I am sitting here too tired to write, a 14 mile sun drenched hike on the past Thursday plus 3 full trip sheets plus 5 additional, the last West Seattle to Federal Way at 2:15 this morning from the Poggie Tavern, sixty-six sweet but fatigued dollars ending the weekend on a positive note. Number of items to comment upon but first my inital four fares upon a Saturday morning, the latter three illustrating well taxi as I know and despise it.
The first orginated from the only Denny's extant within Seattle, located at 4th & S. Forest, four tourists from Vancover, BC who were amazed that their hotel, the old time, long time Moore still used actual room keys.
The second came from 10th & E. Pike, a guy from the Super Genius Tattoo shop proving he wasn't, not knowing his address then having me stop on busy Martin Luther King Way South instead of droppin him off in back because it was difficult (according to him) to access the alley entrance. At that point the 1600 block of MLK south-bound is on a very dangerous downward curve making it insane to to stop for any reason, cars blindly flying down the medium hill. I informed him of such circumstances. His response is not worth repeating, his mind a drifting cloud upon an early summer morning.
Amed. I knew I was in trouble reading his name, and I was of course correct, another privileged engineering student from the Arabian Peninsula, in his case from the UAE. Telling me how to go but having no real understanding of the local addressing system didn't stop him, holding in common amongst his brethren an arrogrance royal in its orgin. He was actually better than most, providing some small faith that he might remember that Denny is the East/West dividing line.
Last and just possibly least were two gay fellows going from 1st Hill to the University District. They appeared to be "new" to each other and perhaps poster candidates for the American Family Association based in Tupelo, Mississippi, Mister New York City asking first where I was from and a few minutes later inquiring whether I went to the gym. Important note to all who don't drive taxi: consider that the driver may not care whatsoever that you find him attractive. Again, please take note! Personally I am not interested in being the object of a passenger's attention unless you are of the canine or feline variety, then certainly go ahead and lick!
Message from Taxi-land
While camping out at the Quincy Lakes I would check my telephone once an evening. Wednesday at 7 PM I got this anguished message that ended with the clear sentiment that a group of single owners were being treated like animals. Inquiring further it became clear that the folks down at taxi licensing inspection center had shut down the window perhaps prematurely prompting a near riot of 35 waiting cabbies. An intervening call to the mayor's office evidently got them to reopen. Friday I recieved an invition to observe licensing operations. I will try to make it tomorrow.
In the Local Section
Saturday I recieved a call from a Seattle Times reporter asking what I felt about the union organizing meeting happening later that evening. I told him this and that and got this fairly accurate quote in the Sunday paper: "Anytime we get people involved who have not driven a taxi, they screw things up." Yes that sounds like something I would say as it is true for the most part. Earlier in the week while soaking up the sun I mused how the local breaucrats make all these decisions concerning the industry while knowing sum zero about us, impacting individuals for years with decisons made over after a more or less half hour of discussion. This can't keep happening.
And PS, this Monday makes exactly one year for my blog. Happy Birthday taxi blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment