It's hard to say goodbye.

It has almost been a year now since I first started my cab company, and the year has passed like THAT. It took a while, but I've built my business up and it is now time to add a second cab to the "fleet". It's growing! And I am SO excited and thankful!

My friend from India turned into around 30 friends from India that came here for work. They have been here throughout the spring and summer, and this weekend half of them are leaving. I didn't know that I would make such good friends with these people, simply by being their cab driver. Driving them to the airport is going to be sad. But we are going to keep in contact and I have been invited to visit them back home in India!!

I skipped last weekend, but this weekend I had ANOTHER solo Canadian that wanted to make out. At least he didn't claim it was his birthday.

First PUKER EVER!

And it was during the day. He said the methadone makes him feel nauseated. What a proud and special day! At least he puked out the window.

Let freedom ring!

This weekend has been so entirely slow. And hot. I am not used to this 90+ degree heat with humidity being way up there.

Cab business has been steady, which is nice. I rarely go to the airport anymore, and when I do it is to drop someone off or to pick up a personal call. It's funny, now when I arrive at the airport the other cabbies rush my cab to see where I've been (aww, they miss me)... kinda cute.

Last weekend I was sitting in line, at one of the bars, and I noticed this guy kept on looking at my cab. Finally, when I got to first in line, he ran over and jumped in. I ask where he is going and he said to the holiday inn, which is very nearby.

We start driving, and he informs me that he is from Canada and it's his 28th birthday. "Happy Birthday!" I tell him. Did you have a good night? "No, I got dropped from my sponsor today and all my friends ditched me"

Aww.

Why are you going back to your room so early? The night is still young. I tell him. "How much do you think you will make tonight? More than $100.00?" "I will give you that much to give to your boss and then you can park this and go to the casino with me..sound good?"

I am not allowed to do that, sorry. "Well how about I rip this fucking meter out of the cab and you can pretend you got robbed and go with me, does that sound better?"

Phycho.

Oh, look! We are almost to your hotel. I start to make a left turn to enter the parking lot, but he grabs the steering wheel and forces the wheel straight.

"I don't want to go back yet, I want to spend time when you. How about you drive me around until the meter says $50.00 and then you can bring me back here?"

How about we go around the block and I bring you back to your hotel. Or how about we drive over to the police station, that is a few blocks away, and you can get out there? "Sorry, I just think you are really beautiful. Can I have your number and take you out sometime when I am not so drunk?"

I'm married. "I can kick his ass!" I am sure you can.

By this time we have arrived. He tries once more before leaving "Can I just get a birthday kiss, please?"

Aside from being so drunk, he paid the fare, gave me a nice tip, and some how managed to make it inside of the hotel.

Now here is the funny part.

This weekend.. same bar. I had a guy get in solo. I ask him where he is going, different hotel...almost same story.

"My name is Paul and I am from Canada" Nice to meet you. Did you have fun tonight?

"Not really. It is my 26th birthday and all of my friends ditched me." Sorry to hear that.

"It's not that big of a deal, you are probably the best girl that I have met all night anyway!"

Déjà vu much? Or is this some sort of Canadian pick up line?

The story almost ends the same, except this one was not off of his rocker. He went to McDonald's and then back to his room, where he tried to score my number, paid his fare...with a nice tip, and made it inside of the hotel.

I just thought that was so strange. Two weekends in a row. Let's see if next weekend holds number three..

Seriously?

I was driving along, going to take a walk while it was slow, and my cab gets ambushed! Turns out 3,000 people were in town for an event. It is rainy and cold. Someone told these people that a bus was coming to get them, I guess one came and said it was full..turning the rest of the people away. They all needed to get to where they were staying. a $30.00 cab ride away. Yeah..all of the cabbies were pretty happy tonight.

Hay is for horses

I went in the gas station to pay for gas (I was driving my pink trans am) I passed a man on my way out out of the store. As he walked past me he started laughing, so I stopped and turned around to look at him, wondering if something was in my hair or on my face, he looked at me and said "You've got a bale of hay in your car!" and started laughing again and continued on his way.

After I got gas I went to the farm to deliver the two bales of hay to the horses. I lost one of my horses this past weekend and it's still breaking my heart, but the other two still have to eat...obviously.

After the farm, I pick up my friend and we head out to our usual bar, which is filled with middle aged working class people. This is the first time that I have ever driven my car out, so I tell my friends at the bar to go outside and check it out. Pretty much everyone in the bar goes outside or looks out the window to check out the car that matches my finger nail polish.

One of the guys, that I talk with every time that I go on there, says "It's a nice car, but there is hay all over inside." I start to laugh and tell him that my horses ran out of hay so I had to get two bales in my car. "You put hay in that car? That is like a show car!" I assure him that it's not the end of the world and after I vacuum it out, no one will ever know that I hauled hay in my trans am.

After one drink we leave that bar and go to a bar that we have never tired before. Around half of the bar was outside on a smoke break when we pulled up. People I have never met were running over to my car, taking pictures with it, and just looking at it. One man told me that he was "having a moment" with my car. Another lady told me that she does not like Trans Am's, but mine was "the coolest car that she has ever seen." It is amazing at what a hot pink paint job can do to a car. I guess it is the hand painted phoenix, also. And the rims with pink flakes. My car IS awesome. I will have it until I am 104...and I'll still be cool, even if it's only when I drive it ;)

Tonight

I was driving tonight. A lady flagged me down on 6th Ave E, between 3rd St. and 4th St, I pull over and she gets in...."You are an angel, thank you for picking me up!" I ask where she is going, and she said 5th Ave W and 3rd St. I continue down 6th Ave to 3rd St and the lady looks at me realllllll hateful and says "What...you tryin to take the long way around!?" Haha. I guess she wanted me to go back up to 4th and turn down the next Ave?

Thanks for all that you do

I promised myself that I would not start a blog and forget about it, but I guess since I am posting as we speak, I didn't forget about it at all.

First thing I must say is that Sez, public enemy number one, is now my fri..., well we no longer hate each other. Which means the airport is now almost normal...I say almost because the rat is always going to steal, it's just one of the many things in life that everyone must learn to accept.

College is over, which means all my clients of the weekend are leaving for the summer...not all,
but most. I could feel this last night, it wasn't total deadsville, but it was not like it usually is.

Last night I had a group of guys flag down my cab, as soon as they pile in the filth starts coming out of their mouth. Then one of the guys say "Can you wait a minute? My Dad is still in the bar". So we wait, and an older middle aged man jumps in the back of the cab. I ask where they are going, and the address is no surprise to me. It is actually quite funny.

There is a street, near the college, and every single time that I have the most rude, crude and loud boys in my cab, they ALWAYS go to that street. And it's always to different houses. Maybe the school places them there? Or maybe when they are joking about sticking their balls in each others faces when they are sleeping, or sticking things up each other's ass, they aren't joking at all, and in fact it's the undercover frat gayborhood?

Probably not.

Anyway, back to last night. The boys were their normal selves the entire ride, despite the fathers best attempts to keep them under control "There is a lady in the car, don't you have any manners at all?" I think we all know the answer to that.

When we get to their address they all get out of the cab, punching each other on the way out
and jumping on top of parked cars. The Dad stays behind, opens up my drivers door and puts his hand on my shoulder, and says "Thank you for all that you do. I don't know how you can put up with these guys, but as parents we really appreciate you keeping our kids safe while they are away" and with that, he shut my door and walked away.

Usually after I leave that street, I feel like my entire night has been ruied, but last night I realized that someone on that street cared and appreiciated me. Not to say that I will rush right over next time that I get a call from that street, but maybe I will cut their wait time from two hours down to one.