You Know Its Busy...........

Yes you know it is busy as hell when someone bashes your taxi and still your overall earnings are not affected.  Usually an accident of any kind sours the moment if not your entire shift but yesterday's incident, occurring at about 6:30 in the early evening altered little more than preventing me from taking my usual Sunday sauna at the West Seattle YMCA.  Having just fueled 478 ($65.00!) I left the 12th and E. Jefferson AM-PM and turned up East Terrace Street to service my bell at 906 Cherry.  Suddenly the idling car in the side alley to my left lurched out directly into my drivers-side door.  A loud crunch! as the narrow street prevented me from escaping the impact of the wayward Honda Accord.  An older Ethiopian woman had just experienced her first crash, choosing me and 478 for the traumatizing episode, mistaking the gas pedal for the brake.  As I did what was necessary, contacting the various necessary authorities she sat unbelieving, suddenly catatonic, her hands frozen shielding her face as she contemplated that all too modern experience, the car accident. I failed to tell her that she was only one of a paltry 11,0000 and could take solace.  If anything it should be considered fortunate that she uncannily aimed her vehicle at the exact middle of the door thus sparing 478 from further damage. 

As we waited for the police it became clear that there could be alternatives to punitive authority, and when her son arrived we agreed that it would be better that if they agreed to pay for the damages the impact upon his mother would be minimal.  And indeed the shop was wonderful quickly replacing the door by 1:00 this afternoon, telling me that $650.00 would be acceptable payment.  Calling the son all I have gotten so far is his voice message which is unfortunate because I sense he feels that I have somehow betrayed his mother.  Usual procedure at Yellow is to contact the insurance companies while knowing that everything will be resolved privately.  Yellow is positively paranoid about people making false insurance claims.  That this attitude comes from real experience I suppose justifies the sometimes hard line.  Regardless it appears the mother will escape minus a ticket and in real terms only a small monetary outlay.  I would guess that a commercial auto body shop would have charged her 2-3 thousand for her troubles.  For all their shouting, Taki and company do a great job repairing and maintaining the fleet. 

Humorous Category (sort of)

Last Thursday a friend came down to Tacoma to check out the local taxi scene and explore the various neighborhoods.  We also went to the art and car museums both of which I hold memberships.  When "she-who-can't-be named" found out I was assisting Mark with a possible return to the world of top-lights, she began shouting at me.  "How could you etc!" hating taxi far more than I do.  Given that we have taken many taxis together in faraway lands one would think her opinion would be somewhat moderated but no, for her taxi is poison and nothing will change that.  She knows that the only antidote is complete disassociation.  How can I disagree?  John missed our usual Sunday Chinese feast feeling it necessary to to decompress after his car broke down on the Aurora Bridge during a Saturday night rain storm.  He didn't like nearly being killed repeatedly by mindless oncoming traffic.  And I can't argue with that either!