I've Just Started World War III -- I Am So Proud!!!

Oooookay.... Remember the nursery school posts? Remember the 60 and 70 year old men acting like toddlers? Well, as the saying goes, when you tease a snake, you're bound to get bitten.

The crybabies in the airport line complained about my meter rates being higher than theirs until the airport posted a sign telling customers to compare rates. Which has screwed me out of quite a few fares.

Now that I can carry 6 passengers (as set forth in the state and local city code), I am offering group discounts by passenger request on a per-person basis.

One of these crybabies could have been timed with a stopwatch as to how quick he started swearing when he saw me show up in the van. He's stuck his foot in his mouth 3 times already.

#1) "He's gonna be upset at the start of next year." Apparently, he and the other crybabies are going to start running to and from the airport for $25. Fine by me, it keeps them out of my hair, and as rude as some of them are to the passengers, it can only help me. I think it's hilarious that they think I CARE what they do.

#2) "He can't have that lettering. You can't take over 5, that's city code." Answer: State and city code allow up to six passengers in a taxi cab, if seat belts are available for six.

#3) "He doesn't have but $125,000 insurance. He can't do that." Answer: City and Airport police both have insurance certificates on file for $500,000 on my van.

It's interesting how these guys are so interested in what I am doing. I dare the airport to remove the sign advising passengers to compare rates. I dare the crybabies to ask that it be removed.

Remember the ballroom waltz? Whine-whine-whine complain, bitch-bitch, bitch-bitch! Whine-whine-whine complain, bitch-bitch, bitch-bitch!

Current Goings-On And Other Thoughts Circling My Mind.....

The old Mercury tripped 225,000 miles this week, and it is time to replace it. I know some might wonder why I am spending money to replace my cab when it might be better spent toward converting the bus, but it is time to retire the car before its repair bills prevent my escape from here.

The car has started burning oil, and the front suspension creaks and squeaks from the extreme wear. On top of that, these cars are known for transmission and differential problems past 200,000 miles as a taxicab. To fix what is currently known to be a problem, and what will be pending in the future, I will be much better off to replace the car than to fix it.

However, I was heavily influenced to buy a van rather than a sedan, since I lose so many fares due to groups of 5 or 6 that want to travel together. Sedans truly are going the way of the dinosaur in the transportation industry, and they are getting too expensive. Vans and buses are making a big comeback.

I bought a 2000 GMC Safari 7-passenger van last Friday. Nice van. Needs a couple things though, still getting that straightened out. Pics are coming. Now that I have a van, since the crybabies in the airport line have been so insistent on advising customers to shop rates, I will be displaying this or something similar on the windows......



You want to compare rates, FINE! Compare THIS! Even if I don't get any more business from it, it will be enough satisfaction to aggravate those that have aggravated me for so long.

On a more personal note, the more I hear "No Surprise", the more I realize I have GOT to get started on my bus.

Unfortunately, to facilitate that, I have to replace my cab so that I can save money toward the conversion, and that is taking precedence.

Thought I Was Kidding About The Nursery School?

If you thought I was kidding about my line of work having become a nursery school, check this out.....

Five days ago, I discovered that someone had taken a knife and cut my new city taxi permit sticker off of my rear bumper. I called the police and made a report, just in case someone was really cheap enough to steal another cab's permit when they only cost $5-10. I also moved the cab to another location to park it.

Today, when I picked the car up, one of my tires was flat. Mind you, they are brand-new with less than 2,000 miles on them, and no history of leakage.

After filling it with fix-a-flat and topping off the air pressure, I carefully inspected it with a flashlight. No screws, nails, or other foreign objects in the tire. As a matter of fact, there was still air pressure in the tire before I filled it with fix-a-flat, which pretty much proves someone let the air out of it. I'm pretty sure I know who did it, and they will get theirs. That's the beautiful part about karma, it happens whether I do anything or not.

Now, I ask you, is there any reason for grown men to act this way?

Turnabout's Fair Play....

LMAO -- I just had SOOOO much fun with this nursery school of taxi drivers we have servicing the airport. I sort of "forgot" to put my new taxi inspection sticker on the car.

So all afternoon the other drivers were bitching and whining to the Airport Police. Finally an officer comes out to talk to me about it. I showed him my sticker, and he told me I needed to put it on the car. I was really hoping they would let me wait until I was first in line....

But you should have seen the look on their faces when I calmly walked back to the car and retrieved the sticker, peeled it off the backing and put it in its place on the rear bumper...... LOL! That'll teach them to mind their own damned business..... :P But we all know THAT'S not gonna happen.

Has Anyone Ever Tried To Make You Feel Inferior?

A fellow artist on MySpace posted a blog a day or so ago that really struck a chord with me. It seems that an 11-year-old child committed suicide because of being harrassed and bullied in school.

I was in this same situation years ago, and I think a lot of us who were or are, don't talk about it. I generally don't. I will say that I, too, was suicidal at one point and time, for a plethora of things, including things that happened in school years. Fortunately, I didn't explode like some others have.

But on to the point. I was given a nickname that I hated in high school, and some of the idiots I went to school with still refer to me in that manner to this day, to which I give no reply. My philosophy is that is someone can't refer to me with my proper name, then they're not worth my time.

Well, it just so happened, that shortly after I started my business, one of these idiots saw me and started trying to get my attention by shouting that nickname that I hated. When I didn't respond, he approached and kept repeating it like a mantra.

I just looked up at him and said, "Do you even KNOW my real name?" Surprise, surprise, he didn't.

"So what makes you think you know me well enough to talk to me?"

Of course, he starts with the "Yeah, you bum, you drive a cab," blah, blah, blah.

To which I simply looked at him and said, "Yeah, well, who do you work for?"

He worked for a local construction company, which I will not name, since that's not the point.

"Well, here's a few questions for you," I said. "Do you make your own hours? Are you your own boss? Do you have to answer to anyone?"

He said nothing, to which I continued. "You see this car? I own it. You see the company name on this car? I own it. I'm my own boss, and I don't have to take shit off of anybody to keep MY job. Can you say that? Not to mention I'm working on recording music. I'm trying to do something with MY life besides just putting food on the table."

So, word up, Jeffree Star....... I may not be quite as unique as you, but you're an inspiration to all of us that don't quite fit the "template".

I Am SOOOOOO Bad.......

Okay, so it's that wonderful time of the year when all my permits and licensing are due for renewal. Which is usually an inevitable pain in the ass.

DMV requires a motor carrier permit, which basically is their certification that I am insured as a taxicab. My "special" taxicab-for-hire license plates are also due for renewal.

Then there are the local permits for the City Of Charlottesville. There are two. One to license the vehicle's for-hire status, and one to license me as a driver of such a vehicle ("hack" license, as it were).

Usually this entire process is one big headache. This year actually wasn't bad, and I was actually having a little fun with the local permits by the time it was over.

DMV was pretty much a breeze, after making sure that my ten-days-expired permit was renewable. In and out in 45 minutes. Wow. Is that why it snowed yesterday?

On to the local permits. Now, this started out as a wild goose chase. The city sets aside three days of three officers doing nothing but taxi cab inspections to insure that they are roadworthy and safe.

Due to some nomenclature confusion, I had to remove a NICE $200 window tint job, due in part to the fact that some competitors' drivers have been engaging in illegal activities while operating a taxi. So now, I'm already pissed off. I stayed up way later than normal just to make this inspection process.

Then, after losing more sleep for three hours removing the tint, I was told that my "borderline" front tires (that I planned to replace within the week anyway) would have to be replaced before I could be certified, and if not done by March 1st, I could not operate until it was done. If they had told me this in the first place, I would have just went home and slept, to deal with it later. GRRRRRRR.....

Anyway, after getting these issues taken care of, I returned to get the cab inspected. Surprise, surprise, these are no longer done on demand, they are done on designated days now. So I have to wait until March 3 (2 days past the deadline I was given) to try again. Does this make any sense to you?

Anyway, the cab passed this morning with flying colors. On to my driver's registration. The ladies in the office where this is done are a trip if you're nice to them. However, I had them laughing by the time I left. Even though I have already blogged before that I am "done", I actually find a couple of them attractive.

I had already picked and flirted with them before I even took my taxi driver's test. So when I didn't miss a single question, (and I was pretty sure of this) one of them told me they wanted my cheat sheet before I left. She actually made me laugh. Something I've NEVER done during this process.

I asked her what she meant, and she told me I was the first driver in two weeks to not miss a question on the test. To which I raised my eyebrows. It really is NOT that hard. Most of it is common sense.

She joked a little further about me having a cheat sheet, to which I took off my coat and turned completely around to show I didn't have one.

Then she asked if I had anything up my sleeve, and I told her, "Just my shoulder. But if you want to strip search me, SHE gets first dibs," pointing at one in particular.

Those poor women turned a brighter red than the color of this year's city permit, and laughed up a storm.

We got on the subject of relationships and such, and of course, the one I would definitely hang out with was married. Truthfully, the other lady I would hang out with also, but I haven't dealt with her as much :P

Oh, well. Besides, I haven't met someone in over 12 years that I could trust out of my sight for ten minutes. When I told her that, she said she felt the same about her husband.

Weird. Why be with someone you don't feel you can totally trust? Of course, some people think you're cheating on them whether they are or not, so that's food for thought too. Just affirms some of my observations in my time on this planet.

First, most people want what they can't or aren't supposed to have. Secondly, good people always wind up with the wrong person for them. Third, one of my favorite scenes from Clerks Part II has once again reaffirmed itself. Blog on this elsewhere.

Dee-Dee-Dee!!!!!

I have heard rumors recently that the governor of the great Communist state of Virginia has formed a commission to create a statewide mandate to regulate all for-hire vehicles. This mandate is rumored to include age restrictions and rate limits.

Well.... I wrote myself a little email to the governor's office. A week later someone from the DMV phoned to inform me that no such mandate was or is being considered. I just received a letter from the governor himself stating it was his understanding that the DMV had phoned me to clarify this, and the letter was just to underline that.

This is just more game-playing by competitors. Why, oh, why do people have to be so f**king stupid?!!!

The REAL Taxi Cab Confessions.....

As I'm sure anyone that knows me or reads my blogs is aware by now, I own and operate a small independent taxi cab service in Charlottesville, Virginia.

You would think that most industries, while would be a sense of competition, there would be some notion of comraderie amongst those of us in the same industry..... nope.

Unfortunately, you can't get any of these guys to agree on anything long enough to go get ice cream together. And most of them insist on blackballing each other with customers, and will seemingly stop at nothing to take each other's business.

I, for one, just come out to make a living. I'm not out to take any other company or operator down. But the majority of the drivers in this business act like four-year olds, especially when it comes to the airport. *shakes head*

The big issue that started all this is that neither the City Of Charlottesville, nor the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport Authority, nor the County Of Albemarle regulate the actual rate of fare with taxicabs. It is left open to what the city calls 'open market competition', and unfortunately, everyone cuts their own throat in this business in the name of volume. It's completely stupid.

The reason I say that is because you can't count on getting thirty fares a day. Sometimes you can't count on getting three. I myself have had days (plural) where I sat around town for 15 hours and only took in thirty-five dollars. Of course, these were the days when I had just gotten in the business and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Now, through trial and error, I have figured out how to make the business turn a profit. Unfortunately, some changes never come easy.

On one plane, there are customers who raise eyebrows when one cab charges more for the same trip than another. I can understand this to a degree, as it is regulated in NYC and DC. But the expenses in this industry are so volatile and so necessary that I don't see how any locality could possibly regulate it fairly.

There are also customers that will not use your services over a few dollars. I have come to find that these folks generally are going to complain no matter what you charge them.

And then, last but not least, are the drivers who can't see the forest for the trees. I recently revised my rates when fuel shot up to $4.25 per gallon and continued to rise.

Of course, two months later, it dropped to about half of that. First, I don't expect this drop to last. Secondly, Obama is proposing a carbon-based fuels tax on top of the 36 cents per gallon taxes we are already paying. I'm changing nothing until I know what is going to happen.

One thing I simply will not tolerate is someone presuming to tell me how to run my business, especially someone who does not know my expenses, or worse, does not even know the business.

A lot of drivers at the airport have a tendency to mind everyone's business but their own. A lot of game playing goes on, such as complaining about petty things that may or may not be true to attempt to cause another operator to be suspended or barred.

I have heard countless snide remarks about my rate of fare, up to and including that my rates are running customers off, though I've never told anyone that they HAVE to take MY taxicab. I know that these remarks are simply an attempt to rile me into doing something stupid to get myself barred from the airport, or goad me into quitting working the airport, or changing my rates. None of the above. And I don't get mad, I get even.

I finally told one of these fellows that if I heard any more about it, I would work twice as much just to annoy them. Of course, they didn't take me seriously.

So I have made it a point to be at the airport way before anyone else is, and I work up until the airport closes for the night. This serves two purposes. I make more money, and I know it is driving them bananas, though none of them will admit it. I believe that if someone gets aggravated over something that is none of their business.... good for them! Give them more :) Which I am more than happy to do.

So now the rumor is that I'm homeless because I'm at the airport all the time.... ROFLMAO! I hope these guys don't actually believe the crap that comes out of their mouths. Does anyone have any cheese to go with their whine?

To be continued...... This is the REAL Taxicab Confessions!!!!

A Little Bit Of The Pot Calling The Kettle Black....

I arrived at the airport today to find a fellow standing ready and waiting with five suitcases, despite the fact that another taxi was already in line before me.

Turns out the taxi in line ahead of mine did not want to load that much luggage. Interesting that this taxi's operator is one of the same group that points the finger at me and others for overcharging. At least I DO MY job and serve the customer's needs.

The customer was happy just to get a taxi at this point, and actually tipped me about $5.00 over the fare amount. Very nice fellow, I hope and look forward to doing business with him again.

Darwin Award Candidate of 2002.......

During fraternity / sorority rush week at the university, I got a call to a rather populated area of the main fraternity / sorority area.

The house was dark, and no one answered the phone. I was just about to leave when a guy steps out of the bushes, stark naked except for tennis shoes and something hanging around his neck.

He reached for the door, and I asked, "May I help you?" He says, "I called for the cab." Of course, I'm doing a Spooner from I, Robot.... "Oh, HELL, no!"

The guy runs and jumps in front of the car. One way street. "Wait, wait!"

"Brother, you don't have clothes, therefore, you don't have any money."

He produced a $50 bill, to which I responded, "You've got 30 seconds to explain this. It better be good, and I'm promising nothing."

His "mission" to get into the fraternity was to take a taxicab 3 times around the fraternity area...... stark naked........ mooning everyone along the way.

I was not in the least interested in being part of this debacle, but he told me no one else would do it either. "There's a reason for that," I said. "Cops catch us, they could yank my taxi permit."

I finally told him if he brought some clothes with him, at least I would be able to say he had clothes on when he got in the car.

What neither one of us was counting on was a girl hiding in the bushes outside a sorority with a big Super Soaker..... the kind with a huge tank on it? YEAH. Not only was it a 40 degree night, she was a crack shot, no pun intended.

He was soaked, my back seat was soaked, and both of us were trying to figure out what had happened. When he saw her approaching to nail him again, he yelled, "Go, man, go!!!"

I responded, "Let's get one thing straight. I'm doing this in the interests of my interior, not you." He wound up walking a couple blocks naked that night. Served him right. Took two hours to dry my seats where they could be used again.

He happened to be with a group of his friends that called me later that year. He recognized me, but I didn't recognize him (big surprise, he had clothes on this time). When I realized who he was, I asked if he got into his fraternity, which he had. "Was it worth it?" I asked.

"I don't know, I've been drunk ever since." Ah, the naivety of youth.

A Few Examples Of The Nursery School That My Profession Has Become....

As I'm sure anyone that knows me is aware by now, I own and operate a small independent taxi cab service in Charlottesville, Virginia.

You would think that most industries, while there would be a sense of competition, there would also be some notion of comraderie amongst those of us in the same industry..... nope.

Unfortunately, you can't get any of these guys to agree on anything long enough to go get ice cream together. And most of them insist on blackballing each other with customers, and will seemingly stop at nothing to take each other's business.

I, for one, just come out to make a living. I'm not out to take any other company or operator down. But the majority of the drivers in this business act like four-year olds, especially when it comes to the airport. *shakes head*

The big issue that started all this is that neither the City Of Charlottesville, nor the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport Authority, nor the County Of Albemarle regulate the actual rate of fare with taxicabs. It is left open to what the city calls 'open market competition', and unfortunately, everyone cuts their own throat in this business in the name of volume. It's completely stupid.

The reason I say that is because you can't count on getting thirty fares a day. Sometimes you can't count on getting three. I myself have had days (plural) where I sat around town for 15 hours and only took in thirty-five dollars. Of course, these were the days when I had just gotten in the business and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Now, through trial and error, I have figured out how to make the business turn a profit. Unfortunately, some changes never come easy.

On one plane, there are customers who raise eyebrows when one cab charges more for the same trip than another. I can understand this to a degree, as it is regulated in NYC and DC. But the expenses in this industry are so volatile and so necessary that I don't see how any locality could possibly regulate it fairly.

There are also customers that will not use your services over a few dollars. I have come to find that these folks generally are going to complain no matter what you charge them.

And then, last but not least, are the drivers who can't see the forest for the trees. I recently revised my rates when fuel shot up to $4.25 per gallon and continued to rise.

Of course, two months later, it dropped to about half of that. First, I don't expect this drop to last. Secondly, Obama is proposing a carbon-based fuels tax on top of the 36 cents per gallon taxes we are already paying. I'm changing nothing until I know what is going to happen.

One thing I simply will not tolerate is someone presuming to tell me how to run my business, especially someone who does not know my expenses, or worse, does not even know the business.

A lot of drivers at the airport have a tendency to mind everyone's business but their own. A lot of game playing goes on, such as complaining about petty things that may or may not be true to attempt to cause another operator to be suspended or barred.

I have heard countless snide remarks about my rate of fare, up to and including that my rates are running customers off, though I've never told anyone that they HAVE to take MY taxicab. I know that these remarks are simply an attempt to rile me into doing something stupid to get myself barred from the airport, or goad me into quitting working the airport, or changing my rates. None of the above. And I don't get mad, I get even.

I finally told one of these fellows that if I heard any more about it, I would work twice as much just to annoy them. Of course, they didn't take me seriously.

So I have made it a point to be at the airport way before anyone else is, and I work up until the airport closes for the night. This serves two purposes. I make more money, and I know it is driving them bananas, though none of them will admit it. I believe that if someone gets aggravated over something that is none of their business.... good for them! Give them more :) Which I am more than happy to do.

So now the rumor is that I'm homeless because I'm at the airport all the time.... ROFLMAO! I hope these guys don't actually believe the crap that comes out of their mouths. Does anyone have any cheese to go with their whine?

To be continued...... This is the REAL Taxicab Confessions!!!!

Thought I Was Kidding About The Nursery School?

If you thought I was kidding about my line of work having become a nursery school, check this out.....

Five days ago, I discovered that someone had taken a knife and cut my new city taxi permit sticker off of my rear bumper. I called the police and made a report, just in case someone was really cheap enough to steal another cab's permit when they only cost $5-10. I also moved the cab to another location to park it.

Today, when I picked the car up, one of my tires was flat. Mind you, they are brand-new with less than 2,000 miles on them, and no history of leakage.

After filling it with fix-a-flat and topping off the air pressure, I carefully inspected it with a flashlight. No screws, nails, or other foreign objects in the tire. As a matter of fact, there was still air pressure in the tire before I filled it with fix-a-flat, which pretty much proves someone let the air out of it. I'm pretty sure I know who did it, and they will get theirs. That's the beautiful part about karma, it happens whether I do anything or not.

Now, I ask you, is there any reason for grown men to act this way?