I used to drive a taxi/cab. Why? I often ask myself that, it was a shitty job, but it got me through 2 years of university, so it served a purpose. I was telling a few stories from those days to a friend recently and it got me thinking that I should write these stories down before I forget them.
Best and Worst of Times
Worst fare:
Hell, where do I begin?
Probably the most uncomfortable on a few levels was a couple I picked up in Northbridge one Saturday night. They wanted to go to Victoria Park, just across the river.
I took off down Wellington St, with the aim of hitting the causeway via the Central Police HQ. There's a fair few less traffic lights along Wellington St than there is on St Georges Tce/Adelaide Tce, so I figured it would be quicker.
The guy didn't think so, he grumbled for the first few blocks and then he couldn't hold it in for any longer.
"Why did you come this bloody way?"
I explained the reasoning, traffic lights and all. He was having none of it.
"Bullshit! you come this way because it's longer and you get more money!"
"Um, no"
His girl is telling him to shoosh. It aint really working. He's fuming. I'm feeling pretty nervous, I just want this fare to end. I make a mental note of where my emergency button is. I may need to push it.
I explain to the guy that traffic lights really don't add that much to a fare, even if we copped every red light along the way it would probably up the fare $1.00. I'm trying my best to calm the situation, it isn't working. His standard reply is..
"Bullshit"
Ahh you gotta love an intelligent well thought out and rational reply, don't you?
We finally get to Vic Park, the fare $11.00
Yep $11.00, huge hey?!
The guy gets out of the cab, you could see he was fuming still, nothing would solve his issues for the moment other than ripping me from my car and bashing me senseless. Fucking hell!! Chill dude!
The girl pays me $11.00, I hand her back the $1.00 and say that's for the red lights we caught, she looks at me sheepishly and says
"I'm so sorry"
I reply, "No I'm sorry for you" and I drive off
:sigh:
Best fare:
Well it can only be a fare that didn't involve an actual human! And that would be when on a few occasions I got a fare from the central blood bank to Joondalup hospital.
You go into the blood bank and they give you an esky containing bags of blood, you simply have to deliver the blood to the hospital. Fare usually came to around $45.00.
The blood gives no attitude, it doesn't smell, vomit, urinate or refuse to pay.
It can't get any better than that, can it?!
You can read the other stories in the series so far by clicking the taxi label below
Comments