Paradise Driver: A GORGEOUS START

Sunday, June 10, 2007

A GORGEOUS START

TO A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT

Checked in and was #2 in the Wailea queue. Thats a positive sign. Found out that there were only 5 cabs working. Positive sign #2. Then we sat, waiting for the phone to ring.

At 7:45p, finally, we had 3 calls to cover. Hardin (#25), last nights dispatcher, TMR (#27) and ONE-NINE were the first three cabs and we were parked on the far end of the Shops At Wailea north parking lot, "shooting the shit".

Hardin says to me:

"You been to the airport yet?"
"Hell, I haven't had a RUN yet."
"How about you, Alex (TMR)?"
"Yeah, I just got back. Don't you remember?"
"Heh, heh. Yeah, I just forgot. I've had an airport also, so why don't you take this one Wil. An 8 o'clock from Wailea Beach Villas. Three people to OGG."

I flashed him my best one-tooth smile and hit the road.

A great threesome from the mainland. Towards the end of the trip one of the ladies comments that this had been one of the more pleasant and memorable cab rides she had ever had. She said I was as good as the "Black" cabbies in London.

Can't ask for better than that. Can I?

Returned to town and then things started moving. One of the two day shift holdovers had gone "pau hana" and we had 4 cabs rolling constantly thru bar close. Just enough of a lull between calls to not make the evening seem pressed. By 2a, the night crew had all "10-2'd" (end-of-shift). I was refueling at the Tesoro station in Azeka Makai. At the Chevron station, next door, my buddy, Nick Krau (DUI enforcement officer - MPD), was on an enforcement stop. As I was returning to ONE-NINE, after paying, he called out to me,

"Wil! You still working?"
"All night, Nick."
"These folks are going to need a ride."
"No problem. I'll be right over."

A pleasantly intoxicated 4-some. Headed to the Royal Lahaina Resort, in Ka'anapali. Nick had given the driver a major break and me a great fare.

At the very beginning of the ride the driver complained about the cost of having to take a taxi back to their hotel. AND the fact that he was going to have to take ANOTHER cab back today to retrieve his PT Cruiser convertible.

"Mister." I piped up. "Nick just saved you about $820."
"Who's Nick?"
"That police officer, who DIDN'T arrest for drunk driving. This ride is going to cost you somewhere between $80 and $90. Figure the same amount for your return. If he had taken you into custody it would have been $1,000, CASH bail to get released. No checks. No credit cards. Strictly 'cash on the barrelhead'."

He sat quietly for a long time. Maybe, just maybe, something of what I said had worked its way into his ethanol sponge brain.

Had one puker last night. Part of a three-some, 2 guys and a gal, going from Wailea to north Kihei. The couple sat in the rear and their "third-wheel" sidekick rode "shotgun". Just as we reached the street end of the Four Season's drive, the young lady asked if she could open her window. She was feeling a bit queasy. That window was down as fast as the electric motor could move it. Continued north, on the highway, and, just as we were approaching Lipoa Street, "shotgun" blurts out:

"PULL OVER!"

I was in the breakdown lane in an eye blink. His window was already down, thank god, and as ONE-NINE came to a stop he started shouting "Europe". At least that what it sounded like. Also, he would belch out an occasional "Ralph". The couple started giving him a good razzing as we completed the trip.
The other guy, sitting right behind him, said:

"I think I'll keep my window up for the rest of the way."

Everybody, but "shotgun", broke up laughing.

I cleared and was given another assignment but I went to the closest gas station to wash down the right side of ONE-NINE.

Surprise!

He hadn't fouled the interior nor the exterior. Every cabbie out there knows how rare that is.

Tastings is now history. Replaced by Fat Daddy's. The pix tells you as much as I know.

This is the 4th business in that location in the past 6 years.

Oh! How good was last night?

169 miles (272 km / 0.000000000028748765769431
997796345967799425125122070
3125 light years)
12 fares
Metered upper end of the $200 bracket

***

This Monday is a State holiday. "King Kamehameha I Day" honors the first ruler of ALL the Hawai'ian Islands. Federal offices open but all State and County offices closed, along with the banks and those schools on a year-round schedule.

Depending on where you are, enjoy the rest of this Sunday or get ready to face Monday. I think most of the "Commonwealth" nations have a holiday this Monday, also, to officially celebrate the Queens birthday. Which really isn't on Monday. She was born 21 April 1926.

See ya tomorrow, I hope.

Mahalo

Aloha

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