Day One

(If you didn't know, I am spending some time driving for a new company, 5th Ave Cab.  A few of you may know that I have talked about driving a cab for 20 years.  Day One was worth starting a blog)

Day One:

The plan was to come in this morning and get my “feet wet.”  I entered the cab place and was met with by dispatcher and Barry, one of the owners.  I said hello and asked for the rest room.  By the time I came out of the rest room, it was just the dispatcher and I.  Without explanation she handed me a key.  “Car 125, you have a pick up in Riverside soon.  Going to O’Hare.”   Great, Riverside was a town with a street plan designed by a heroin addict.  (Actually, by the same guy that designed Central Park in New York – Olmestead.)   The only training I had was a conversation yesterday with the owner, which included a warning on how tricky O’Hare can be for suburban cabs.

But wait, “Gary, you need to hurry up to get a woman in Brookfield to the train station.  Here is your clip board.”  Now, the clipboard had several packets of blank forms on it.  I am sure those will be relevant soon.

I picked up my first client, and said gave me a “hello” with a HEY WE ARE LATE flare.  As we approached the train station she gave me some money and let me know that was all I was getting.  After she left the cab I thought I had a few minutes to figure out what I should have charged her officially.  $2 to get in, plus $2 per mile.  Whew, she gave me enough and then some.   Did I mention that “I thought” I had time?

As prepared as one could be (maps and GPS) the town of Riverside is still a b**ch.  As this client and I passed Gene and Jude’s hot dogs on River, he shared that he produced trade shows for a living.  He was on his way to Washington, DC for an accounting trade show, then off to Vegas for the Porn industry trade show.  Not sure why I capitalized “porn.”  He gave me a credit card.  I was happy to find out that one of the forms on my clipboard was perfect for the task at hand.

Now I could breathe.  I was sent to “post”, which is where we wait to be dispatched.  It is known to most as the LaGrange train station.  This is not the taxi service most of us picture.  This is a livery service.  No meters in the cars.  So, it is more like a limo service, without the limos.  Once in awhile I learned a customer will approach the cars.  A “walk-up” we call it in the business.  He was tall, about 25 years old, had one of those really closely shaven goatees, wearing racing sunglasses and a jogging suit.  The fact that he was unnaturally clutching a gym bag was duly noted by my sub conscious.  He entered the Audi A6 (yep, we all get to drive Audi’s) and spoke to me in some form of an Eastern European accent.  I was trying not to concern myself with thoughts as to what he had planned for me, but when he started taking pictures with his cell phone, I started to think how the headlines would read.  If he were a serial killer, the cell phone pics would eventually be good evidence to use against him.  I’d be dead, but hopefully within a few more victims, They would have their Guy.  It was not a great cell phone, so the pic of me driving my A6 would not be that great.

I lived.  In reality, the client could donate to toys for tots and play Santa at the orphanage for all we know.  But what was in the gym bag?

George and Edna were next.  I was sent to get George and Edna and take them to their appointment.  Do you remember the really old couples they interviewed at the beginning of When Harry Met Sally?  That was George and Edna.  Good people.

Soon I was told to get Lucy at the train station.  Her shirt said "Lucy."  That was easy.

The coolest and saddest customer was a retired gentleman wearing one of those baseball hats that had NAVY embroidered on it, along with the ship he served on.  He was a walk-up from the Metra train that came from Chicago.  He was staying at a hotel in the burbs and had a lousy experience trying to visit a few museums in the city.  He was retired, alone, and taking his time driving from California to wherever home was.  He was not sure what he would do the next day.  He mentioned The Brookfield Zoo.  Just a bunch of lazy animals that do little to amuse us if you ask me.

Coming soon:  Day Two.