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.

Road rage much?

Friday night I was driving in my cab. I was behind a loaded car that was driving slow, constantly hitting the breaks, and basically deserving a slap to the face. There were four lanes of traffic, so I get into the left lane to pass them. Of course they see that I am sick of their lack of driving ability and decided to punch it, I still manage to get in front of them before the next light. No big deal. All of the sudden my cab phone starts to ring. "Hello, name of my cab company" I answer. "Your cab #30 just cut us off! That driver tried to run us off of the road!" "Are you sure?" I reply. "Yes! We are still behind the cab..the lic plate number is ------" "Wow, that is pretty serious..I am going to fire that driver immediately! Thanks for calling"

I watch in my rear view mirror as they high five and act way too excited for basically thinking that they ruined some one's life over nothing. Kids these days.

Random and boring update,

Life has been something else lately. I have had SO much going on, but don't feel like getting into my past right now, so I will save it for another day.


At the airport I have just accepted that people are going to steal..,.well two people are always going to steal anyway. All the other cabbies at the airport are pretty nice and decent. I was talking to Norm the other day and I told him from now on I am just going to take anyone that comes to my cab..."So am I" Norm replied, and then the rat yelled from his cab and said "So am I" Haha. He was in front of Norm and I, but behind two other cabs that are his "friends". A person walked out of the airport and the rat yelled over "Need a cab?" The guy got in his cab and the rat pulled away while his "friends" tired to stop him. He has no respect for anyone or anything.


I made a new friend in my cab from India. He got into my cab, at the airport, and we instantly clicked. He is in town to take over a company. He makes all of the people that work for him take my cab. I have also went to Church with him a few times and we are going out to dinner before he leaves. He is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life. He is good from the heart and tries to do good things with his life. There is nothing romantic at all with him, he has a wife and a daughter, and refers to me as his little sister. It's kind of weird, since I try not to get too involved with people I meet in my cab, but he will be going back to India soon anyway.

Just because I drive a pink car

Doesn't mean that I want to race. I have to drive like a grandma in that car, and it sucks! All these little rice burners want to race, and I could beat their ass in a second...but I CAN'T. Cab insurance already kicks my ass in a major way monthly, add a speeding ticket to that, and I will have to take up the offers of the men who so kindly offer to "rent" me and my cab for a few hours. Or not.

The airport has gotten better, I guess.

The pre-pay after 10 pm is complete bullshit. I knew the cops wanted us to enforce that out of pure laziness. One of the other cabbies came up to my cab and started talking about it yesterday. He told me that he had a run off, because he under estimated the fare, and the police told him too bad. I KNEW this was going to happen. Making people pre-pay is a joke, And maybe you can guess at the cab fare, but you can never know where people are going for sure. When 6 people pile into your van cab, it is almost guaranteed that all of them are not going to the same address. Take into account their short cuts, which are never money savers, and waiting time. And you almost always under estimate...but since you told them it would be ten dollars...or whatever, you are expected to take the loss? I don't think so. If all those cab companies wouldn't have been such kiss asses at the meeting, this never would have happened. Only I, and funny enough, Sez, said that we were against it at the meeting. I will never make anyone pre-pay, and I have never had a run off..not yet anyway. To each their own I guess.

I am posting another post

SUE or KILL me...lol. I don't care. I am so single, it kinda hurts. There has been this guy, for the past two months, who likes to talk to me late at night and write me songs. Besides a fellow cabbie that I dated for a week, he is really the only person I have had an interest with...since my last boyfriend. I tend to date older, in fact I have an inside joke...I like my men and cars the same years...77-81. ANYWAY we were fighting all day today and into the night. This is me, basically giving up. I so try to see the best in people, and he likes to point out the worst of me.

P.s Monday night is a drinking night. I still stand by me hating this 6 year older than me guy. I am going to die alone with 1.462 cats. Thanks a lot.

Are you going to move your cab up?

The airport becomes a daily hassle in my chosen profession. When it is slow, you go to the airport to sit in line.

To sit in line you must purchase an airport pass. When you purchase an airport pass, you must sign an agreement to rules. People MUST go to the first cab in line, you can NOT solicit fares, blah blah and so on.

Sadly there are a few cabbies who make a career out of stealing...one is my sworn enemy. We will call him Sez.

Sez and his boyfriend, who we will call Rat, wait until they are both in line and STEAL. They use each other for a witness, so hours of sitting do not pay off. Yes, I made a complaint or two to airport security. And do you know what they told me to do today? Steal back. I mean, really..I hate to complain. But a person can only take so much. I tried to confront the rats, but nothing works. Airport authority told me to get more aggressive...they said if the Rat or Sez is in front of me I should take their fare and say the person did not want to ride with them. Lazy LAZY people should just do their jobs. The airport is basically going to be a blood bath. Do I want to take part in it? NOT at all. I will, though...if that is what it takes.

Sunday, Fun day...Happy Easter!

So last night was a total bust. I went home and went to bed at 1 am (nice thing about being owner/operator). I am guessing bar rush took about 10 minutes to clean up last night, since all the cabs were super hungry and sitting.

Good thing I was busy Saturday day AND today. Nothing says Easter like Jenny ditching to pick up sailors.

I used to have a blog. I quit when I became old and boring....now I am older, but my job is less boring? I don't know. I need somewhere to put all of my random bullshit.

Speaking of that, I have a farm. Well...I have three horses and two cats. I also have a pond, which beavers have decided to take over and RUIN my entire farm by flooding it. My 17 year old cousin promised to take care of it today, AND promised not to kill them...let's see what happens.

Friday night bites

Why do the weekend nights seem to come around so quickly? Don't get me wrong, I love being busy in the cab, but the nights seem soo long.

I live in a smaller city, around 100k people or so, and we have six colleges in the area. Weekends are a free for all. I make as much money working weekend nights, as I did in a whole week at my previous job.


That being said...you earn your money. The younger college students do not know how to hold their liquor. The weekend is fighting, crying, passing out, ball's in the face, 5 stops per fare, and let's not forget the students favorite game...calling every cab company in the phone book and then flagging down the first cab that they see.


Weekends are not all bad though...they are kind of fun until bar close. Free entertainment. I have stories for days, and I could have enough dates for a year if I wanted them...add a youngISH female in a cab with drunken guys and suddenly they love you, heck you could put a mailbox with a blonde wig behind the wheel and they would probably feel the same way. Plus people just throw money at you on weekend nights because they are go grateful to get a cab at all...the police are now trying to ruin this, but I will get into that another day.


And why, you ask, are people so grateful to get a cab? I will tell you why....bar close. Where I live bar close is 2:00 am, most people can't seem to figure out that maybe it would be best to leave the bar even a half hour before that. So what happens? The bars lock their doors and throw everyone out on the streets. It looks like a scene right out of the living dead! There are mobs of people in the streets ATTACKING cabs...even if they are full. It takes a good hour or two for the cabs to get everyone home. I had one person climb on my cab, and the police had to remove him. People physically fight over cabs. And they ALWAYS try to overload (Don't worry, we will give you a really good tip. Yeah, right. NO thanks.)


So there it is, my first post. Sort of lame, but it's early morning for me. Looking forward to tonight!