It's getting to be about that time when replacing my taxi cab is very prudent, in terms of cost efficiency and image maintenance. The ol' Merc hasn't been a bad car (though not without its problems), but it tripped 223,000 miles this week, and it's time for it to go.
Probably quite a bit of life left in it as a personal car, as I did service and maintain this car regularly. But as a taxicab, I foresee it costing way too much to keep running .
So, as any normal InterNet savvy person would do, I have searched eBay Motors and Craigslist for a replacement car. I found a Craigslist listing for a 2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor for $1800 and called the fellow on it.
Keep in mind that these cars are sold in this price range at auctions all the time between $1500-$2500 for average condition with minor dings and scratches, but still an otherwise decent, and turnkey car. The reason Crown Victorias are popular in the taxicab industry is they have a lot of room, they are usually pretty inexpensive, and get decent fuel mileage for their size. These are BIG cars.
Crown Vics explained: Looking at the VIN number, a series of numbers will say P71, P72, P73 or P74. This is the trim level of the car, as some look alike, and many visual things interchange.
P71 - Full pursuit Police Interceptor package, very popular among cabbies. Fast and usually reliable, these have upgraded cooling, brakes, suspension, and drivetrain to make them hold up better in severe duty use, such as taxicabs or police work.
P72 - Taxi / Police Package. These have everything included in the P71. Some have more luxurious appointments (cloth seats vs vinyl etc) and the P72 has a limiter in the engine controls to cut the fuel back at high speeds, which is also in the P73 and P74.
P73 - This is a base Crown Victoria. Usually a very few options.
P74 - LX package, usually includes nice options like leather seats, automatic climate control, digital dash, moonroof, etc.
He said just last night (and I quote) "Oh, yeah, car runs and drives great, nothing wrong with it, I just need to sell it because we're moving."
Taking him at his word, I drove nearly 70 miles one way to look at this car. I was less than impressed.
The first thing I noticed was the cracked windshield. This car already will not pass state safety inspection as-is.
The next things I noticed were the various scuffs and scratches along the entire body.
The next thing I noticed was the small chunk broken out of a trim panel on the trunklid and impression in the bumper casing where the car had backed into something. Lovely.
The next thing I noticed was a hastily done spray-can paint job on the header panel, indicating the car had been in a front-end collision.
I thought, "Eighteen hundred dollars seems a little high, but if there's nothing else wrong with it...." So I flipped open my cell phone and called the seller and had them meet me at the car so that I could test drive it.
With the engine running, it was readily apparent that either the power steering pump or the transmission internal pump was about to fail, judging by the loud growling and whining from under the hood. It was indeed a P71, but this car needs a LOT of work.
Driving the car, it had a pronounced pull to the driver's side. I am getting more disgusted by the minute.
Last but not least, one of the rear doors does not open from the inside. This is not abnormal for a police-spec Crown Vic, as many are ordered this way to prevent you from escaping the rear of the cruiser. But it is something that must be remedied in order to make it a taxicab. This is a $1500 car, maybe. IF nothing else is wrong with it.
The person that showed me the car was not the one I spoke to last night, otherwise I would have had a few very choice words for wasting my time, my fuel, and not giving an honest description of the car. I don't expect perfection for $1800, but this car needs at least $2000 worth of work done to it before I can make it a taxicab.
And as if this wasn't enough.......
Coming back from this debacle, I found another place that had 4 or 5 Police Interceptors. One was extremely nice, a 2004 with a fresh transmission. I was told I could get it for $3600, which was reasonable for a 2004, but I don't quite have that much to play with just yet. On to the older cars.....
A 2000 they had ran pretty decent, but I spotted a telltale sign that the engine had been replaced.
Crown Victorias had an all-plastic intake manifold from 1996-1998, and into 1999 when it was changed. This is due to the fact that the plastic could not take the pressure of a 200-degree cooling system at 16 psi of pressure. Late 1999s had a revised intake that had a cast aluminum coolant area. This car was a 2000, but had the all-plastic intake, making it obvious the engine was from a '96-'99 model.
Given that the 2004 was available for $3600, what do you think the price was for a 2000 with 166,000 miles on the odometer, an engine with unknown mileage with a critical engine part that is known to fail, the rear doors being inoperable from the inside, and needing substantial cleaning? $3000!!!
I left on that note, thinking, "These people have lost their frigging mind!"
Who the hell pays $3000 for a 9-year old car that has "severe duty" written all over it? I might as well get a van.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Is Nothing Sacred?
I actually posted this on MySpace some time ago, but had trouble importing it. I read online awhile ago where Bill O'Reilly was running his mouth about Michael Jackson.
Also, a video has been posted of Congressman Peter King calling Michael Jackson a low-life and a pervert. I think Mr. O'Reilly AND Mr. King BOTH need to have a Coke and a smile and STFU.
I've not seen anyone accuse Mr. King of being racist. But tell me, Mr. King, just what kind of "low-life" attacks the character of a person who isn't around to defend themselves anymore?
Michael Jackson was certainly not perfect, and did some rather strange and dumb things. But no one on Earth is perfect, and we all do strange and dumb things sometimes. The only truth we will know is that only Michael Jackson and his accuser will ever really know the truth. The man is dead, and where I come from, it's very disrespectful to speak badly of the dead.
Mr. King, you say you're tired of hearing people grieve for Michael Jackson, but I'm getting tired of hearing people beat on him even after his passing for something he was never convicted of.
I have a few things to say about this.
1) Does being found innocent in a court of law not mean anything anymore? If so, then something is VERY wrong here.
2) Do either of these pompous gas-bags have some earth-shattering evidence that proves King's allegations beyond a reasonable doubt?
3) Has anyone stopped to think why Michael Jackson's friends and colleagues would risk their careers to stand by him (and as far as I know, they did) in his darkest hour? Maybe because they know him better than that?
4) Has anyone stopped to think that the child who said he was molested may have been pressured to make an accusation in order to sue? The "American Way" of working hard and getting ahead seems to have given way to suing and retiring. Anyone with a brain can see that the man was a huge target to this sort of thing.
5) Whoever thinks kids never lie has blinders on. There are some very mean-spirited jerk-offs in this world who do not care who they hurt, as long as they get what they want, and will stop at nothing to get it. Washington is full of them, and so is the media. And guess what? They were ALL kids once!
6) I have noticed that politicians, particularly Republicans, have an annoying tendency to jump on whatever wave seems best to ride to get votes, even if it means ruining someone's reputation. It's all a guise to draw attention away from their own shortcomings and faults. My father always told me as a kid, "The guilty dog barks the loudest".
7) Sometimes these things are done even in the name of religion. Whatever happened to separation of church and state? I'm not necessarily religious or spiritual, but if there IS one Almighty God controlling everything, I would venture a guess that He wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. If you really want to bring religion into things, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Now just let that sink in for a moment. You have accused a dead man of being a pervert and a low-life. How are you really any better than Shirley Phelps Roper, the idiot who shows up at dead soldiers' funerals to attack their character? Link to her interview on Fox shown below.
Fox News Interviews Shirley Phelps Roper
So, all I have to say to either Mr. O'Reilly, or Mr. King, is, fuck you very much. I don't let the puppetmaster media or my corporately-owned government make up my mind for me. I tend to think about things a bit before I form my opinion, unlike the lemmings that Mr. O'Reilly preaches to, referred to in this video by Green Day as "one nation controlled by the media".
Green Day - American Idiot
These guys are absolutely right. The media is just a tool of the government to keep their lemmings, I mean, constituents, under control.
And by the way, Mr. King, what of the accusations against your buddy Mr. O'Reilly by his former producer of sexual harrassment? Here's the link to a story where he settled the claim.
Bill O'Reilly Settles Sexual Harrassment Suit Out-Of-Court
Tell me, Mr. King, just what kind of "pervert" buys their way out of a sexual harrassment suit? If he was falsely accused, and a victim of a "shakedown", as he says, why did he settle the case out-of-court?
And what about your own record of voting on issues relevant to illegal aliens, a key issue directly pertinent to the economy in this country? If you don't believe me, consider this.
Illegal aliens mean cheaper labor, which means Joe Legal loses his job to Jose Illegal and forces the economy to tank because he has no money to spend. Meanwhile, Jose Illegal enjoys many benefits at government expense, paying no taxes on his undocumented income, which he does not spend in this country, rather, it goes home to his family.
Peter King's Stance On Illegal Immigration
Could your inconsistency here be for your own personal benefit, while you sell out the working class? I think our founding fathers would be ashamed of both of you. If you live in a glass house, it's best not to throw stones.
And just for the record, Mr. King, while you may THINK you're speaking for millions, rest assured, you DON'T speak for everybody. And I doubt you speak for as many as you THINK you do, you self-righteous prick.
I hope someone publicly bashes BOTH of you on YOUR bad points and YOUR names are dragged through the dirt after YOUR passing. What goes around comes around.
A great many people say that Michael Jackson disgusted them, touting what are essentially little more than rumors. Does anyone have any actual EVIDENCE? It disgusts ME that the dead cannot truly rest in peace, even when they are falsely accused.
Since Michael isn't around to tell Mr. King to go to hell like he did Gloria Redall in the infamous baby-dangling incident....... I will.
I don't defend Michael's actions in that incident, but I do agree that Redall is a busybody who had severely overstepped her bounds in that example, and I, for one, salute Charles Barkley for telling her to shut the hell up and mind her own business. Must we forget that the man realized and admitted in his own words that it was a "terrible mistake"?
I agree it was not a good thing for Michael to do, but it was quite obvious that the child's safety was not her primary concern, and when it happened in another country, how was it her place? I'll have to bastardize one of Michael's songs to make my point....
Peter King does all this talkin'
But we don't wanna hear him squawkin'
Tellin' lies and throwin' boulders
So we called his mouth a motor
Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin' ........
Also, a video has been posted of Congressman Peter King calling Michael Jackson a low-life and a pervert. I think Mr. O'Reilly AND Mr. King BOTH need to have a Coke and a smile and STFU.
I've not seen anyone accuse Mr. King of being racist. But tell me, Mr. King, just what kind of "low-life" attacks the character of a person who isn't around to defend themselves anymore?
Michael Jackson was certainly not perfect, and did some rather strange and dumb things. But no one on Earth is perfect, and we all do strange and dumb things sometimes. The only truth we will know is that only Michael Jackson and his accuser will ever really know the truth. The man is dead, and where I come from, it's very disrespectful to speak badly of the dead.
Mr. King, you say you're tired of hearing people grieve for Michael Jackson, but I'm getting tired of hearing people beat on him even after his passing for something he was never convicted of.
I have a few things to say about this.
1) Does being found innocent in a court of law not mean anything anymore? If so, then something is VERY wrong here.
2) Do either of these pompous gas-bags have some earth-shattering evidence that proves King's allegations beyond a reasonable doubt?
3) Has anyone stopped to think why Michael Jackson's friends and colleagues would risk their careers to stand by him (and as far as I know, they did) in his darkest hour? Maybe because they know him better than that?
4) Has anyone stopped to think that the child who said he was molested may have been pressured to make an accusation in order to sue? The "American Way" of working hard and getting ahead seems to have given way to suing and retiring. Anyone with a brain can see that the man was a huge target to this sort of thing.
5) Whoever thinks kids never lie has blinders on. There are some very mean-spirited jerk-offs in this world who do not care who they hurt, as long as they get what they want, and will stop at nothing to get it. Washington is full of them, and so is the media. And guess what? They were ALL kids once!
6) I have noticed that politicians, particularly Republicans, have an annoying tendency to jump on whatever wave seems best to ride to get votes, even if it means ruining someone's reputation. It's all a guise to draw attention away from their own shortcomings and faults. My father always told me as a kid, "The guilty dog barks the loudest".
7) Sometimes these things are done even in the name of religion. Whatever happened to separation of church and state? I'm not necessarily religious or spiritual, but if there IS one Almighty God controlling everything, I would venture a guess that He wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. If you really want to bring religion into things, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Now just let that sink in for a moment. You have accused a dead man of being a pervert and a low-life. How are you really any better than Shirley Phelps Roper, the idiot who shows up at dead soldiers' funerals to attack their character? Link to her interview on Fox shown below.
Fox News Interviews Shirley Phelps Roper
So, all I have to say to either Mr. O'Reilly, or Mr. King, is, fuck you very much. I don't let the puppetmaster media or my corporately-owned government make up my mind for me. I tend to think about things a bit before I form my opinion, unlike the lemmings that Mr. O'Reilly preaches to, referred to in this video by Green Day as "one nation controlled by the media".
Green Day - American Idiot
These guys are absolutely right. The media is just a tool of the government to keep their lemmings, I mean, constituents, under control.
And by the way, Mr. King, what of the accusations against your buddy Mr. O'Reilly by his former producer of sexual harrassment? Here's the link to a story where he settled the claim.
Bill O'Reilly Settles Sexual Harrassment Suit Out-Of-Court
Tell me, Mr. King, just what kind of "pervert" buys their way out of a sexual harrassment suit? If he was falsely accused, and a victim of a "shakedown", as he says, why did he settle the case out-of-court?
And what about your own record of voting on issues relevant to illegal aliens, a key issue directly pertinent to the economy in this country? If you don't believe me, consider this.
Illegal aliens mean cheaper labor, which means Joe Legal loses his job to Jose Illegal and forces the economy to tank because he has no money to spend. Meanwhile, Jose Illegal enjoys many benefits at government expense, paying no taxes on his undocumented income, which he does not spend in this country, rather, it goes home to his family.
Peter King's Stance On Illegal Immigration
Could your inconsistency here be for your own personal benefit, while you sell out the working class? I think our founding fathers would be ashamed of both of you. If you live in a glass house, it's best not to throw stones.
And just for the record, Mr. King, while you may THINK you're speaking for millions, rest assured, you DON'T speak for everybody. And I doubt you speak for as many as you THINK you do, you self-righteous prick.
I hope someone publicly bashes BOTH of you on YOUR bad points and YOUR names are dragged through the dirt after YOUR passing. What goes around comes around.
A great many people say that Michael Jackson disgusted them, touting what are essentially little more than rumors. Does anyone have any actual EVIDENCE? It disgusts ME that the dead cannot truly rest in peace, even when they are falsely accused.
Since Michael isn't around to tell Mr. King to go to hell like he did Gloria Redall in the infamous baby-dangling incident....... I will.
I don't defend Michael's actions in that incident, but I do agree that Redall is a busybody who had severely overstepped her bounds in that example, and I, for one, salute Charles Barkley for telling her to shut the hell up and mind her own business. Must we forget that the man realized and admitted in his own words that it was a "terrible mistake"?
I agree it was not a good thing for Michael to do, but it was quite obvious that the child's safety was not her primary concern, and when it happened in another country, how was it her place? I'll have to bastardize one of Michael's songs to make my point....
Peter King does all this talkin'
But we don't wanna hear him squawkin'
Tellin' lies and throwin' boulders
So we called his mouth a motor
Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin' ........
Monday, July 27, 2009
What..... The...... Fuck??!!!!!
Ladies beware, READ THIS FULLY before you jump to conclusions........ I apologize for NOTHING, because I have done NOTHING wrong here. This is a partial explanation of why I am the way I am.
I'm getting ready to have big fun.... Keep in mind, I USED to respect women immensely. I don't think all women are bitches (yet), but I HAVE to come to discover what classifies one as a silly bitch or a full-blown cunt.
Now, among other things, I have already been falsely accused of taking advantage of a female passenger in my cab. Once found to be drunk and underage, she was subsequently cuffed, stuffed and hauled off to jail with a "Sorry about that, sir, you have a good evening."
I went to karaoke tonight to find out that even though I have been flirting with the waitresses for the entire 4 months I have been there and never laid a finger on any of them, I am now being told that there are some of them complaining.
My first thought was to stop coming there, if I can't be myself. But then my rebellious nature and logic kicked in. Damn it, this is my night off, and my fun. I'll be damned if I am going to let someone else take it away from me. I am now going to refuse service from ALL female servers there, and I am going to tip the male servers that serve me double.
This and quite a few other things have really ruined it for any female that gets interested in me, because I don't know whether they're going to cause me problems or not. If I don't know I can trust a female, why should I let them in? And the double standard when it comes to better-looking guys --- give me a fucking break! A waitress would probably let a guy grab her ass if he looked like Brad Pitt!
But I guess I'll get the last laugh when the other female servers find out and get pissed off at the ones who complained. And they will know who, I'm sure. :)
I'm getting ready to have big fun.... Keep in mind, I USED to respect women immensely. I don't think all women are bitches (yet), but I HAVE to come to discover what classifies one as a silly bitch or a full-blown cunt.
Now, among other things, I have already been falsely accused of taking advantage of a female passenger in my cab. Once found to be drunk and underage, she was subsequently cuffed, stuffed and hauled off to jail with a "Sorry about that, sir, you have a good evening."
I went to karaoke tonight to find out that even though I have been flirting with the waitresses for the entire 4 months I have been there and never laid a finger on any of them, I am now being told that there are some of them complaining.
My first thought was to stop coming there, if I can't be myself. But then my rebellious nature and logic kicked in. Damn it, this is my night off, and my fun. I'll be damned if I am going to let someone else take it away from me. I am now going to refuse service from ALL female servers there, and I am going to tip the male servers that serve me double.
This and quite a few other things have really ruined it for any female that gets interested in me, because I don't know whether they're going to cause me problems or not. If I don't know I can trust a female, why should I let them in? And the double standard when it comes to better-looking guys --- give me a fucking break! A waitress would probably let a guy grab her ass if he looked like Brad Pitt!
But I guess I'll get the last laugh when the other female servers find out and get pissed off at the ones who complained. And they will know who, I'm sure. :)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Rest In Peace, Michael Jackson
People can say what they want about Michael Jackson. I believe he was horrendously misunderstood in life. Unfortunately, many ignorant people who can't form their own opinions and depend on the media to make up their mind for them will always misunderstand. The man never really had a childhood, pushed into stardom before he was a teenager. And stars have NO privacy.
Let's face it, ANYONE who gets THAT famous will always be a target. I like to think that his music will live on to show who he REALLY was. To be blunt, those who make accusations, at the end of the day, will never have the courage or ambition to have a legacy as big as Michael Jackson's. RIP Michael. Those that mattered, didn't mind. And those who DID mind, didn't matter. And I think your legacy, combined with record sales, go a long way to prove that.
Let's face it, ANYONE who gets THAT famous will always be a target. I like to think that his music will live on to show who he REALLY was. To be blunt, those who make accusations, at the end of the day, will never have the courage or ambition to have a legacy as big as Michael Jackson's. RIP Michael. Those that mattered, didn't mind. And those who DID mind, didn't matter. And I think your legacy, combined with record sales, go a long way to prove that.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Origins Of "Cheese Wagon"....
It hadn't really occurred to me, but some might be wondering just how I came to be in possession of a bus. It's really quite simple. It's part of a barter deal I made in 2006 to pay for my studio time in recording my debut musical effort. Quite simply, I bought it to house computer equipment and surveillance cameras monitoring property belonging to the studio owner and that of his family. Basically, an hour of my time monitoring the video is an hour of studio time.
The studio owner didn't want to go through all the hassle of getting a building permit for a shed to house this equipment, for many reasons. It was just easier to house it in a vehicle. And safer for the equipment, as it has turned out. I thought this was a joke at first, but the surveillance has actually led to a few arrests and at least one conviction.
I didn't really plan on getting this big of a vehicle. Vans were fairly expensive, and I was actually looking for one of the van-based buses, such as a Ford E350 van-based bus. However, when I went to Fishersville to answer an ad for a "1989 Ford Bus", I had no idea how big it was. Stepping around the corner to look at it, I was greeted by a 35-foot yellow monster. But the price was right, and so I bought it.
Fittingly, I dubbed it "Cheese Wagon". Fast forwarding to 2009, it looks as though I may be converting this thing into a motorhome. I have finally come to terms that I need to make some changes in my life, and one of them is to start actually living my life instead of wasting it away with all work and no play.
The studio owner didn't want to go through all the hassle of getting a building permit for a shed to house this equipment, for many reasons. It was just easier to house it in a vehicle. And safer for the equipment, as it has turned out. I thought this was a joke at first, but the surveillance has actually led to a few arrests and at least one conviction.
I didn't really plan on getting this big of a vehicle. Vans were fairly expensive, and I was actually looking for one of the van-based buses, such as a Ford E350 van-based bus. However, when I went to Fishersville to answer an ad for a "1989 Ford Bus", I had no idea how big it was. Stepping around the corner to look at it, I was greeted by a 35-foot yellow monster. But the price was right, and so I bought it.
Fittingly, I dubbed it "Cheese Wagon". Fast forwarding to 2009, it looks as though I may be converting this thing into a motorhome. I have finally come to terms that I need to make some changes in my life, and one of them is to start actually living my life instead of wasting it away with all work and no play.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Cost Of Being Difficult......
I'm sure that everyone who's ever worked a service job has wished that they could charge people extra for disrespecting or aggravating them. I have one of the few jobs that I can choose to do so at my discretion.
To explain a few things about the taxi business in my locality -- It can take upwards of 3-6 hours of waiting to get a fare from the airport -- which allows us to charge a minimum fare to or from the airport. My minimum charge is $25.00, to insure that I make a profit. After expenses, I actually make around $6.00 per hour.
In the rare occurence that I am the only cab available to serve multiple passsengers and destinations, I typically take the estimated total metered fare for the trip and divvy it up among the passengers equally, so no one feels that they are paying part of someone else's ride. Some people, however, will bitch even if hung with a new rope. The reason I came up with this idea is because invariably someone bitches that they are paying for someone else's ride.
Four people, three destinations. I offered to take them all for the minimum charge per stop -- a total of $75, since the metered fare for all three stops would have been close to $70 anyway.
Of course, they want to get stupid about it. "I paid $23 to come out here......" "Why should we each pay $25 when they're paying $25 for two people?" To bastardize a popular waltz tune..... Whine, whine, whine-complain.... bitch-bitch.... bitch-bitch! People really piss me off when they do this. They want convenience without paying for it.
To which I replied simply, "There are 10 companies in the telephone book that will gladly keep you waiting 20 or 30 minutes, and you are welcome to try them if you like." People do not realize that in this town, it is a 10 mile trip to the airport from just about anywhere. Nor do they really care.
Salvation showed up in the form of a second taxi returning to the airport. Three of them walked to the second cab, leaving the $23 lady to pay a metered fare by herself. I will add that the second taxi probly offered the same deal, or followed the ordinance by charging meter to the first destination, paid by the first person, at which point the meter is reset and the second passenger pays the metered fare to the second destination. Either way, I'd be willing to bet they felt pretty stupid by the time they got to where they were going. Six of one, half-dozen of the other in some cases.
So then the $23 lady told me to go completely the long way around, turning what would have been a $30-35 ride into thirty-nine and some change. I offered a discount, as some passengers will tip the difference anyway. Nope.
On to the next moron. Woman comes out and wants to go to a local hotel, to which the base fare was about $38 or so. As I mentioned earlier, extra charges are present on my posted rates, but I rarely use them unless I feel the situation warrants it (customer attitude or high fuel prices).
She didn't say it in so many words, but her tone made it clear that she felt like I was charging too much. I have one thing to say. Buy me a tank of gas, or pay the fare.
She made such an obvious fuss over this that while waiting on the bench in front of the terminal for another fare, I decided not to get mad, but to get even. She approached another taxi that was obviously already loading a passenger, and that combined with the general disrespect of insinuating I was overcharging ensured that $25.00 per person would be charged, no matter how many people entered the cab. The extra charges posted for night service, luggage loading and county pickup or destination came to $4.00.
So not only did the lights actually work in my favor for a change and catch me at nearly every one, she springs credit card payment on me. I love how people assume their plastic can get them through every situation in life. Anyway, we had to stop at an ATM so she could get cash to split the fare with the second passenger.
So then she makes a fuss about the extras, to which I replied that I quoted her the base fare before extras, that fuel is currently approaching $3.00 per gallon, and that she was actually getting the extras for half price by splitting the fare, so what was the problem?
Who knows, maybe she'll treat her next cab driver with a little respect. I don't ask for much. I just want to make a living without being called a crook when I don't even make minimum wage.
To explain a few things about the taxi business in my locality -- It can take upwards of 3-6 hours of waiting to get a fare from the airport -- which allows us to charge a minimum fare to or from the airport. My minimum charge is $25.00, to insure that I make a profit. After expenses, I actually make around $6.00 per hour.
In the rare occurence that I am the only cab available to serve multiple passsengers and destinations, I typically take the estimated total metered fare for the trip and divvy it up among the passengers equally, so no one feels that they are paying part of someone else's ride. Some people, however, will bitch even if hung with a new rope. The reason I came up with this idea is because invariably someone bitches that they are paying for someone else's ride.
Four people, three destinations. I offered to take them all for the minimum charge per stop -- a total of $75, since the metered fare for all three stops would have been close to $70 anyway.
Of course, they want to get stupid about it. "I paid $23 to come out here......" "Why should we each pay $25 when they're paying $25 for two people?" To bastardize a popular waltz tune..... Whine, whine, whine-complain.... bitch-bitch.... bitch-bitch! People really piss me off when they do this. They want convenience without paying for it.
To which I replied simply, "There are 10 companies in the telephone book that will gladly keep you waiting 20 or 30 minutes, and you are welcome to try them if you like." People do not realize that in this town, it is a 10 mile trip to the airport from just about anywhere. Nor do they really care.
Salvation showed up in the form of a second taxi returning to the airport. Three of them walked to the second cab, leaving the $23 lady to pay a metered fare by herself. I will add that the second taxi probly offered the same deal, or followed the ordinance by charging meter to the first destination, paid by the first person, at which point the meter is reset and the second passenger pays the metered fare to the second destination. Either way, I'd be willing to bet they felt pretty stupid by the time they got to where they were going. Six of one, half-dozen of the other in some cases.
So then the $23 lady told me to go completely the long way around, turning what would have been a $30-35 ride into thirty-nine and some change. I offered a discount, as some passengers will tip the difference anyway. Nope.
On to the next moron. Woman comes out and wants to go to a local hotel, to which the base fare was about $38 or so. As I mentioned earlier, extra charges are present on my posted rates, but I rarely use them unless I feel the situation warrants it (customer attitude or high fuel prices).
She didn't say it in so many words, but her tone made it clear that she felt like I was charging too much. I have one thing to say. Buy me a tank of gas, or pay the fare.
She made such an obvious fuss over this that while waiting on the bench in front of the terminal for another fare, I decided not to get mad, but to get even. She approached another taxi that was obviously already loading a passenger, and that combined with the general disrespect of insinuating I was overcharging ensured that $25.00 per person would be charged, no matter how many people entered the cab. The extra charges posted for night service, luggage loading and county pickup or destination came to $4.00.
So not only did the lights actually work in my favor for a change and catch me at nearly every one, she springs credit card payment on me. I love how people assume their plastic can get them through every situation in life. Anyway, we had to stop at an ATM so she could get cash to split the fare with the second passenger.
So then she makes a fuss about the extras, to which I replied that I quoted her the base fare before extras, that fuel is currently approaching $3.00 per gallon, and that she was actually getting the extras for half price by splitting the fare, so what was the problem?
Who knows, maybe she'll treat her next cab driver with a little respect. I don't ask for much. I just want to make a living without being called a crook when I don't even make minimum wage.
Friday, June 19, 2009
My Letter To My Congressman Re: H.J. Res
Mr. Perriello,
I am writing to strongly urge you to vote against H. J. Res. 5, a bill that has recently come to my attention. Here is a link to a web page with information about the bill in particular....
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hj111-5
This bill would repeal the 22nd Constitutional Amendment, which is a very real step towards a dictatorship, and at the very extreme, towards communism. Please stand up for the Consitution and the rights of our citizens and vote against this bill. It goes against many basic principles that the US government is supposed to be based on. I have also just been informed of the NLE '09 (National Level Exercise) scheduled for July 2009.
The very thought of this troubles me, especially when agreements have been signed allowing foreign troops to supposedly "assist" US troops in restoring / keeping civil rest..... But who says when they are supposed to leave? Or IF they are supposed to leave? Is the US to be the first guinea pig of modern-day martial law?
I always understood that the US government was supposed to be "We The People, By The People, For The People." These developments would not show this to be true. It is bad enough that our taxes only pay the interest on loans made to the government by the Federal Reserve. Now our own government is attempting to perpetuate its incumbency?
Term limits should have applied to all elected and appointed offices in the first place. Instead, Washington is now attempting to allow the perpetuation of one person's way of doing things. That is as close as we can get to a dictatorship without actually having one, as there will always be those who are hampered or dissatisfied with current policy, whatever it may be at the time.
Now the government wishes to permanently empower those who are satisfied with whatever current policy may be. I urge you and all of Congress to rethink this bill. It can only lead to more problems, and I believe the US has more problems than it can really handle now.
Respectfully your constituent,
I am writing to strongly urge you to vote against H. J. Res. 5, a bill that has recently come to my attention. Here is a link to a web page with information about the bill in particular....
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hj111-5
This bill would repeal the 22nd Constitutional Amendment, which is a very real step towards a dictatorship, and at the very extreme, towards communism. Please stand up for the Consitution and the rights of our citizens and vote against this bill. It goes against many basic principles that the US government is supposed to be based on. I have also just been informed of the NLE '09 (National Level Exercise) scheduled for July 2009.
The very thought of this troubles me, especially when agreements have been signed allowing foreign troops to supposedly "assist" US troops in restoring / keeping civil rest..... But who says when they are supposed to leave? Or IF they are supposed to leave? Is the US to be the first guinea pig of modern-day martial law?
I always understood that the US government was supposed to be "We The People, By The People, For The People." These developments would not show this to be true. It is bad enough that our taxes only pay the interest on loans made to the government by the Federal Reserve. Now our own government is attempting to perpetuate its incumbency?
Term limits should have applied to all elected and appointed offices in the first place. Instead, Washington is now attempting to allow the perpetuation of one person's way of doing things. That is as close as we can get to a dictatorship without actually having one, as there will always be those who are hampered or dissatisfied with current policy, whatever it may be at the time.
Now the government wishes to permanently empower those who are satisfied with whatever current policy may be. I urge you and all of Congress to rethink this bill. It can only lead to more problems, and I believe the US has more problems than it can really handle now.
Respectfully your constituent,
The Great Dilemma....
Picked up my motorhome a couple days ago. I've dubbed it the EM-50, after the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle project, in true "Stripes" fashion. Long story, and hard to explain if you haven't seen the movie.
It's getting really easy to decide to convert my bus. EM-50 has problemS, plural. Nothing that can't be fixed, but I really think I'll spend just as much fixing it all as I would converting my bus, and I would have more room. (The motorhome has around 19 feet of usable space, whereas the bus has 26 feet.) Not to mention that I now have most, if not all, of what I need to convert the bus. I have already dubbed the bus "Cheese Wagon."
The motorhome has a few electrical problems, roof leaks, windshield leaks, minor interior damage from the leaks, and pending fuel system problems (possibly watered-down or bad fuel). I may spend close to $3500-4000 to fix all this, and I think I could convert the bus nicely for that amount. "Cheese Wagon" would stand up to bad weather, high winds, and wayward tree limbs and other foreign objects much better than the "EM-50", as well. More to come.....
It's getting really easy to decide to convert my bus. EM-50 has problemS, plural. Nothing that can't be fixed, but I really think I'll spend just as much fixing it all as I would converting my bus, and I would have more room. (The motorhome has around 19 feet of usable space, whereas the bus has 26 feet.) Not to mention that I now have most, if not all, of what I need to convert the bus. I have already dubbed the bus "Cheese Wagon."
The motorhome has a few electrical problems, roof leaks, windshield leaks, minor interior damage from the leaks, and pending fuel system problems (possibly watered-down or bad fuel). I may spend close to $3500-4000 to fix all this, and I think I could convert the bus nicely for that amount. "Cheese Wagon" would stand up to bad weather, high winds, and wayward tree limbs and other foreign objects much better than the "EM-50", as well. More to come.....
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wanderlust Strikes.....
The incident of May 30 (Blog Post: Whew!) has started me seriously thinking about a lot of things....
Mostly about how I've been wasting my time in this town. I can't believe it took an incident like this for me to see just how dangerous my profession can be. Someone can actually ruin my life and take away my freedom without even putting me in harm's way. All it takes is for some snobby, drunk college girl to holler rape and it may not matter whether I even said or did anything. If the cops hadn't had any sense (like most people in this town) I would have been locked up for whatever charge applied.
Fortunately, that didn't happen. But I have a whole new way of thinking, and a whole new plan. My taxi insurance and most of my permits are good until December or January. By spring of 2010, I plan to be ready to escape Charlottesville, or at least very close to ready.
I have really thought about this. I have a plethora of reasons to leave, and very few to stay.
In 1996, my world was turning upside down. My ex-girlfriend had a job opportunity that was going to take her 600 miles away or more. Because of tension towards me from her parents, I felt that it was best that she do what she had to do, without me. I never wanted for her to have to choose between me and her family, and I thought it might come to that.
Then there was the upheaval of parental divorce. No big surprise, I saw it coming.
Not to mention that I had friends here. Fast forward to 2009.
The majority of the reasons I had to stay here have in one way or another betrayed me. Most of the friends I had at the time have turned on me for stupid and (mostly) unfounded reasons, up to and including being errantly blamed for getting a couple of them thrown out on the street, which in turn made everyone they knew hate me for something I had nothing to do with. Not to mention these "friends" never paid back loans that I and several other people made to help them.
I hate to say it, but sometimes I even feel like my presence is inconvenient to family. I don't hear from them as often as I would like, and when I call them, if I don't get them directly, my calls may or may not be returned, whether I leave a message or not.
So, I bought a motor home recently. It runs and drives, but I am still up in the air as to whether it is roadworthy or not, and whether everything works. If not, I also have an old school bus that I have been using as a surveillance office, which has been paying for my studio time, and I think it could be converted fairly easily.
I think what pisses me off most about the time I have wasted in this town is that in 1996, I settled an insurance claim that would have been a big help in getting me out of this place. Now I am having to make my own luck. Come hell or high water, if nothing changes drastically for the better in my life between now and March of 2010, I will be leaving Charlottesville.
Mostly about how I've been wasting my time in this town. I can't believe it took an incident like this for me to see just how dangerous my profession can be. Someone can actually ruin my life and take away my freedom without even putting me in harm's way. All it takes is for some snobby, drunk college girl to holler rape and it may not matter whether I even said or did anything. If the cops hadn't had any sense (like most people in this town) I would have been locked up for whatever charge applied.
Fortunately, that didn't happen. But I have a whole new way of thinking, and a whole new plan. My taxi insurance and most of my permits are good until December or January. By spring of 2010, I plan to be ready to escape Charlottesville, or at least very close to ready.
I have really thought about this. I have a plethora of reasons to leave, and very few to stay.
In 1996, my world was turning upside down. My ex-girlfriend had a job opportunity that was going to take her 600 miles away or more. Because of tension towards me from her parents, I felt that it was best that she do what she had to do, without me. I never wanted for her to have to choose between me and her family, and I thought it might come to that.
Then there was the upheaval of parental divorce. No big surprise, I saw it coming.
Not to mention that I had friends here. Fast forward to 2009.
The majority of the reasons I had to stay here have in one way or another betrayed me. Most of the friends I had at the time have turned on me for stupid and (mostly) unfounded reasons, up to and including being errantly blamed for getting a couple of them thrown out on the street, which in turn made everyone they knew hate me for something I had nothing to do with. Not to mention these "friends" never paid back loans that I and several other people made to help them.
I hate to say it, but sometimes I even feel like my presence is inconvenient to family. I don't hear from them as often as I would like, and when I call them, if I don't get them directly, my calls may or may not be returned, whether I leave a message or not.
So, I bought a motor home recently. It runs and drives, but I am still up in the air as to whether it is roadworthy or not, and whether everything works. If not, I also have an old school bus that I have been using as a surveillance office, which has been paying for my studio time, and I think it could be converted fairly easily.
I think what pisses me off most about the time I have wasted in this town is that in 1996, I settled an insurance claim that would have been a big help in getting me out of this place. Now I am having to make my own luck. Come hell or high water, if nothing changes drastically for the better in my life between now and March of 2010, I will be leaving Charlottesville.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
About Posts Prior To This One....
My prior posts are actually transfers from MySpace, and may be out of order, and the dates are not corresponding with when the original posts on MySpace were made....... Keep this in mind.
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?
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.
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.
Will The REAL Guns 'N' Roses Please Stand Up?
Just listened to some snippets from the new "17 years in the making" GNR album... sorry to say.... Nope. It's just not the same. Guns 'N' Roses was a truly great band in the 90s. But the only even somewhat original member is Axl Rose. This smacks of DaimlerChrysler reviving the Charger name on a car that just ISN'T a Charger. Just because it has a Hemi, doesn't make it a Charger....
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in 1991 when after a long series of put-offs and on-again-off-again release dates, the Use Your Illusion album set was finally released. It was by no means a crappy album, it really was good. But considering that G'N'R had kept their fans waiting for over three years to get their hands on it, expecting something truly epic, it was a slight letdown even though the music was good. And besides, just how long are you supposed to wait for music to be released that is played on-stage every night?
The only thing that really saved G'N'R Lies was "Patience", in my book. Live tracks generally just don't sound that good, no matter how they're mixed and mastered.
I have to give Axl Rose respect for having the guts to get back in the ring, but I think it's wrong to attempt to backbuild on a name made famous by musicians that aren't even in the band anymore.....especially when a different mix of musicians will never truly match the band's original sound.
I'm not saying that any one of Slash, Izzy, Duff, Steven Adler, or Matt Sorum singlehandedly made that band. It was a combination of all their talents. Now we have a whole new mix of musicians. I know Guns 'N' Roses. You, sirs, are not Guns 'N' Roses!
I may be wrong, but I think a lot of people old enough to remember this band, probably don't care anymore after the Use Your Illusion snafu, followed by the disaster "The Spaghetti Incident?".... c'mon guys....
Sorry to say, this is one album I won't be buying. Flame away..... Metallica may have altered their style a bit over the years, but sometimes you just change with the times. The only original band member not still with Metallica is dead..... pretty good reason, I'd say.
Personally, I think the original musicians let G'N'R die because it wasn't getting any better, and they probably felt the way I do... Better to burn out, than to fade away.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in 1991 when after a long series of put-offs and on-again-off-again release dates, the Use Your Illusion album set was finally released. It was by no means a crappy album, it really was good. But considering that G'N'R had kept their fans waiting for over three years to get their hands on it, expecting something truly epic, it was a slight letdown even though the music was good. And besides, just how long are you supposed to wait for music to be released that is played on-stage every night?
The only thing that really saved G'N'R Lies was "Patience", in my book. Live tracks generally just don't sound that good, no matter how they're mixed and mastered.
I have to give Axl Rose respect for having the guts to get back in the ring, but I think it's wrong to attempt to backbuild on a name made famous by musicians that aren't even in the band anymore.....especially when a different mix of musicians will never truly match the band's original sound.
I'm not saying that any one of Slash, Izzy, Duff, Steven Adler, or Matt Sorum singlehandedly made that band. It was a combination of all their talents. Now we have a whole new mix of musicians. I know Guns 'N' Roses. You, sirs, are not Guns 'N' Roses!
I may be wrong, but I think a lot of people old enough to remember this band, probably don't care anymore after the Use Your Illusion snafu, followed by the disaster "The Spaghetti Incident?".... c'mon guys....
Sorry to say, this is one album I won't be buying. Flame away..... Metallica may have altered their style a bit over the years, but sometimes you just change with the times. The only original band member not still with Metallica is dead..... pretty good reason, I'd say.
Personally, I think the original musicians let G'N'R die because it wasn't getting any better, and they probably felt the way I do... Better to burn out, than to fade away.
Oof... A "Color Of Time" Moment
You ever have a deja vu moment, or run into someone you swore was someone you knew, but they weren't?
I ran into someone a few nights ago that looked identical to a girl I had a huge crush on in high school. Same name and all, I thought it really was her and she was messing with my head. It wasn't her, but if it had been her, wow, she had aged well :) LOL
Kinda bummed though. It made me think of a lot of what-if's, which is exactly what I was writing about when I wrote my song "The Color Of Time". Oh, well. A day or two and I'll forget about it. :P
I ran into someone a few nights ago that looked identical to a girl I had a huge crush on in high school. Same name and all, I thought it really was her and she was messing with my head. It wasn't her, but if it had been her, wow, she had aged well :) LOL
Kinda bummed though. It made me think of a lot of what-if's, which is exactly what I was writing about when I wrote my song "The Color Of Time". Oh, well. A day or two and I'll forget about it. :P
If You're In The Market For A new Computer.....
Okay, decided on a Sony Vaio to replace my neurotic Dell.....
However, I have some thoughts and warnings about the sales process, no matter who you deal with.
My main uses involve wi-fi at the airport, playing mp3s and watching movies while I wait for orders, and letting customers watch a movie on the occasional longer trip to DC or Richmond, so I needed something built for multimedia and InterNet.
I went to Best Buy, maybe not the best place, but it seemed reasonable enough. Had my eye on a Gateway with 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive and a 2.1 Ghz processor. Not a bad little machine for $699, I thought.
The sales girl told me that the Gateway wasn't a bad machine, but maybe not suited for what I wanted to do. When I asked why, she told me that the video card in the Gateway was parasitic to the CPU, and would basically force me to shut everything else down if I played back video. This is not something I want to deal with, so I asked for an alternative.
She showed me the Sony Vaio that I decided on. The only thing I really didn't like was the hard drive only being 250GB. However, she said that it would be much better suited for playing movies.
I could have stepped up to another with a 320GB hard drive, but I would have paid another $150 for 70GB of hard drive space and a Blu-Ray drive I didn't necessarily want or need. Still, I'm happy that the girl informed me that the machine I was looking at wasn't necessarily going to best serve my needs.
So I'm thinking I've gotten a great deal. $750 for a laptop that normally runs around $1000. Then I ask about a car adapter for use in the cab. $100.00 for a universal adapter. Then I'm informed that the system restore discs no longer come with the machine, apparently because Bill Gates doesn't think he makes enough money. (Greedy bastard -- if I had my way I'd run Linux. Unfortunately Linux doesn't really lend itself to my particular applications.)
So now I shell out another $60 for "burned" copies of the restore discs that, in my mind, should be part of the price of the computer. Why should I have to pay extra for discs to reinstall if something happens? I bought the operating system with the machine, didn't I?
Now I'm finding out that if something DOES happen, it's not simply wipe the hard drive and reload anymore. Sony apparently requires a "machine build" process in which you systematically load drivers to enable separate components of the machine.
So you REALLY have to know what you're doing in order to get it back up and running in the event of a problem. Not exactly confidence inspiring. I have a bad feeling I will be dumping this machine within a year, but we shall see.
So there you have it. Be very careful when buying a new computer. Things are not the way they used to be, and definitely not the way they SHOULD be in some cases.
However, I have some thoughts and warnings about the sales process, no matter who you deal with.
My main uses involve wi-fi at the airport, playing mp3s and watching movies while I wait for orders, and letting customers watch a movie on the occasional longer trip to DC or Richmond, so I needed something built for multimedia and InterNet.
I went to Best Buy, maybe not the best place, but it seemed reasonable enough. Had my eye on a Gateway with 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive and a 2.1 Ghz processor. Not a bad little machine for $699, I thought.
The sales girl told me that the Gateway wasn't a bad machine, but maybe not suited for what I wanted to do. When I asked why, she told me that the video card in the Gateway was parasitic to the CPU, and would basically force me to shut everything else down if I played back video. This is not something I want to deal with, so I asked for an alternative.
She showed me the Sony Vaio that I decided on. The only thing I really didn't like was the hard drive only being 250GB. However, she said that it would be much better suited for playing movies.
I could have stepped up to another with a 320GB hard drive, but I would have paid another $150 for 70GB of hard drive space and a Blu-Ray drive I didn't necessarily want or need. Still, I'm happy that the girl informed me that the machine I was looking at wasn't necessarily going to best serve my needs.
So I'm thinking I've gotten a great deal. $750 for a laptop that normally runs around $1000. Then I ask about a car adapter for use in the cab. $100.00 for a universal adapter. Then I'm informed that the system restore discs no longer come with the machine, apparently because Bill Gates doesn't think he makes enough money. (Greedy bastard -- if I had my way I'd run Linux. Unfortunately Linux doesn't really lend itself to my particular applications.)
So now I shell out another $60 for "burned" copies of the restore discs that, in my mind, should be part of the price of the computer. Why should I have to pay extra for discs to reinstall if something happens? I bought the operating system with the machine, didn't I?
Now I'm finding out that if something DOES happen, it's not simply wipe the hard drive and reload anymore. Sony apparently requires a "machine build" process in which you systematically load drivers to enable separate components of the machine.
So you REALLY have to know what you're doing in order to get it back up and running in the event of a problem. Not exactly confidence inspiring. I have a bad feeling I will be dumping this machine within a year, but we shall see.
So there you have it. Be very careful when buying a new computer. Things are not the way they used to be, and definitely not the way they SHOULD be in some cases.
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