THE PHONE RANG

AT 6:30 PM

"Wil, can you come in early?"
"I'll be out the door in 5 minutes."

And thus started my "day". The company had been busy all day with Wailea/OGGs and it continued into the night. Didn't slow down until after 9:30p. Only one day holdover and she was in Lahaina.

I was the only cab on the south-sdie when I logged on. An immediate pu-pu run in Wailea and then into central Kihei for an OGG. Immediately had a dinner run when I got back to Wailea, into Kihei. Then another OGG out of Wailea. It eventually slowed but never stopped and the runs kept coming through most of the dog-watch.

Murph added about 189 miles during his Saturday shift and he was the only morning cab to show by the time I handed ONE-NINE over to him this morning. Wally must have overslept. He has a new phone # and no one knows it. Couldn't call him.

A lot of long trips on today's reservations and some of them are part of a new "group" that officially arrive on Monday. Luxury brand car dealers, about 1,000 people total. These "whales" like to go places and do things, not just loll around their resort. Not usually big tippers but you make your money off the larger and more frequent runs.

It should be a good start for October. Always hope for the best.

17 fares / 171 miles / 3rd quarter $200 bracket

I dispatch from home tonight. Check back tomorow to see how it went.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Lahaina Area
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

SOMETIMES YOU'RE THE STATUE

SOMETIMES YOU'RE THE PIGEON

It was bitterly slow last night. I didn't break $100 on the meter until 2a. We only had Maui Jim holding over. Making a total 0f 5 cabs on the road. And we mostly sat until after 10p. No dinner runs, no OGGs. The largest fare of my night was $12.80 and the smallest $5.00. The others did a lot better. The phone would ring and I'd be "first-up". Some $6 fare. Announce my dispatch and, 30-seconds later, the next call would be for a Wailea to far north Kihei ($30) or a roundtrip from Wailea to Safeway ($50 or more). I though I had it made though just before 2a. A request for a Wailea to Lahaina ($85, minimum). By that time there were only TMR (#27) enroute to a "special", Terry (#07) on a Wailea/far north Kihei and ONE-NINE just sitting idle in central Kihei. By procedure I was the only cab available and started to Wailea. I was going to Lahaina!!

NOT!!!

#07's run had changed their mind and returned to their resort. He cleared in Wailea before I crossed the demarcation line between Wailea/Kihei. That made him "first-up" in Wailea and the call automatically became his. I was just 45-seconds from crossing the line. To add insult to injury, it wasn't going to Lahaina but Napili ($120, easily) at the far northwest corner of Mau'i. About 40 miles away. Graves added 4 to the final total. Sad. Very sad.

14 fares / 89 miles / 1st quarter $100 bracket

***

The Four Seasons has done a major refurbishing of their entry.
These 2 sculptures border the foyer.
In profile they are shaped like a human head.
I didn't get a chance to go further inside but could see some very drastic changes. And it all looked GOOD. It added grandeur. I've shown images of their entry before and it just looked "BLAH". Not ugly by any means but not stimulating to the senses and emotions of visiting Mau'i. It didn't feel "special". Now it does.

Kudos to the Four Seasons

***

I will cover the rent tonight and pay it a day early. I can hardly wait for Halloween night and the money I will make working Front Street in Lahaina. That will give me a "cushion".

One more road night to go. Have a wonderful weekend and drop by tomorrow, if you can.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Lahaina
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

STUPIDITY

You know, doing an "Exhibtion of Speed" in the parking lot in front of the Police Station is not something you should do when you are drunk. The video just shows the flashing lights and ambient sound but the dude driving the pickup was really surprised when he smoked his tires again and there was a patrol car just 10 feet away. Blue lights, failed field sobriety and soon to be out $1,000. It was a company truck, so he might have more problems ahead.

It was a good night. I opened the shift with a Wailea/Ka'anapali and closed it with a Wailea/OGG. Put 7 more in for the "filling". The Ka'anapali run did have a few difficulties. We were delayed on the Lahaina side of the pali. Some idiot devised a way to make a hard right-hand turn into the cliff face in his old Astrovan. 4 police cars, 2 ambulances and 1 firetruck later they started alternating traffic past the scene. Added 15 minutes of "wait time" to the meter. Get to her resort with $98.90 on the meter. She only had $92 and no credit card. Not much to do. Just took what she had and wrote off the rest. Sigh.

9 fares / 158 miles / 1st quarter $200 bracket

Its TGIF! Have a great weekend!

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

QKC
Queen Ka'ahumanu Center
Our Regional Shopping Mall On Mau'i
Located In Kahului

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

THIS WEDNESDAY...

WAS JUST LIKE THE OTHERS

A fellow nightowl:

~ Donda ~

She works two graves a week of her schedule at a local "Stop & Rob".
Nice lady, rough life. Just making ends meet each month, like most folks on Mau'i.

***

2 hours before my first fare. Only 2 day shift holdovers, one of which left by 8p. The other stayed until midnight. 4 scheduled night cabs. 6 total on the road. We could have handled the entire night with just three. Well, actually just 2 but having that "spare" keeps things from getting sticky.

"Crazy" Brian went home at 9p. He starts his 2-week vacation at 5a today. Taking his girlfriend to South America. Specifically Peru, Chile and Bolivia. That will bring his "Countries Visited" list to 42. He has over 20 hours worth of flying to do. Mau'i-Honolulu-Los Angeles-Miami-Lima. Whew!

The most interesting fare last night was taking the boss's wife and sister-in-law home. They were funny and we joked over the short trip. Of course, they picked one of the slowest nights to "do the town".

The crew tonight will only consist of 3 cabs. ONE-NINE, TMR (#27) and the new guy Terry (#07). Probably also, unfortunately, have 3 day holdovers. Thursdays have often been the best night of the week, in the recent past. I NEED the next 3 nights to be really, really profitable. The 1st is Monday. Its doable.

6 fares / 69 miles / 3rd quarter below $100 bracket

I hope you can make it back tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Hana Area
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

WELL....

IT BEAT THE LAST FEW TUESDAYS

"Queen" Nora
Daddy, Pete the "Prince"
Mommy, Princess Leah

Nora is now 6 months old. Isn't she just a doll? I should get to see her in January. I can hardly wait!
The Swarty Family

***

An hour and 40 minutes into the shift I get my first run. A pu-pu resort-to-resort. $5.60. 1 minute later the next cab up gets an OGG. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all. I have become philosophical about Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I know I am not going to make any money on them for a few more months, Halloween night excluded, so why get my jaws torqued over the whole issue.

The day cabs were history by 8:30p, leaving just the 5 scheduled night crew. Which was still 2 more than we really needed. During the shift Tina (#5) had an OGG, as did Kimo (#22). Both "Crazy" Brian (#11) and TMR (#27) got trips to Ka'anapali, on the "West Side". I just gathered up what few pu-pus I could, as they came my way.

Only had one fare on graves, but it made my night. A request from the Four Seasons to pick up a guest from MMMC (Maui Memorial Medical Center a/k/a/ "hospital") at the emergency room. A nice young couple on their honeymoon. From Michigan, they had been married this past Saturday and he started passing a kidney stone a short while later. Arrived here yesterday and the stone started moving again last night. He was higher than a kite on the pain killers he had received. I was jealous. I laughed when they told me their story at the beginning of the trip and told them that this would make for some interesting tales to be told to their eventual children and grand-children. And it would also make for some interesting party conversation when they returned home.

They laughed and said they had had the same conversation. He was in too much discomfort for me to bother about a pic. But they were both cute

I also gave them my short list of important things to do while here:

1. Trip to Hana
2. Dive Molokini
3. Bike down the mountain
4. Front Street, Lahaina

She asked about "Argentinian" restaurants. Thats one we don't have or at least I have never heard of one.

7 fares / 82 miles / 1st quarter $100 bracket

***

Don't think your "Rights", specifically freedom of travel, are being eroded? Read this.
Thanks to "PISSEDOFF CABBIE" for an interesting post.

***

Maybe tomorrow will hold a pleasant surprise. I hope so. Everybody have a fantastic day. See ya tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Hana Area
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

I AM SO HAPPY!!

HEROES IS BACK!

The best show on television, IMO. It went from obscurity last September to being in the Top-10 by May. Not too bad, considering it was up against "24" in the same time-slot, which has been the #1 rated show for awhile. Having 2 Top-10 shows going head-to-head is unprecedented.

Not a lot to talk about so everyone have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow, after work, with more exciting [snicker] "Tales of the Tropics".

Hmmm. That would be a good title for another blog when I quit driving a cab.

Mahalo

Aloha

***

A koala was sitting in a gum tree...... smoking a joint
when a little lizard walked past, looked up and said,

"Hey Koala! What are you doing?"

The koala said,

"Smoking a joint, come up and have some."

So the little lizard climbed up and sat next to the koala where they enjoyed a few joints.

After a while the little lizard said that his mouth was "dry" and that he was going to get a drink from the river.

The little lizard was so stoned that he leaned too far
over and fell into the river.
A crocodile saw this and swam over to the little lizard and helped him to the side. Then he asked the little lizard,

"What's the matter with you?"

The little lizard explained to the crocodile that he was sitting smoking a joint with the koala in the tree, got too stoned and then fell into the river while taking a drink.

The crocodile said that he had to check this out and walked into the rain forest, found the tree where the koala was sitting finishing a joint. The crocodile looked up and said,

"Hey you!"

So the koala looked down at him and said,

"Shiiiiiiiiiiit dude.....
How much water did you drink?!!"

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Coconut Palms

Kaua'i

North Shore Kaua'i

Pineapple Fields Mau'i

Rainbow

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"