Paradise Driver

Saturday, April 28, 2007

STARTED EARLY

STAYED LATE

~ Emily ~ Jen ~ Jen ~
"El Lay" and OC, SoCal USA

I was called in early yesterday. We were running very tight on covering runs to OGG and the Friday night dinner fares. Was on the road by 6:20pm and my second job took me to OGG from Wailea.

Finally hooked up with Hardin (#25) about 9:00pm and took the phone. Thats also about the same time that the damn thing quit ringing.

Last Night's Sunset

Round about 10:00pm is when driver attrition began.

Maui Jim (#17) washed out at 10:00pm. PrimaDonna (#18) and Dipshit (#22) left 30 minutes later. That was the last of the day drivers. Tina (#05) bailed at 11:30pm. Rick (#21) didn't make it past the witching hour. Hardin (#25) wrapped it up at 12:45pm. TMR (#27) and ONE-NINE were the only cabs left at bar close. Pitifully, we didn't have any trouble covering it. He was gone by 2:10am.

2 pupu runs during my solo hours and then a 4:00am trip to OGG. A great couple from the London UK area.

Topped off my night with a "personal regular", at 5:00am, headed to work in Wailea.

As a sidebar. One thing I rediscovered by going in early was TRAFFIC. Thats something I rarely have to deal with during my shift. Also why I prefer being an owl.

***

I wonder how many times this pickup truck has been off of a paved road?

Judging by the condition of the truck bed, I doubt it has hauled anything other than an ice chest or two. Ladies, how would you like to be his "date", in a mini-skirt, trying to get in and out of the cab?

***

Work is still progressing on Ambrosia. The last time I asked, as reported here, May 1st was the anticipated opening. I don't think so. It would take 2 days, minimum, just to stock the bar

Which ponders the question:

Is there a proper or standard way of filling the "well"?

***

Overall, a profitable night. Not as much as I needed but way better than the past few ~~weeks~~ months have been. Also the brain isn't fried..The hours that I had the phone were very quiet and stress free.

The only funny event of the shift was about 3:00am. The phone would ring and when I answered, I could hear ambient room noise but no one was talking. This is a common problem with cell phones. If bumped just right, it will recall the last number dialed.

By the 4th time it rang, the room noise had become very specific. A couple was very obviously enjoying extreme carnal knowledge of each other.

Going on the presumption that if the phone rang on their end, they would probably shut it off, I called them.

Letting it ring through to "voice-mail".

It must have worked.

The calls stopped.

***

On the sidebar -> -> -> ->
I've added a new link up in the weather section.

Glenn James is a meteorologist for a Fed gov't agency. For years he has had a daily (M-F) TV show on the local community college's cable access channel #55. Originally his show was only seen on Mau'i. Eventually it was broadcast statewide at 7:45am. The best info on Hawai'i weather.

Now an internet media company in Pa'ia Town is providing feeds to the WWW. A new show is usually posted by 10:00am HST (UTC-10) every weekday.

Check it out.

***

Thanks for stopping over.

I'll be here again tomorrow

Mahalo

Aloha

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Kaua'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Friday, April 27, 2007

MY DAY STARTS

AS THE SUN SETS

AND ENDS WHEN THE MOON GOES "PAU HANA"

***

Well, we now accept credit cards. This apparently took affect on Tuesday. Being the "graveyard guy", nobody remembered to tell me. There was a memo, I read another drivers copy of it last night. Somehow it didn't get to me. Its one of the consequences of not having an accessible bulletin board.

"Crazy" Brian gave me the "heads up". Then he later discovered an extra imprinter in his vehicle and passed it on to ONE-NINE, along with some charge slips.

4 hours later I had my first charge fare. We had arrived at her hotel, from the "Triangle", and she asked if we took cards. She had no cash and I would have to wait while she went to her room. I think I got a bigger tip because of taking the card.

The fare was $17.30 and most people would just hand you a $20 and "keep the change". When I was filling out the charge slip I asked her if she would like me to include the tip on the bill. Ah, moment of truth. She could say "NO". Maybe "make it $20". But most people when asked this question will state an exact dollar amount. And since they have to say it aloud, they don't want to sound chintzy. She told me to add $5. Almost double the aforementioned normal gratuity.

I process the paperwork the same way as I do a voucher. The company is going to absorb the fees and, since we have no way of getting an authorization number, will not pass charge backs down the line. Thats a sweet deal.

Overall it was a decent shift. One OGG to start the night and then a few dinner returns and the rest of the night was all bar related. Did 2 more fares than Wednesday but metered $20 less.

Some type of roadwork closed south Kihei Road, at the Kihei/Wailea boundary, about 9:30pm last night. The required detour added about $2 to any fare transiting between the two communities. That helped.

The first 2 day cabs were in Wailea by 4:00am and I was home by 4:30am. Need my beauty sleep. Its Friday and I have to !@#$&*% dispatch tonight.

Come back tomorrow and find out how brain dead I am at the end of the night.

Mahalo

Aloha

HACK

This is the cover for Melissa Plaut's (New York Hack) new book. It goes on sale on August 28th.

I plan on buying it. I hope you do too.

HAWAI'I'S "TWO-BITS" WORTH

The series of new quarters (25-cents) will end with the minting of the 50th and final State of the Union. Here is what it will look like.

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Waimea Canyon
Kaua'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Thursday, April 26, 2007

I MAY NOT BE WINNING THE RENT RACE

BUT I AM SURE AS HELL GIVING IT MY BEST EFFORT

4 shifts to go. Its gonna be very tight.

Sunset

The Shops At Wailea

Wailea Lookout

My first fare of the night was at 7:22pm. A couple of very nice guys that I picked up from the Kea Lani and took to the Maui Coast Hotel. They were my passengers twice more through the shift. I was advised that I had another run pending as soon as I cleared.

A nice couple from Minnesota, Took them from Sansei to the Kea Lani. A paid round trip! Or, in this case, a "bounce back".

My third run, an hour later, was another couple running Sansei to the Kea Lani. Each of those trips were exactly $17. Odd how that can happen.

Half an hour later, the guys at The Coast called and wanted to go a bar across the island, in Kahului. A private party was being held in the Manana Garage.

Things really got busy about 90 minutes later. #27 (TMR) and #11 ("Crazy" Brian) were just returning from dropping in Lahaina when when I started my night. About 11:00pm, they got called for the return. That left just #22 (Kimo) and myself on the southside. I got a pupu "flag" and Kimo made a pick up from the "Triangle" to Wailuku, across the island. I was now the only cab in south Mau'i.

I "ping-ponged" up and down south Kihei Road until 1:00am.

At 1:30am, the two guys called from The Coast. Somehow they had returned without the need of my service. Damn! Anyway, they were hungry so I took them to Denny's. It was closed. In fact the entire parking area was roped off. Who knows? Ended up going by Minit-Stop. A "stop'n'rob" with some halfway decent munchies.

Met Kimo back at The Coast and took the phone.

Had my last fare of the night at 1:58am, taking one of LAB's baristas home.

Did some paperwork for today's reservations and refueled ONE-NINE. Prim (#22) came on board at 3:44am. Wally (#05) was next at 3:47am and Flor wished me a "Good Morning" at 4:12am.

Mrs. Kyle didn't raise a dumb kid.

I was home by 4:30am.

Made some decent money. For a change.

***

The Seawatch Restaurant. Located at the clubhouse for the Wailea Emerald and Wailea Gold golf courses had something going last night. A nice 10 minute display of fireworks about 9:00pm.

Here are some shots I captured from the parking lot of the Wailea Blue golf course, which is about 1 mile north.