For O'ahu taxi drivers, the only topic of discussion yesterday was the shooting of a fellow cabbie in Pearl Ridge on Friday night.

That driver, who according to police was shot in the neck inside his cab, remains in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit at The Queen's Medical Center.

It was the second shooting of a cab driver in Honolulu this month. The first, on July 6 at Tantalus Drive, resulted in the death of driver Manh Nguyen.

It was unclear if the gun used in the shooting Friday belonged to the driver or the man who shot him.

While some drivers mulled the possibility of arming themselves, others likened the present situation behind the wheel of a taxi to being a stage coach driver in the Wild West.

It's getting dangerous out there, said driver Rolando Baldugo, 46, of Kaimuki.

"I never would have expected this," said Baldugo, who noted that his own vehicle is the same as the one the victim was driving Friday — a 2006 Honda Odyssey. "I thought before that Hawai'i is very safe."

Baldugo also drives for the same company — The Cab.

Meanwhile, Honolulu police combed the island for the man who shot the taxi driver.

Howard Higa, owner and president of The Cab company, identified the driver as Yu Kyu Kim, 52, who he said has been with the company for about three years.

"It's true that this is the second incident in our company within three weeks," Higa said. "With retrospect, we have around 80 percent of market share in the city. So the chances of it being one of The Cab is pretty high.

"We think that these two incidences are isolated."

He said having something like this happen on the heels of Nguyen's death has left him and company personnel distraught.

At an earlier press conference, police spokesman Capt. Frank Fujii described what happened Friday night:

Fujii said the witness said the driver fled the vehicle and the fare drove off in the taxi. The cab was later found in Kane'ohe.

Fujii said a witness who saw the suspect abandon the stolen taxi described the man as about 5 feet 8, slim build, about 160 to 180 pounds and wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, jacket, dark-colored long pants and possibly a backpack.

Police continued their investigation and search for the suspect yesterday.

Fujii said police had not determined if the gun used in the shooting belonged to the suspect or Kim. As for drivers keeping weapons in their vehicles, Fujii pointed out that state law prohibits carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.

Higa said veteran drivers are "street smart" and develop an eye for judging customers. He said drivers have the discretion of not accepting a fare.

"It's their car, it's their life and it's their call," he said.

He added that if drivers have a valid permit to carry a weapon, they can do so, although he discourages it. He said he believes it's better if the drivers are more defensive than aggressive.

Veteran O'ahu cab driver Cuong Nguyen, 46, a longtime friend of Manh Nguyen who drives for a different company, said "it's scary out there now for the drivers."

Still, he said drivers don't have many options.

Most of them are self-employed and own their own vehicles, he said. He said it can cost hundreds of dollars to equip their cabs with barriers between the driver's seat and the rear passenger's seat.

Also, he said, if drivers refuse a fare, they could be suspended for one to several days.

"The only thing you can do to protect yourself is to try to avoid picking up the person who looks suspicious," Nguyen said. "And the companies should be lenient to the driver who refuses to pick up an unacceptable customer."

Baldugo said he now spends more time thinking about protecting himself. If a rider looks suspicious, he locks his doors and only opens the window an inch or so in order to size up the person. If he still has a bad feeling, he'll turn the fare down.

He realizes he could be penalized.

"Yeah, but I don't care if they give me a citation," he said. "I'll still be alive."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.