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Jim G. (aka: "O-B-ONE") was dispatching when I logged in. Jim started just a few months after me and is familiar with our radio routine. He drives days and holds over to nights if we are busy. The other times he has handled the phone were relatively slow nights. While last night wasn't really busy, it was active and poor Jim just wasn't in the "zone". Kept losing track of where cars were and was dispatching runs to cars that were already on runs. Only heard about half of the radio traffic directed toward him. He hung in there, though, until 10:00pm before he gave the phone over to TMR Alex. After that things smoothed out.
We were overloaded with cabs most of the night. Me, two night drivers, 2 casual evening drivers and 4 dayshift holdovers. At 10:30pm I had 3 runs on the log. Pitiful. Went home and came back out at 12-midnite and started making money.
We have a new driver, Joseph "The Jerk", who is stupid-crazy. Early in the evening we had both been ordered back to Wailea to fill the queue. I had just turned onto southbound Pi'ilani Highway at Lipoa Street. A few seconds later I hear the sound of tires sliding on the road. Looked in my sideview mirror and there was "The Jerk", in cab #7 (our Lincoln Town Car) sliding out of Lipoa street onto the highway in a maneuver out of the video game Grand Theft Auto. As soon as he regained control, I could hear him accelerate into passing gear. The speed limit on the Pi'ilani is 40 mph. I was doing 45mph and he passed me accelerating through 65 mph. I told him over the radio to back it down. He acknowledged the transmission and continued blazing down the road. Why? Because he didn't want me to get to Wailea first. Whats even worse is that his unorthodox turn onto the Pi'ilani forced all the cars to slam on their brakes to keep from hitting him. This moron is dangerous.
Last Thursday night he disappeared with cab #7 at 2:00am and we never heard from him until 4:15am. Did the same thing this morning. "Murph", #7's day driver, was pissed. Both days he had early morning specials that he was late picking up because of this idiot.
Joseph "The Jerk" goes 24 to 48 hours awake and then crashes. When you finally get him to wake up he is totally out of it, but 5 minutes later he is running in "high gear".
I guess racing down the road isn't the only kind of "speed" he enjoys.
Anyone up for smoked squid?
As the richest "third world" nation, we do have some unique items in our stores.
PROFITABLE
The Continental flight from the mainland didn't arrive last night. Never left the mainland. At midnite we received a request for 2 cabs to pick up from OGG and bring the people to the Wailea Marriott. I lucked out and picked up a couple and a solo male, which meant that I collected 2 vouchers for one trip. Being paid twice for one trip is a nice feeling.
Shortly after I cleared that run, I was again sent to the airport.
Picked up some honeymooners. They had been planning on returning to NYC (Staten Island) last night but had been on that Continental flight. The counter agent got them moved to a United flight that had two seats open. And United then had mechanical problems, forcing another cancelled flight.
At this point, the airline personnel basically "lost it". There were just a few rooms available on the island and people from both flights had to sleep in baggage claim. The airline's counter staff just walked off the job and went home, leaving all the passengers in limbo. "Not my chob, mon."
Married June 10th
My newlyweds contacted their travel agent in NYC, who found them accommodations at the Ka'anapali Shores condos in Honokawai, between Ka'anapali and Kahana, on the westside of the island.
Since this is Friday, all departing flights are fully booked. Those stranded are going to be in a bind unless United & Continental bring in new aircraft.
My newlywed's travel agent was busy trying to make some type of connection for them off the island. Maybe they'll get one of the "puddle jumpers" over to Honolulu International, where chances are better for seats to the mainland.
I wish everybody the best of luck. They're going to need it.
Later.....
Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"
