I was cruising through La Jolla on the way back to Pacific Beach looking for a fare. I rolled slowly past one bar that had several tiki torches leading to the front entrance where there was a patio with heat lamps radiating their red glowing warmth onto the people sitting at small round tables, smiling, leaning in toward each other, telling stories, laughing, chit chating about this and that. I noticed a group of guys gathered in front and there was some kind of commotion going on. I turned around and rolled slowly past again. There were four guys and it looked like two of them were being held apart, swaying, cursing, looking angry. One of the guys called out to me to pull over, so I slowly pulled up to the curb.
"hey buddy, can you take our friend out of here. He's really drunk and needs to get back to the base."
They wanted me to take their friend to North Island, the navy base at Coronado. That's a nice long ride so I was wanting the business; but, this guy was very drunk and was trying to fight one of his shipmates. Apparantly he had been starting fights with his friends for a while and wouldn't stop being an asshole. So that didn't sit very well with me. It turned out he didn't have any money and neither did his friends, or a least not very much. His friends weren't wasted like he was and the guy who hailed me was a nice guy and was pleading me to take him out of there. I was saying no. He was an ass and had no money. His friend offered me $15, but that was probably only a bit more than a third of what the fare was going to be. The guy who hailed me kept trying to talk me into it. He said there was a program for this kind of situation for navy guys who were stranded and needed to get back. He told me this guy definately had to get back on the ship before his curfew and didn't have a phone or money. He gave me a number and said all I had to do was to call the admiral tomorrow and I would be reimbursed. I kept saying I don't think so, but he was persuasive and this was when I was very new to driving a taxi and had recently had training from Yellow Cab and we were not legally supposed to turn down a fare like this. He also gave me his personal phone number in case I couldn't get paid. Nowadays I would have already been gone..., but I agreed and the drunk guy got in.
So off we go. He seemed o.k. at first and didn't say much, but when we got on the freeway things started to change. He asked me if he could smoke and I said "o.k.". Then he asked me if I had a light. I said no, I didn't have a one. "You got one right there in the ashtray". "No, I don't; look" and I showed him the hole where the lighter would have been had I had one. "Oh, bullshit, where is it you gotta have one," "Well I don't. We'll be there soon." He said, "Oh, I guess your just a homosexual. Homo's don't have lighters huh? Just a fucking homosexual is what you are, huh?" He kept up the name calling.
Well, I usually try not to let drunk assholes bother me. I just told him to relax and we'd be there very soon. He kept on talking shit to me and I didn't care. I was just minding the road and tuning him out. Then all of a sudden he's halfway climbing over the back seat and started reaching up under my radio and groping aroung under under the dash and under the steering column and under the shift column. I got pissed off and grabbed his arm, turned around and put him back in the back seat. I pointed my finger in his face and told him "Don't you EVER climb up here again. You got that?" And all of this going on at 70 miles per hour!
He got quiet for a moment as we were approaching downtown San Diego on the 5 south. Where we were at you could see the Holiday Inn Bayview off the south side of the freeway. "Hey, pull off and go to that Holiday Inn and I'm gonna get some matches.", he stated. I could just envision us pulling up to this hotel at almost two in the morninig, this wasted dude stumbling into the lobby and trying to get a pack of matches from the desk clerk, which they probably didn't have anyway. I just wanted to get this ride over with. "No man. Look, we're getting really close to the end of the ride. You don't even have any money to pay the fare. I'm not dragging this out. Just sit tight, I'll make it quick and you'll be on the base in no time, o.k?" He started calling me all kinds of names like asshole, homosexual, prick, etc. I knew this guy had to get back to the ship and I was the only way he was going to make it in time. I was doing this dumbass a favor. Hey, sticks and stones right?
At this point he started reaching up under the dash again looking for a lighter, I guess. I felt like this situation had to come to an end now. "Dude, you're getting the fuck out of my cab!"
I took the 10th st. exit into downtown. "Hey man what are you doing?" I was hauling ass now around the curve and approaching the intersection of 10th and A St. "I'm kicking your ass out of the cab." I pulled into the parking lot of a Shell gas station and said, "Get out".
He said, "Dude, you wouldn't do that man!"
"You want me to drive over to the police station right down the street?", I asked. "O.k., I'll get out". He opened the door, got out and screamed, "Douchebag!" and slammed the door. I yelled, "Fuck you!" and drove away.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Can't hold it!!!
It was a late, dark, and misty winter night. It was 2:15 am and I was waiting at a cab stand, which is where cabs line up to wait for passengers. I looked to my right out the passenger side window to see someone's head seemingly floating by, just the head in view , from the back of the cab forward. It turned out to be a guy rolling up in a wheelchair. He needed a ride home, which was a few miles away. I got out and went around to the passenger side to give him a hand. I opened up the door and he rolled up and lifted himself into the front seat. He had good upper body strength. He was a young guy probably in his early 20's and was drunk. I popped the trunk and rolled his chair around back to put it in. It was one of those sporty lightweight wheelchairs which fold up nice and small. I grabbed the seat, pulled up and it easily folded in two. I noticed the seat was completely wet, and upon further inspection, I saw he had a sports water bottle in a backpack on the back of the seat which must have spilled I figured.
After everything was stowed away we belted up and pulled away toward his home. He went on talking very animatedly and was a friendly, if somewhat boastful guy. He said he had a great night. He was telling me about all the girls he knew and was talking to that night. He was saying how he had so many bithes on the line and how he had been getting laid so much. I said "so where are they at right now." This made him seem a little angry. He said he was tired and just wanted to go home and relax by himself this night. I guess a guy needs to save up some energy sometimes.
Not much later we pulled up to his apartment building and I got out to pull his chair out of the trunk. I pulled it out, got it ready and rolled it to the passenger door. He lifted himself out, pulled out some cash and paid his fare. I don't think he tipped me, maybe just the change of one dollar. That's o.k. You take 'em as they come, because sometimes you get tipped huge, so it's all a part of the deal. Anyway, I hopped back in and rolled off. At the nearest intersection under the street lights I glanced over at the cloth passenger front seat and noticed it looked dark or something. Actually, it looked wet. Well, I put my hand down on it and yes it was very wet. I slowly brought my hand up to my nose... took a small sniff.. and.. it.. was.. PISS!! Son of a bitch! That bastard. Oh, well, I couldn't be too angry for very long and it subsided quickly. I mean the poor bastard was paralyzed from the waist down. I just hopped out, got my roll of paper towels, wadded up a shitload and started dabbing, pressing and wiping. What are you gonna do. I rolled down the windows cranked the heater and directed the air towards the seat. I just had to make sure no one else sat in front that night. I went and picked up more passengers that night and told everyone someone had spilled a bottle of water.
After everything was stowed away we belted up and pulled away toward his home. He went on talking very animatedly and was a friendly, if somewhat boastful guy. He said he had a great night. He was telling me about all the girls he knew and was talking to that night. He was saying how he had so many bithes on the line and how he had been getting laid so much. I said "so where are they at right now." This made him seem a little angry. He said he was tired and just wanted to go home and relax by himself this night. I guess a guy needs to save up some energy sometimes.
Not much later we pulled up to his apartment building and I got out to pull his chair out of the trunk. I pulled it out, got it ready and rolled it to the passenger door. He lifted himself out, pulled out some cash and paid his fare. I don't think he tipped me, maybe just the change of one dollar. That's o.k. You take 'em as they come, because sometimes you get tipped huge, so it's all a part of the deal. Anyway, I hopped back in and rolled off. At the nearest intersection under the street lights I glanced over at the cloth passenger front seat and noticed it looked dark or something. Actually, it looked wet. Well, I put my hand down on it and yes it was very wet. I slowly brought my hand up to my nose... took a small sniff.. and.. it.. was.. PISS!! Son of a bitch! That bastard. Oh, well, I couldn't be too angry for very long and it subsided quickly. I mean the poor bastard was paralyzed from the waist down. I just hopped out, got my roll of paper towels, wadded up a shitload and started dabbing, pressing and wiping. What are you gonna do. I rolled down the windows cranked the heater and directed the air towards the seat. I just had to make sure no one else sat in front that night. I went and picked up more passengers that night and told everyone someone had spilled a bottle of water.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Sometimes you gotta kick 'em out
One afternoon I was driving south down Mission Blvd. on a cool breezy autumn day and a short guy in jeans and a black leather jacket hailed me from the side of the road. He was white, had short cropped, jet black hair and looked to be in his late 30's or early 40's. I pulled over and he got in the back seat. He looked like a punker or something. He said he wanted to go downtown to 1st and J st. So I pulled out into the lane and off we went.
He seemed strange somehow. He kept looking all around and acting figity. The very next thing he said to me was, "Hey, you want some drugs?". I said no, I didn't. Even if I did, why the hell would I agree. I had no idea who this guy was and my cab driver buddy recently told me that sometimes cops go undercover to catch drivers who may deal or purchase drugs. I even told him that. Then he pulled a baggy out of his pocket and popped some kind of pill into his mouth. I said, "hey what do you got there, LSD or something?" I noticed his pupils were very dialated. "Oh, no, no," he said. "Are you sure you don't want any drugs?"
Then things got really weird because the conversation continued but it was like we were talking in two totally different conversations. Whatever I asked him, he answered with something totally off the topic, like he had heard some other voice asking different questions. Then he would say something totally random to me. I would try to comment or answer but he wouldn't even be listening or didn't even care what I said. He went on to tell me that that the government was keeping tabs on him constantly. He said that there was a black helicopter that followed him nearly everywhere he went and at night it would hover outside of his downtown apartment and shine a spotlight through his window almost every night. I was thinking to myself he lives in some kind of Edgar Allan Poe story or something. I was answering at first with amazement, and trying to deny that it was really happening to him by saying things like, "are you sure", "maybe it just happened once", etc. But eventually I just said things like, "wow", "whoa" and "yeah, you gotta watch out for that stuff, man." The conversation went on quite a bit and I can't remember all of it, but absolutely none of it made sense.
Even though it was really strange, everything was cool, and I was kind of enjoying the freaky "conversation". Then right out of the blue, with no connection at all to what he or I was saying, he said, "I don't have a knife or a gun. I'm not going to hurt you."
Now at this point I decided this ride was soon to end. We wouldn't be making that trip downtown. "What do you mean? No cab driver wants to hear anything like that brought up. Why do you say that?"
"Oh, I don't know it was just something I was thinking about"
"Well, hey, I just remembered I can't take you downtown. In fact I have to go back the other way." I pulled to the curb right away and said, "You're going to have to get out now." Fortunately he was very calm and agreed and got out. He said, "That's o.k., my problems aren't your problems." Then he put his hand in his pocket, pulled out some cash to cover the fare, including a decent tip, paid me, and I pulled away.
He was the first person I ever kicked out of the cab... He wasn't the last, but he was the easiest.
He seemed strange somehow. He kept looking all around and acting figity. The very next thing he said to me was, "Hey, you want some drugs?". I said no, I didn't. Even if I did, why the hell would I agree. I had no idea who this guy was and my cab driver buddy recently told me that sometimes cops go undercover to catch drivers who may deal or purchase drugs. I even told him that. Then he pulled a baggy out of his pocket and popped some kind of pill into his mouth. I said, "hey what do you got there, LSD or something?" I noticed his pupils were very dialated. "Oh, no, no," he said. "Are you sure you don't want any drugs?"
Then things got really weird because the conversation continued but it was like we were talking in two totally different conversations. Whatever I asked him, he answered with something totally off the topic, like he had heard some other voice asking different questions. Then he would say something totally random to me. I would try to comment or answer but he wouldn't even be listening or didn't even care what I said. He went on to tell me that that the government was keeping tabs on him constantly. He said that there was a black helicopter that followed him nearly everywhere he went and at night it would hover outside of his downtown apartment and shine a spotlight through his window almost every night. I was thinking to myself he lives in some kind of Edgar Allan Poe story or something. I was answering at first with amazement, and trying to deny that it was really happening to him by saying things like, "are you sure", "maybe it just happened once", etc. But eventually I just said things like, "wow", "whoa" and "yeah, you gotta watch out for that stuff, man." The conversation went on quite a bit and I can't remember all of it, but absolutely none of it made sense.
Even though it was really strange, everything was cool, and I was kind of enjoying the freaky "conversation". Then right out of the blue, with no connection at all to what he or I was saying, he said, "I don't have a knife or a gun. I'm not going to hurt you."
Now at this point I decided this ride was soon to end. We wouldn't be making that trip downtown. "What do you mean? No cab driver wants to hear anything like that brought up. Why do you say that?"
"Oh, I don't know it was just something I was thinking about"
"Well, hey, I just remembered I can't take you downtown. In fact I have to go back the other way." I pulled to the curb right away and said, "You're going to have to get out now." Fortunately he was very calm and agreed and got out. He said, "That's o.k., my problems aren't your problems." Then he put his hand in his pocket, pulled out some cash to cover the fare, including a decent tip, paid me, and I pulled away.
He was the first person I ever kicked out of the cab... He wasn't the last, but he was the easiest.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
The Newbie Christian Bankrobber
When you drive a cab you are often presented with situations where you can either be good or bad. Being a complex character of differing extremes I've dabbled in both (depending on your viewpoint of what good or bad is).
One evening a blond guy in his late 30's got in the cab. He was obviously drunk and he said he was looking for fun. It was after 2:00 am, so all the bars were closed, but he still wanted some kind of action.
"Man, I'm a bad guy in Pacific Beach. I grew up here and I know everybody." He said. "This is my last night of freedom. Tomorrow I go to get sentenced. I'm probably going to jail."
"Why what did you do?" I asked.
"Ah, I was part of a bank robbery. I didn't rob it, but I was a part of the scheme"
"Oh, damn"
Then he went on about how he wanted to find some chicks to do. He was asking me if I knew any prostitutes. Well I don't, and I wouldn't have told him if I did anyway. I had been going to church very regularly and I wanted to steer him to a different path.
"Hey man, take me somewhere to find some chicks. I want to get laid." The streets were deserted. It was very late and the city was asleep. "Come on man, your a taxi driver! Where can we go?" A light misty fog was rolling in and the winter air had an icy chill.
He was pretty drunk and I knew he was pushing it, trying to squeeze something more into his night. I've noticed that you have to kind of go with the flow of things and situations because when you keep pushing for fun or action when things are saying "wind down", something bad can easily happen.
"Dude, why don't you just chill and go home to bed"
"Man, I'm really scared about tomorrow. I need to get my mind off of it"
"Dude, did you ever try praying to God. I do that and it usually helps my mind to chill out", I said.
"Whoa, I can't believe you said that!" He said, "Are you a christian, do you believe in God?"
"Yeah"
"Really with your heart you believe?"
"Yeah"
"Whoa, man that is so fucking cool! I'm a christian too. I've been hanging out with these christian dudes and they're really cool! We go to church every Sunday and have prayer meeting and everything. Man, I think I can really change and turn things around. I know I've been a total fuck up. I had my own business and just bought a big ol' bad-ass Ford F-250. Now I'm gonna go to jail."
"Well, just keep praying and ask for God's guidance and He'll be with you and you'll make it through for sure," I said.
"Will you pray with me tonight? Right here, right now. Please brother I need your help. It would help me so much.
I think he started to cry a little bit.
"Sure man, we can do that"
So I pulled over to the curb somewhere and we bowed our heads and I said a prayer asking for God's guidance and that his will would be done in this guy's life. I asked for his protection on him in whatever might happen and that it would all turn out for the better among other things.
When I was done he thanked me profusely and I dropped him off at his friends house.
"Good luck tomorrow, dude!", I shouted as he walked up the sidewalk to the house.
"Thanks brother!, God bless you!"
One evening a blond guy in his late 30's got in the cab. He was obviously drunk and he said he was looking for fun. It was after 2:00 am, so all the bars were closed, but he still wanted some kind of action.
"Man, I'm a bad guy in Pacific Beach. I grew up here and I know everybody." He said. "This is my last night of freedom. Tomorrow I go to get sentenced. I'm probably going to jail."
"Why what did you do?" I asked.
"Ah, I was part of a bank robbery. I didn't rob it, but I was a part of the scheme"
"Oh, damn"
Then he went on about how he wanted to find some chicks to do. He was asking me if I knew any prostitutes. Well I don't, and I wouldn't have told him if I did anyway. I had been going to church very regularly and I wanted to steer him to a different path.
"Hey man, take me somewhere to find some chicks. I want to get laid." The streets were deserted. It was very late and the city was asleep. "Come on man, your a taxi driver! Where can we go?" A light misty fog was rolling in and the winter air had an icy chill.
He was pretty drunk and I knew he was pushing it, trying to squeeze something more into his night. I've noticed that you have to kind of go with the flow of things and situations because when you keep pushing for fun or action when things are saying "wind down", something bad can easily happen.
"Dude, why don't you just chill and go home to bed"
"Man, I'm really scared about tomorrow. I need to get my mind off of it"
"Dude, did you ever try praying to God. I do that and it usually helps my mind to chill out", I said.
"Whoa, I can't believe you said that!" He said, "Are you a christian, do you believe in God?"
"Yeah"
"Really with your heart you believe?"
"Yeah"
"Whoa, man that is so fucking cool! I'm a christian too. I've been hanging out with these christian dudes and they're really cool! We go to church every Sunday and have prayer meeting and everything. Man, I think I can really change and turn things around. I know I've been a total fuck up. I had my own business and just bought a big ol' bad-ass Ford F-250. Now I'm gonna go to jail."
"Well, just keep praying and ask for God's guidance and He'll be with you and you'll make it through for sure," I said.
"Will you pray with me tonight? Right here, right now. Please brother I need your help. It would help me so much.
I think he started to cry a little bit.
"Sure man, we can do that"
So I pulled over to the curb somewhere and we bowed our heads and I said a prayer asking for God's guidance and that his will would be done in this guy's life. I asked for his protection on him in whatever might happen and that it would all turn out for the better among other things.
When I was done he thanked me profusely and I dropped him off at his friends house.
"Good luck tomorrow, dude!", I shouted as he walked up the sidewalk to the house.
"Thanks brother!, God bless you!"
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Sometimes there are naked boobies
People feel different about their cab driver than they would about a regular "joe" on the street. People for some reason feel comfortable to talk and tell intimate secrets or stories in the comfort of the closed car. One thing that has happened in the cab several times is women and girls flashing their breasts. Some have done it out of pride, maybe because they bought a new pair, and want to show off. Some want a discount or a free ride. Some just feel really friendly I guess and do it with their friend for a thrill, cuz I'm a nice guy and they say I'm a cool driver. I'm all for it, though I won't really reduce their cab fare, (maybe a couple of bucks, if I feel extra nice!).
I remember one summer evening driving in Pacific Beach. I was parked in front of Denny's at Mission Blvd. and Garnet St. In hop four very cute, very young ladies. Well, they only wanted to go to Hoboken Pizza, which is about six blocks or so. Not particularly exciting for me after sitting in that cab line-up for so long. Anyway, that's o.k. you take whatever comes along. Almost right away they bring up the subject of showing cab drivers their tits and could they get a discout. Well, I jokingly told them they could have a discount of 25 cents off per nipple. They argued but I held my ground.
"I've seen tits before girls, tonight I'm working for cash", I said. "It's only a few blocks and it won't cost you much at all"
I pretend I'm not really interested in looking. Then it seems they want to show them even more.
"Look", they said, "why won't you let us, give us a free ride, come on, Please". "We'll all show you and we'll even suck on them!"
By that time we had pulled up to the curb and the fare was about $3 or so I thought why not.
"Well, o.k., I guess so, go ahead", I said
The one girl who had been doing most of the talking seemed the most eager to flash was pushing forward from the middle seat in the back with her hands on the low neckline of her t-shirt. All the rest were either laughing or looking very embarassed.
"I thought you were all going to flash me" I said
It turned out the one in the middle seat in the back was the only one really willing to do it, but hey, whatever. So she leaned forward poking her chest out and pulled down her shirt. Out flopped two big ol' milky fleshy boobies. Pretty nice I must say, although they had little red bumps on them here and there.
"I thought you said you were going to suck on them", I said.
"I'll suck on that shit", said the cute thick asian girl in the front seat.
So she turned around and put her mouth on the other girls boob and really did suck it.
"Wow, ok girls, I guess you get a free ride."
They were laughing their asses off and so happy they had used their womanly guiles to get a free ride. I just laughed, clapped my hands in applause, waited for them to hop out, hung a left hand u-turn and went cruising for my next fare, thinking,
"Wow, what a trip. Those were pretty nice!"
I remember one summer evening driving in Pacific Beach. I was parked in front of Denny's at Mission Blvd. and Garnet St. In hop four very cute, very young ladies. Well, they only wanted to go to Hoboken Pizza, which is about six blocks or so. Not particularly exciting for me after sitting in that cab line-up for so long. Anyway, that's o.k. you take whatever comes along. Almost right away they bring up the subject of showing cab drivers their tits and could they get a discout. Well, I jokingly told them they could have a discount of 25 cents off per nipple. They argued but I held my ground.
"I've seen tits before girls, tonight I'm working for cash", I said. "It's only a few blocks and it won't cost you much at all"
I pretend I'm not really interested in looking. Then it seems they want to show them even more.
"Look", they said, "why won't you let us, give us a free ride, come on, Please". "We'll all show you and we'll even suck on them!"
By that time we had pulled up to the curb and the fare was about $3 or so I thought why not.
"Well, o.k., I guess so, go ahead", I said
The one girl who had been doing most of the talking seemed the most eager to flash was pushing forward from the middle seat in the back with her hands on the low neckline of her t-shirt. All the rest were either laughing or looking very embarassed.
"I thought you were all going to flash me" I said
It turned out the one in the middle seat in the back was the only one really willing to do it, but hey, whatever. So she leaned forward poking her chest out and pulled down her shirt. Out flopped two big ol' milky fleshy boobies. Pretty nice I must say, although they had little red bumps on them here and there.
"I thought you said you were going to suck on them", I said.
"I'll suck on that shit", said the cute thick asian girl in the front seat.
So she turned around and put her mouth on the other girls boob and really did suck it.
"Wow, ok girls, I guess you get a free ride."
They were laughing their asses off and so happy they had used their womanly guiles to get a free ride. I just laughed, clapped my hands in applause, waited for them to hop out, hung a left hand u-turn and went cruising for my next fare, thinking,
"Wow, what a trip. Those were pretty nice!"
The Down And Out Pro
I pulled up to the cantina next to the seven-eleven somewhere between La Jolla and Pacific Beach. It was one in the morning; prime time for my type of business. Cement stairs at the corner of a red, eight foot retaining wall led up to the place. I was there in my cab studying the entrance and surrounding area for my fare. I saw a group of guys move toward the door with two in particular leading the way. The two came down the stairs toward me. The one behind directed the way, urging on, perhaps holding the front man’s arm when necessary. Up to my passenger window; I rolled it down with the button on the driver side door.
“Hey, can you take him to the coffee shop down the street? There’s a starbucks just down the road,” He said as he handed me a bill.
The speaker was dressed conservatively for this time of night, wearing tan khakis, a tucked-in plaid shirt with a belt and nicely combed hair. The whole time, the guy being escorted was talking to him, shaking his hand, thankful, gracious, and obviously very drunk. He was in the kind of drunk where all events take on grand importance. Every sentence spoken conveys vast sentiment. He had blond, tussled hair and wore a white t-shirt, jeans and some cheap rubber flip-flops.
“Here’s twenty dollars. Just keep the change for yourself”, said the prep.
I was thinking, ‘yeah, I think I know where that starbuck’s is… maybe, but they’re everywhere, so how could I go wrong?’
I unlocked the back door with another button and the drunk guy slipped onto the seat on the passenger side. I looked at him, said “hi” and decided he looked harmless enough. His "friend" had wanted just to get rid of him. This guy was really hammered. I could tell he was probably being a nuiciance. As we drove southing looking for the Starbucks, he started telling me about his past. I figured him to be in his early 30's, but he told of a time years ago when he was a pro surfer. His mother's house had a room full of surfing trophy's. He had surfed the best breaks around, including Hawaii. Now that was all over. He was an alcoholic and lived somewhere near Birdrock. This was a nice surf spot in South La Jolla. From what I could understand from his ramblings, he was homeless and lived in a cave or some hidden spot at the beach. His mother had thrown away all of his trophys years ago.
Pulling up to the coffee shop, I realized it was closed.
"well, where do you want to go? The place is closed."
The radio was on and we were listening to "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.
"Oh, man, I don't have anywhere to go and that's my favorite song. Could we please just drive around awhile and listen to it?", He asked me.
We had only racked up about $7 on the meter out of the $20 I had been given and I felt a little sorry for this guy so I said O.K. So around some corners and up and down we drove. Then the Beatles came on and he said,
"Oh, this is my favorite song, can we please drive around a little more." It started to sprinkle outside.
He kept telling me, "I love you man!", and, "It's you and me all night, man! we're just gonna cruise all night!
"Well, I guess for a little bit", I said. (meter at $12)
"Hey, why don't we drive around and pick up some guys."
"What?", I said incredulously, feeling somewhat creeped out.
"Oh, no, I meant let's drive around and pick up guys to help us find some girls, that's what I meant."
"Hey, I don't think so buddy. I gotta get back to work, man. So where do you want to go?"
"Please, I'm sorry, can we just listen to the radio for a little while longer?"
"O.k., just till this song is over. Then you gotta tell me where you want to go."
The song finally ended and he cracked a beer open in the back seat and I wondered where he had gotten it.
"So where are you going, man. I'm dropping you somewhere right now, so let me know".
"Alright, just take me to the West End." That's a neighborhood bar near where we were. So I pulled up to the bar and turned to look at the guy. Before he got out he put his hand up as if to shake my hand, so I took his hand to shake it.
"Thanks for the ride brotha, I love you man," he said and he pulled my hand up to his face and gave the back of my hand a big wet kiss and hopped out, and was gone.
I pulled my hand back in horror and frantically wiped it off on my pants.
"Gross man, freaking gross!!," I yelled, and kept muttering as I drove off.
“Hey, can you take him to the coffee shop down the street? There’s a starbucks just down the road,” He said as he handed me a bill.
The speaker was dressed conservatively for this time of night, wearing tan khakis, a tucked-in plaid shirt with a belt and nicely combed hair. The whole time, the guy being escorted was talking to him, shaking his hand, thankful, gracious, and obviously very drunk. He was in the kind of drunk where all events take on grand importance. Every sentence spoken conveys vast sentiment. He had blond, tussled hair and wore a white t-shirt, jeans and some cheap rubber flip-flops.
“Here’s twenty dollars. Just keep the change for yourself”, said the prep.
I was thinking, ‘yeah, I think I know where that starbuck’s is… maybe, but they’re everywhere, so how could I go wrong?’
I unlocked the back door with another button and the drunk guy slipped onto the seat on the passenger side. I looked at him, said “hi” and decided he looked harmless enough. His "friend" had wanted just to get rid of him. This guy was really hammered. I could tell he was probably being a nuiciance. As we drove southing looking for the Starbucks, he started telling me about his past. I figured him to be in his early 30's, but he told of a time years ago when he was a pro surfer. His mother's house had a room full of surfing trophy's. He had surfed the best breaks around, including Hawaii. Now that was all over. He was an alcoholic and lived somewhere near Birdrock. This was a nice surf spot in South La Jolla. From what I could understand from his ramblings, he was homeless and lived in a cave or some hidden spot at the beach. His mother had thrown away all of his trophys years ago.
Pulling up to the coffee shop, I realized it was closed.
"well, where do you want to go? The place is closed."
The radio was on and we were listening to "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.
"Oh, man, I don't have anywhere to go and that's my favorite song. Could we please just drive around awhile and listen to it?", He asked me.
We had only racked up about $7 on the meter out of the $20 I had been given and I felt a little sorry for this guy so I said O.K. So around some corners and up and down we drove. Then the Beatles came on and he said,
"Oh, this is my favorite song, can we please drive around a little more." It started to sprinkle outside.
He kept telling me, "I love you man!", and, "It's you and me all night, man! we're just gonna cruise all night!
"Well, I guess for a little bit", I said. (meter at $12)
"Hey, why don't we drive around and pick up some guys."
"What?", I said incredulously, feeling somewhat creeped out.
"Oh, no, I meant let's drive around and pick up guys to help us find some girls, that's what I meant."
"Hey, I don't think so buddy. I gotta get back to work, man. So where do you want to go?"
"Please, I'm sorry, can we just listen to the radio for a little while longer?"
"O.k., just till this song is over. Then you gotta tell me where you want to go."
The song finally ended and he cracked a beer open in the back seat and I wondered where he had gotten it.
"So where are you going, man. I'm dropping you somewhere right now, so let me know".
"Alright, just take me to the West End." That's a neighborhood bar near where we were. So I pulled up to the bar and turned to look at the guy. Before he got out he put his hand up as if to shake my hand, so I took his hand to shake it.
"Thanks for the ride brotha, I love you man," he said and he pulled my hand up to his face and gave the back of my hand a big wet kiss and hopped out, and was gone.
I pulled my hand back in horror and frantically wiped it off on my pants.
"Gross man, freaking gross!!," I yelled, and kept muttering as I drove off.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Late Nights
Hi, I'm a cab driver in San Diego. I've been driving for almost four years now. A lot of weird stuff happens in the city at night that I get to see. Now you will know what I see also. Being a night time cab driver is the weirdest job I’ve ever had. Strange things happen after midnight...
I’m a lease driver. That means I don’t really work for the Company. I’m basically an independent operator. I decide where, when, how, and how long I work. I don't have a boss. I have just one co-worker, the dispatcher. I don’t get benefits and the company doesn’t hold aside taxes. The company doesn’t pay me at all. I pay a lease and all money I’ve taken in above and beyond my lease from my fares is mine.
This blog will be a series of true stories of what I've encountered on the streets. Check it out often, cuz there's always more!
I’m a lease driver. That means I don’t really work for the Company. I’m basically an independent operator. I decide where, when, how, and how long I work. I don't have a boss. I have just one co-worker, the dispatcher. I don’t get benefits and the company doesn’t hold aside taxes. The company doesn’t pay me at all. I pay a lease and all money I’ve taken in above and beyond my lease from my fares is mine.
This blog will be a series of true stories of what I've encountered on the streets. Check it out often, cuz there's always more!
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