AND SUMMER COMES TO AN END

UNLESS YOU LIVE IN THE LAND OF OZ

What ever was making me feel miserable yesterday fully manifested itself today. Spent a lot of time in the small room down the hall.

That is one of the drawbacks about being a cabbie. I pick up people having who knows what wrong with them and spend 5 to 30 minutes in the very close quarters of my vehicle. Breathing in whatever germs they are exhaling. Usually, my body's immune system wins, but not always.

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NEW CAB BLOG

I have been diligently searching for cab blogs from all the major US cities. Tonight I finally found one from Las Vegas. Las Vegas Cabbie Chronicles is an excellent example of a cabbie in a city that truly never sleeps. It is now part of my links.

Still searching for some out of "El Lay", "Shy Town" and "Bean Town". They must exist. If you come across any cab blogs that I haven't listed, please drop me an e-mail so I can check them out.

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VISITORS

An interesting article in yesterday's (2006-08-31) Mau'i News. Their statistics don't exactly "jive" with whats happening on the street but it is still good news. People in other service industry functions are always asking me how business is going. This isn't for small talk, it is really networking to see if abberations in their sector are just transitory or can a trend be detected. Every sector of the visitor industry has unique peaks and valleys that do not necessarily reflect the overall trend of business. Only when all segments experience the same ups and downs can a true reflection be garnered. What we do look for is two or more sections of the economy showing identical patterns. This can then be used to predict what is coming down the road in the near future. Statistics tell us what has happened. Networking tells us what is going to happen.

Can you believe that Mau'i has seen more than 1.5 million visitors during the first 7 months of 2006? Thats one hell of a lot of people. Our resident population is only about 150,000.

This autumn might be profitable. The Canadian Dollar is the strongest it has been in decades against the American Dollar. And we have seen a definate up-tick in business from that market. Can hardly wait to see the new flock of "snow-birds" this winter will bring.

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PLEASE BE SAFE!

Today starts the long Labor (Labour) Day holiday weekend in Canada and the US. If you are going to drink, please have a designated driver or better yet, CALL A CAB! Thats why we are here. I always approach holidays with the concept that I am the only sober person on the road. Its called defensive driving. Always expect the unexpected.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF
Flickr: Photos from macprohawaii

What other state has a royal palace as its capitol?

"Let's all be careful out there!"