Thursday, February 25, 2010

Last Monday

Ugh, I got a cold, which may be getting to the fever stage now. I think I got it by not taking a breakfast break on any of my work days this past workend, saturday, sunday, and monday. The money again wasn't so superb and in addition I started each shift later than usual which led to a more stressful attempt to make the dollars driving through more traffic. Wow, monday was so bad that my first 2 and a half hours were vacant, and then the morning rush was only on for 2 hours rather than 3 or 4. At one point I had to use the bathroom but I couldn't find a parking spot close enough to a public bathroom.

I had some douche type french guy who first requested a restaurant in midtown, eventually he gave me the address, then he asked me if I could turn down the volume on the tv screen, so I told him that it is only controlled by the passenger and I couldn't do anything. He then waived my comments off as he proceeded to make a phone call. I motioned to him a suggestion that i could lean through the partition opening to see if I could find the mute button, to which he didn't really give a discernible answer, and then I found out that the machine was broken, stuck with the volume on but no other feature working, shit! He then asked me if I could drop him off at the nearest Barnes And Noble on the way. I told him that the nearest one isn't so close but there is one perhaps on 53rd street and 3rd Avenue. I wasn't really sure about that statement, and he told me that it was okay and that we should go to the place anyway.

"The restaurant in midtown?" I asked. to which he agreed. But then when we got there he said I misread him, and that he wanted to go to the nearest Barnes And Noble first. And so I recited to him the dialogue that I just recited to you the blog readers. There must've been a language barrier. Anyway he actually tipped me 2 dollars, so that was quite surprising.

I then took about 10 maybe 15 minutes trying to figure out how to fix the GPS computer so it would work again, as I didn't want to get stuck with a passenger who couldn't use their credit card. If I were in that customer's shoes I wouldn't trust me either if I told them the machine was broken, so this damn GPS thing can really be a hassle sometimes, breaking up whatever flow a driver might grab on a day. Oh and of course I wasn't parked in a legal spot, but I got lucky in that I didn't get approached by parking enforcement.

When I finally called the garage I found I was looking in the wrong place for the computer reset button. About 5 minutes and then the computer ran through DOS and started looking more correct. I wasted two hirings of the meter to make sure the machine was working, which contrary to the computer technology do not get deducted from the MTA surcharge despite the fact that I punched in the void last transaction button.

Anyway, sorry, long boring details, I make a drive to the New Jersey Ferry Terminal on 12th Avenue and get my 10 minutes in a nice clean toilet stall at last. And after waiting another 10 minutes or so, I pick-up a woman who wants to go to 18th Street and 5th avenue. As I travel down 12th Avenue, I think, 'maybe I should take 30th first and then 9th down to 20th, as 18th gets clogged, and 23rd has a jam usually at 5th, and at 7th due to the closing of a lane at the intersection. But I go with the most straight forward plan: 12th Avenue to 18th Street, as I didn't want to make the route to her destination too quirky. Also the chances for getting stuck in a random jam and a pissed off customer seem to increase 2 fold when I get creative. Today, it was not my day, guess what happened? Guess?

we wind up in what looks more like a traffic holding pattern, than it does a street. She gets out, but remarkably she gives me 10 dollars for the 6 and change fare, amazing!! I could kiss her, the absolute nicest person ever just for doing such a thing, to be so thoughtful to know that I was stuck in a situation I couldn't get out of. I stayed there, and decided to shut my engine off to save gas, for about 10 to 20 minutes, which some people were already yelling had been a half hour. Two ambulances were at the intersection and a police car was behind them making sure nobody drove through the tight space. One or two flat bed two trucks might have left the scene with crushed cars on board. Somehow I managed a profit just over a hundred dollars, but it wasn't fun, although on the other hand, the actual driving experience of Monday in relation to saturday and sunday were a welcome relief, people on monday were maintaining a more even speed, and were all around more polite drivers than the weekend drivers were. If only we had the customers.

I still have yet to contact lawyers about the ticket I received the week before

2 comments:

NYCabbie said...

Are you on day shift? there is a lawyer on 53rd street between 3rd and lex, it is kind of membership, you pay $100 for a year or month which I'm unsure and he will fight your all tickets,best for drivers who get tickets frequently.
If interested I'll ask my friend, who has his membership.

NYC taxi photo said...

i'll try and comment back on your blog too, I don't think it'd be wise for me. I hadn't had a ticket in 3 years. but those first 2 years were crazy. I'm not sure how a cabbie can make it through each year getting 3 tickets or more, i guess there are good lawyers out there.