With The Meter Running, My Passenger Goes Into The Store To Shoplift & A Surprise Airport Run, Not To Sea-Tac But Paine Field! & He Said, "You Made Me "Eat Crow"

The Taxi Getaway Car

Telling a passenger about this incident, I told her that if I drove for one thousand years, I'd still be encountering unique situations totally new to me.  Why that's true is simply the innate nature of the beast, as each new fare introducing yet another living and breathing member of that strange clan: the homo-sapiens.  As though much has changed since our first relatives exited the primordial ooze, billions of years later things unfortunately remain un-evolved, with our walking and talking modern humans little better than that first fish who decided to take a terrestrial stroll, light a cigarette and marvel at those dinosaurs dancing through time.  

The young woman on 26th East loaded my cab with too many huge bulging bags of dirty clothes and blankets and pillows, her intent being a ride to a local laundromat but first she need detergent, making the 22nd & East Madison Safeway her first destination.  Asking why she didn't instead choose a closer store, she said Safeway had what she needed, that turning into a truer statement than I could have imagined.  

Parked across from the main entrance, her quick excursion became five dollars, ten dollars, fifteen dollars as the meter ticked away.  Relieved to see her finally exit the store, she was suddenly confronted by three security staff, blocking her way, accusing her of taking items minus payment.  First denying the allegations, she decided it better to cooperate, with all of them reentering the Safeway.  Quickly following,  I demanded and received my $15.00 while promising to return all her clothes back to the beginning.  Back at the house, no one was pleased to hear the sad story, remarking that she was someone her brother brought in, and not welcomed in any real way.  Yeah, look what the "cat dragged in."

My immediate reaction was disgust, not liking my time wasted.  And if you are going make me party to an ongoing crime, shouldn't I get some percentage of the take?  Just make sure the soap is biodegradable.

Airport North, not South

I have always wondered if it would ever happen, getting an airport run not to Sea-Tac but to that other airport operating at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, and on a sunny Saturday morning, that's exactly what happened, the woman's Alaska Airline flight to San Francisco originating there.   With tip, the fare was $65.00, and curious, I escorted my passenger into the beautiful terminal welcoming all those interested in avoiding Sea-Tac International.  Yes, I was able to park the cab in the departure lane and not get screamed at.  Southwest Airlines I was told will be returning to serve Paine Field sometime soon, this new airport perhaps a better alternative for those living in north King County.  Traffic was a breeze!

And He Once Drove Cab in Savannah, Georgia 

The guy was trouble immediately, and I told him so, telling him he was a bit crazy, and unless he stopped mouthing off, I was pulling over and letting him out.  Curtailing his antics, he began telling me about his six years driving cab in tourist Georgia.  Dropping him off at his University District job site, and coming around to my door, he angrily announced that I had made him "eat crow."  My quick response was "I am a veteran cab driver and I don't take anything from anyone."  As a former cabbie, he should have known, and knew that my requests to him wasn't personal, only wishing him to shut up so I could get him to where he needed to be.  Let the driver drive is what I repeatedly say.  And it's true, behave in the back seat, and I'll get you there quick, guaranteed! 

And if you somehow need to be crazy, do it before entering the cab, getting it out of your system. I am your driver, not your psychiatrist.