Everyone in the taxi world loves their "personals," meaning passengers who call cabbies back for another ride. Some drivers I know "live on personals," their regular customers filling in the gaps during slow dispatch and business moments. Despite my 29 plus years on the taxi road, these kinds of customers are a rarity for two primary reasons.
One, which is fairly obvious, is that by normally driving just two days a week means I am not there when they need me. And another, while respecting my taxi skills, most customers don't find me especially likable, as least not in the usual sense, too much opinionation and irritation for most folks to deal with. And I don't blame them, knowing who I am and accepting I can be "too much to swallow," all very understandable.
Given this reality, it is all very surprising that I met a customer Friday afternoon who called me back repeatedly over the weekend, taking her to and from Seattle and Kirkland, the fares averaging seventy dollars one way when including generous tips. Of course that is a big chunk of taxi change, quickly altering a slow day into something quite special. And who can I give thanks for these terrific fares? None other than Yellow taxi and yet another screwed up ride.
Working Friday due to the upcoming University of Washington versus Stanford football game, I vowed not to take an account fare but stupidly did so anyway upon my very first fare offering. What it all turned out to be was a messed up HopeLink call that was reversed in order, meaning instead of picking up at Swedish Cherry Hill, the passenger instead was waiting to be taken there. No fun of course when you are trying to make a living dependent upon accurate call-taking.
Figuring out all this nonsense wasted valuable minutes but having seen other people waiting I called out "Does anyone need a cab?" and indeed someone did, and even better, needing to go all the way to Kirkland. Call it luck or taxi divine intervention but whatever it was, good fortune coming my way.
Elaine, currently dealing with some profound issues concerning her husband, was now ready for for a little professionalism, this after two disappointing Eastside rides, and after finding me both safe and reliable, asked if I could pick her up in the morning? Yes I could and did, and six rides later I can say I have never met a more kind or thoughtful customer. Even better is Elaine utilizing both Tom and Ray, translating into mutual benefits all around, my initial misfortune turning into the best of possible outcomes.
Hooker and Pimp
Always my first goal is to present taxi reality as I see it firsthand, as it's thrust directly in my face, and these next two examples are certainly that, situations never asked for but there they are, unavoidable and extant.Yes, real Seattle taxi, unblemished, and for the most part, uncensored.
Did you know, due the vice crackdown on Aurora North, that the prostitutes have moved their trade west down 85th and other westward arterial streets? Well I can verify that its true, and instead of an ordinary Fed Meyers shopper, a genuine hooker stepped in. While somewhat surprised, who cares anyway? but it was when she borrowed my telephone that I became interested.
Talking to someone who was clearly her pimp, I suddenly was privy to the most brutal conversation. After a few minutes of this absurdity I angrily told her to break it off, unable to keep listening to insulting nonsense.
Given that the pimp was paying, upon arriving at our destination, we walked up a long, darkened driveway for the money. Talking into a closed door, a disembodied hand thrust out with a twenty. The woman, she was fine but the pimp is obviously a monster, a real monster. Welcome to taxi! as I don't want to know it.
Urination
This sometimes happens but this time being far more extreme which I is why I am mentioning it. Again, taxi reality as I hate it, bodily functions screaming at the physical door.
It's about 5:00 PM Monday and I have to urinate, though at this point the urgency mild, not pressing, First one, then another coffee shop I stop at are closed. Heading toward the Fremont neighborhood and looking for a friendly bush or concealed alleyway I get a call over in the Montlake on 24th East for a hair salon. Routing over the University Bridge I get there fairly quickly, thinking this is just "another local" but instead the young woman from Stika, Alaska is meeting her sister near the airport at the Southcenter Mall, meaning a fight through rush hour traffic and further personal delay.
Now nearly 1 1/2 hours later I head to the little park located just above the mall. Painful yes but I survived. Nearby is a memorial plaque to a deceased employee and a newly planted tree, reminding life continues forward no matter how imperfectly, available toilet or not.
Great Taxi Article in Sept 28th-Oct 4th 2016 Seattle Weekly Issue
Sara Bernard's recent very well researched article "Uber Alles---The taxi industry is being taken apart by rideshares. Could the airport contract be its last stand?" is truly worthwhile reading, providing an insightful look at a slow moving disaster. The article details, in clear language, that despite protestations and denials to the contrary, the Port of Seattle has abandoned the taxi drivers. If you don't believe me, read the article and see for yourself. And why, why is the Port of Seattle doing this?
From my point of view, it is clear and simple. Other than one Port commission member in particular, who does understand, the rest are, just like recent versions of Seattle's City Council--- upper-middle class caste-ridden people who support and believe in supporting Big Business and Conservative Social Norms. They say otherwise but don't believe them. It is what they are and what they remain. Uber, for them, represents what is best about corporate innovation, while taxi representing the very disposable past. Bernard, for better or not, quotes me toward the end. Go to seattleweekly.com to read the story.
Yesterday I was distressed to find what I was warning about in last week's blog was now coming to pass, with both Eastside and Yellow double-dipping the Sea-Tac operators. Not only do they now have to pay Eastside $155.00 for an essentially nonexistent dispatch system but Yellow is still demanding their weekly $180.00 because the operators failed to give a two week notice of departure. Did these guys ever read their contract's fine print? Clearly not, meaning these guys are "paying through the nose" for what, for what are they getting forking over all this money for? Plainly they are paying for their own punishment, like they were some kind of criminals for just wanting to make a living. Nice, isn't it, but fair, no, it is not fair.
Yesterday, talking to a longtime Sea-Tac operator advocate, he gave me what I feel is one of the best compliments ever received, saying I was principled. Thank you for that, man! because it is one compliment I can accept. I attempt to be consistent, pleasing that someone noticed. Thanks!
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