Don't Slice Your Finger Before Beginning Your Shift

Having already learned the lesson of  not driving taxi while suffering from influenza, near delirium upon a New Year's Eve the worse of plans, this week I had a similar repeat performance, driving with my right index finger swathed in gauze.  A mere hour prior to sleep Friday night, while opening a bottle of beer, the lip of the bottle breaking and slicing nearly a half inch of my poor finger off and away.  Instantly confronted with a bleeding mess enjoying a new unimpeded freedom, I stemmed the flow best I could and made it quickly to the closest ER, where my wound was cauterized, or descriptively appropriate, burned to closure. 

No fun and no sleep I began my weekend.  Not to be recommended or repeated.  Taxi is bad enough without adding to the pain and misery, or idiocy.  Heading west off of Beacon Hill down South Lucile Street nearing Airport Way South the bicyclist runs the red light.  Slamming 478's brakes I tell her "to pay attention." "I am," she replies. I respond, "All you  are going to be is dead," implying denial quite pointless and totally beside the point.  Always welcome to taxi as I don't want to know it.

Taxi Revolution On Hold

A couple of weeks ago, internecine conflict stalled our little conspiratorial cabal, meaning at least from us, any and all lawsuits directed toward Uber and friends and/or the City of Seattle, are on hold.  Personally I still have 80 pages left before me, revising and editing my new book a second time, meaning I know where my priorities lie, and I promise you it isn't from the interior of a Crowne Victoria.  How could it be?

And besides, I am not pleased I wasn't invited to the Mayor's Uber Referendum negotiating committee, instead the taxi uninitiated speaking upon subjects they have little knowledge.   Not one lease driver to be seen, veteran or novice.  Or especially someone similar to me, having over 26 years beneath the top light, and still battling it out upon the local byways, knowing  more than he ever wanted to know concerning  the painful subject.   I find it nonsensical.

I also find it both puzzling and disturbing.  Doesn't anyone have any pride, misrepresenting themselves when the stakes for so many are this high, with thousands of livelihoods at risk? 

And who is to blame for this?  Why the taxi industry itself, insistent upon utilizing professional baby sitters and other ersatz taxi expects ready to part fools from their money.  What I find amazing is, after the damage caused by Cooper and Mundy's demand study, that the local taxi folks haven't learned their lesson concerning hired expertise, their misinformation directly fueling the crisis we are facing.   Is the taxi industry suicidal?  I hate to say it, but forced to make an assessment, I would have to say, yes it is, requiring more than a mere 72 hour commitment.  Where are the restraints and padded cells?