September 11, 2008 – On The Can

             I spoke with one of the drivers on the cab stand today.   A driver who I won’t name.  A few days he had to stop by the office, which he dreads as well, to pay his cab lease.  He thought that he would stop by the bathroom while he was there.

            We’ve spoke at length about the office, and the lunacy that surrounds it.  Saturating it.  Particularly the religious stuff.   Particularly the stuff in the bathroom.  It seems that Catherine is under the impression that people enjoy reading passages from the bible while they pee and poop.  Well the driver in question, who we’ll call "Elmer", gave his take on the subject.  An expression of his own.

And look at the faucet, does that thing even turn on?  How will people wash away their sins?

August 24, 2008 – More About Catherine’s Credit Card Swindle

            So there has been growing discontent amongst the drivers on the topic of credit cards.  Or perhaps more specifically the forcing of drivers to take credit cards.  Catherine put out the word that this is something that we must comply with as it is something that is regulated and necessitated by the City of Cortez.  A few days ago one of our drivers talked with one of the higher-ups within the city government and asked point blank whether or not the city required taxi drivers to accept credit cards.  An answer was received – an unequivocal NO.  Catherine had told a lie.

            Shortly afterwards the driver went to the office and asked Catherine whether or not we are required to take credit cards.  Catherine told him “sometimes we need to take the iniative and step up and do things before the city requires us to do so.”  Apparently Catherine had forgotten that only a week or so prior she had explicitly stated that taking credits was a citywide requirement.

            And recently I heard something that really angered me.  Supposedly Catherine has a mission down in Mexico that she contributes too.  The fact that she operates a mission, or that it is in Mexico,  is not the issue.  What is an issue is that she obviously has a surplus of money, enough so that she is able to donate to nonessential causes such as this but refuses to outfit her company with clean, safe, dependable vehicles.  That should be priority number one.  All too often myself and other drivers have had to lose a days pay because our cab has broken down.

            I’ve already caught Catherine in a number of mistruths.  For example requiring that we pick up EVERYONE.  Everyone?  How about someone that wants to start a fight, doesn’t have money, doesn’t know where they are going, someone who just shit their pants.  No, we most certainly do not.

August 22, 2008 – Mrs. Wilitz

           Mrs. Wilitz is one of our regular customers.  She has an account with the office.  Whenever Dolores Wilitz takes a cab we just put her pickup point, destination, and a total fare on a business card that is stamped with a payment template on the back.  Most companies would print out receipts for this sort of thing.  Not Cortez Cab.  It might cost them a few extra cents to order stamped business cards, and it would be a lot to ask them to spend money on anything.If you’ve read some of my previous posts you’ve heard about the condition of our cabs.  And if you haven’t, well, they’re pieces of shit.

            So we have to go into the office and manually stamp the back of them.  But we can't stamp to many at once.  We are only rationed out 40 cards at a time.  After that we are supposed to fill out a office log and sign it saying that we only took 40 business cards.  I'm not sure why the office makes us do this, it's beyond silly.  If drivers want to come in every day and grab 40 that would be fine though?  I don't see the advantage of having a stockpile of stamped business cards sitting in my cab, other than the fact that if I do grab a bunch of them at once it minimizes the number of trips that I have to make to the office.  Bizarre that office is...

            Anyways, one of our drivers, who we’ll call “Driver A,” picked her up the other day.  Driver A picked her up from “The Willows” a retirement community in Cortez.  One of the attendants wheeled her vegetative husband out in his wheelchair.  They were going to the Hotel Del Coronado, which is more of a local tourist attraction than anything else.  I spoke with a man who went there for a beer a few days prior.  A $13 beer….  A bottle of Budweiser.

            Driver A and the attendant folded up the wheel chair and helped Mrs. Wilitz and her husband into the taxi.  When they arrived there was a problem.

            Driver A: (Pops the trunk to remove the wheelchair)

            Mrs. Wilitz: What’s that!

            Driver A: It looks like a wheeellllccchhaaaiir…?

            Mrs. Wilitz: How did it get in there?

            Driver A:? 

            Driver A: I put it in there…                       

            Mrs. Wilitz: Well it’s not ours.  That must belong to The Willows.

            Driver A: Ok, I’ll return it.

            As Driver A picked up Mrs. Wilitz and her husband they stood there and watched as the two men (Driver A and the attendant from The Willows) struggled to fold up the rusty old wheelchair for a good minute and put it in the trunk.  It seems as if they had no idea that once it was folded up and placed in there that it would proceed to their final destination as well.

            Driver A works nights, often till 3 a.m.  The next morning one of the office workers, Bertha – the biggest one, called him to verify that the wheelchair had been returned.  At 9 a.m…

            I don’t like to get calls from the office about anything, much less to be woken up by them for such a trivial reason.  Driver A wasn’t happy and I can’t blame him.  Perhaps I’m wrong.  Perhaps Bertha and Mrs. Wilitz knew something that I didn’t.  Perhaps there is a thriving black market for dilapidated old wheelchairs.

August 10, 2008 – Credit Cards

           Recently the office has instituted a policy of accepting credit cards.  Forcing cab drivers to take credit cards against their will.  There’s a few reasons that none of the drivers like to deal with credit cards.

1.     It takes time.  Time is of the essence.  Lost time = lost wages.

2.     If they bounce then the driver is left holding the bag, not the company.  I know what you’re thinking – credit cards don’t bounce, checks bounce.  Well, that’s true, but if you have a credit card slip where you simply make an imprint of the card and a signature, well you don’t really have anything to back that when the office gets around to running them a week or so later.

3.     We have to stop in to the office, making an extra trip sometimes, to drop off our credit card slips.  We also have to see cab management, which many of the drivers don’t like all that much.  Then when the drivers redeem their credit card receipts (if you’re lucky enough to get ones from the Navy that don’t bounce) the office charges 10% to run them.  I asked the office why they charge us such a high rate when it probably only costs them 15-20% of that.  They gave me a number of explanations that simply were not true.

4.     The office will not pay the fees to set up a credit card terminal or service it.  That is expected to be done by the driver.

5.     Despite their antiquated system the office refuses to let the drivers call in the credit card over the phone so that it could be run almost instantaneously.  Although the office would have to use technology for that – the telephone.

None of this is a problem for me however because I just refuse to take them.  Every once in a while someone calls and complains, but the office is easily fooled with a good story.  Something shiny or creme filled helps too.

August 4, 2008 - More Pictures From The Zoo (Not the one I work at)

Just a few more pictures I shot at the San Diego Zoo the other day.  It's actually pretty hard to get good pictures at the zoo.  But I like to try.

July 20, 2008 – The Taxi Blog Uncovered

            A few days ago Catherine, the company owner, found a fellow drivers blog.  It was pretty tame, especially compared to what I have to write about the company, which is all true I might add.

            Nothing was brought up to the author, but it was clear who was writing it, and what it was about.  Catherine was able to put the pieces together after the blog’s writer went on a rant about how terrible of a roommate that he had (which was also true).  All of the pieces suddenly fit together.  The roommate happened to be a fellow driver with the company and it wasn’t too hard to connect the dots – even for “Catherine.”  After all Randy is quite the standout, although not in the way that most people would use the term.  More in terms of descending than ascending. 

            When Catherine found out she had a little pow-wow with the rest of the obese, bible toting loons and had a “prayer meeting” where they openly sobbed for the blog’s creator.  She prayed for the driver.  I have no idea what they were actually praying for - I can only imagine…  Perhaps something garnished, if not entirely comprised of sugar.  A pastry perhaps.

            Me, well, I think that after reading a few of my posts Catherine will be able to connect the dots here as well.  I’m not worried about that though, she can kiss my ass.  You hear that Catherine?  You can kiss my ass.

You remember Randy right?

http://corruptionincortez.blogspot.com/2012/01/july-9-2008-randy.html

Some of you may remember "Ted Martin's" blog as well - "The SoCal Cabbie"

July 13, 2008 – Kevin and Linda

            We have a few new drivers that have started recently – Kevin and Linda are their names.

            Kevin is a pretty normal guy.  He lives a pretty simple life.  He has an affinity towards small planes, remote control ones mostly.  He’s shown me some pictures, they’re really nice – the planes.  It’s an expensive hobby by the sounds of it, but Kevin’s a hard worker, and with all of the hours he puts in he seems to make decent money.

            And Linda, well Linda’s a little different.  Linda is SIGNIFICANTLY OVERWEIGHT, has teeth that are as yellow as corn kernels, and showers once every four days, similar to Randy actually.  She comes home, eats dinner (at least one), and goes to bed in her clothes.  The problem occurs when she wears them to work the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that…  You get the picture.

            One of the drivers cabs broke down the other day and since Linda wasn’t working they let them use it for the day.  The driver, Tom, said that it smelled so bad that several customers either refused to ride in it or voiced their displeasure about the smell.

            Kevin currently lives with Linda and her sister Mandy.  Mandy is no prize either, although a gem compared to Linda.  Mandy is dating Kevin, which is a topic that he understandably shies away from.  Kevin has been working a lot more hours lately.  Turns out the other roommates haven’t been paying their fair share towards the rent.  Where has the rent money been going?  Well, it’s been going to Disneyland every week or so.   As always the story gets better…

            Linda, well she’s still a virgin – at 54 years old…  I could just see the personal ad now –

“54 year obese, cab driving, smelly virgin with crusty yellow teeth and bad breath seeks soulmate willing to take weekend trips to Disneyland with me and my obese sister.” 

July 11, 2008 – Another Ride With Pervantes

            I had another ride with Robert Pervantes again today.  Not much different from the last time I had him.  Not much better…

            He kept asking for me to circle the block so that he could see if Todd (his sisters boyfriend), who Robert has a not so secret crush on, was home.  Robert is fully aware of the fact that he is not well liked by Todd, yet he insists on stalking him.

            Robert showed me this point and shoot camera that he had and asked a few questions.  It was a slow night so I offered to show him some of the basic functions.  We went by the bay, found a post to set the camera up on, and took some shots of downtown San Diego.

            Robert seems to like me, although hopefully not as much as he seems to like Todd.  He also told me that he likes riding with me better than riding with Dauf.  Turns out about a week ago Dauf picked up Robert and offered to drive him around town.  More than anything Robert likes to talk, or perhaps reveal…

            Anyways, Dauf picked up Robert and decided to drive him down to Imperial Beach.  Dauf likes to fill up gas in Imperial Beach because it is significantly cheaper down there.  Problem is that it isn’t really feasible to drive all the way to Imperial Beach to get gas because by the time you get there you have probably negating any savings that you would have gained.  It’s just easier to fill up in town where it is more expensive, or just cross the bridge to downtown. 

            Dauf: You want to go to I.B.?

            Robert: I was hoping that we could just drive around?

            Dauf: You’ll like I.B., it’s very nice. (Which simply isn’t true)

            Robert: Um well I wa--------

            Dauf: Ok, we go to I.B.

            Robert: Um

            Dauf: Yeah, you’ll like it.

            So Dauf proceeds to drive (or kidnap) Robert down to Imperial Beach resulting in a $24 fare.  Dauf was nice enough not to charge Robert waiting time while he filled up at the gas station though.  What a sweetheart.  Dauf had no problem charging him the fare for the return trip however, another $24.

In all fairness Imperial Beach has a pretty amazing sandcastle competition.

July 10, 2008 – Do You Know Why I Stopped You

            Of course I do…

            Today I got a speeding ticket.  I wasn’t trying to speed, I was just following the flow of traffic.  We’ve all done it right?  Of course I couldn’t see how fast I was going since my dash lights were still burnt out.  Oh, and because the speedometer doesn’t work.  I didn’t expect any leniency from the CHP.  The shitty part was just before I got pulled over, and before I saw the cop I might add, I thought that I might have been going too fast and was slowing down.  I should send the ticket to Catherine and have her pay it.  I don’t know how many times now I’ve asked her to fix these problems with my cab.

            I didn’t even want to be out in El Cajon.  I was doing a favor for a regular customer by giving his friend a ride home for less than half of what the meter came to.  On top of that his friend was running his mouth for no reason, and saying that I was taking him the long way, although when I asked which way he would like me to take he had no suggestions.

            I enjoy picking up Jake though, he’s one of my “regulars.”  He probably calls every few days, and unlike most of the sailors, he tips.  I even went out and grabbed a beer after work with him once.  Real down to earth guy.  The officer who stopped me, well, he wasn’t so amicable.  Surely I’ll be visiting traffic school again in no time…

July 6, 2008 – The Awakening

            I had an epiphany, and awakening if you will…

            A movie, one that I’d seen long ago, but recently rediscovered.  A landmark film to say the least.  “Taxi Driver” was it’s title.  For those of you who haven’t seen this, please do, you won’t be disappointed.  It’s one of Martin Scorsese’s earliest films.

            It wasn’t until I started driving a taxi that I realized how spot on the depictions of taxi life were.  Truth be told, there are many differences in driving a taxi in New York as there are here in San Diego, but there are quite a few similarities as well.  There will be no prostitutes, stalking, or murders.

            For example, Travis (Robert Dinero’s character) becomes quickly immersed in the job, rapidly becoming disconnected from his family, and later reality.  I found my conversations becoming more and more infrequent, and were often times about the job, and seemed to be centered on the day to day operations of the business.  I justified things with my income.  It quickly became an obsession.  Day after day, long hours, and great money.  It was never enough.  I would work 10, 12, sometimes 18 hour days. Like Travis, a young man in the prime of his life.

            In the movie you never are able to see the other side of the equation – Travis’s parents, and how they viewed the life he had made for himself.  My parents, well, they were supportive, but disappointed that I hadn’t applied myself more in life, in a career if you will.  Seconds turned into minutes, into hours, into days, into weeks, into months, and now into over a years time with the company.

            I find myself on the outside, looking in at the world.  Becoming bitter, despondent, resentful toward the company and their practices – which are often selfish at best.  Disgusted with the owner and her thievery, naïveté, micromanagement of my work.

            I don’t have the time, or inclination, to be a part of social events, to be amicable, or even upbeat about work here anymore.  I have neglected relationships, and even burned a few bridges, as a result from my growing defeatist attitude.

            What have I gained?  Well I’ve gained plenty I suppose.  I have made friends, with honest, down to earth people.  Friendships that will hopefully continue when, and if, I decide to part ways with the company.  I’ve had conversations with people from all over the world, talked about endless topics.  Talked with people from different backgrounds, professions, races, and social strata.  I’ve gained stories, experiences, and in some cases hard lessons, that I have learned from and made me stronger.

            But as for now, I remain, a taxi driver.

July 5, 2008 – Getting Kirk Excited

            Today someone was getting Kirk all excited again.  This seems to happen at least once a week.  Sometimes more.

            The reason that no one likes Kirk is because he’s an a-hole.   There was a new guy that started last week and tried to introduce himself.  He walked up to Kirk’s window.  Kirk just ignored him.  He didn’t even flinch.  Jack (the new driver) was in disbelief.

            Jack: I tried to talk to cab 83 (Kirk) earlier and he didn’t say anything.           

            Me: Yeah, that’s Kirk alright.  I wouldn’t bother with that guy.  Nobody here likes him.

            Jack: He didn’t even acknowledge me.  I know he heard me, his window was open.

            Me: Don’t worry, he’s like that to everyone.  He’s crazy, none of us like him.

            Jack: Thanks for letting me know.

            So anyways, like clockwork, one of the drivers began to pick on Kirk.  This usually happens when he comes into work for the day.

            Kirk: Cab 83

            Julie: Cab 83

            Kirk: 10-8, 10-30 (Back in service, send me an assignment)

            Julie: Go to the Vo-----(Click, Click, Click) and pic-------- (Click, Click, Click)

            Kirk: 10-9 (Repeat)

            Julie: Go to th---(Click, Click) and pick u---(Click, Click, Click, Click)

            Kirk: 10-9!

            Julie: Go to th----(Click, Click, Click, Click, Click…)

            Kirk: Some queers playing with the radio again.

            Julie: What’s wrong with you!


            The sad thing about Julie's question is that it wasn't directed at Kirk...  In her eyes Kirk wasn't the problem.

            I was sitting with another driver when this was all happening, waiting for a fare.  We both got a chuckle.  Calling people “queers” is a favorite past time of Kirk’s.  It’s his favorite insult for sure.  Other insults include calling people “Princess,” “Raghead,” “Asshole,” “Coward,” “Their highness” or  “Sissy white people” - just to name a few.  All of our customers and fellow drivers get to hear this as well because it is broadcast throughout our radio network.  This is all ok in Catherine’s eyes since Kurt is a “good worker” because he works 12-hour days EVERY day of the year.  A sociopath, but a “good worker” nevertheless.  But boy, if I forget to wear my black pants, well then, that’s a disaster.

You all remember Kirk right?  

July 3, 2008 - Joshua Tree National Park

            Today I went to Joshua Tree State Park.  I've heard great things over the years, I've just never took time to actually go.  It was a nice drive, about two and a half hours or so.  The park is filled with these spectacular rock formations.  And that the trees that the park is named after.  It's unfortunate, whenever I think of a Joshua Tree I remember that awful U2 album (which was called the Joshua Tree). These were a few of the photos that I shot earlier.

July 1, 2008 – Just Another Day at Cortez Cab

         Business as usual....

June 30, 2008 – Julie Gets Worked Up

Today Julie got a little worked up on the radio.  Nothing like her usual tantrums though.  Today she had the foresight to turn off the radio and cut her losses.

June 25, 2008 – Another Traffic School

            They called it “Laugh for half” traffic school. Only 39.95, what a steal!  I would have called it “Feeling down and out, go ahead, frown and pout.”  I think that everyone should to go to traffic school at least once.  It’s a right of passage, a lesson in humility.  I don’t recommend that people attend half a dozen times like me.  I feel like I should be the instructor.  Whatever though, I deserved it.  Live and learn right.  After all, what could be better than being in La Mesa in a business park on a Saturday afternoon for 8 hours...

June 23, 2008 – Sliced Finger

           Today when I went to retrieve my radio from its mount on the dash I sliced my finger.  There is a circular, steel, button like looking object on the back of my mic (the part of the radio that you speak into) that fits into a steel receiver on the dash.  Over the years after repeated friction between the two parts the receiver had developed a razor sharp edge.  In my haste I misaligned the two parts and guided my finger across the receivers edge.  It was a pretty good slice actually.   This was followed by an array of expletives that was as colorful as the people that work here.

June 20, 2008 - If These Walls Could Talk

            So today I took a day off of work to help a friend pick a couch in Palm Springs form his parents house.  I found this house along the way that had been completely ransacked.  I took some photos of what I found.  I don't remember where exactly where I found this but it was somewhere near the edge of Riverside County off of route 60.

          I left the scene with an empty feeling.  Someone had thoughtlessly destroyed someone else's property.  It was clear where their anger was directed.  As they say, the "Writing's on the Wall."

There were these creepy childrens toys scattered about.

This was a bees nest had been formed in a hole created in the drywall.

Some creepy shit.  I desatured the photo, but kept the red spray paint around the skull.

"Broken Homes"

June 20, 2007 - The New Job

            Ever since I moved to Southern California I have been in job hunt mode, until now.  I found an advertisement for a cab company looking for airport shuttle drivers.  From what I gather the job consists of picking up customers at the airport for a flat rate and bringing them to their destination.  The drivers are paid an hourly rate that is often supplemented with tips from the passengers.  After a talk with the company owner, Catherine, I was persuaded to work as a taxi driver, rather than a shuttle/livery driver.  For now Catherine is going to pair me up with a seasoned cab driver so show me the ropes.

June 18, 2008 – El Mejor Strikes Again

            Julie: Franco, what’s your 20?

            Julie: Franco!

            Franco: In the lobby.

            Julie: I sent you to the Navy base!  Where are you?

            Franco:  In the lobby.

            Julie: You’re supposed to go to the main gate, where are you!

            Franco: Right here, in the lobby.

            It didn’t take much to piece this one together.  If nothing else because there’s no “lobby” at the main gate.  Just a parking lot.  Franco had been spotted shortly before picking up a ride that another driver had been sent for.  If only his English skills were better he might have been able to offer up a better explanation.  Stating that he was “In the lobby” just wasn’t cutting it.  Shortly thereafter Catherine got on the radio to ask about Franco’s current whereabouts.

            Catherine: Franco

            Franco: Yes

            Catherine: Franco, what’s your 20?

            Franco: Right here in the lobby.

            Catherine: (With a frustrated sigh) What’s your 20 Franco, there’s no lobby at the main gate. 
            Where are you?

            Franco: Uh, I’m here, in the lobby.

            It was at this point that the office gave up on the situation.  It was obvious that Franco hadn’t gone to where he had been sent to, and it was also obvious that he was nowhere near any lobby.  Things were tough for Franco the rest of the day…

June 17, 2008 – Taxi Life’s Not All Sour Grapes

            More often than not I get good fares.  Polite, respectful, intelligent people.  Generally we get pretty good clientele.  Mostly affluent locals, tourists, and people in town on business.  They’re not all sailors.

            I have a regular customer that I pick up.  He’s in that navy, and is by no means a dipshit.  His name is “Bob,” and he’s a vice admiral in the Navy.  The upper echelon if you will.  I enjoy talking with him, talking about the structured lifestyle that the Navy brings.  Talking about his experiences over the years.  Interesting stuff.  Smart guy.  I often pry, to see what I can find out.  I get interesting little stories here and there.  Jim sees my angle, and politely deflects my inquiries.  The ones of a more sensitive nature at least.  I admire him. 

This is a picture of "Bob" that I found online.

            Not like your typical enlisted guys, always talking about how drunk they were, or how many times they “scored.”   Stories that are embellished more often than not.  Especially the latter.

            Typically these are narrated in some sort of elementary fashion.  Their rudimentary vocabulary, usually consisting of several of the more common basic expletives or “cuss words.”  Bitch, shit, cunt, asshole, fuck, and a range of slurs are often their favorites.

        Just on my last ride I had three federal judges in my car.  They worked on the civil side of things.  Being somewhat versed on the topic of law, but by no means an expert, I found their conversation quite engaging.  Intriguing.  They dealt primarily with labor law and how discrimination becomes easily, and often subtly, intermingled within.