5/24/08

Wanna know what makes for a bad night for a cabbie?

I hated almost every minute of my night last night. Just one of those nights, it happens. I expect it. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

A taster:

First two "runs" were long ones, both over $40 and in less than an hour, I'm thinking it might be a good night ... to quote Ice Cube "I didn't have to use my A.K.". Downhill from there.

I get sent to go pick up a guy to take him from his house to the Plaid for a beer run, and back. $7.70 on the meter. I get $7.70 exactly. In change. Get a call from a person that lives 2 houses down from this guy while I'm waiting for him to count out his change. I drive over there but have to call him as he doesn't come out ...

Me: This is your cab, I'm downstairs.

He: OK.

I wait a minute, no kid. I call him back.

He: Oh, yanno what? I already left, you guys took too long.

Me: I "took too long" to drive the two house distance from his to yours?

He: Yeah. You know. I could hear his friends laughing in the background, obviously they're children. You just dropped off Dude, right?

Me: So you can see me sitting in front of your house?

He: Yeah, but it took you too long to get here. snicker

Me: Well, if you see me sitting in front of your house, after all this time then you must be still in there.

He: Silence.

Me: Unh huh. If you're going to play stupid games, do it on someone else's time. Wouldn't you hate for me to knock on this door and wake your parents?

He: whispering to friends Dude! She's going to knock on the door! What do I do? My parents are going to kill me!!

Me: Opening the door Can you see me opening the door to get out and knock?

He: PLEASE don't knock!! My parents will kill me!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, really!!!

Me: Good bye. I close the door and hang up.

Next call: Get sent to Ptld. Adventist to pick up someone on Oregon Health Plan to take her and her kids home. They get in the car and I ask to see their ID card, I need to verify her eligibility.

She: I left it at home.

Me: Then I can't give you a ride home. That's the rules.

She: Well then I guess me and my CHILDren are walking.

Me: Sorry I can't help you with that.

She: And what in the hell took you so long to get here?

Me: It's Friday night at 11p. What in the hell made you think you could get a ride without your ID card?

She: Well, I didn't think you would make me and my CHILDREN walk at this time of night.

Me: The buses will be running in about 5 hours.

She: So you really aren't going to give me a ride? You are REALLY going to make these young CHILDREN walk home? In THIS weather?

Me: Nope.

She: I didn't think so.

Me: You are.

She: Ex-CUSE me?

Me: You know you have to have your card. That's the way this whole "low income, free ride to the hospital" thing works. You know that. I've picked you up before.

She: Here. She hands me her ID card.

Me: Oh. So you didn't leave it at home, huh?

She didn't say anything else, although I heard one of her children say "So you didn't leave it at home huh?" to her. She told the kid to shut up. Fortunately it was a short ride.

Next run:

Get sent to a bar to pick up a woman. I get there, she gets in and immediately wants to use my phone.

Me: Nope. I don't loan my phone out. I could stop for you to use a pay phone if you need it that badly.

She: I ain't got no money. I just wanted to call my friend and make sure she would be home so she knows to pay the cab fare when I get there.

Me: pulling over to the side of the road Sorry. I don't do that. If you don't have the money I'm not giving you a ride.

We have a little of the back and forth "But ma'am" shit and me saying no. She finally gets out. I drive off.

Next run:

Sent to pick up a guy about 5 miles from that run. I get there, w/in 5 minutes and call him.

Me: This is your cab, I'm downstairs.

He: Hunh? Who's this?

Me: Your taxi.

He: You a friend of my sisters?

Me: Doubtful. This is Trixie Cab. Are you coming down?

He: Oh, I called my sister to come get me, I thought she would get here before you. Can you hold on, I'm going to call her and see if she is on her way, if not I might need a ride. Hold on a second.

Me: Nope. Wait for your sister. Good bye. I hang up on him.

Next run:

Get sent to a call about 6 miles from there, I get there and there is another cab there. One of ours. Dude barely speaks english so is having a hard time finding the address, but he's blocking the driveway to the apt complex where he's supposed to go. Turns out we're both there for the same person. Dispatch error. I call them and we both got the call at the same time, etc. I tell them to take it from me and I'll go get something else. I get another call immediately (it's pretty busy out) to pick up someone 6 miles away, in 15 minutes.

As I drive by an Arby's they're still open so I pull into the drive thru. I make my order and pull up to the window. The girl in the window has an attitude when I hand her my money.

Me: Rough night?

She: Yeah.

Me: I know the feeling. Believe me.

She: I doubt you know what I mean. YOU don't have people that show up five minutes before you close, after you've already closed and cleaned everything and ask for food. RIGHT?

Me: I'm sorry, I didn't see any signs posted as to the hours and your "Open" lights are on. If I would have known you closed in 5 I wouldn't have driven up just for that reason. I used to work in fast food, I know what that's like.

She: points to the sign in the window that says 1a on fri and sat nights. Can you read THIS? MAN. No wonder you're a cab driver.

Me: Since I'm getting a little bit irritated by now. Excuse me, but didn't I just buy enough shit from this over priced shithouse to pay your hourly wage?

She: WHAT?

Me: If you hate your job, or doing what you have to do because you work for someone else, take it out on yourself, not your CUSTOMER. How much fun would your life be because someone called your manager in the morning and explained your attitude and you got fired? It's not that easy to find a job in this day and age.

She just looked at me like I'm the biggest bitch in the world.

Me: Keep your damned food. I'm sure if you didn't spit in it you didn't cook it well.

And I drove off to pick up the other girl I get sent to, I have about 9 minutes to get there. I get there with 2 to spare and she's getting into someone else's car.

She: I'm sorry. My friend got here before you did, I don't need a ride no more.

I void the call and get sent to another, about 3 miles away which turns out to be the same woman that didn't have any money. She called us AGAIN when I wouldn't take her before and just got lucky enough to get me. She walks up:

Me: So I see you have a different name this time, does that mean you have MONEY now?

She: Listen, ma'am, I am not kidding with you, my friend will pay when ...

Me: Nope.

I drove off. Had enough. Went home at a little before 2a and stayed until 6a. Gassed up the cab and dropped it at work.

There was no way this night was going to be salvaged, I was in too bad of a mood to put up w/anyone else.

On the plus side: when I got home I watched VH-1's "Top 100 songs of the 90's" (about 2.5 hours total after you tivo all the commercials) and got to see a lot of "where are they now" stuff. Most surprising was the lead singer of Color me Badd ("I Wanna Sex You Up") ... older, much fatter, owns a tire store in Oklahoma.

That cheered me up. heh. Sorry for the long write, I had to vent.

5/20/08

I got a comment from a customer t'other day ...

so lemme tell ya about him.

I got sent to the Troutdale airport to pick up a fella there late one night. I've never been to this 'port, barely even knew there WAS one so was unaware there is 2 separate entrances. I went with the address I was given by dispatch (which turns out is not what addr the cust gave, disp was less than helpful here) to the North Entrance. Wrong entrance. I call up dude from there and find out he's at the South Entrance and he gives me the address. I punch it into my handy-dandy GPS and off I go.

Driving. Driving. Looking ... wait ... one second ... this is ... ARGH! The address is bringing up frontage road on the other side of the freeway where the truck stop and whatnot are. Sheesh. I drive back around to the 'port (all one ways) and I finally find the S Entrance and the customer. At least he's easy on the eyes. ;o) He gets in and we're off to the Sandy Airport.

Now I did not know there was a 'port in Sandy, (it's a fairly small town on the way up Mt. Hood) much less two of 'em! Who'da thunk. We wander on out there and are chatting on the way, turns out the 2nd 'port is for private planes for the adventuresome types (cust is looking to be a hang glider).

We were chatting about this kinda stuff that I know pretty much nothing of as I'm atmospherically challenged, but I told him to check down at the McMinnville 'port as they have gliders you can rent so might point him in the right direction. (I know this 'cuz I bought an hour a few years back for a bf's bday after I saw the latest 'Thomas Crowne Affair'. I thought the movie was sexy and was trying to recreate the mood. The bf's vomit however ... not so sexy)

Trivia: across from this 'port there is also the museum that was built for the Spruce Goose. How many of you knew this big ol' girl ended up in lil ol' Oregon - other than Adena o'course?!

We finally make it to the 'port about 1/2 hr later, down some windy-ass road in the hills with no lights and trees everywhere. Hard to believe you can fly/land a plane out there but we find it. As he's getting out he asks for directions to get back to the freeway to get to way out N Ptld. I tell him and ask if he has a map. Nope, so I gave him my Thomas Guide (I have a couple - req. of the company) and then had to explain to him how to use it. I've never met anyone that has never seen/used one before. That was kinda fascinating. I 'splained how to use it and left him on his own, I would've had him follow me back but I had to go get someone down south.

I drove off and wasn't paying too much attention to the roadways and got lost. Sadly, my GPS doesn't help when I'm lost, it'll show me the road I'm on and connections but can't help me with the lost thing. If I'da had my Thomas Guide however ... :o)

Anyway. Lost. Me. On the back side of Mt Hood at 2a. And not ashamed to admit it. But, too damned stubborn to turn around. It was pretty entertaining, especially 1/2 an hour later when I ended up at Hwy 26 up near Welches. Way far away from where I was needing to be. Then had to haul ass down to West Linn to pick up the customer I came out to pick up to begin with.

I crack myself up sometimes. :o)

Anyone else have any lost stories?!

I don't usually work on Monday nights ...

... but I had someone to pick up from W Linn at about 3:30a so I went out at 11p. Lucrative but odd night.

I picked up this young (19) severely physically challenged girl tonight from Milwaukie and took her to Sandy. She was in the car for awhile as we had to make a stop as well and she was very talkative. I can't recall the entire conversation as it went on and on. And on. But basically the upshot is:

* She's affianced to the guy that was tried and convicted of sexually abusing her when she was 12 and he was 23.

* She is living off the state and about to move into another apartment but is having a hard time as the state won't allow him into any of the state-run facilities due to the large number of children and handicapped ppl.

* Being a convicted sex offender he has to register when/where -ever he moves. She hadn't heard this before. I brought it up while we were discussing the state's lack of help with her move and she said he told her he is a "special case" in the state's eyes since he was innocent to begin with. "He only pled guilty because he didn't want to cause a rift in the family as it was his mother that turned him in for the abuse so he shouldn't have to register. Someone working for the state is slow in getting the paperwork changed."

*He's pushing her to get her caseworker to make a special exception for him to be made a "caregiver" for her so he can get the money that her current caregiver is getting as he cannot look for a job since he's a felon. According to him no one will hire him so why even bother trying.

* He has found an attorney that is willing to go to court and defend him from the sexual abuse charges now since he is marrying the girl he "supposedly" abused. But only after she gets moved and is able to pay for his atty.

These are just the points I couldn't get out of my head, there was quite a bit more.

5/12/08

How about an opinion here?

I am of a FIRM belief that drunken driving is the most dumbety dumbass thing that people can do. It is right up there on my list of pet peeves. And I have a list, believe that. I'm not a drinker myself - never have been - and I don't have anything against folks that can control themselves while imbibing, at least to the point of not endangering everyone else's lives by getting behind the wheel. BUT, really, we need tougher laws on the drinker/drivers.

I HAVE A SOLUTION ...

Make alcohol illegal! Just kidding. Sort of. I mean, what's the purpose to it other than to screw with your system ... just like drugs. That's a whole different rant there.

Anyway, my solution:

Why not just take their damned car when they're caught? Seriously. I think that even the deepest drunk driver might think twice about it if they lose their CAR. And their license as well. Yes, yes. I realize that there are some people that can buy another fairly cheaply, and yet others can afford to buy a different colored BM'er for every day of the week but damn it! Crack down on these effers.

Imagine the revenue for the city/county/state that could be made from the auctioning of said cars. I need to get one of these politicians in on this one. Could be a deal breaker. Or vote maker as the case may be.

It's amazing to me what is considered socially acceptable when you're drinking these days as compared to when I was young and partying. (Yet another rant but along the same lines so I just threw it in here. :o)

Cab driving has finally made me jaded. More jaded than I was to begin with anyway. ;o)

5/5/08

It's not that I don't have stories ...

I'm just getting kinda bored with the internet thang. ::sigh:: Nothing against you'se guys, I miss ya all, it's a weather thing. I wanna be out there enjoying the sun. I'm sure lots of you understand.

I'll write something more ... sometime ... soon ... ish.

:muah!:

I forgot I promised to say something to these guys:

Picked up these two younger-ish fellas from a bus stop at SW Washington and 4th. One flags me and gets in the car and yells at the other to get in.

He: Hey! Pringle!! Get in the car.

Me: You named your friend after a potato chip? Wassup w/that?

He: Oh yeah. His name's Matt Pringle and he loves it when people ask him about his name.

Me: I bet.

He: No really. Ask him.

Me: Nope. I make it a point not to do what people tell me to.

He: just looks at me real funny

Me: Yeah, I'm real popular with the boys.

Meanwhile his friend lopes back to the cab and opens the door.

He: Hey man, show her why you like it when people ask you about your name!

Dude finishes opening the door, turns around, pulls his pants down to his knees and points at his left ass cheek where there is a tattoo of the Pringle guy.

Me: Nice. Nice ass. I suppose now you want a sweet-ass deal on the ride huh?

Groans all around. :o)

Toodles