Paradise Driver: 08/16/06

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

WE HAVE A WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO JO

She correctly spotted that the people were surfing AWAY from the beach. You might be able to do that in The Bay Of Fundy, but you can't in Hawai'i.

An Honorable Mention goes out to Little Green Men Of The World for noticing the lady surfer was wearing shoes, and strapped sandals with a small heel at that. I wonder what this artist was smoking when he painted(?) this pic?

Thanks all for participating. After I posted that image there was something "wrong" about it and it took a couple of viewings before I "grokked".

WOULD THIS INTEREST ANYONE?

I received the following e-mail yesterday:

Hello Wil,

I am a casting director at Bullrun, a new TV show from Spike TV, which is based on the automotive rally of the same name. We are looking for drivers to compete in the televised version of Bullrun in October, which will go from Vancouver to Los Angeles. These people need to love their cars.

Right now we are specifically searching for taxi drivers who have their own car or truck (or taxi!) that they love. We are especially looking for outgoing, personable and young people.

Since I'm sure you have access to taxi drivers I would appreciate if you could pass this information on to anyone you think could be a potential participant in the show. We want great cars and great people who are 21 years of age or older, have a passion for their car, know someone who could be a co-pilot and have a good driving record. Please have them contact me (of course, if you're interested, you can contact me as well). They can also go to www.bullruncasting.com for more information.

Thanks for your help!
Sincerely,
Roberta Brodsky
Casting Director
Bullrun

As noted in what they are looking for, I really don't meet their demographic profile. I would be the comic relief portion of the show.

Those of you who might be interested in participating, and can prove to me that you really are a cabbie, I have her phone # and e-mail addy. Otherwise, just click the link and best of luck.

MET-BLOG-HAW (HAW)

I am having fun there and am breaking so many of their sacred rules. Four posts and two complaints from the "Big-Wigs". As I have done my entire life, I will only obey those rules that I want to obey. I have no one to answer to but myself.

LAST NIGHT

A boring, and slow, night. 14 runs and just missed cracking $200 on the neter by less that $10. Had to work the entire 12 hours to do all that, though. After day-shift had started checking in they were each given assignments requiring a van. A large group of Japanese tourists are on the island and are sequestered at various hotels and condos in Wailea and Kihei. This morning they all went to Ma'alaea Harbor for a snorkling trip to Molokini. I was the "utility clean-up player", handling all the hotel to golf course pu-pu runs. Had to get the hell out of Dodge when the sun finally crested Haleakala, as my skin began giving off smoke. "Vampires" have a problem with the sun.

Just after bar close I was headed down to The Grand to get today's reservation sheet. As I passed Cove Park, about two blocks south of the "Triangle", I was flagged by two males, obvious intoxicated tourists. When I asked where they were going, they replied "2805".

"2805, what?"

"I don't know. All I can remember is that it said '2805' next to the door. Oh, it was between a street that started with a 'K' and another that started with an 'O'"

Now this was a challenge. You have seen the street signs that I posted before. The vast majority start with the letter "K". My brain shifted into high gear. The house numbering sequence in Kihei would place that address between Keonekai Street and Kilohana Street. Kilohana is the dividing line between Kihei and Wailea. Running south from Keonekai are three streets.

O'hina.

Pu'u Ho'olai.

Kauhale.

Logic places the street they wanted as being Pu'u Ho'olai, since it is between O'hina (a street with the letter "O") and Kauhale (a street with the letter "K").

I pulled up to 2805 Pu'u Ho'olai and said. "Here you go guys."

"This ain't right. We're staying in a huge condo."

"Friend. There are no condos with a street address of '2805' between roads beginning with the letters 'K' and 'O'. What else do you remember?"

"Uh...

Well we just got here today and all I can remember is seeing a mile post marker with the number '10' on it and thats where we turned. I don't remember the name of the condo but it was called 'Phase-2'."

I "nailed" their destination instantly. They had turned off of the Pi'ilani Highway at O'kalani Street (Letter "O"), which is the next street south of Kilohana (Letter "K"). The main street in Wailea is called "Wailea Alanui" and connects these two. There are two condo complexes on Wailea Alanui between these two streets. The names have changed a few times over the years and the second phase is now called "Wailea Palms". The street address is in the 3300 block, but internally the buildings are numbered and the individual condos are identified by listing both the building number and the unit number. Hence "28-05".

It only took me 11 minutes from the start of the run to the drop-off. About 2 minutes longer than if I had had the correct location from the start.

Thats how I translate "tourist-speak".

They were so happy, the gave me $20 on the $11.90 fare.

That made me happy, too.

TODAY'S PICS