"Shu" has passed away

Billy Shuman 2005

Long time dispatcher and driver for United Cab of Tampa Billy Shuman has passed away. He was the last of a vanishing breed of cowboy dispatchers that could pitch 200 calls an hour and laugh at ya' while he did it. They are all gone now, Pirate, Sleepy, Justin, Shu. They were a group of guys from an era that will never be seen again. Sadly.

Shu was the ultimate cab driver and dispatcher. He had a real tolerance for the job and I never saw him lose his cool. If you backed me in a corner, I would have to say Shu was the best dispatcher we ever had.

He never got so wrapped up in the job that he did not enjoy life. He was a season ticket holder for the Bucs during the glory years. Because of Shu, I was able to attend many games and watched the Super Bowl Bucs play live. I will never forget that. Shu also loved animals. He fed every animal he ever saw. In fact, there was a great blue heron named Buddy that he fed in the backyard of his house on the Hillsborough River for 12 years until the bird just disappeared. He even carried a bag of cat food in the trunk of his car in case he saw a feral cat.

The birds loved Shu

In the twenty one years I have been a cab driver I have seen so many drivers pass away. I think there are only three guys that have been here longer than me. Two now. Shu was one of them.