"THAR SHE BLOWS"

THE "WHALES" ARE HERE!

No, not the kind that reside off-shore during the winter but those big spenders that destination resort communities love. Off to luaus, out to party at night. The amount of mandatory time commitment to meetings is kept to the barest minimum. These folks want to GO...DO...PLAY.

Took control at 6p and never had a "line-up" for longer than 2 minutes. People going home, people coming in. Lots of people. It got to the point where I was limiting any pickups to strictly from Wailea. Every Wailea/Makena resort called with last minute requests to OGG. I was totally out of cabs for over an hour. The crew was just doing "round-robins" between Wailea and OGG. I also had 2 that were on runs to the "west-side".

Then we passed 9p and the bottom fell out. Sparsely scattered bar runs. Picked up again just after 1a and everything was closed by 1:45a. Only 152 bits of radio chatter. A lot slower than last week and way slower than July.

Still it does take its mental toll. When I have the phone on Friday, its impossible to write things down while driving. Have to rely on memory and occasional scratches in my notepad for the current lineup and the next day's reservations.

From home on Sunday I log all pertinent traffic, which actually seems harder sometimes.

Since the short-term memory is the first thing to go when you have Alzheimer's, I'll have an "early warning". Mom died of it and so did her Dad. So I might be carrying that gene. Most victims slide gently into it and tell-tale incidents are written of as just a temporary lapse, by both themselves and their family/friends. I have no intention of riding that path.

Enjoy today's bit of humor.

Mahalo

Aloha

***

Broke Back Mountain Lady

A successful rancher died and left everything to his devoted wife. She was determined to keep the ranch, but knew very little about ranching, so she placed an ad in the newspaper for a ranch hand.

Two cowboys applied for the job. One was gay and the other a drunk.

She thought long and hard about it, and when no one else applied she decided to hire the gay guy, figuring it would be safer to have him around the house than the drunk.

He proved to be a hard worker who put in long hours every day and knew a lot about ranching. For weeks the two of them worked hard and the ranch was doing very well.

Then one day, the rancher's widow said.

"You have done a really good job, and the ranch looks great. You should go into town and kick up your heels."

The hired hand readily agreed and went into town on Saturday night.

He returned around 2:30 am , and upon entering the room, he found the rancher's widow sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine, waiting for him.

She quietly called him over to her.

"Unbutton my blouse and take it off," she said.

Trembling, he did as she directed.

"Now take off my boots."

He did as she asked, ever so slowly.

"Now take off my socks."

He removed each gently and placed them neatly
by her boots.

"Now take off my skirt."

He slowly unbuttoned it, constantly watching her eyes in the fire light.

"Now take off my bra."

Again, with trembling hands did as he was told
and dropped it to the floor.

Then she looked at him and said:

"If you ever wear my clothes into town again, you're fired!"

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Lahaina Area
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

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!"