Archives for July 2007

Surviving

If a distinguishing feature of taxi drivers is the automatic ability to maximise a fare, then I’m not your typical cabbie. Fare exploitation requires practise and confidence, plus a certain brassy insouciance when challenged. Yet some passengers are their own worst enemy, carelessly granting drivers free choice over the route.... Read on...

July 31, 2007 in On the job | Comments (5)

Girls

The annual Sexpo circus hit town over the weekend at the Horden Pavilions. Or should I say, the health, sexuality and lifestyle show. Whatever it’s called, the exhibition is a commercial bonanza drawing huge crowds, and for those attending next year, a tip - according to one passenger the closing... Read on...

July 30, 2007 in On the job | Comments (2)

Guarantees

Runners are the bane of a cabbies existence costing anywhere from five bucks to a life. At best passengers will simply run, leaving the driver to rue his failure to anticipate the event and/or take preemptive action. At worst, runners can kill you. Unlike many cabbies I tend to trust... Read on...

July 29, 2007 in On the job | Comments (22)

Gibberish

You know what I hate ? When it’s 1am on a dead shift and I haven’t spoken to anyone for nearly an hour. So I hop out of the cab and light a cigarette, hoping the damn rank might start moving. It’s either that or some friendly, distracting discourse. The... Read on...

July 27, 2007 in On the job | Comments (8)

Unusual

At 4am this morning whilst doing my paperwork at a local service station, a bloke suddenly appeared at the cab window. "Mate, are you starting or finishing ?" he asked. Though I was finishing work, I could've easily taken the fare. But in the split second needed to answer, something... Read on...

July 26, 2007 in On the job | Comments (11)

Backhander

Years ago I came across a woman driving a car with the personal plate number, 666. When I inquired if she was worried by the negative connotations of such a number, she just laughed dismissively as if to say, it’s bullshit. Which is probably the best attitude. However a San... Read on...

July 25, 2007 in Cab news | Comments (4)

All Good

After Sunday night when I couldn’t facilitate an outcome to save myself, now I’m pleased to report that last night I ticked all the boxes. I mean basically, I totally like did the business. So at the end of the day and going forward it’s all good. End of story,... Read on...

July 24, 2007 in On the job | Comments (6)

Depressed

If there is one time of the year when a cabbie gets depressed it’s winter, in particular Sunday nights in July. These are about as bad as it gets when a certain driver can’t be bothered starting work before 7pm, four hours into the shift. Thus I dragged myself off... Read on...

July 23, 2007 in On the job | Comments (13)

CabFlog

TAXI authorities have condemned an Islamic recruiting drive by some of Melbourne's Muslim cabbies using propaganda-style DVDs featuring radical preacher Sheik Khalid Yasin. This curious item appeared in Melbourne earlier in the week. Why, I wondered, would any cabbie with a modicum of self-preservation, a driver's first consideration, presume passengers... Read on...

July 20, 2007 in On the job | Comments (8)

Recall

If there’s one thing cabbies have, it’s plenty of time to reminisce. A couple of encounters last night took me back to the time my son, Aaron was born. Early in the evening a fella boarded at the Airport, having just flown back from Wagga. Or, as he called it,... Read on...

July 19, 2007 in On the job | Comments (3)

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