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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET

A REALLY GOOD NIGHT

It wasn't very busy last night but I did get some decent fares.

Started the night a little past 7p and was 3rd up in the Wailea queue. We had 8 cabs on the road and "Crazy" Brian was dispatching. The 2 cabs in front of me each got hotel-to-hotel pupu runs and then my number was called. Imagine my surprise when, at 7:25p, I am sent to the Four Seasons for a trip to the Westin, in Ka'anapali. Three people from Japan. Metered out $95.30 on that one, with a $4.70 tip on the 51 minute/30 mile (48 km) journey. Get back to Kihei and sit. By that time we were down to 6 cabs working.

About 9:40p I am assigned a fare from Maui Ocean Center, in Ma'alaea, to Henry's, our "bikers bar". $27.80 on the meter and a $2.20 tip for the 15 minute/8 mile (13 km) trek.

See a trend here? Great runs, lousy tips.

By 11p we were down to just 4 cabs. 3 at 1a. 2 at 1:30a and then just me after 2a. The remaining 5 fares of my shift were all "in-town" but each of them tipped handsomely. Over-all I made good money, especially considering it was a Tuesday night. If the rest of the week continues this pattern it should be pretty good [KNOCK ON WOOD!].

7 fares / 137 miles / top quarter of the $100 bracket

***
If you have difficulty negotiating a hotel's driveway, then you are probably above a blood alcohol level of 0.08%. At least the woman driving this rental didn't injure anyone, never made it to the street and didn't have to puke up the $1,000 cash bail. She was lucky.

***
Shopping carts, the most general term used in the US, have really evolved over my lifetime.
As a young parent, we didn't have them with built-in "child safety seats".
As an aging old fart, I like the new "mini-carts".
Lets face it. I seldom have need to push one of those big ones around anymore. Unless, of course, I am trying to get some passed out fare to their home. Then I typically need a forklift. Never a pretty young lass weighing 7 stone or so.

***
And thus ends another chapter of:
HOW TO BECOME A MILLIONARE IN 100 YEARS

See ya mañana.

Mahalo

Aloha


THE PICTURE GALLERY

Kihei/Wailea
From
Ma'alaea
Challenging Neptune
Rainbow
Haleakala
Front Street
Lahaina
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"Let's all be careful out there!"