Last night a DJ saved my life
There was a DJ called John Diggs, who used to play on radio X in the middle of the night. He would play anything and everything. No request was refused. It helped that his listeners were all lonely and lost. None of the requests he got asked to play were contentious.
They would be people that were working night shifts, insomniacs, retiring revellers and people about to start the days for the rest of us. One of his regular listeners was Tom. Tom was a taxi driver. He was divorced and was depressed as a result. His only way to cope was to taxi through the night listening to radio X and sleep during the day.
It was Tuesday morning, 5:40 am. Tom was sitting at a rank and decided he wanted to hear the Rolling Stone's "Ruby Tuesday" on the radio. His natural melancholy made his brain reminisce on the song's refrain. "Who could hang a name on you?".
Hi John
Hi caller, who is this?
This is Tom taximan, John, said the night driver from his hands free car speaker phone.
Hi Tom, how is tonight rolling for you?
comme ci comme ça, the rain is keeping business away tonight John.
That's a pity to hear, said the DJ, what song can I play for you?
"Ruby Tuesday, please John, and can you dedicate it to Trish - still I'm gonna miss you"
Sure Tom, haunting song . . .
At that moment, two masked men bundled into Tom's cab. One in the front seat, one in the back seat. The man in the front passenger seat presented the barrel of a handgun from under his jacket. Neither of them were aware that Tom was live on radio X. He had turned his car radio off so there would be no feedback on his call into the radio.
DRIVE!
Sure, Tom quivered. Where to?
Around the green and down Baggot Street !!!
Sure, he said meekly.
The guy in the back ventured forth.
Will we ditch the cabbie before or after the job?
After!
Right!
When you get to the bottom of Baggot street, keep going straight and don't say a f**king word!!!
None of the masked occupants of the taxi were aware that they were broadcasting on radio X and certainly weren't aware that the police switchboard was jammed with callers telling them to tune into radio X.
Tom drove calmly and quietly. At this hour of the night there was little traffic on the road. After two minutes silence the man in the front passenger seat couldn't but help himself and struck up a conversation.
What's your name?
Tom
Got family Tom?
Divorced
Children?
No
Sorry to hear that Tom. Take a right up here and head to Donnybrook Church. What happened? Did you play away from home?
No, we just grew apart. It was destroying us.
See my bird, no f**king idea of the shagging that's going on. That right Jox?
Ha Yeah! was the echo
Right, when you get to the church take a left and go back down to the Blackrock road. How long you been single Tom?
It's been a year now.
You should get out there mate, have a bit of fun!
I wouldn't see it as fun, sighed Tom.
The adulterous kidnapper took out a mobile phone and pressed redial.
"Right, we're 5 minutes away, have you cleared the scene?"
. . .
"2 minutes, no f**king hanging around, Right!"
. . .
And then he hung up the call. "OK Tom, just don't do anything I don't tell you to do, and you can be back working the night shift in 20 minutes"
OK
Do you know the car park on Sandymount strand?
Yeah
OK, go there and make sure you don't break the speed limit.
Two minutes later, the taxi arrived at the carpark. There was lonely grubby van parked there.
Park 10 spaces away !
Tom pulled into a car space and the conversationalist got out to go to the van, leaving his colleague in the back seat.
Nothing was said.
Within 30 seconds, a battalion of squad cars pulled into the car park. It happened too quickly. There was nowhere to escape. The game was up.
Policemen cuffed the assailants and put them in the back seat of squad cars. The abductors shared the backseat of one. As the ignition of the squad car was started up, radio X came on . . .
"Don't question why she needs to be so free
She'll tell you it's the only way to be
She just can't be chained
To a life where nothing's gained
Or nothing's lost, at such a cost
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday
Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna miss you . . ."
At that point, Tom turned on his car radio. It was his natural crutch . . .
"There's no time to lose, " I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away
Dying all the time
Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind
Ain't life unkind?
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday Who could hang a name on you? When you change with every new day Still I'm gonna miss you
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday Who could hang a name on you? When you change with every new day Still I'm gonna miss you . . .