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Clark County businesses clean up in the snow

Tow truck drivers, ride-hailing drivers capitalize on storm

By Lauren Dake, Columbian Political Writer
Published: January 12, 2017, 5:25pm

For much of the region, the winter storm conditions pummeling the area have meant staying home from work and taking a snow day.

For others, it’s meant a payday.

Don Lindsey of east Vancouver, an automobile mechanic by day and a Uber driver early in the morning, has been logging more hours than usual in his 2014 Dodge Durango.

Lindsey, who learned how to drive in Alaska, said his services have been in high demand. On Wednesday, as most of the region woke to the snow-covered city, Lindsey had already been cruising the streets since 3 a.m. and logged about 20 rides throughout the day. He took one passenger, who fell on his face and broke his nose in the snow, to the hospital. And he picked up a woman, who had cracked her eye open on the icy surface, from the hospital.

And as a result of the demand for services, the rates have increased by about 20 to 50 percent per ride, Lindsey said.

“Vancouver has been extra busy,” Lindsey said. “Usually when I go out in the mornings, I get a ride or two. This morning I had three ride requests just in my driveway as I was leaving.”

Over at Vancouver Cab, it’s been a similar story.

“We are pretty busy,” said Jennifer Smith, the owner of the company.

At one point this week, the wait list for people needing a taxi in the region was eight hours long, Smith said. It was closer to three hours Thursday.

“We’ve had some patient customers and professional drivers who have been doing this a long time,” Smith said.

Jason Coffield, who has been a taxi driver for three months with her company, is enjoying the workload.

The more snow, the better, he said. With more snow comes more business.

And he likes helping stranded people make it to their destination.

“People get to work, which makes you feel needed,” he said.

There are some companies where the employees can’t stay at home. Such as, say, tow truck drivers.

Rick Irwin, a driver with Chuck’s Towing in Washougal, has also logged some long hours recently.

On Wednesday, the driver of a 2016 Jeep Cherokee lost control coming down a driveway and the vehicle was left dangling in blackberry bushes about 70 feet above the road. Irwin pulled the vehicle to safety. Another car narrowly missed taking an icy dip in the Washougal River; Irwin yanked that car to safety as well.

It has meant long, busy days.

“We’re averaging 30 cars a day,” Irwin said.

But he doesn’t mind.

“I love the snow and I enjoy my job,” he said.

Jim Hallman, the owner of Triple J Towing, said he has employees working 16- to 18-hour days, handling as many as 60 or more calls.

“It’s more busy than normal,” Hallman said.

Sean Chappelle, owner of Chappelle’s towing in Vancouver, was more direct.

“It’s a nightmare,” he said.

His company is always busy, he said, but now there are cars stuck in hills, stuck in ravines and sometimes can’t be reached.

And the effort puts his employees in harm’s way.

“We’re busy regardless and I’m ready for the snow to go,” he said.

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Columbian Political Writer