DUMB ASSES

SAYONARA SATURDAY

Sometimes I wonder how people that are smart enough to earn an income that lets them stay at The Grand, can be so dumb. Had an urgent run from The Grand to OGG, early in the shift. Needed to transport a piece of luggage that had been left behind. The bellhop had collected their luggage from the room. When it was loaded in their vehicle he counted the bags for them to confirm they were all present and accounted for. The dolts get to the airport and, goodness gracious, they were one bag short. Obviously the bellhops fault. NOT! They called the hotel and the bag was still in the room, on the farside of the bed.

Made the pickup and boggied for the airport. These folks called the front desk multiple times, tracking my progress. They called valet multiple times. They called us multiple times and they called me three times. The normal trip to OGG from The Grand is about 35 minutes, if traffic is light. Some of the trip is on a narrow two-lane road, where you are at the mercy of the traffic.

Their flight would stop acceptting luggage at 8:15pm. The people were panicing. I made the journey in 22 minutes, dropping the bag at 8:08pm. The hotel paid for the run, billed to guest services.

After bar close I was doing the normal "mop up". All the other drivers had left and, about 2:38am, The Grand called. One of their dumbass guests had attended a wedding party at the Hyatt, in Ka'anapali. He was complaining that he couldn't get a cab to bring him back. I told the pbx operator that there were three different 24/7 cab companies in that area and they should call one of them, since it would be a hour before I could get there. She placed me on hold. She came back on the line and said the man, and his two companions, would meet me at the Hyatt's front desk at 4:00am.

I cleared the two local runs that I was already committed to and then high-tailed it for the Hyatt. Arrived there at 3:32am, told the valet who I was picking up. He gave me the strangest look. "They hopped into a taxi about 2:50am and went to the Grand Wailea already."

I was pissed. I hadn't wanted the run in the first place and now I was going to get burnt by this asshole. I called The Grand and told the pbx operator what had happened. I wanted to know if he had called to cancel me. He hadn't. She told me that I should handle it like the hotel does short notice cancellations and no-shows. Charge the S.O.B. for the service anyway. Classic idea.

He will be billed for my trip and he had to pay the other cab also.

Being inconsiderate can be costly, but he probably won't even notice the charge amongst everything else that is charged against his room.

It's the end of my week.

Talk to y'all later.

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THE PICTURE GALLERY
Kapalua

Big Island


Big Beach, Makena
Wonderful Colors
Evening Sail




"Let's all be careful out there!"

FATAL FRIDAY

TWO DRUNKS = ONE DEATH

Just before midnight, cab #15 (Crazy Brian) was transporting two guys to The Sports Page. A motorcyclist was tailgating him the entire run. As Crazy Brian was making a left turn, the biker roared past him on the right, bumping the rightside mirror, accelerating heavily.

He had less than five seconds of life left.

Witnesses said the biker was doing over 80mph as he passed Denny's. The speed limit is 20mph.

Two seconds left.

A couple had just left Moose M^cGillicuddy's, entered their vehicle and were doing a u-turn to go north on Kihei Road.

Times up.

The motorcycle impacted the left side of the car. The biker's partially dismembered body ended up in the rear seat of the car. Some of his limbs were found scattered down the street.

The female passenger of the car jumped out with screaming hysterics. The car's driver was knocked unconcious and the car completed a slow 360^o turn and impacted the seawall next to where it had been originally parked.

By all reports, both drivers were probably over the legal limit (0.08% BA).

Drinking and Driving = Death. Plain and simple fact of life.

** ** **
While we were not busy, almost all of us stayed active. My karma was off. I had 7 "10-13's (no load/no show), a new personal "worst", which meant that I missed out on a lot of the good runs. At midnight I only had three trips on my log and a total meter of $26. Everyone else were approaching $200 with multiple runs. I was dispatching and every rule was followed but I just kept missing that brass ring.

One of the "10-13"s was a "Driver Decline". Went to the Four Seasons, where they attempted to stuff a very intoxicated woman into my cab. Three times I asked her where she wanted to go and she could only respond, "Kihei." No way in hell was I doing that trip. I could tell that she would probably be unconscious before I left the property and, with no fixed destination, it would be a useless exercise in futility. These types seldom have cash and always keep shoving a credit card towards me. I've mentioned before that no cab on the island, excepting Maui Airport Cab, take plastic. The Four Seasons tried again, about 45 minutes later, to pawn her off on us. I told the caller that I would need an EXACT address before we would accept the run. I could hear her turn to the woman and ask her where in Kihei she wanted to go. "Kihei" was the only response. I wished the caller the best of luck but we were declining the call.

When everyone else went home, I had a total of six runs and maybe $50 logged. Thats really shitty.

About 2:45am, some drunks called from one of the condos, wanting to be driven from building #1 to building #3 in the complex, maybe 200 yards. They kept calling back, about 5 times, trying to coerce me into taking the fare. Some people have difficulty understanding the meaning of the word "NO!"

Had another call from a new club an The Shops At Wailea. The caller sounded like a security guard and he said they had a very intoxicated woman that needed to get to Napili. Thats on the far westside. I told him that I would need $150 cash deposit before I would accept the fare and an exact destination address. She only had plastic and all she could remember was that she was staying at some condo in Napili. Geez, Napili probably has 50 condo complexes and, since the trip would take about an hour, we all know that she would be dead to the world before I was out of Wailea.

Sorry, but you folks got her this drunk and now she is YOUR PROBLEM. Not mine.

Then the phone started ringing in earnest and, at 6:30am, I finally parked ONE-NINE. With 6 additional runs and another $100 metered.

Before I logged off, the owner came on the radio and inquired about my total meter for the night. He was impressed and said, "Not bad for September." He has no idea of what it took, emotionally, to reach that.

Y'all enjoy your weekend and please don't drink and drive. Please!

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

The wonderful color of the tropics

Red Hill, Makena

Napili Coast

Lava Meets Ocean

Bamboo Forest

Kee Beach, Kaua'i

Keanae

Kealia Beach, Kaua'i

Sunset

"Let's all be careful out there!"

FULL MOON

AND YOU COULD TELL IT


Relatively slow night. A whole bunch of teens & tweens were roaming the parking lots at FoodLand and the "Triangle". Not causing trouble, just bored. Our weather cooled a bit after sunset. For the past few days, temperatures at midnight have been in the low 80's or upper 70's. The humidity was also elevated and there was no hint of a breeze to be found. Last night the temp was low 70's and we had a comfortable breeze. I think the kids were just out enjoying the weather change.

Just after I made the "FLASH" post _(below), I had a "walkup" at FoodLand. We exchange the typical pleasantries and started the short run.

"I hate one of your drivers. I am going to kick his ass."

"Really? Which driver?"

"The skinny one with very short hair."

"The kinda tall, skinny one with very short blonde hair and acts like a 14 year old controlling an early 40's body?"

"He took my girlfriend to work and pulled out a crack pipe and started ti light it. She was surprised and told him that she would feel more comfortable if he didn't do that shit while he was driving her. He tried to sell her some of that shit and told her that it would make her feel real good, all day. Then he asked her if she had ever thought about being in some porn movies. If she made some with him, he would give the shit for free. I called your boss and gave him hell about this asshole. My girlfriend pointed hin out at the store tonight and then wouldn't let me beat him to death. But now that I know what he looks like, I'm gonna find him when she isn't around and take care of business."

I gave him the latest news.

"What a fucking loser. Do you know where he lives?

"I believe he is homeless. Living out of his van", I answered.

"No problem. I'll find him and when I do, he'll be shark bait."

A couple of MPD officers read this blog occassionally. It would be nice if they could forward this on to the vice unit for follow-up.

** ** **
Do to some changes in my life, that I'll be adjusting to this weekend, I had to bypass either a trip to the westside or a trip to OGG this morning. Called Murph and had him come in early for the westside run and Mexican Mary took over ONE-NINE early so she could get the OGG. She has to take ONE-NINE in, at 7:30am, for transmission service. The "Jerk's" dragracing starts have messed up the overdrive. I needed to go home and this would help start her day, since she won't be earning any money while ONE-NINE is on the rack.

A win-win situation for everybody. Flor was third to checkin and he has a 6:00am and a 6:15am to cover. Hopefully one more day driver will logon before 6:00am so everything will be covered.

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Road To Hana

Stormy Sea

A View From Upcountry

Windward O'ahu

Baldwin Beach, Pa'ia

Kamaole Beach, Kihei

Evening At The Beach

"Let's all be careful out there!"

***FLASH***NEWS BULLETIN***FLASH***

THE "JERK" IS HISTORY


All the following occured on one fare. Guess which one got him terminated?

1. Smoking "ice" while passengers are in the cab
2. Offering "ice" to said passengers
3. Showing XXX porn to passengers
4. Soliciting female passenger to make a porn movie
5. Accepting, but failing to pass a $50 tip on to the owner, even though he was told that it was specifically for the owner.

If you guessed #5, you're a winner.

The passenger called the owner the following day to complain and to find out if he had received the gratuity.

All the drivers are talking about throwing him a "going away" party. He's not invited.



"Let's all be careful out there!"

BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

I FOUND A PROFITABLE NIGHT

Actually had a pretty good night. Drove 151 miles, of which 56 were on the meter. Only had one pickup from Wailea the entire shift. Thats extremely rare.

The last, longest and most interesting run of the night took me from the "Triangle" to Pa'ia town, on the Road To Hana, at 4:30am. A nice, congenial drunk. He was at that best part of "just feeling the mood". He is a recent transplant from the mainland, arrived August 1st, and his girlfriend is off island for a couple of days and he is just partying during her absence. A talkative drunk and easily understandable. The kind of drunk everyone thinks they are, when they're not.

Right at the beginning of the trip, I heard the pop-top on a canned beverage being "popped" in the back seat. "Is that a beer, sir?"

"No. Just a Coke."

While I really don't allow any open beverages in the vehicle, he seemed under control and I decided to let it slide, since it wasn't alcohol.

"I'm sorry. I lied to you. It is a beer. Pull over and I'll pour it out."

"Mister," I said as I pulled to the curb, "you are one of the most honest persons I have met in a long time. Its a pleasure having you in my cab."

Other than the occassional, "yes", "I see" and _"Uh-Huh", I never uttered another word the rest of the trip.

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TARGET PRCTICE

During my "day" these were the targets we used for training.



The "Kill Zone" on the top target is the highlighted line that is outside of the circular, 5-X, bullseye.

On the lower one, it is everything within ring #8. This is the one with the "X-Ring" that that Swedish Palace guard just "nicked" instead of putting the round through the dead center..

I was never a truly competative shooter, but I did win a few trophies.

• BEST ATTENDENCE

That sort of thing.
Haven't owned or touch a firearm since I moved to Mau'i.

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THE PHOTO GALLERY

photographs courtesy Tudor Hulubei














"Let's all be careful out there!"