The Hooker And The 100 Dollar Bill & DDS Upate

If I am not really interested in working I should never answer a call because, once committed, I never know what is going to happen and how demanding the passenger will be, along with just how many minutes and hours will be involved.  That I did this last Tuesday evening was to my deep regret because, how in the world did I know that at least one resident living in and around Seattle's Alki Point utilizes prostitutes but that was certainly the case then as the nice sounding woman turned out to be a hooker going, as she said, to the Sea-Tac Park & Ride.

I knew something "wasn't right" when she talked about swimming in the river running along Admiral Way because there isn't one, telling her she must be referring to the Duwamish River flowing upon the east side of Marginal Way SW, a river she might want to avoid given it remains on the EPA Superfund Cleanup list.  Her response told me she didn't know where she was, and minutes later, confirming she also didn't know where she was going.

And unfortunately what was normal suddenly transposed into the abnormal as she began panicking about my routing, prompting a quick U-turn onto State Route 599, taking us either to Pacific Highway South or I-5 southbound. Having already once announced we were detouring elsewhere, she again abruptly changed her agenda, this time saying we were now heading to Tacoma and Pacific Avenue, altering the entire scenario, the $40.00 ride now $140.00 and counting.

Telling her that a large deposit was now required she began yelling and cursing and waving 3 one-hundred bills at me, "I have the money, I have the money!" but the only problem being, she wouldn't give me one of them.  Every cabbie perhaps on the planet have been through this, knowing full well that the insane customer showing you the money doesn't at all guarantee you will be getting it save a wrestling match in the backseat, game players being just that---playing serious games no cabbie is interested in participating in on any level.

Telling her the ride was over, she then gave me a twenty which didn't fully cover the current meter amount as I exited onto International Boulevard and dropped her off at the Tukwila Light-rail station, saying she could catch a bus from there.  Thinking that was the end of it, I was glad to be rid of her and having 20 bucks for all my trouble and pain and lasting irritation.

But no, much later the fool texted me to ask if she had left a hundred in the cab.  Thinking it highly unlikely I lifted the backseat up, and amazingly, there it was.  Her third text to me said "Never mind" but nonetheless I called both her and dispatch, telling everyone that I would get it back to her once I came back from an overnight hiking jaunt scheduled for early Wednesday morning.  And all this after not charging her for what she fully owed me.  My personal policy has been, and remains, once I tell a passenger to go, I'm not interested in the money, my sole priority being to get the person out of the cab, like now, pronto, get out and stay out!

The hike and overnight at Lake Talapus in the Alpine Lake Wilderness was wonderful, sleeping away, away from the maddening crowds, listening to owls and other birds talk in the tranquil night.  But knowing I would have to deal with the situation Thursday morning didn't make me happy, knowing she was at best unpredictable, and worst, completely out-of-her-mind.

Finding new texts on my telephone, along with the fact that she was leaving messages with both dispatch and Yellow's Superintendent office, I called her to give her a more-or less ETA.  Problem was she never told me where she was and it wasn't West Seattle where I originally found her but somewhere near the airport.

Suffice to say she wasted yet more of my time, finally all this nonsense coming an end by meeting me in  a car in Chinatown driven by either a current "John" or her pimp, then very reluctantly giving me five dollars for my great honesty and effort.   And this time I got a really good look at her with "Oh my God!" my response, the woman trouble times ten and a hectoring addict hen, and certainly no ones friend!  Why anyone would pay to have sex with this individual is a mystery that I will let someone other than myself attempt to solve and decipher.  Crazy, crazy, and I repeat, crazy, insane etc.

As I keep saying, "Ain't taxi fun?" No!

DDS Update

PSD/Yellow is still negotiating the contract, meaning the changeover and installation WILL NOT be completed before the new school run season begins in September.   One email today told me they planned to do 40-50 cabs at a time.  All this is getting me to think that Puget Sound Dispatch is writing all of us a prescription for disaster and that perhaps it would be better if we waited until next year to complete the changeover to DDS.  I personally will need some reassurance that squeezing all these changes into the autumn months will not once again result into the boondoggle that we all experienced 4 years ago.  We do not need that to occur again. No, not at all.

You're mean!

I can't imagine how many grocery runs I've done since 1987 but this one last Sunday at the Ballard Safeway deserves commentary because when I attempted to load the two bags in the cab she screamed "Don't touch my bags!" followed by tears and saying how mean I was for trying to complete a very routine pickup.  What was her issue?  Schizophrenia near as I can tell.  While I have empathy her response sacred me because what would she say or do next?  Since I didn't know I had to drive away, leaving her to negotiate with the next cabbie.  Good luck!

Tacoma Yellow Cab Kaput!

I was astonished to find out that the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry had forced the closure of Tacoma Yellow.  Longtime readers know I have mentioned that battle in the past but it appears that L&I won the day by killing Yellow.   I hope to feature the full story next week.

Kudos to the City and County Concerning Medallion Renewal

As opposed to just notifying the associations, like Seattle did when it came time to inspect and calibrate our taxi meters, this time I received an email detailing dates and times for all owner appointments.  Thank you, Seattle and King County, for the good communication.  It is appreciated.

Magnolia Marina Fiefdom 

Located on the south side of Magnolia bluff, the Palisades Restaurant and the Magnolia Boat Marina have long been a commonplace taxi pickup and drop off, personally working there over a thousand times, and not once until this past weekend have I ever encountered any interference.  Certainly I have noticed the small guard shack located on the public street but since it was never occupied I gave it little thought other than it seemed rather out of place.  But this past Saturday night some woman attempted to stop me as I drove on West Marina Place toward a pickup at the restaurant.  Later, on Sunday morning, I stopped and looked at all the street signage and saw nothing indicating W. Marina Place was anything but a public street.  In most cases there will be posted signs indicating you are entering a private street but there are no such signs anywhere, and in my 30 cab year experience, there never have been.

Asking the kids working the Palisades valet, they said the marina was private but knew nothing concerning the streets themselves.  Upon leaving this same woman tired to stop me but I kept on going, little amused by what I saw as some kind of self-styled vigilantism attempting to achieve what I had no idea.  If I ever have a spare moment I am going to ask the City of Seattle  about what they know or don't about legal public access on W. Marina Place.  I am curious concerning the ultimate answer of who is in charge, the City of Seattle or a bunch of upper-middle class folks floating around in 500 thousand dollar boats.  All I can say is that they better watch out because I am tempted to save up all my pennies and buy a second-hand submarine.  Up periscope!