Brevity

You may find it unfathomable but last Monday my priority was getting over to eastern Washington and the Quincy Lakes instead of my usual post-taxi posting.  She who can't be named came up instead of me going down so here I am later than sooner.  Returning only to do my taxi weekend we will then be heading south to a hot springs southeast of Mount Hood.  Much occurred this past week including the city council's five to three vote  approving the newest rate increase.  Council member Sally Bagwell was quoted as saying that all this taxi regulation business was confusing and that she really needed time to figure it all out.  Never a truer statement was uttered.  I will be contacting her once I am back from my second leg of vacationing.  Now we await the vote from the King County council.  Too many cooks stirring the taxi broth?  That answer is obvious.

The question concerning when does it become inappropriate using taxis as inferior  ambulances appeared to be answered last weekend.  My previous worse was a pregnant woman experiencing contractions as I fought heavy traffic.  This episode topped that when I picked up a DSHS/HopeLink client in the 8100 thousand of Rainier Avenue South and took her approximately twelve miles north to University Hospital.  Bent over as she entered the taxi the passenger, experiencing both severe pain and acute nausea from pregnancy complications proceeded to roll and groan in the backseat while simultaneously retching in a container she thankfully had brought with her.  As I later asked Fred the dispatcher, how was this at all reasonable?  His response was that she had called for the taxi herself through the HopeLink office.  Maybe they should be a little more circumspect. The poor woman could have expired while I was stuck on I-5 north-bound.  I was truly sweating it as I understood too well the risks. The only positive was that I have the possible skills to intervene but what about the taxi rookie who has only been driving six months?  Such is the madness of taxi.  I for one am certainly ready to soak both body and head.  Maybe I will forget the way back to Seattle but unfortunately the train I will taking back north from Salem, Oregon probably knows the way. Engine, engine number nine, please be fickle, please be kind!