JUST ABOUT AS GOOD

AS IT GETS

A fantastic shift last night. 23 runs. Two OGG trips. Only a couple of frugal Canadian tippers, which is getting rarer as parity between the two different dollars gets closer. Only one slightly irritating drunk, and I was taking him and two others to a bar from one of the hotels.

TMR had the phone and we started the night with 6 cabs, 2 "days" and 4 "nights". We all stayed busy. Very, VERY busy. Though it turns out that I didn't miss much on my 2 days of unscheduled "R&R". If I would have worked those nights, nobody would have earned even $100.

Tonight is my night with the phone and hopefully last night's trend will continue.

Being a "WORLD CLASS PROCRASTINATOR", I thought I would go down and renew my drivers license today. Forgot that tomorrow was Veterans Day and that all Federal, State & County Offices are closed. The banks will be open today but closed on Saturday.

Monday is the last day to get that license renewal. Just have to read the eye chart

EXAMINER: Just read line number five, please.
ME: There are five lines?
EXAMINER: Okay, what line can you read?
ME: Uh, I think the first one is and "E".

and hand over some money.

*** *** ***

PET PEEVES

Bicycle, moped and scooter drivers who have no lights on their bikes, are dressed in dark clothing (usually black) and they get very angry because they aren't seen by automobile drivers. None of these people seem to understand that they are also subject to all traffic laws. They run red lights. They are constantly alternating from the bike path to the roadway and back. Two were hit by drivers tonight. None of them were wearing helmets. Both were transported to the hospital.

I have come extremely close to nailing a few myself. During my shift, I work under the premise that I am the ONLY sober person on the road. I drive very defensively.

My other peeve is the drunks wondering around the "Triangle". They cross the road against the light. They "Jay-walk" anywhere along the street. They even deliberately step directly into vehicle's paths without a care or second glance. Once I saw one walk out in front of me. I came to a stop and he then proceeded to walk right into the front of my cab. Like a deer, he must have been blinded by the headlights.

My one interesting fare was at 3:00am. Picked up a woman and a man at the Kukui Mall. She was being a good samaritan. assisting a lost and confused tourist. He was going to the far noth end of Kihei and I dropped her off just two blocks from the mall.

Now, his story was that he decided to go for a walk on the beach in the dark. He had gotten lost and fell in the ocean a couple of times. During one of those dunks, he claimed to have lost his shoes. After hours of wondering he met the lady, talked and eventually I was called. I know the woman on a very casual basis, she is a semi-regular night person and very caring. After I had dropped her at home I asked the guy where he had started walking from. He said FoodLand.

"Mister, that is only 1/2 block from where I picked you up."
"It is?"
"Yup and which direction were you walking?"
"I don't know" he whimpered in a very mehu voice.

Folks, you've seen the aerial shots of the coast near Foodland. There is no beach to be walked on. Hell, there aren't even any rocks that could be negotiated in the dark. Also, the ocean is never more than 50 yards from Kihei Road, so its not like you could not find your way back to "civilization". A two year old toddler would have walked towards all the lights. He paid the fare with no tip. Unbeknownst to him, he dropped 5 $1 bills on the floor. I knew they were his when I found them later. They were wet and covered in sand.

Have a great day. I am off to bed.

---

THE PICTURE GALLERY

The Whales Are Coming
The Whales Are Coming

Tropical Flowers

No Rain
No Waterfalls

Diving Molokini

The World Gets Ready To Slumber

"Let's all be careful out there!"