Paradise Driver

Sunday, March 18, 2007

THANK YOU ST. PADDY

FOR ALL THE GREEN

Like all the other cabbies who have posted about last night, it was very active.

Both Images From The "Triangle"

The night started rather rough, with 5 10-13's (no load - no show) in a row. 2 of them wasted 30 minutes of my time, each, since they were from The Grand. On The Grand time calls, we are dispatched 15 minutes prior to the scheduled pickup (in case they come out early) and have to wait until 15 minutes past the scheduled pickup before we can call 10-13. So that was one hour of the night wasted.

The "professor" was dispatching and it was obvious that he was way out of his league. Over 100 times he told us to hold our radio traffic because he couldn't listen to the phone and the radio at the same time. I noticed that a lot of my 10-13's were given when he was next up and then he would get a great run. I called him out about it over the radio. It wasn't going to happen. This was about 9:00pm when all the cabs were still on, Art was monitoring and not one person corrected me. Because everyone knows about his shenanigans. I later told him that he was the most incompetent dispatcher of the fleet. He thinks I am picking on him. Actually, I am being gentle. About a 3 on a harshness scale of 1-10.

One of our "regulars" was in Lahaina last night. He rides with all of us but prefers it when I can pick him up. He called dispatch and asked for me to come to Lahaina and return a female friend to Kihei. Of course, the "Professor" tried to dissuade him from requesting me and offered his service instead. It didn't work, the "regular" wanted me. Found out about this when I made the pickup.

~ Amy ~
My Lahaina Trip

As might be expected, the fights at the "Triangle" started in earnest after midnight. And not just brief scuffles but brawls involving between 10-50 people at once. Somewhere between 4 to 6 people were Tazered during the night. Saw one of them occur. I like Tazers. Kewl! Oh, if you should ever be unfortunate enough to be with someone who gets Tazered, don't reach out and try pulling him away. Unless you really, really want to know what he is going through at that moment.

Drove 160 miles and had 19 runs. I haven't totaled my trip sheet yet, but I know I made money.

I end this week more exhausted than usual but also more satisfied than I have been in a long time.

See y'all tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha!

THE PICTURE GALLERY

MOLOKA'I

Map Of The East End Of The Island Of Moloka'I
(Part Of Maui County)

Ierusalema Hou Church
Halawa Valley

Hawaiian Language Sign
Over The Door Of The
Ierusalema Hou Church

Kawili Beach
Halawa Beach Park

Kawili Beach

Entrance
Pu'u o Hoku Ranch

Pu'u o Hoku Ranch
Office

Pu'u o Hoku Ranch

Rocky Outcropping
Separating Kama'alaea Beach and Kawili Beach
Halawa Beach Park

Kama'alaea Beach
Halawa Beach Park

Road Down To Halawa Beach Park

South End
Halawa Beach Park

Halawa Valley
Hipuapua Falls

East Moloka'i Coastline

Halawa Valley

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Saturday, March 17, 2007

KISS ME

I'M IRISH

HAPPY
St. PATRICK'S
DAY

IT WORKED!

The GOOD karma was washing over me like waves on the shore. While I never left town, I stayed very busy with 27 fares for the shift and averaged $12 per trip. Drove 168 miles. I am bushed.

As I climbed into ONE-NINE last night I saw the phone, on the seat, just waiting for me. It was Friday night. My night to have the "football". As you all know, I HATE DISPATCHING! I do, however, try to approach each session as a game. Each time, a trial of my mental capabilities, gauging the ebb and flow of the traffic and crisis management, when someone throws a "monkey wrench" (spanner) into the "works". It's a personal test. I am the only one who can gauge it. At the end of each dispatch shift I reflect upon how well I did the job. Last night I was "smokin'". Some drivers, when they have the phone, like to "cherry pick" the calls, I've spoken of this many times. I don't. Like poker, its the "luck of the draw". Every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser. Its all in how you play the game (mahalos to Kenny Rodgers for that line).

Logged in a little past 7pm and was immediately dispatched to my first fare. While enroute, the phone was transferred and the game was on. Started with 7 cabs on the field and everyone of them was already engaged in runs. The hand-off from Art was mostly fumble free. But he didn't tell me who was working or where they were. All I knew was that no one was available and I didn't know when or where anyone would "free-up". Within minutes, the first of the day cabs went home and the other 3 followed within 90 minutes. That left just :Crazy" Brian (#09), Hardin (#25) and me (ONE-NINE) A lot of folks went out to dinner last night. Most of them before my shift started. Just as the returns began, #09 had a "special" in kahuli, coming back to the south side. That took him out of the picture for just over an hour. Then I get a call about needing 3 vans to move 14 people from Mulligans back to The Grand. #25 was going to have to shuttle them, since I obviously didn't have 3 vans available. Luckily all the runs in town were 4 people (ONE-NINE's maximum capacity) or less. By 10:30pm all the returns had been covered, #25 cleared up and #09 was back in town. Then the "wanna have a drink?" crowd started moving. From then until bar close we never quit moving. Bringing them into the "Triangle" and taking them back home. Kicked loose #25 at 2:00am and #09 at 2:15am, as they cleared their final jobs. The phone continued to ring, at a reasonable pacing between calls, for the rest of my solo hours. This shift was "normal" by last years standards. Only had one very minor ass in the cab last night and that is more mention than he was worth.

However, I also had some really wonderful guests.

~ Chad & Brianna ~
Nashville, TN, USA

This lovely couple were here for a conference that he was attending. Took them to and from dinner.

~ Ryan & Kelli ~
Tucson, AZ, USA

Brand new Newlyweds. Tied the knot on Friday. Picked them up from a private party and took them to their hotel.

CONGRATULATIONS!

~ Stacy & Crystal ~
Tucson, AZ, USA

These two beautiful ladies I picked up at the "Triangle" shortly after I had dropped Ryan and Kelli off. Turns out they were also part of the same "wedding group". Very appealing and very, very sexy.

To everyone. Thank you for all the positive thoughts directed my way. It was a big help.

Drop by anytime.
The pot is always on.

Mahalo

Aloha

THE PICTURE GALLERY

MOLOKA'I

KALAUPAPA

St. Philomena Church
From The Coast Of Kalawao

Panoramic View
Looking East From
St. Philomena

Graveyard And Coastal View
St. Philomena

Graveyard
St. Philomena

Grave Of Father Damien
St. Philomena

Grave Of Reverend Father Emmeran Schulte
(1848-1912)
St. Philomena

Grave Of Brother Joseph Dutton
(1843-1931)
St. Philomena

Former Site Of The
Baldwin Home For Boys
Opposite St. Philomena

Former Site Of The Failed
U.S. Leprosy Investigation Station
Kalawao

Richard Marks
Patient And Owner
Damien Tours

Tour Buses And Picnic Area
Kalawao Coast

Jagged Coast
Rough Water
Kalawao

Steep Dropoff
Kalawao

Rocky Shoreline
Kalawao

Picnic Tables
Kalawao

Mokapu And Okala Islands
Coast Of Kalawao

Eastern Shoreline
Molokai

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Friday, March 16, 2007

JUST WHEN YOU THINK...

...THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD GO WRONG.

IT DOES!

At 5:17am, this morning, I am sitting at my desk, at home, when my phone rings. It's my "special" that I was supposed to pick up at 5:15am. I had forgotten all about her. Called dispatch and had a cab sent immediately. Her next two rides with me will be "freebies". I screwed up, badly.

The good news from yesterday was that I finally had a hot shower. It felt great.

Get to the garage and someone had driven ONE-NINE during the day. They parked it almost too close to another unit. I was just barely able to open the driver's door. I had left ONE-NINE full of fuel but found it had barely 1/4 of a tank left. The left headlight was blown. What else could go wrong? Logged on and was assigned to the 9th position in the line up.

9th!!

Oh, gawd!

Actually, it could have been worse. TMR (#27) started his vacation on Thursday, he'll be back on the 24th, and if he had been there I would have been 10th.

Thank you fates for that little favor.

There were no reservations.

Almost 3 hours later, 9:47pm, I get my first fare.

3 HOURS!!

Give me a friggin' break.

It started raining about 8:00pm, again. Rain cancels most people's plans to go out at night on Mau'i. By 11:15pm we were down to just "Crazy" Brian (#09) and me. With only 2 cabs working we both thought that we would start raking in the money. Our pants pockets would be so full of greenbacks that we would look like we suffered from a massive double hernia. We were wrong. The calls were few and far between. I did get a dispatch for a wonderful run from Kihei up the mountain to Kula Town. He didn't have any cash for a deposit. His girlfriend was going to pay me when we arrived. Why is it that those type of runs ALWAYS have something hinky about them? I really wanted that trip but not without some twinge of getting paid. I call his girlfriend. Sure enough, she was planning on paying for the cab.

"What credit card do you take?"

DAMN!
DAMN!
DAMN!
DAMN!
DAMN!

We don't take plastic and I didn't go to Kula. One call during the solo hours and he wasn't there when I arrived. Called him back and it was

"I'm sorry. A friend came by and picked me up."

@#$%&+*!

Flor (#27) and Prim (#22) checked in prior to 4:30am and I had a brain fart and went home. Totally forgeting my 5:15am "special".

I am headed to bed shortly. Hopefully this bad karma won't follow me over to my "tomorrow".

***

Ambrosia still hasn't opened yet. By the look of the pic above, it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon. It is the new bar that is going into where Neptune's used to be.

***

Still no sign of the missing swimmer that I spoke of yesterday. About 50% of missing swimmers are never found. Latest news story.

***

According to Glenn James, Mau'i's great meteorologist, the weather should start improving today. Albeit with very gusty trade winds in the forecast. The weather this past week caused 2 major accidents, one was a fatal. Very sad.

Thanks for stopping by. If you can, would you please send some GOOD Karma my way. I sure could use it. Come back by tomorrow, maybe things will be better. I really appreciate you visits.

Mahalo and Aloha!

THE PICTURE GALLERY

MOLOKA'I

KALAUPAPA

St. Philomena
Roman Catholic Church
Kalawao