Cabdriver Is Charged After Firing Handgun During Fare Dispute

A dispute over a fare between a D.C. cabdriver and his passenger erupted in gunfire yesterday, police said. Nobody was injured, but the driver was arrested and charged, police said.

According to D.C. police, a taxi was dispatched about 12:25 p.m. to pick up a passenger in the 4800 block of Alabama Avenue in Southeast Washington, near Fort Dupont Park.

The passenger wanted to be taken to the 2000 block of Channing Street NE, about five miles away, on the other side of the Anacostia River. The destination is about a half-mile north of Bladensburg Road and New York Avenue.

After they arrived, an argument broke out over the amount of the fare.

District of Columbia taxicabs are not equipped with meters. Instead, fares are computed from a map of geographical zones and an associated table.

This system, in which the zone in which a street lies cannot always be quickly determined, is sometimes blamed for confusion and disagreements over the correct fare. Basic fares under the system range from $6.50 to $18.90.

A new effort is being made to replace the zone system with meters.

It could not be learned if the dispute involved the zone map.

At some point in the dispute, according to police, the driver, who was outside the taxi, pulled a handgun and allegedly fired one shot into the ground.

The passenger then turned over an undisclosed amount of cash and fled, police said.

Larue Wiggins, 64, of the 2000 block of 34th Street SE, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

In occupational surveys, driving a taxi is frequently listed as one of the most dangerous ways of earning a living, and drivers say that they are constantly in fear of being robbed.