Saturday, August 30, 2008

mid shift

Ahh saturday, and what a saturday! I think I'm up 70 bucks even after the gas and lease price are deducted. But I went through a red light with a camera somewhere in the middle of my pre-dawn shift half. --or-- maybe I didn't, wink, wink. So I may loose a few more dollars on that shcmutz. 

It was raining softly and then heavily all night, and only now has it stopped at 10 am. I think I drove through more then 10 floods, thank my lucky stars, or whomever it's popular to thank nowadays, that the car rides with a high ground clearance. 

I had two rides to the Bronx. The first one, I wasn't sure if he wanted the Bronx or not, then he fell asleep of course, he asked for heat in the car, why do you want heat in the car anyway? so then I had to take a big detour to get righted to the Bronx, he was a good guy though, pulled one of those credit card things where he tipped me a cent. Last week somebody tipped 3 cents, that's alright, this time I deserved it I guess. 

Right after I got another ride back to the Bronx from Harlem. I didn't want to get lost again. Obviously I don't know the Bronx very well. He told me Bruckner to exit 12, and from the to Bronx river. 

"Bronx River... Parkway?"

"No, just Bronx, Bronx River." 

Why can't people be more clear? The exits were rising in numbers and we were at about #44. This guy was going pretty far, and I didn't want to be taking him far, in the wrong direction, he fell asleep too. You'd be surprised how many people fall asleep back there. So I took my foot off the gas on the highway and had to nock on the plexiglass, about, 20 times, he awoke twice only to shut down again. He finally arose to tell me that yes it was exit 12, to drive straight, and to trust him... and to get out of the slow lane and start passing people.

Who does that? And it wasn't exactly a matter of trust, I just didn't want to screw over two people in a row by taking them off course. 

"There have been a lot of accidents today," I mutter. I think he heard me.

He fell half asleep again, and sure enough the exits started going down. He asked me if my name was Jewish Russian, which I found interesting because my father from which my last name is from was just talking about the name recently and how he and his father aren't sure where the name is from. Details, details, anyway I told him, Earnest or Emit, something with an E, that while I am Jewish, the last name comes from my Christian side, and we have no idea where it comes from. seriously my heritage is spread pretty thin all over the Northern Atlantic region of Europe and probably even America. 

Anyway, Emit turned out to be really cool, paid in cash too, he's the custodian of uh.. somewhere or other. I came back to more floods under the Triborough Bridge. I had a bunch more shortys (short trips that is) and here I am, having a cup of coffee. If your reading this and the day is young, you can go to Brooklyn and see the West Indian parades and such, over by the Brooklyn Museum.

well enjoy your weekend-  

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Have I ever told you I HATE SLEEPERS!?