Paradise Driver: WE WERE STEADY

Saturday, May 26, 2007

WE WERE STEADY

BUT NOT REALLY BUSY

The call/dispatch flow was simple.

Took over the phone within minutes of logging in. Only had two "time" calls (reservations) to deal with and 9 cabs to "ride herd on" the rest of the night.

The folks I had taken to OGG at the end of my last shift called about 8p and told me the were boarding their plane in Honolulu, headed back. They had "day-tripped" to Honolulu and done the Arizona & Waikiki "thang".

That was my only non-pupu run of the night. All of the 15 other fares were below $12. In fact 12 were below $10. However, the tips I received were above average. Nothing spectacular, but very, very good.

At least 10 times last night I had people say:

"Don't you write anything down?"

Or variations, thereof.

You've seen those pursuit videos on TV where the bad guy blows a tire and ends up driving on the wheel rim. Sparks flying everywhere. Well last night one of our cabs was enroute to Lahaina. The vehicle behind her, a pickup truck, was driving on its rim. In fact, the sparks had ignited the engine compartment. The cabbie pulled off the roadway and waited for "sparky" to pass. A short while later, another of our cabs was returning from Lahaina and saw the first cab following a distance back from the pickup, whose entire front end was now engulfed in flames. About 1 mile before Lahaina, the pickup crashed. The highway was closed for about 4 hours. Those are witnessed facts.

The follow up rumor is that two people were killed and a third was seriously burned. But that is just rumor. Nothing has reached the news yet.

Later in the shift another cab went to Lahaina and said that there is a new groove, in the asphalt, over six miles long. Leading to the big square of melted roadway, where the crash occurred.

When more details are available, I'll post them.

Most of my dispatch time went smoothly. A new driver was part of the team and has found our very simple radio procedure to be a steep learning curve. What comes out of his mouth is barely discernible. The words are easily understandable American but jumbled so badly that I couldn't tell if he was picking up, dropping off or taking a piss break. He also had problems remembering to respond to radio traffic, which ultimately cost him an OGG. Finally sent him home about 10:30p. He has been here for about a week and should have picked up, at least, the "basics" by now.

My problem callers didn't show up until my solo hours. On one, I asked for the address and she called out to someone "Where are we?". I was reaching for the [click] button, on my headset, when I heard a male voice close to her repeat the question and then another, more distant voice, echo it further into the room. And so on until the sounds were unintelligible. NO ONE knew where they were.

[CLICK!]

Another solo hours call would have been sweet, but I declined it. Kihei, up the hill to Makawao. I recognized the voice of a woman who has 10-13'd [no load/no show] me 3 times already this week. She always gives her address as "behind the Maui Lu". That narrows my choices to about 500 homes, or so. Finally, slowly, painfully, I pry the house number and street name from her pea-brain. I tell her what I would require ($100) as an up-front deposit. She's flabbergasted. Sputters and spews and then says she'll have to go into the house, when we arrive to get me my money.

"Lady. What part of upfront deposit don't you understand?"
"But I don't have any money.'
"Then I guess you're going to have to make alternative arrangements."
"How?
"Frankly, my dear. I don't give a damn." (Thanks to Clark Gable for that great line).

Three day drivers straggled in between 4 & 4:30a The fourth one would be "Murph", ONE-NINE's weekend co-driver. I was home by 5a.

My brain is feeling like that old PSA spot:

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS

Thats how I feel every Saturday morning.

***

I hope all of my fellow Americans have a great Memorial Day weekend. No work until Tuesday!

and

Please don't drink and drive.

The life you save might just be mine.

Mahalo

Aloha

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