I GOT MY HAT TRICK...

AND BOWLED A "TURKEY"!

Is that enough mixed sport metaphors for you? LOL!!

An excellent night! Maybe because this is a 3-day weekend? For those of you outside the USA, Monday is "Presidents Day". A national Federal holiday. A "bank holiday". Most commercial activity continues and only those in some form of government or financial employment get the day off. It used to be that we had Lincoln's Birthday (February 12th) and Washington's Birthday (February 22nd) off. Which made February a fun month as a school kid. Then a few decades back, they were combined into the current holiday, honoring all of our Presidents. And school children, across the nation sobbed.

When the other drivers left at 2:00 AM, I was the only one of the night crew who hadn't left town. Some had made it out 3 frakken times!

Geez!

But I still had a great shift. Only one run during the dog-watch but that was the crown jewel of the shift. From Denny's, south end of Kihei, to the coast road in Wailuku, across the isthmus.

Just past midnight, I was headed south on Kihei Road. Waiting for the red light to change at Lipoa Street. When it did my "little voice" started screaming bloody murder. I hesitated and shur'nough a big pickup truck comes barreling through his red light at about 40 MPH. There is a large ediface on the northest corner that precludes vision up Lipoa. My "little voice" notices things that my conscious mind misses.

Kyle's Law:

Always heed your "little voice".

If the voices multiply, stop listening.

Right after that, I parked at FoodLand. 2 other drivers were already there and, as we "shot the shit", some guy in a SUV burns rubber pulling out of a stall just a few spaces from us. Makes a turn in the lot, headed for the Kihei road exit and loses control. Wiping out a palm tree in the center island. He didn't stop. Turned onto Kihei Road, northbound, burns rubber again and loses control again. This time striking a wooden light pole and some school fencing bordering the north end of Kalama Park, which is on the opposite side of the road from FoodLand. And again he fled the scene. The police should be able to solve this one easily. The signage on the SUV was from a tree service company and it seems the front license plate stayed in the fence when he fled on the second "hit & run". How much do you want to bet that when confronted, he'll claim that the vehicle had been stolen and then mysteriously returned to his house?

There hasn't been any enhanced police presence this week at the "Triangle", which probably accounts for the fights on Thursday, Friday and last night. It was seconds after the drunk driver had disappeared from view when I received a call from the Sports Page, about a mile south of the "Triangle". Just as I am approaching the traffic light between FoodLand and LAB, a brawl rolls out of the bar. I get my green light and pull away, watching the crowd in my rearview mirrors, spill all the way into the middle of the intersection. It was my turn to call 9-1-1. The call-taken asked the normal question:

"Are there any weapons involved?"

"No ma'am. Just the normal stupid drunks trying to out macho one another."

She laughed.

Had to drive a different cab last night, #07. Had started the shift in #14 but about a hour into the night, the damn radio failed, again. It still hasn't been fixed. I definitely needed communications, it was my night with the damn phone. Switched vehicles, which is a real pain. Among other things, in a strange cab, nothing is where you are accustomed to. From a/c controls, door locks, light switches, am/fm/cd on the car and also where all the "cab" crap is. What type of meter is it (we have 2 types that operate differently), where is it mounted, where is the 2-way control head and where is the "roof light" switch? Hope #14 is fixed before my next shift.

Our Monday - Friday, 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM, fixed base dispatcher is no longer with us. It'll be interesting to see what adjustments have occured when I go back on Tuesday night. "Lucky" Brian is going to be off most of next week, has friends from the mainland visiting. That'll make everyone's slice of the pie a bit larger.

The only "constant" in the Universe is "change"

15 fares / 144 miles / 2nd quarter $200 bracket

We'll be tapping into the "Olde E-Mailbox" tomorrow. Drop by, if you can.

Pat & Ray depart back to London today. Gave them a wake up call at 3:45 AM, they fly to Honolulu at 7:00 AM to make their international connection, and should be back about the middle of January next year.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

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Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"