Female cabbie tells women to walk trail
Doesn't feel city or her job are unsafe – even after bar close
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 11, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
In recent weeks, there has been much discussion in the city about the safety of the downtown core and the McMahon Frame Lake Trail.
Jacqueline Sitter, believed to be the only female taxi cab driver in Yellowknife, says the job has been a very safe and influential one since she got her license six months ago. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo |
Believed to currently be Yellowknife's only female taxi driver, Jacqueline Sitter, a driver for Aurora Taxi, has been on the job for six months. Even though it may not make great business sense to her to promote alternative transportation, Sitter says it is important people walk whenever they can.
"As a cab driver, I always promote the Frame Lake Trail and in the summer, I think people need to walk," said Sitter. "I have noticed that people are sometimes scared to walk and so are losing out on their needed exercise, peace and relaxation after work."
As a result, the trail is "losing its appeal" and as a lifeline to downtown, it's contributing to the loss of vitality in the city centre, she said.
After taking a brief departure from pursuing a career as an aircraft mechanic, her outlook on the city has changed since taking the job. Sitter quickly dispels any notion that, as a woman, she should feel her job is dangerous.
"No, none whatsoever," she said when asked if she was concerned about her safety as a female cab driver.
"But I did when I first started. I was terrified. I find that when people get into my car, even if they are drunk or grumpy, the second they look at me and will say, 'Hey! A woman! I have never met a woman cab driver before!' Automatically, they are at peace and relaxed."
Sitter said it's true many people believe being a cabbie is generally an unsafe profession for women, but added there are benefits not seen in other jobs. Being a cabbie contributes to her sense of independence and allows her to shop when business is slow. Her hours, while typically more than 40 hours a week, are flexible.
Sitter says she actually prefers working Friday and Saturday nights, a time when people are coming out of the bars and are often intoxicated when hailing for a ride.
The decision to become a cab driver was not an easy one, but a quick transition for Sitter, she said. While taking evening courses at Aurora College, she was approached by a friend with the suggestion of becoming a cabbie. Within weeks she completed her Class 4 driver's licence test, finished a criminal records check and got her chauffeur's permit before getting a car with Aurora.
Rather than being a money grab, Sitter said she sees her role as being one that provides some social assistance for people while being "almost" an authority figure.
"A cab driver's responsibility is to provide good customer service and no matter how drunk a person is, we must assure that that person gets from point A to point B," she said.
This also means doing the extras, like ensuring elderly people can get into their homes with their groceries.
She has many stories about the fares she has picked up, from a well-dressed young woman alone after a night at the bar who didn't have the full money upfront, to others who didn't have any money at all. In such "occasional" occurrences, the driver has to pick up that tab, she says, which is not always easy, especially during summer months when business is down.
"It is frustrating because this is my job and this is how I make my living. And it is not cheap," she said. "Unfortunately, it is an expectation, with this job.
"We could go after them and take pics with my cellphone and have them arrested, but to go after them for 10 bucks?"
