Shadow's Taxicab reports: DHS bait or a revolutionary in the ranks?

[shadowknows69]

I had a couple soldiers in my cab last week and though I'm not sure how, we got on the subject of politics. It could be that I've been getting a little annoying in my pursuit of people to gripe about Bush with in my travels and I need to seal my lips and be a good little professional driver. Anyway I probably mumbled something about how badly I feel about some of the fucked up hoops the army makes these guys jump through, at home as well as in war, and that I hoped Rumfield departing would improve things in some way for them. Most agree it probably won’t make any difference as did one of my passengers. He then came back with something that probably made my eyes get as big as grapefruits.

“I think the best way to deal with the problems in our government is revolution”

Alrighty then. Tongue firmly clenched between teeth now.

“I’m going to have to decline comment on that sir on the basis you two might actually be Department of Homeland Security.” I chuckled after the statement so they’d be sure it was in jest.

“Funny you should say that because our unit is actually designated for homeland defense and I’m not afraid to say it.”

“Well thank god there’s some of you left here to defend us from those damned Canadians!” I replied with my standard and badly worn out joke about our near the border base. No offense to actual Canadians intended. It gets me tips despite the humor being devoid of any intellectual value. I actually had a van full of soldiers I took to Kingston once almost convinced we should stop so they could assault and hold Fort Henry.

But I digress. So I have a soldier calling for a revolution and in the same breath he tells me he works with DHS. Bait? Am I supposed to be the open activist now and suggest which motor pool to bomb first? I don’t think so. I didn’t have the chance anyway as he continued to tell me he used to run an underground, anti-government newspaper somewhere out in the Southwest where he was from. He proudly told me it was known in some circles as far south as Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. We batted around a few jabs at the idiots in power and he actually made the “revolution” comment a couple more times which I just kind of pretended I didn’t hear after the first one. His friend behind me was completely silent during this whole exchange so I didn’t feel I had the room to push any deeper. I would have loved to ask him why an anti-government, subversive journalist would join the U.S. Army during a time of war that he also made clear he didn’t think was a good idea but it’s possible I wouldn’t want to know the answer to that anyway. I’m still waiting for the day one of these guys accidentally dumps some national security secret on me and then decides he has to kill me at the end of the ride. I’m just going to knock on some wood over here while I write that. Always tip your cabbie.
Shadow out.

[Suich]

1. Hi, Shadow...interesting encounter.

What did he mean when he said his..."unit is actually designated for homeland defense"? Is he stationed in the States or did he say? I've heard of homeland security but not homeland defense.

I always tip my cabbie!

:hi:

[shadowknows69]

2. Stationed in the states yes

I wasn't clear. he said it like it was supposed to be a secret. I have met other guys who have designations specifically dealing with attacks in the states. We seem to have some active guard troops stationed here on almost a permanent basis now so perhaps he was one of them. I did hear from one troop that while the base now has about 2/3 of the guys and girls gone at a time right now that when a new brigade arrives that is due soon they are going to start sending the whole curently existing division at once so they are all gone and all come back at the same time I assume.

[Clark2008]

17. My husband used to work with the NSA when he was a translator

in the US Army. It could be something along those lines.

[Target_For_Exterm]

3. I had a government type say they thought the best solution

to Bush was revolution, as well. I think people are getting tired of all Bush's screw ups, and it's starting to show.

Incompetence wears thin pretty quick, and Bush has been at it for 6 long and miserable years. I'm sure the government types feel the frustration as badly as the rest of us.

[shadowknows69]

4. These guys are pretty sick of watching their friends get blown up

I know that much. Most that I meet have lost at least one. Our base has to be among the highest casualties in the war so far. Most of them are on third tour headed for four.

[Swamp Rat]

5. k&r

Always tip your cabbie. :)

[shadowknows69]

6. Swamp your shit should be in a gallery somewhere

:rofl:

[Target_For_Exterm]

7. LOL!!! I'm dying. That's some pretty funny stuff.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You manage to capture the root of the thing in a very funny way.

[SeattleGirl]

13. ROFL!!!!

SwampRat, you rock!!!! :rofl:

[AJ9000]

8. Is this whole thing gonna appear on HBO?

[shadowknows69]

9. Find me a producer and a good reenactment cast

and we'll roll cameras.

[AJ9000]

11. most likely he's a revolutionary, an agent pravocatuer would normally suggest

something concrete.

[bananas]

12. Yup, in a few years you might see this guy on tv

being arrested for blowing up a building in Oklahoma.

[bananas]

10. This happened with Poppy Bush too

People on the extreme right got really pissed off at him.
Ross Perot ran against Poppy Bush in 1992,
and so did the guy the Rambo movies were based on.
Here's some info: http://www.biologydaily.com/biology/James_Gritz

[SeattleGirl]

14. Wow, Shadow. That was one interesting encounter.

I probably would have done the same thing you did: not talk much about the "revolution" thing.

Thanks for another great report. :hi:

[zbdent]

15. Maybe it was a glimpse into the plans for

January 4, 2007 ...

[shadowknows69]

16. Kicking once cause this was written in the wee hours

n/t

[elehhhhna]

18. Neighbor-girl ships out to Eye-Rack in June...

she's thoroughly brainwashed (trained?), but not an idiot.

She's in Supply and drives a big truck, to boot. Told her she's going to be a HERO -- packing those boys & girls up and bringing them HOME. Thats' what she's hoping for.


k&r

[shadowknows69]

19. I pray so too elehhhna

Sadly I have low expectations about our exit from Iraq. The wheels of government, including a democratic one, move way too slow. Far too many more will die before it's all over.

<edit to add> all positive thoughts to your neighbor's girl for a safe return.

[progressoid]

20. Let's hope he's not going to follow in the footsteps of Timothy McVeigh

[shadowknows69]

21. Not when there are so many other targets

that don't have innocents in them. Oops did I say that out loud?

[alfredo]

22. It's amazing what cabbies learn during their hours behind the wheel.

I drove hack in Detroit in the early 70's.

[shadowknows69]

23. I live in a small city

So I'm sure Detroit tales are a lot more interesting but I do have the unique position of seeing many of these guys due to our proximity to Fort Drum.

[alfredo]

24. Hookers, corrupt cops, GM execs, gay priests, whacked out

evangelist, and every now and then common, everyday type of people climbed into my cab.

[shadowknows69]

25. Actually I get all that too

probably just in (thankfully) smaller numbers. B-)

[alfredo]

26. I only drove in the day. Night time was too dangerous for my

tastes and I made enough money anyway. I logged the most money for the least miles of any driver in the fleet. That could have had something to do with being the dispatcher's boyfriend.

Our cabs were slant six Dodges. They were pretty fast.

The company went under when one of the drivers got arrested for having a dismembered woman in his bathtub. For some reason people didn't want to ride in our cabs after that. What one employee did on his off duty hours shouldn't reflect on the business, but hey, life isn't fair.


they had a whacked out crazy guard dog. She was a German Shepherd. One minute it would want to play, the next it wanted to rip out your throat. When it didn't want to drink my blood, it wanted to play fetch with a small rubber ball. When I came to work in the morning it would get the ball and drop it at my feet. So while I waited in line for my paperwork and keys, I put the dog through its paces. It would then get pissed at me for quitting the game and try to sneak up behind me and bite me.