfriend had to run in for a few bucks for a tip. I feel bad because I completely forgot that the first couple had already given me $15 and I am sure the second couple had forgotten also. I am not in the business of ripping people off and it was an honest mistake. After meeting back up with the two XXXXXX at the XXXXXX and many other things running through my mind I completely forgot.

I intend on rectifying the situation by going back to the place where the second couple overpaid me to return the $15, or at least most of it. ( XXXXXX Court if you forget, far right, corner, 0002112150)

-     I was driving Northbound on 12 street South around 4th avenue when I see a guy trying to flag me down, I kept driving and his buddy comes out of no where a little ways futher down the road and walks right in front of me trying to flag me down, I hit the brakes but it was very icey and I was within a couple inches of hitting him hard with the car, he was very lucky he managed to get out of the way, I was looking in the rear view mirror and saw him throwing what may have been a beer bottle at my car.

-     It seemed as though I rarely went to the bars but looking back on the night I had my fair share, in my opinion it seemed as though there were much more house parties than people going out to the bar. I took a couple early to the XXXXXX. They had an illusionist there tonight as well as a prime rib dinner. The XXXXXX looked pretty quite, I would say it was dead. The XXXXXX has quickly become the cool place not to be.

Other than Halloween night the XXXXXX has been dead since those 5 people were stabbed outside the bar.

XXXXXX was packed tonight and the XXXXXX did well. I never went to XXXXXX or the XXXXXX once (not to say they were not busy).

A lot of pubs seemed quiet tonight and I think a lot of people decided to do the house party thing. I had far less "no trips" (people not being there) than last year.

-    I arrived at a residence and the lights were on an it appeared that people were there. I noticed a wheelchair ramp and went to knock on the door, at least to announce my presense and perhaps offer assistance. I could see some movement in the house and waited a couple minutes, this guy walks out in his undearwear and informs me that I am no longer neaded, it was not the first time tonight and I was just suprised he came out in his briefs in minus 20 degree weather to tell me that.

-   I spent my new year dropping off a few people at XXXXXX and taking some guy home from XXXXXX, what a gay name for a bar. The guy told me he was cut off, apparantly not because of his liquor intake but rather his political views. He seemed ok but told me he may have to open the door to puke, I asked him to let me know so I could pull over for him, he said I did not need to pull over because he was able to open the door and puke, at any speed.

-   I somewhat witnessed an accident on Whoop Up Drive tonight, while passing the scene someone had stopped to offer assistance and it appeared that the individual driving the white truck had lost control on the icy road, hit a barrier, and lost a wheel, crazy.

-    Airport to XXXXXX Canyon, nice people, I would have liked to ask you as many questions as you asked me, next time I will.

All in all a good night, people were friendly.  I did not get punched in the face by anyone like last year http://canadiantaxi.blogspot.com/2009/01/punched-in-face.html

-    One on my coworkers tonight announced that he had been assaulted, from what I gathered he was on a stop at the Park Meadows XXXXXX, when someone apparantly assaulted him and the police were brought in and the suspect was arrested while someone else arrived to pick up the driver`s customers. I look forward to hearing the first person account of the incident.

I need to get to sleep, Nicely done Canadian Juniors last night, I was more than impressed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Comments

All comments are welcomed.


I will only delete comments that are spam/advertising or comments that are not written in English.