CARPE DIEM!!

OR NOT.
WHATEVER SUITS YOUR PLEASURE

Let me give you the night in summary:

• Tina (#5), at least one to Lahaina and one to Pukalani, up-country Mau'i).
• TMR (#27), An OGG, a Wailuku and a Ka'anapali.
• "Crazy" Brian (#11), a roundtrip to Pa'ia.
• Terry (#07), a Mama's roundtrip.

ONE-NINE, the longest fare was exactly $20. Only had three more above $10. All the rest were less.

+++

Maybe 5'6". In his 60's, give or take 5. Portly. Pure white bushy hair. Wearing a white Poloshirt. Dark blue Bermuda shorts, black ankle socks and brown leather sandals. None of which came "off-the-rack". It was just a short Mulligans to a resort. He was rapidly approaching unconsciousness.

A jovial sort, he was obviously telling jokes but only 1 in each cluster of 4 or 5 words was intelligible. I laughed when he did. Pull into his resort, the Doorman opens the door and I turn to collect my fare.

Sprawled across the rear seat and still functional, slowly counting out One's unto the seat. Ol' "Happy" lost his count and thrusted the bills at me. I knew that at least double the fare was in his hand and relieved him of the burden of that much cash. Crawled out the door, pulling himself up-right along the door frame. Found his focal point in the foyer and stumbled off in that general direction. That takes decades of practice to be as proficient as he was. A pillar of American Business. Has to be, since the average cost of a hotel room, per night in Wailea, is more than the national average of monthly mortgage payment. More than the average "working stiff" can afford.

+++

A tiny Filipina lady, from Henry's, to her home about 1 mile south. Standing next to my door, our eyes were parallel. Now, that is tiny!

+++

Two lady "suits" from LA, a bar-close run back to Wailea. Both frustrated by all the "boys" that tried to pick them up in the bars.

"Boys"? Tapped the dome switch, briefly illuminated the interior. The right-rear was maybe 22, the left rear 27.

WRONG!

RR was nearing 35 and LR was upper 40's. I looked again and maybe RR was pulling 25 but LR was still pushing 35. Great genes and makeup.

+++

I am dispatching, Friday night, and am first up. The "Leatherman/Birdman" approaches us at the bus stop at Foodland. Back leather western hat, black leather motorcycle jacket, faded denims, black leather combat boots. His pure white Cockatoo on his left shoulder. As he is getting in, the phone rings. A run from Kihei to Kahana, on the far west side. just 10-seconds earlier and that would have been mine. The proverbial "sigh".

13 fares / 77 miles / 1st quarter $100 bracket

To finish on a positive thought, one of my regulars called and asked me to take him and a friend from Kihei to Lahaina, on Halloween night. I had planned to leave about 5p anyway and that was great with him. A paid ride over and back!

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend,

I'll be back tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Mau'i

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"Let's all be careful out there!"