THE PRINCE WAS A FROG

AND THE COACH WAS A PUMPKIN


A dismal "Cinderella" shift.

NOW! I remember why I quit working on Sundays and Mondays.

Put $20 in my pocket at the end of the shift.

I left at 11:00pm.

There is going to be some drama later. Hardin, who was dispatching when I left, plans to end his shift around midnight. That will leave just Kimo and TMR. Whomever Hardin gives the phone to will also be the one having to do the overnight.

Believe me. Neither one is going to volunteer for it.

***

For those of you who are still accessing
PARADISE DRIVER via
http://wilkyle.blogspot.com
This will be the final posting to that URL.

Please change your bookmarks/favorites and/or newsreaders to the new URL:
http://paradisedriver.blogspot.com

***

6:00pm to 11:00pm
No runs the first 90 minutes.
No runs the last 90 minutes.
Squeezed 2 pupus, one moderate fare and an OGG into the middle 2 hours.

Tina (#05) and I spent that first 90 minutes chatting about photography.

I am off, today. Artichokes with Judy tonight. The latest episode of HEROES, a rerun of Friends and some pleasant company and conversation.

Sounds boring, huh?

Mahalo

Aloha

---

THE PICTURE GALLERY

A Hawai'ian Luau

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

GREAT START

"DEAD" FINISH

Went "10-1" (start of shift) at exactly 7:00pm. I was first up and was immediately dispatched for a run to OGG. On our way at 7:02pm. A young couple returning to Stockholm, Sweden via a one week lay-over in San Francisco. The "City" is very beautiful this time of year.

I explained to them that they needed to go though the Department of Agriculture check-point before heading to the departure counter. All luggage is required to be inspected and an approval sticker issued for each bag.

Supposedly this is to prevent invasive species from migrating to the mainland, with possible negative consequences to the agribusiness.

You can see everyone lined up. This is the first of 4 times that people have to queue up to depart the island.

1. DoA
2. Airline Departure Counter
3. TSA Security
4. Airline Boarding

Departing the airport, I got behind this van. His GM vehicle had the "daylight" running lights on, illuminating the road and the lights on the dashboard were glowing. His problem was that, for some idiotic reason, GM didn't include the illumination of the taillights when the vehicle is operating after dark.

I think I scared the living shit out of him when, at a very long 4-way signal, I tapped on his window and asked him to turn on his headlights.

As I entered Kihei I was assigned a dinner return from Sansei to Wailea. Things were looking very good for the night.

WRONG!!

My next job was 90 minutes in coming. Followed by my 4th and 5th fares an hour after that.

Midnight through bar close was active. 6 pupus.

Phone never rang after that.

Turned control over to Wally (#05) a bit after 4:00am and was feeding Bear by 4:30am.

98 miles, 11 lines on my Driver's Sheet and metered in the mid $100's. Not a bad night but definitely less than I really needed.

Feces occurs.

***

Tina, usually in #5, took this the other night.
Me in ONE-NINE.
Here's a "photo-chopped" blow-up.

***

Cruising through the "Triangle" and spotted this young woman dancing on top of a parked car.

She made it to ground level by the time I snapped these 2 pics. Spoke in a heavy Russian accent. I think she was part of the "entertainment package" that came out of the limo parked by Bada Bings.


Now this is one Hummer that will NEVER see a dirt road.

***

Two of the specialty police vehicles parked at the Kihei District Police Station

I have actually seen that little Cushman rolling "EMERGENY" to a call in the middle of the night. Being passed by the standard Ford "Crown Vics". It has the cutest little siren.

***

I'll be back out again tonight, doing a "Cinderella ".

I need 6 "OGGs" to break even.

Not bloody likely to happen but never say "Never".

Enjoy your Sunday.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha

---

THE PICTURE GALLERY

I'olani Palace
(1882-1893)
Honolulu
---
This is our State Capital.
If you have seen "Hawaii 5-0" you've seen it.

Royal Bedroom

Feather Head Dress

Details Of Feather Standard

Royal Cape

Royal Standard

Summer Palace

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

STARTED EARLY

STAYED LATE

~ Emily ~ Jen ~ Jen ~
"El Lay" and OC, SoCal USA

I was called in early yesterday. We were running very tight on covering runs to OGG and the Friday night dinner fares. Was on the road by 6:20pm and my second job took me to OGG from Wailea.

Finally hooked up with Hardin (#25) about 9:00pm and took the phone. Thats also about the same time that the damn thing quit ringing.

Last Night's Sunset

Round about 10:00pm is when driver attrition began.

Maui Jim (#17) washed out at 10:00pm. PrimaDonna (#18) and Dipshit (#22) left 30 minutes later. That was the last of the day drivers. Tina (#05) bailed at 11:30pm. Rick (#21) didn't make it past the witching hour. Hardin (#25) wrapped it up at 12:45pm. TMR (#27) and ONE-NINE were the only cabs left at bar close. Pitifully, we didn't have any trouble covering it. He was gone by 2:10am.

2 pupu runs during my solo hours and then a 4:00am trip to OGG. A great couple from the London UK area.

Topped off my night with a "personal regular", at 5:00am, headed to work in Wailea.

As a sidebar. One thing I rediscovered by going in early was TRAFFIC. Thats something I rarely have to deal with during my shift. Also why I prefer being an owl.

***

I wonder how many times this pickup truck has been off of a paved road?

Judging by the condition of the truck bed, I doubt it has hauled anything other than an ice chest or two. Ladies, how would you like to be his "date", in a mini-skirt, trying to get in and out of the cab?

***

Work is still progressing on Ambrosia. The last time I asked, as reported here, May 1st was the anticipated opening. I don't think so. It would take 2 days, minimum, just to stock the bar

Which ponders the question:

Is there a proper or standard way of filling the "well"?

***

Overall, a profitable night. Not as much as I needed but way better than the past few weeks months have been. Also the brain isn't fried..The hours that I had the phone were very quiet and stress free.

The only funny event of the shift was about 3:00am. The phone would ring and when I answered, I could hear ambient room noise but no one was talking. This is a common problem with cell phones. If bumped just right, it will recall the last number dialed.

By the 4th time it rang, the room noise had become very specific. A couple was very obviously enjoying extreme carnal knowledge of each other.

Going on the presumption that if the phone rang on their end, they would probably shut it off, I called them.

Letting it ring through to "voice-mail".

It must have worked.

The calls stopped.

***

On the sidebar -> -> -> ->
I've added a new link up in the weather section.

Glenn James is a meteorologist for a Fed gov't agency. For years he has had a daily (M-F) TV show on the local community college's cable access channel #55. Originally his show was only seen on Mau'i. Eventually it was broadcast statewide at 7:45am. The best info on Hawai'i weather.

Now an internet media company in Pa'ia Town is providing feeds to the WWW. A new show is usually posted by 10:00am HST (UTC-10) every weekday.

Check it out.

***

Thanks for stopping over.

I'll be here again tomorrow

Mahalo

Aloha

---

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Kaua'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

MY DAY STARTS

AS THE SUN SETS

AND ENDS WHEN THE MOON GOES "PAU HANA"

***

Well, we now accept credit cards. This apparently took affect on Tuesday. Being the "graveyard guy", nobody remembered to tell me. There was a memo, I read another drivers copy of it last night. Somehow it didn't get to me. Its one of the consequences of not having an accessible bulletin board.

"Crazy" Brian gave me the "heads up". Then he later discovered an extra imprinter in his vehicle and passed it on to ONE-NINE, along with some charge slips.

4 hours later I had my first charge fare. We had arrived at her hotel, from the "Triangle", and she asked if we took cards. She had no cash and I would have to wait while she went to her room. I think I got a bigger tip because of taking the card.

The fare was $17.30 and most people would just hand you a $20 and "keep the change". When I was filling out the charge slip I asked her if she would like me to include the tip on the bill. Ah, moment of truth. She could say "NO". Maybe "make it $20". But most people when asked this question will state an exact dollar amount. And since they have to say it aloud, they don't want to sound chintzy. She told me to add $5. Almost double the aforementioned normal gratuity.

I process the paperwork the same way as I do a voucher. The company is going to absorb the fees and, since we have no way of getting an authorization number, will not pass charge backs down the line. Thats a sweet deal.

Overall it was a decent shift. One OGG to start the night and then a few dinner returns and the rest of the night was all bar related. Did 2 more fares than Wednesday but metered $20 less.

Some type of roadwork closed south Kihei Road, at the Kihei/Wailea boundary, about 9:30pm last night. The required detour added about $2 to any fare transiting between the two communities. That helped.

The first 2 day cabs were in Wailea by 4:00am and I was home by 4:30am. Need my beauty sleep. Its Friday and I have to !@#$&*% dispatch tonight.

Come back tomorrow and find out how brain dead I am at the end of the night.

Mahalo

Aloha

---

HACK

This is the cover for Melissa Plaut's (New York Hack) new book. It goes on sale on August 28th.

I plan on buying it. I hope you do too.

---

HAWAI'I'S "TWO-BITS" WORTH

The series of new quarters (25-cents) will end with the minting of the 50th and final State of the Union. Here is what it will look like.

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Waimea Canyon
Kaua'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"