By Nicole Heubusch
“Need to fly? Give Duck a try!” That is the motto for local taxi cab driver Ken Douglas, otherwise known as the Duckman. Douglas has been in the Brandon community for 37 years and has been driving taxis for almost 25 years. Though his business card says airport service, he does much more than that. He drives people around locally as well as trips to St. Petersburg or Clearwater. He charges a flat rate for airport rides with lower prices than other taxi services in the area. Douglas has many regulars in the area, who he takes out on a weekly basis to drive them to their appointments or take them for their errands.
“As long as I am available I will drive someone any time or any place,” said Douglas.
Douglas worked for Anytime Taxi for years until it was taken over by King’s Limousines. He used to drive limos before taxis, so he likes to incorporate the limo driver services in his routine if customers need it.
The Duckman got his nickname when he was just in junior high.
“I was a bit of a trouble maker, and I wore my hair flat on top and slicked on the sides. One day a teacher grabbed the back of my ponytail and called me ‘Duckman.’ The name stuck with me,” said Douglas.
The Duckman’s regular customers, friends and family always contribute to his growing duck collection.
“I have a couple hundred rubber ducks. Not really any duplicates which is pretty amazing. I’ll park my cab and go into a restaurant, and come out to find a rubber duck on the roof of the car,” he said.
He keeps some of them on the dashboard of his cab, rotating some of them out during seasons.
“I’ll be putting out my Santa duck and reindeer duck soon,” he said.
He even has ducks people have brought back from different countries, like China and Ireland. Douglas said that his duck collection helps to make a positive impact on his customers. Even if they are having a bad day, his customers can’t help but to smile when they see the ducks.
“I make sure to tell everyone after they leave to have a very ducky day,” said Douglas.
To catch a taxi cab ride from the Duckman call BYE-DUCK (293-3825) or 924-DUCK (3825).
