LAKE COUNTY — Hey Taxi is still picking up the pieces after the death of former driver Paul Joe Womachka, having lost not only two of its drivers but also one of its vehicles. What that means for most of Lake County is that the taxi company”s service is largely limited to medical transportation.
“Most taxis are one or the other, either a taxi or a non-emergency medical service,” explained Eric Surges, president of Hey Taxi in a Wednesday phone conversation with the Record-Bee from the business” main office in Ukiah. “We”re both. That”s pretty rare.”
Surges further explained that non-emergency taxis relieve the pressure from emergency medical responders by providing transportation to and from doctor”s appointments, or to those returning home after a procedure that renders a patient unable to drive, such as a dialysis or a surgery.
While he pointed out that dedicated medical taxis are equipped with hydraulic lifts for wheelchairs, and even a power-lift gurney, the taxi service does not provide medical care. Even so, drivers are given basic CPR and first-aid training, and for the most part they are strictly for non-emergency transportation.
While Womachka and his partner and ex-wife Erica were not medical drivers, they filled a need in the county for regular taxi service. Their absence leaves one regular taxi driver working out of Clearlake, meaning trips to Lakeport and most other north county areas don”t make economic sense.
“It”s not cost effective to call a taxi from Clearlake to take a run in Lakeport. You can”t charge enough to the customer to make it worth doing, or the customer is not going to be happy with what the cab driver would have to charge,” said Surges.
So it”s the guy that needs to go three blocks, exactly the kind of customer Womachka would have picked up even if it cost him, to hear his former co-worker tell it, who is now stuck without a ride.
Surges said he”s looking for a driver to operate out of Lakeport, but Womachka”s shoes are going to be hard to fill.
“After this incident it”s going to be difficult because the type of people we want – your basic business person with a good record – is going to be a little shy of taking on something as risky as this has turned out to be,” said Surges. He noted that while the taxi business is one of the most dangerous businesses nationwide, he”s never lost a taxi driver before.
Surges added, “This is not something everybody grows up through high school and says, ”I want to be a cabbie.” A lot of people that get into it are very educated, because if you like driving and you like people, it”s a great job. You see a lot of drama. People get in your taxi for five, 10 or 15 minutes and tend to talk. You hear what”s going on in their life. Sometimes it”s mundane and sometimes it”s really interesting. You see so much in such a short period of time.”
Anyone wishing to apply would need to be at least 25 years old, have a clean driving record for at least three years and pass a background check.
“There is a need in the community and we”d like to fill it again,” said Surges. “It”s tragic what happened to Joe. Still, we”d like to take care of the people of Lake County.”
Surges added that his drivers have heard from a lot of Lakeport fares who were touched by what happened to Womachka, even if they didn”t know him.
He noted that the minivan in which Womachka was found in the marina adjacent to Konocti Vista Casino and Resort is a total loss. It”s currently being held as evidence by the Lake County Sheriff”s Office in the ongoing investigation into Womachka”s murder. Even when it is released, said Surges, the cost of repairs would be greater than the cost of a new vehicle.
“Good people are hard to come by,” said Hey Taxi Vice President Lorraine Kendall. “Joe was good people. He was the one who really got out there and made Hey Taxi go in Lake County. He was concerned and cared about people; he did a lot for people there. That”s what we want in a taxi driver, we want somebody who cares about people.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
