Wednesday, May 5, 2010

8/16/09-Navigating August

Two more documentary shots from the middle of August: My trip sheet,

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The trip sheet is somewhat of a holdover, a relic of the time before the GPS systems were implemented in the cabs. We were once required to note each location and time that we picked up and dropped off each passenger. Some cabbies who've been driving for many years still do it, just out of habit. I guess they feel that by taking all these notes they'll never forget, and they can have their own proof of where they were during the day to cross-reference with the T&LC or whomever argues this. Plus there is just the simple fact that writing down things places it in our memories. I however am very happy that I don't have to worry about such minutia anymore. I feel that I make much more money and have much less stress now that I don't have to find a place or a time in still traffic to write it all down. I only write down my drop off locations when I feel my brain is a little bit busy, and I write down the credit card amounts, and do the math for how much money I need to break even, or how much I've made so far.

But in the summer months, especially the month of August, all the space lends itself to the list of street closures, and if it all amounts to enough of a puzzle I sometimes etch out an outline of Manhattan with the streets that are closed. It creates a maze like pathway sometimes to understand how one can go crosstown, uptown, or downtown with the least hinderance.

And I look at this and I say "oi" August is just around the corner isn't it? Last year I worked sometimes 5 days a week and still managed to make about the same money as I would in normal month with 3 days a week.

2 comments:

John said...

My trip sheet would fit on the back of a postage stamp at present.
Thinking of taking up busking

MrFunkMD said...

The idea of the electronic trip sheet is new to me. I had never heard or really thought of that sort of application from the GPS & CC systems.

But now that you say it, I could see this this exact thing in Vegas in the very near future.