Gunfighting cabbie

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aceinyerface

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Hello,

I've been lurking for a long time, now I've got a situation to run up the ol' flag pole.

I am a new cabbie in Louisiana and need to figure out my gun fighting plan, I'd like to see what you think (or what I can do better).

First dispense with the obvious- get a less dangerous job. Yeah, I know, but until the job market improves I gotta do what I gotta do.

Problem- the predator is INSIDE the vehicle, behind me or rear right. Will need left hand firing.

Problem- If they know I have a gun, they will take action to be sure I can't use it. (ie kill me straight away or take it away first thing) Therefore no open carry.

Problem- Standard carry options not feasible. Hip and shoulder carry hindered by seatbelt.

The environment- 2002 Ford Crown Victoria (ex) Police Interceptor. No separator between front and rear seat. Bucket seats front, Bench rear.

My solution to this point. S&W 649 Bodyguard .38+p w/Hydrashoks. No holster, between my legs, (as G rated as possible) my anatomy resting on the cylinder, grip facing left.

Problem- lack of fire power. My Glock 22 does not fit well enough for a 12 hr shift. Close qtrs may cause auto slide to be impeded. My Taurus 445 5 shot 44spcl has hammer which impedes smooth draw.

Pros: Can move hand less than 12 inches and draw either hand without telegraphing.
Cannot be seen.

Cons: "Paint" my body upon draw.
No holster.

I can swivel right and make a good "point shoot" on pass side rear. Driver side rear can make a marginal "point" shot. Can block with right arm to prevent take away.

Sadly, I realize that I am at a serious disadvantage. Basically, I will die and hopefully get to take them with me.

Other, less viable options- reach over head and take shot unaimed. Gun can be taken away.

Lean seat back all the way and take shot. Unreliable seat latch, too long to implement, although could train on.

Any thoughts/ comments?
 
Taser pre-wired into padding has been done before.

Don't have loose guns around...sitting on it is a poor tactic.

Put some 1/4" T6 aluminum plate inside the seat and headrest if you're feeling very paranoid.

There are in-vehicle shooting techniques out there, Paul Castle has some good stuff.
 
I've been tased a few times...can't say that I really did anything but lock up like a board and fall. I've also been "shocked" low voltage electricity and can say that yes, you probably will clench up.

Best COA is to throw a stack of dollar bills at the guy and get the heck out! Hopefully, he'll be distracted, otherwise we're looking at the old quandry...to try to draw on someone who has a bead on you. Generally called "a bad idea".
 
Cons: "Paint" my body upon draw.
No holster.
Click to expand...

Considering the location, and the cylinder gap, that's a very, very, very bad combination. Even if the bullet misses, the blast from the cylinder gap can slice off a finger (at least with more powerful revolvers), to say nothing of what it could do to "other" areas.

The first thing that comes to mind is your 649 could go on an ankle holster. Right leg, on the inside, you could reach it with your left hand reasonably quickly, and it would go with you everywhere.

You could also try a left-handed horizontal shoulder holster for your Glock. Wear a Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned, and keep the right side over top of the seat belt. That should keep the gun hidden, yet instantly accessible. That'd be my first choice.

May also be a good idea to keep a second gun accessible to your right hand, in case you need to shoot out the driver's side window. Probably the 649. Cross-draw on your belt, or in a shoulder holster that's low enough to not be blocked by the seatbelt, would be the best bet.
 
Unfortunately you're pretty much a sitting duck if someone wants to cap you. My advice would be to install a bulletproof divider between the front & back, with a small pass-through for the money. Either that or try to find a cab where the driver sits in back ;-)
 
My initial thought is to find a way to rig a holster to your seat, either hanging off the front edge or left side, out of view of your customers. If the cab is one you share with other drivers, maybe make some kind of strap system so you can attach/remove it, or put a holster on a piece of heavy cloth or something so you can lay it down and just sit on it to keep it in place. Keeping your revolver under your junk is not a good idea for a couple of reasons. The two that come to my mind first are (1) an AD causing some serious damage (I don't care how unlikely it is, that's not a chance I want to take with the boys), and (2) losing control of the gun in the event of a crash. I can imagine that things end up all kinds of places you wouldn't expect in a bad enough crash, but somewhere on the floorboard or under the seat is bad enough to make me think twice about it.
 
You could also try a left-handed horizontal shoulder holster for your Glock. Wear a Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned, and keep the right side over top of the seat belt. That should keep the gun hidden, yet instantly accessible. That'd be my first choice.
Click to expand...

This was what I was going to suggest (assuming by "left-handed" you mean the holster on the right side for a left-handed draw).
 
Go to the junk yard and get a bigger head rest for your drivers' seat. Put some scrap steel in there sandwiched inside a part of a phone book. Do the same for your seat back. The phone book will hold the steel in place and stop small caliber bullets, up to 380. The steel will provide additional stopping power and stop up to 9 mm, maybe more, depending on what plates you use. Most street thugs will use a 9 mm or 380. You now have "Baghdad armor" in your cab. Now, go buy some pexiglass at home depot for $20. Go to a print shop and spend 8 cents to print a label that says "Skoda Bulletproofing" and stick it on the pexiglass. Put the pexiglass behind the driver's seat. This will prevent a perp from putting a gun up against your temple and it will also prevent knife attacks. Wire a $20 stun gun to the back seat with the trigger under your seat.

Your gun is horrible for perps sitting behind you and already in your car as they will have the drop on you and you're at a tactical disadvantage. Try the $40 Baghdad armor and pexiglass approach. Lots of NY cabbies do this because it works (and it's cheap).

Keep your gun handy, though, because if they are wearing heavy pants, the stun gun may not work. Make sure it is of high enough caliber to shoot through the pexiglass without the bullet trajectory changing too much. Use at least 38 special +P or better. Stick with revolvers because if you're shooting from a funny angle at someone behind you, you might accidentally limp wrist an auto and cause a jam.
 
What level of modification are you allowed to do to the car? There was a recent thread that outlined a pretty straightforward system for mounting a holster under the dash, if you can get away with drilling a couple holes.
 
I've been a cabbie in Houston since 2002.

I have yet to encounter a situation that I felt I needed a gun.

I have had belligerent drunks in the back seat, crazy foreigners, dope fiends, all kinds of fine folks.

One fellow whipped out his nickel 1911A1 to show me ( he was proud of his new pistol, it seems ).

If you're a NEW cabbie, I'd suggest you use your 5 senses and give it some time to see if the "theory" is actually "reality". The reality of cab driving is NOTHING like is portrayed in the media.

I'm not sure how it is in LA, but here in Houston, we can refuse service to anyone - so if the situation looks hinky, pass and grab the next one.
 
i used to have my dobie ride shotgun at night she was black smallish laid on passenger floorboard unless i asked her to make an appearance. never had trouble. had 3 young men with tennis shoes that one had dashed on me before. when i got him and his friends in the car i got ace up and the kid in the middles eyes bulged and he blurted out "we ain't got no money!" we negotiated and went to his grandmas house she paid their fare for that night as well as the one i was owed. some companies are funny about a dog with you
 
Right hand Cross Draw Holster worn Properly, Grip with Left hand and pull from Holster ( Practice Required) You can get a sense of how well it will work buy using a Right hand Paddle Holster on your left Hip canted the way a cross draw would and sit in your car and practice left hand Draw from it.

Another way would be shoulder holster for Left handers.
 
I drove a cab nights for 6 years, carried my 1911 in a left hand Galco horizontal shoulder holster as well as a Taurus 605 in a Mika pocket holster stuffed into the outside top of my left cowboy boot. Never had to pull either of them.
Like nalioth said - use your senses, listen to your subconscious, and remember that you don't have to carry everybody. If they feel hinky after they're in the cab call your dispatch. We had a radio code that meant call PD, hopefully you do too. If they seem too weird before they get in - lock up and drive on.
 
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