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There followed some happy years as a ski bum, chauffeur, bus boy, ski patrol volunteer, and short-order cook. Then, one day in 1984, opportunity appeared -- in the form of a 1979 Checker Marathon taxi, with 75,000 miles on the odometer. Jon explains that he bought the cab (for $5,000) because "I wanted to be my own boss, and I definitely wanted to work at night. I'm just not a morning person." He quickly decided to be more than just a hack. "I thought that if I made the ride into a unique experience, customers would ask for me again. It would also make my job a lot more interesting." Over time, this meant transforming the Checker into a five-seat rolling theater, complete with lasers, black lights, rainbow glasses, neon, and fog effects. Jon even taught himself to sing, play keyboards and sax, and do magic tricks (when the cab is stopped at a light). Of course, all the visual elements work best after dark, "without interference from the big spotlight in the sky."Next.
Photo by Hinton Harrison
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