Paradise Driver

Friday, October 06, 2006

DIFFERENT

BUT THE SAME

Last night was one run shorter, $5 less. and another "no pay".

Pretty genial crowd. Lots of FITs (Financially Independent Travelers) at the hotels. "Crazy Brian" is in San Diego, with his lady, for some concert. We had three dayshift holdovers that started calling it a night between 9:00pm and 10:30pm. After 10:30pm it was only "TMR Alex" and myself. We were never swamped but also never stopped moving until a little after "bar close". Racked up 145 miles on the odometer and almost $1.90 per mile driven. That is an excellent ratio.

Never left the southside all night but covered almost every inch of it on my rounds.

Last night's "no pay" was a worker at one of the restaurants in "The Triangle". I took his wallet as collateral and will collect $30 tonight (Friday).

The "no pay" from Wednesday night called me at home about 6:25pm. I was just getting out of the shower. Now, if you remember, I had told her that I don't start work until 7:00pm but she was demanding that I meet her in 10 minutes at the far northend of Kihei. When I told her that we could meet about 7:30pm, she became indignant and told me to forget about getting the $7.10 from her and that she was cancelling her credit card. Probably had made arrangements for a "local" bullyboy to be there as a threat to me. I always follow the rule that collateral for cash exchanges are made in an open public space with lots of people around. I may have been born at night but it wasn't last night. Mrs. Kyle's beautiful baby boy wasn't raised as an idiot. [wink]

So if anyone knows HAZEL S. DELVILLAR, let her know that she is a deadbeat loser.

Oh, I cut up the credit card and threw it out in the trash and today is collection day. [BIG SMILE]

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Ke'anae

First Look At Ke'anae

Ke'anae And Moku Mana Islet

Moku Mana

Pauwalu Point Detail

Ragged Shoreline Of Ke'anae

Nua'ailua Bay

Moku Holua Across Nua'ailua Bay

Ke'anae Road

'Ihi'ihi O Lehowa O Na Kaua Church

One Of The Homes In Ke'anae

Grand Wailea Wall Hanging

Beautiful Colors

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Thursday, October 05, 2006

WHAT A WELCOME BACK!

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

I would take off more often if the returns were as good as last night was.

Started the shift by taking a really nice couple from The Grand to OGG.

Newlyweds from Columbus, Ohio, Ryan and Susan were headed back home to start the rest of their life's together.

Susan & Ryan

Drove 179 miles, did 18 fares, and exceeded the $1.50 per mile ratio.

Not a bad night.

The strangest fare was just after bar close. Dispatched to pick up a female near Kihei Rent-A-Car and transport her to Lipoa Center. The fare totaled $5, exactly. She presents a $100 bill. Even if I had that much cash on me, I would never admit it. If the word got out among the locals that we carried that much cash, we would become instant targets for robbery. All cabbies know this, worldwide.

I offered to take her to a store where there might be a chance of breaking it. She freaked when she realized that the meter continued to climb as we drove around. I took her back to the initial drop and asked for her ID. She presented me with her credit card. I got her name and cell phone number and told her that my shift starts about 7:00pm and she could call me tomorrow night (tonight) and I would return her credit card when she paid the fare. She was flabbergasted. I explained that I was holding her CC as collateral against payment and that our alternative was to call the cops. We'll see if she calls.

WORK PLACE DRAMA

The prima-donna driver who refused to dispatch has now started a smear campaign against me at work. This driver wants me fired. Some drivers are upset at the nick-names I have given them. We'll see how this plays out. One driver actually told me to stop writing about being a cabbie. That isn't going to happen. I may stop using nick names and start giving out their real names, and telephone numbers, etc.

That would be entirely legal and coercive action to suppress my freedom of speech, my blog, will probably be met with very large lawsuits against those involved.

I know the rest of my readers aren't interested in this but I feel I have to stand up for my rights.

GAS PRICES

They continue to drop. Mainlanders are probably aghast at this and the rest of the world wishes their prices were this low.

Everything is relative to your location.

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Wouldn't you rather be here?

Nanahonua
AngelsTrumpet

Can't you almost hear the sound of the waves?

The Spine Of The Ko'olau Mountain Range
On O'ahu

I'ao Valley and Stream

"Local" Life

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

"CALLED OFF" AGAIN

STILL FEELING LIKE DEATH WARMED OVER

The "downside" of being single and living alone is that there is no one to "baby" you when you're sick.

I have spent most of the last three days in bed. Just too exhausted to do anything. Walking from one end of my apartment to the other just zaps any energy I have built up. Poor Bear cuddles up to me and gives me the most worrisome of looks.

Other than absolute exhaustion, there are no other sysmptoms. Don't have any appetite. Even sitting here at my desk makes my arms feel like they're made of lead.

I am going back to bed.

Talk to y'all tomorrow.

MAIN DESK AT THE FOUR SEASONS

DIVING THE BACK WALL AT MOLOKINI (00:28)
You can hear whales singing in the background

HALEAKALA SUNRISE (01:14)

BACK WAY TO LAHAINA (00:39)

There is a second way to Lahaina.
If you drive it in a rental car, you are in violation of your rental agreement.
In the following video is a wide section of that road. There are points where there are only a few inches on one side from the cliff and on the other side from the vertical drop to the ocean.