classified

Yeah, so alright I'm back from whatever planet I was on last night. Planet Self Pity. Tonight started off with a group of three, drove them to the airport through great swaths of traffic. Twemendous twaffic. No AC, hot as hell windows all rolled down. Cab making grinding and clunking noises. Growling and burping.
So where are you folks from?
Minneapolis.
Oh very nice.
Have you been there?
No. Well, the airport I think. Its a nice airport.
Yes yes. (I should have asked them how Mary Tyler Moore is doing)

By the time I got back, Emil had finished his shift with unit 199. I like the one-nine-niner so I switched cabs and pick up four hombres from Honduras going to Gillette Stadium. There is a football (soccer) match Saturday at the stadium and these guys are part of the Honduran sports media. They yammered in Spanglish most the way. The one who spoke the most English, I think he was the leader, asked about getting a ride back later so I explained our strict policy of requiring pre-payment for such a trip and he just said "No."
(we can't afford to be driving 40 miles round trip for nothing when people so often disapear under mysterious circumstances)
So, when they called for a ride back the dispatcher told them "No."
After a few local runs I grabbed a couple slices and a Coke and did local work the rest of the shift.
Starting tomorrow I'll be the night dispatcher for 3 weeks whilst Dave plays army. Looking forward to some guarenteed moneys. Mucho dinero.

prop me up with another pill

Work is as slow as its ever been, there is just nothing out there. I'm making 50% less money than I was twenty years ago - who else do you know that can say that?
And as if to add gasoline to the fire two extra drivers were called in on their off night tonight. I should be upset and I am but only at myself for still being here doing this job. I don't know what else to do. Its been so long I don't know how to do anything else.
There seems such a struggle between rage and hope.
But there is still kindness and karma. Music and beauty and laughter. Maybe love.

jersey

An appointment with the Doctor this morning made this a longer day. A few pokes and probes, a little blood a little urine. The usual. Doc just give me the usual.

After a few errands and some meditation, contemplation and medication at precisely 3 o'clock I rolled out in unit 197. Its a good clean cab, I felt like I was gonna make a lot of money. The afternoon started slowly but steadily with good tips and cash was starting to flow through my veins. There was an elder lady headed home from the dentist. She was cool, talking about how this was all woods when she was a little girl. Then a businessman from, where was it, I forget.
Nextly, dispatch gives me a run going to the airport shuttle bus terminal and we were very late. He was extremely upset so I said hey sorry man and temporarily suspending a few traffic laws we got there with 2 minutes to spare. If I had got in any trouble I would have plead temporary insanity.

At 6 o'clock I drove a New Jersey couple to Fenway Park. Jersey Red Sox fans wearing Red Sox jerseys. I gave them my cell number and they said they'd call for me to come back and get 'em after the game. So, round about the eighth inning the dude calls and I head into town to meet them at a bar near the park. Well I was right there, right in front of the gosh darn place and we're calling each other back and forth a few times but we just can't seem to hook up. The cops kept on moving me along and saying things like "Move along." Now they're walking around, its total gridlock. Bedlum. 30 or 40 people wanted in, some of them pounding on the hood and the windows and I'm trying to locate what is now a moving target. Finally found them, great tip. Good night's work. Better night than Johnny Damon (Zero for four and an error) A hard day's night.

title soon

Look at them. Ordinary people I hate 'em. Spending their time avoiding tense situations. Cabbie spends his time getting in to tense situations. Just kidding. I wonder if this whole thing isn't an elaborate high tech motion picture using ultra high definition sounds and pictures projected inside our brains whilst some immense computer makes it all seem real and interactive.

I didn't do very well financially out there tonight. Nothing tense or interesting. Spent a lot of the time picking apart and analyzing pieces of a nightmare I had last night. One of those vivid ones.
I drove the semi-grouchy lady we take every day up to the Alzheimer's apartments in Quincy. Must be a hard job. Took a gent to Weymouth who wasn't feeling well. Some pain in his chest and dizziness. He's going to the doctor tomorrow. Says he eats nothing but fat and sugar, smokes and never exercises.
Drove a semi-grouchy lady to Holbrook. She has spoke to me one time in 10 years. Total silence. See how you like it [obscure "Fargo" reference]
I drove 3 Reebok people to their hotel and listened to them talk about how they're not allowed to wear any competitors shirts or hats or anything. Adidas owns Reebok so those are the only 2 brands they can wear. Strange but true.

Then there were these nice folks from England looking for a Mexican Restaurant so I took them to a nice little one. My guess is that they did not enjoy it because they tipped me six dollars on the way there but only 50 cents on the way back. It was enjoyable the last time I went there. Very authentic, excellent service. Top notch. That was more than a decade ago, it may have gone a bit down hill.
I'm sorry beatch.

swifty

Determinedly I planted myself right in front of the shopping mall. No one will escape. Much patience and then a fare to East Milton.

Then a real nice job: Dunkin Donuts main office in Canton to Boston, sixty- eight bucks and a ten dollar tip. Sweet. Then I picked up a food order from Legal Seafood ~ just one big bag for Focus On Boston. They're the folks who interrogate people about products and packaging. Anyway, I drop the bag of fish and I says "here lady, focus on this."

The rest of the night passed swiftly. The last run was a dude who ran out of gas and he was wicked bummed out, he just wanted to get home and sleep. I told him about the time I ran out of gas in a blizzard way out there miles from anything but that didn't make this poor dude feel any better.

Verschönerung

First fare today ~ lady says she only has two bucks. Okay come on get in what the hell who cares. The next one was a six dollar ride and by the looks of him I didn't expect any tip but I was wrong in fact he reached deep.
C'est la vie say the old folks, it goes to show you never can tell.
Two more short fares both senior citizens ~ ten percent off. Then the big one ~ a forty dollar job to Brockton.
Grabbed a sandwich at Dunkin Donuts ~ bacon, egg and cheese on a wheat bagel. Untoasted. I like to taste the soft bread. Its too crunchy when they toast it. Never toast anything that's what I say.
Back to work. Some college kid after a job interview. People are never so relieved as after being interviewed. What a horrible thing to have to go through. Maybe I'm exaggerating. Followed that up with a 12 dollar run ~ a Hindu dude from the Korean Market to the hotel. I should have been Hindu but its too late now.
A young couple from out of town to the station. Tried to sell them on a "nice quick ride" into town but they didn't go for it. Can't blame a guy for trying.
Sitting there for a minute in the station getting organized etc and a guy walks up ~ wants to go to Brighton. I told him that's fifty bucks flat plus the tolls but that's way to much. Take the train I said, you're right here (subway station) but he took the ride half way. Not everything or everybody makes sense all the time.
Three workers from the Cheesecake Factory ended my day and I was exhausted from not sleeping very well the night before and driving up from the Cape in wicked heavy holiday traffic.
Someone said I seemed deflated.

unspecific fruitlessness

Saturday is always a bust. And that leads to a busted weekend. Getting home from work at 3:00am causes a chain reaction because all I really want to do is sleep all day Saturday. I try very hard not to let that happen. Doing something, any activity will stop a likely slide into depression. I decided to go to a movie ~ picked one that looked interesting. It was playing in Cambridge giving it an added bonus ~ the act of going to the city which is really an activity itself, is it not?

There was horrendous traffic on the expressway and it became apparent that I was never going to make it there in time. That's alright man, the movie was just one idea. There's millions of things to do on a day off.
Through modern technology I came to find out that a friend at work had been fired over a matter of eleven dollars. I guess feelings were hurt and the F bomb started flying ~ it escalated like Vietnam and the jobless rate in Massachusetts increased by another fraction.
I started to think maybe I should go over there and drive a cab for a shift. Some extra cash, maybe a few laughs and in the process try to smooth things out between my terminated friend and our detestable employer. I hung around the office for a while but business seemed slow ~ instead of a taxi I got back in my own car. Still without a plan drove around town a bit digging the sunshine and the music on the radio. Sat idly in a parking lot facing the street and the tracks watching cars and trains, generally feeling good at least about being out of the apartment. Watching the world. Watching the wheels go 'round and 'round and sipping my iced coffee.

I rung up my recently dismissed cohort and we decided to go to a movie after all. He vented some frustration which is cool ~ I like to listen. It's a hobby.
The movie sucked.
I went home, cooked up some supper and watched Little Miss Sunshine on cable (Don't apologize Olive, it's a sign of weakness)
Well, what am I supposed to do now? Goodnight and thanks for reading my continuing non-adventures.