Beef sandwich, anyone?

 Day 8

Three evenings in a row now.  When the temperture is below zero, more humans want rides.

I am currently waiting at the Midway Airport holding lot.  It is giving me time to talk Hollywood.  I believe the idea started when I realized that the movie “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” doesn’t feature the Taxi as one of the main modes of transportation.  I think Dell Griffith and Neal Page finally arrive at Neal’s house via a cab, so where is the love?  One of my favorites, with Charles Grodin and Robert DeNiro, is “Midnight Run.”  Similar to “Planes, Trains and Autos,” the characters use several modes of transportation before finally making their destination.  The only movie that jumps out is “Taxi Driver”, and as I recall, the main character is a lunatic.  I have no plans to follow any political candidates around and shoot them, btw.  “Scrooged” has a great New York cab that helps get Bill Murray’s character around, and there is a cameo with Miles Davis in that movie!

A note about blogging; I am learning how to best use the blog site.  I do believe if you become a FOLLOWER of the blog, I can eventually message you when there are new posts.  I understand that new posts are infrequent, and that it is not the first site you visit after reading the morning paper.  Only the lead singer from the band J Canon checks my blog daily. What I do know is that I make a fraction of a penny each time a blog reader clicks one of the Ads.  So feel free to make me tens of dollars.

I have written a lot here in the Limo Lot.  I guess none of the planes that have practically hit the roof of this cab are carrying my future passengers.  A reminder about a limo/livery cab – we can’t pick up a fare at a Chicago Airport unless they call us for a ride.  The humans in red coats will stone me if I get out of line.  The airports are rough.

Ding Ding Ding…. It is Restaurant Review time. I have driven several folks in the food industry around town. Usually it as a ride home from work.  Tonight I drove a waiter from Tavern on LaGrange home. (Those not from the area may want to stop reading this blog entry now.)  When I asked, “Cmon’, how is the food really?  It is more of a tavern than a restaurant.”  The reply was a heartfelt thumbs up.  My customer has worked at several restaurants (I let him know that his stint at Olive Garden does not count.), and he is impressed with the food.  He usually eats the beef sandwich.

Bubba Gump and Me

 

Day 7

I drove two days in a row.  This was The Day.  The Day that Chicago received 20+ inches of snow.  It came with some serious wind.  My trip out in my own car at 2PM made me feel like Will Smith’s character in the movie “I Am Legend.”  Funny, that movie was on the previous day.  For several blocks I was the only thing moving in downtown Chicago.  I eventually came across several clumps of people walking in the street carrying paper Whole Foods bags.  The lack of traffic and light snow made them look like refugees fleeing an atomic bombing. 

Considering the snow, I was surprised to get a call to drive the cab.  By late afternoon, with many of the main streets cleared, the company discovered that they were one of the only services open.  A profitable evening was ahead since the “smart” cab and livery companies closed due to the snow.  It reminded me of that Bubba Gump chump and his shrimpin’ boat.  He took his boat out despite a hurricane warning, and ended up the only boat to survive the storm.  Don’t be surprised if I take a turn at opening a chain of restaurants with a Taxi theme.  Don’t be surprised if the venture fails and I die penniless.

It was still pretty desolate in the Western Suburbs.  The best evidence of the snow storm was the fact that I passed no less than 9 different McDonald’s throughout the evening…. All CLOSED.  Now there is a McNugget of information for you. (sorry)

My first fare was actually a disgruntled employee.  He was quite upset that he was taken off the road.  “I have been up and driving for twelve hours,” he yelled in the backseat.  “Who are they to take their best driver off the road?”  Then he napped.

I picked up Number 5,6, and 7 together at the diner attached to the bowling alley.  They each live in a semi-supervised assisted living building.  I think each had several parts missing, but together made a fully functional human.  “Nothing like bowling alley food.  Can’t beat it,” Number 6 informed me. 

I expect to write soon about cabs in the movies.  I mentioned this in the Day 6 post.  “Taxi Driver”,  “Plaines Trains and Automobiles”, “Midnight Run”, and “Scrooged” will all get mentions.  I am aware that a taxi may not appear in each film.  If you have a film that might need a mention, please COMMENT below.

Thanks for reading.

Never trust your phone...

 

Day 6

This blog entry will be date stamped as The Day Before.  The Day Before what?  Tomorrow, it is forcasted that Chicago will receive 18-24 inches of snow.  This could surpass the Blizzard of 67’ in size.  The south side of the city and northwest Indiana could also see additional snow as a gift from Mother Nature known “lake effect snow.”  Lake effect snow is the result of moisture coming off of Lake Michigan.

Tonight I am driving one of two minivans owned by the cab company.  No Audi for me tonight.  I would like to act disappointed, but this thing is comfortable!  I know that the minivan is to car design the way the bowl cut is to hairstyling. But I must say, both are quite practical.

Tonight I drove a young man from a very expensive restaurant to a complete dump of a bar in Stone Park, Illinois.  Many of you understand that there is little left in Stone Park since all of the adult entertainment establishments were “moved out.”  I asked him if he worked at the fancy restaurant.  “No,” he said. “My friend works in the kitchen and brings me free food while I sit at the bar.”  Not a surprise he needed a lift to Stone Park 20 minutes away.  “I know the bartender there.  She is 63, but really nice and brings me a few free drinks.”  He must have assumed that I knew that most 63-yr-old women are not very nice.

Bad night for Customer #2;  His car would not start when leaving work. He was excited to hear our per mile rates.  He said his place is about a mile away.  He told me where it was, and I said it was more like 8 miles.  "But my phone GPS says its about a mile."  "Well your phone is stupid," I didn't say.   Bad month for Customer #2; He had a falling out with family and is staying in a crappy motel.  Bad night for Customer #2.  We stopped at McDonalds and he did not have enough money for his 20-piece nugget meal.  I got a 99 cent coffee.  Good night for me.  After we drove the actual 10.2 miles to his crap motel, he said, "I still think that was about a mile and you might be ripping me off."  Stay in school kids.  Don't do drugs.

One of my last thoughts as I drove back to the garage was about cabs and the movies.  Stay tuned for those thoughts. 

Note:  “Stay tuned” is a phrase we will have to explain to the Ipod Generation.  They do not listen to the radio.

Reflection on North Face

... or is it THE North Face?  I realized in the grocery store today that I do not own a "The North Face" (TNF) coat.  They let me buy food despite my deficiency.  No wonder I am cold!  My coat doesn't work.  Sure, my coat worked last year.  I drove a family of three to the airport in the cab last week.  Four people in the Audi, three TFN jackets.  I didn't notice until we got out for the luggage, since the TFN logo is usually on the BACK of the coat.  Was this originally a mistake?  "Hey, Percilla sewed the logo on the BACK! Should we fire her?" 

I remember while I was in college, it was cool to wear your sweatshirt inside-out.  I am all for buying popular stuff.  Popular stuff is rarely crap.  As a Chicagoan, I just feel that the SOUTHsiders once again got the shaft. 

Is London Fog dead?

Day Five

Again, I was happy to be available when I got the call from Barry asking me if I was available to drive.  I was almost given the keys to one of the two min-vans, but my look of disappointment was well read, and I was back in car #134.  (Not that there is anything wrong with mini-vans).

I figured it would be a slower day with no Holiday surrounding the weekend.  I was correct. It does continue to amaze me that each fare introduces me to one character after another.  #1 today needed a ride from the pancake joint to the local coin collectors show.  Who knew that there was a large coin show once a month?  His first words as I met him outside of the car matched the look on his face. “That’s it? I have to get in that?” My immediate thought was that he had issue with the Audi.  Maybe he disliked Germans. It ends up the issue was the size of the sedan.  “I can’t bend,” he offered.  Once comfortable in the front seat, he shared that a train had hit him years ago while working for the railroad.  If it were not for the extreme cold conditions, he would have died. I learn all of this in about forty-five seconds.  By the way, now is a good time to sell coins due to the value of silver at the moment.  Not quite the stock tip I am waiting for, but good information.

#2 was an older gentleman and his son of about 45 years. They needed a simple ride from Burger King back into town.  I am not sure what a complex ride would have entailed. As soon as the son tried to say a word, the father interrupted him with a loud, “shut it Kenny, and speak when spoken to!”  During the quick stop for the horse racing tip sheet from 7-11, Kenny shared with me how he had a lot to tell the preacher.  He mentioned that he should not be telling me this.  Confession is private he taught me.  I was about to say, “Kenny, speak only when spoken to!”  My cab smelled like Burger King.  The father and I shared war stories about the red light cameras.  I have been hit with two right-turn-on-red tickets.  I paid them.  I also read an article stating that the cameras and the towns that use them will alter the way they issue right-on-red tickets.  Thanks a lot!

Unfortunately, only one airport run today. Midway Airport: named in honor of the Battle of Midway.  Surviving that battle must have been a bit like surviving my first experience in the bathrooms at Midway’s can lot.  Housed in a government building, which also houses the TAX STAMP window and a few vending machines, the bathrooms are unique.  I was met by a gentleman using the janitor’s spigot (reserved for filling buckets) as a shower.  He was quite skilled at throwing water on himself and cleaning his feet in the floor level drain tub.  Maybe I will learn.  In my stall of choice, I found an empty gallon bottle of windshield-wiper fluid.  How and why this bottle was next to a toilet was the day’s mystery.  Hmmmmm.

Back in the lobby were several prayer mats and several drivers about to use them.  I thought this was cool … not sure why.

#5 for they day came out of his house wearing a red shirt and khaki pants.  Where was he going?  Target.

#6 and I were able to reminisce about the South Side Irish Parade, a parade that was cancelled in 2009.  That ended at least 25 years of several hundred thousand people invading a great Chicago neighborhood and its taverns once a year.  I don’t remember much about those pre-parties, parade floats, and post-parties, but they all looked fun on the news and in the police blotter.

Correction: While useful, mini-vans have not one ounce of aesthetic value.

http://www.helium.com/items/773623-overcoming-the-psychological-stigma-of-buying-a-minivan

Ambulance

This was a first. I pulled over, as you would when you see an ambulance with its lights on coming toward you.  Why?  Because an ambulance was speeding towards me.  Anyway, I could see that there were two EMT's in the truck, one of them driving the ambulance.  I could also see them playing rock-paper-scissors (rochambeau).  I witnessed THREE games.  It really made me wonder what assignment the winner was hoping to avoid when the ambulance reached the destination.  Thoughts?

The actors..

http://5thavecab.com/