tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53444822012-02-03T09:25:26.679-05:00Taxi BlogDrive a taxi. It's fun. Really.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1171035457054657522007-02-09T09:39:00.000-05:002007-02-09T10:37:37.063-05:00Yesterday was the end of my 12th year driving a taxi. Needless to say, the past year did not bring me much in the way of income from my license, which was renewed on the spot. It's a bit of a secret way of renewal, and not many drivers actually do this, but you actually can renew your license at the TLC offices, contrary to the big warning to RENEW BY MAIL ONLY. And since I'm such the fuckup, I taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1170220663145016072007-01-30T23:44:00.000-05:002007-01-31T00:17:43.156-05:00Soon after I recorded my misery in this space, that same night I visited L. at the taxi garage. L. is one of the few people in the world I trust openly. He still drives a taxi on the day shift (I got to know him by being the steady night guy on his steady day car), but appears to have a new profession, which is spelling F. on the weekend nights (those being Saturday and Sunday) for oil changes, taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1169956825329883922007-01-27T22:55:00.000-05:002007-01-27T23:00:25.330-05:00How about a Neil Young lyric that describes my plight with unfair accuracy? Unfair, because I should be able to pen these myself. But let the genius speak:Tomorrow is a long long timeWhen you're a memoryTrying to find peace of mindSpirit, come back to meGive me strength, and set me freeLet me hear the magic in my hearttaxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1169956277628963522007-01-27T22:30:00.000-05:002007-01-27T23:10:28.336-05:00It's just me and this empty space, isn't it? I'd just as soon not go on and on about how Tuesday's shift went; I have concerns that far exceed a single block of time in this void. Let's say it went well and be done with it. No problems, no fear.That should do it for that. Let's move on, then, to...more taxi driving. Then you'll get an earful about it soon enough.These days are filled with the taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1169450724162301532007-01-22T02:16:00.000-05:002007-01-22T02:25:24.163-05:00I'll tell you what. A day short of a year since my last post, now it can be told that I have absolutely no idea what to do with my life.You know what that means.After a six-month layoff, I'm back to the taxi this week. Tuesday and Sunday only, I don't need to kill myself off on my first week back.This blog is redeemable with proper care and feeding. It turns out that I was hiding quite a bit fromtaxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1138067665052119752006-01-23T20:48:00.000-05:002006-01-23T20:54:25.063-05:00Test post. Stuff will go here until I learn the craft of creating a website. I've said it many a time, but now time feels shorter as I emerge from a long-term major depressive episode. There's plenty to clean up and much to look forward to. I will work as a taxi driver in NYC on a 'sniper' basis only (if I'm sure I can get a cab, and can get a free ride to the city; I'm 38 miles out of town.)taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1119155395984908092005-06-19T00:29:00.000-04:002005-06-19T00:29:55.986-04:00Obviously, this isn't how I wanted this blog to turn out. Posting every 3 months is beyond lame.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1119155015101237942005-06-19T00:23:00.000-04:002005-06-19T00:23:35.106-04:00I am moving back to Staten Island shortly.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1110241523289743492005-03-07T19:06:00.000-05:002005-03-07T19:25:23.293-05:00The Last Go-Round.Having had a massive blowup with Gabriel, my roommate and formerly my taxi provider, I am back at Ann Service. The only salient point I have to make here is I have this feeling that I'm nearing the end of my taxi days. I passed the 10-year mark in early February. I'm giving myself anywhere from November of this year 'til the day my license expires (2/8/2007). There's a lot of taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1103724902502029402004-12-22T08:52:00.000-05:002004-12-22T09:15:02.503-05:00I had yesterday off, in preparation for what I assume will be the final assault of the Oct-Dec taxi season.
Then, I get THREE days off. Count 'em. I know you can do it.
But first, sadly, I must endure these last two days of end-of-the-world traffic. I must be strong. I will take no shit. I will take all (your) money. And the world will be a better place...
And everyone will make it home safe. taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1103644951783444552004-12-21T10:53:00.000-05:002004-12-21T11:03:55.156-05:00It was like a dream...
Nice line-up.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1103023269625336802004-12-14T05:06:00.000-05:002004-12-14T06:21:09.626-05:00How not to conduct yourself in a taxi.
I think we've reached the point at which approximately a third of New Yorkers have completely lost it. It's not like I haven't seen that good old holiday(s) effect before; the difference this year is... I'm actually working through it. Like, seriously. As though I really want the money. So I'm out there doing five-day weeks like the rest of the fully taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1097191728096274642004-10-07T19:24:00.000-04:002004-10-07T19:28:48.096-04:00Okay, I really should go back to work now.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1097191445804546382004-10-07T19:23:00.000-04:002004-10-07T19:24:05.806-04:00Hey, this is fun!taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1097191385936331012004-10-07T19:22:00.000-04:002004-10-07T19:23:05.936-04:00So what was I ranting about again?taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1097191260070483882004-10-07T19:18:00.000-04:002004-10-07T19:21:00.070-04:00So blogger happily eats my text in Camino, makes Safari hang within 2 minutes, and seems to work in Firefox.
Camino it is.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1097190694802674442004-10-07T19:10:00.000-04:002004-10-07T19:11:34.803-04:00test post.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1089137795853535672004-07-06T14:06:00.000-04:002004-07-06T14:16:35.853-04:00blog get fonkay.
Blogspot has been acting quite strange for the past two days. I have no idea whether this post will make it up or when.
Anyway, here's most of the reason why I hate working Saturdays.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1089056379675782082004-07-05T15:38:00.000-04:002004-07-05T15:39:39.676-04:00My stomach woke me up again. I think I hate everything. I'd hate you too if you were standing in front of me. Such is the glory of the web; I love everybody theoretically.
I've been ordered off my roommate's taxi for the remainder of his stay in the United States. He wishes to sell the taxi back to the broker for a tidy sum of cash once it is paid off. The tidy sum in question only applies if hetaxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1086618912334277842004-06-07T08:25:00.000-04:002004-06-07T10:35:12.333-04:00Ow Ow Ow
Now I'm half-writing to describe things to myself so that I can remember it later. It feels as though my frontal lobe decided to purge itself of all those unresolvable questions and insecurities that I've spent far too much time contemplating. The trouble with that is that they got back-hoed into my brain stem, where the master control for my gastro-intestinal system is. The past week taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1086259642969132112004-06-03T06:47:00.000-04:002004-06-03T06:47:22.970-04:00Hmm.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1086173999974590182004-06-02T05:55:00.000-04:002004-06-02T06:59:59.973-04:00I'm going to sum up the last month quick and easy on the next post, assuming I can stay awake long enough. But first, we've had a full month to sample the effects of the fare increase on income, demand for taxis, customer annoyance and the like.
First of all, nobody's openly professed hatred of the fare increase to me. The most surprise I've seen is the 'wha? huh?' reaction to the $45 (taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1083567642799065762004-05-03T02:23:00.000-04:002004-05-03T03:07:08.403-04:00Well, I've more or less completed a shift in my sleeping habits. Here I am at 2:30 in the morning, and I can honestly say that I'm starting my day. Saturday was a bit of a hiccup in my sinister plan to tear shit up on the day shift. I ended up awake way late. Smoking cigarettes. Not good, for I had quit somewhat recently, and it had been going well. So I quit again yesterday. I'm getting good at taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1083534855294181562004-05-02T17:04:00.000-04:002004-05-02T17:57:24.170-04:00Are You Ready...
For the fare increase. Effective at midnight. The meter's been readied. The 'rate of fare' stickers for the front doors and the rate card await the hour of ill shit going down. Yes. A 27 percent increase FOR YOU. Muahahaha. We will be rich at your expense! Watch us gloat as we take you to the poor-house! Notice the earplugs we have bought to silence your screams of 'injustice'!
taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1083241508142522292004-04-29T08:23:00.000-04:002004-04-29T08:28:14.030-04:00I'm suspended until Monday.taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1083077880682970112004-04-27T10:14:00.001-04:002004-06-03T21:48:15.996-04:00Shortly after semi-quitting the taxi biz early yesterday by allowing the taxi owner to start his big plan to take over the night shift a week earlier than he planned, I got a call from him.
It seems my license had appeared on the list of suspended drivers sent out to the fleets and taxi agents. I remembered instantly why. I, myself, have failed to take the required drug test, a situation that I taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1082290447000316572004-04-18T07:53:00.000-04:002004-04-18T08:17:01.983-04:00And. Now for some logistical notes.
The taxi owner has decided to take over the night shift. He wants the extra money that the fare increase would suggest he might make.
I am not ready to move to Burlington. Nor am I ready to explore the legit job market in the nyc area. There's been quite a bit of tension between me and taxi owner, who incidentally, is also my roommate. A word of advice. It's taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1082288865658758292004-04-18T06:18:00.000-04:002004-04-18T07:50:40.153-04:00The TLC passed the proposed fare increase. The only alteration, made during the hearing to raucous applause, was the retention of the $.50 surcharge between the hours of 8pm-6am.
I doubt I ever made my reason for opposing the fare increase clear in this weblog. On the last go-round (8 years previous) the TLC passed an increase on distance travelled only, without adjusting the rate for sitting intaxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1078988339847562842004-03-11T01:58:00.000-05:002004-03-11T03:13:06.356-05:00It's difficult to write anything now. The Taxi and Limo Commission will likely pass the proposed taxi fare increase without alteration. I promised myself that I'd quit if that happened, so I'll have to assume that this is what I will do on the first day of the increase, which, if you ask me, will be June. Ask my roommate (and owner of the taxi I drive daily) and he'd say May. I'm quite simply taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1078573054643605782004-03-06T06:14:00.000-05:002004-03-06T06:39:46.233-05:00Okay, well, the Raw Log idea is way too much work. I'm supposed to be driving around, not analyzing it to death (which is something I actually used to do, to nobody's apparent benefit). I am still keeping records with a bit more information than an average trip sheet might contain, but I'm not a database wizard, so on paper they'll stay for now. Might've ended up being fairly interesting, but taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1074892030862081152004-01-23T15:56:00.000-05:002004-01-23T16:09:28.110-05:00Raw Log
As in, eat these jobs raw. I'm keeping track of where I'm going and what is generally going on as of earlier this week. It might be boring as all hell for you, we'll make it optional. The link is on the right. Wow.
Now that I've announced it, all I have to do is figure out the format and enter all the data-crap. Sounds like major fun. Like I said, optional, but there might be some good taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1074890355842771322004-01-23T15:38:00.000-05:002004-01-23T15:56:16.873-05:00Warning: extended period of peace ahead.
That's not nearly as boring as it might first sound; all it means to me is that I've gone back to kicking this job in the head and taking all the money. All the money. To get the money, I pick up people. Lots of them. I take them where they need to go. It's very easy; difficult people are dismissed with a shrug, cool people get lots of positive feedback.
taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1071669349750400072003-12-17T07:59:00.000-05:002003-12-17T08:56:41.530-05:00My taxi suffered a grievous lasagna-and-cake attack on Monday night. Yes, Monday night. The night where everyone is supposedly stone-cold sober. Given the woo-hoo holiday season, though, I figured it was coming.
And yeah, I got it. But by the time it happened, I was already mellow and nice, for I had already 'confronted' a very-pissed off young lady who swore the whole way uptown to her friend taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1061059917046929322003-08-16T14:51:00.000-04:002003-08-16T14:53:33.636-04:00This a taxi blog, so I'll briefly concentrate on what a city-wide blackout might mean for a taxi driver. As far I know there was no contingency plan publicly put forth by the Taxi & Limousine Commission to deal with the near-complete absence of mass transit brought on by the collapse of the power grid, and thus the subway.
It wouldn't have mattered anyway at the time the power failed (4pm EDT). taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1060870003954041542003-08-14T10:06:00.000-04:002003-08-14T10:11:18.456-04:00Yeah, so where was I. No sooner does the taxi reach 14k miles then the air conditioning goes kaput. I'd prefer that this happened while the owner was driving it, but no such luck. I was driving last night, and suddenly it started to get warmer. And warmer. The partition steamed up. I couldn't see out the windows. And then, I figured it out. The A/C had been grievously injured by the random 'taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1058303622364793012003-07-15T17:13:00.000-04:002003-07-15T17:13:42.440-04:00Holy Shit. It's been a month. Good thing I've been working. Otherwise I would've, like, been doing absolutely nothing. I swear that this is the truth.
Within a few days I will be acquiring, for mine own enjoyment and edification, a NEW PowerBook. Yes, this is, in fact, one of those terribly obnoxious 'I got a Mac! Lookit me! :-)' posts. Except for the fact that I didn't buy it yet. But hey, I taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1055428802666290112003-06-12T10:40:00.000-04:002003-06-12T10:40:02.570-04:00Last night was extraordinary. No, not because I made a million dollars. That always happens.
What was interesting about last night was the fact that 8 out of my 13 jobs were to destinations outside Manhattan. That's right, I know how to get to Brooklyn. And Queens. Quit it with the snickering.
So I'd like to give a big ol' shout out to the following neighborhoods (they're a motley bunch): taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1055334498725051222003-06-11T08:28:00.000-04:002003-06-11T08:28:18.710-04:00The owner has procured a CD player for the taxi. It plays plain-jane CDs & MP3 discs. Also WMA, but I hardly have a clue as to what the benefit of that is. Also, a speaker upgrade was in order. Pleasant.
After a few days of this music setup, it feels like driving a taxi, with a bit of acceptable distraction. Initially, I had the idea that the music would come and take my worries away forever. taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1054975956288248812003-06-07T04:52:00.000-04:002003-06-07T04:56:50.110-04:00So I finally left my taxi garage after 8+ years of rather feckless pretension to making a straight-world go of it. It's basically marginal hours for marginal cash from here on out. Unless, of course, I get tired of that, and want to return to the garage. Yes, my taxi-man roomie has bought a NEW TAXI. The negotiated price I'm paying him is minimal, for I am/will be working strange hours: 10pm to taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1053532734291791832003-05-21T11:58:00.000-04:002003-05-21T11:58:54.320-04:00Remember not to be 10 months late with your yearly TLC driver drug-test.
Every so often my hack roommate would mention that he had skipped his yearly drug screen, which, since the TLC went to a 2-year license, isn't impossible to do. Trouble was, he knew he had, yet felt like telling me about it instead of actually taking the test.
Of course, the TLC woke up one day and hammered his ass with a taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1052827338186100412003-05-13T08:02:00.000-04:002003-05-21T11:47:55.356-04:00The taxi I've been driving since Sept 2002 developed a case of the shakes over the winter. It would run fine for 10 minutes, then decide to behave like a slug, acceleration-wise. At idle (red lights) it shuddered, as if one of the spark plugs wasn't firing. When pushed, it would send up a gust of rotten egg exhaust you wouldn't believe. In short, it wasn't running quite right. However, drivers taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1052572835983096102003-05-10T09:20:00.000-04:002003-05-10T11:30:21.520-04:00The overlords/industry lapdogs at the Taxi & Limousine Commission appear to have been working overtime on their website. They have posted a redesigned taxi information sticker. Also of interest, a chart of the value of a taxi medallion over the past 30 years. Oh my. Multiply the 1998 value (don't worry, the 2003 value is around the same) by 12,187 and you've got quite a bit of government-created taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1052303343883469982003-05-07T06:29:00.000-04:002003-05-07T06:29:03.793-04:00The news: My roommate, who is also a taxi driver, looks to be getting serious about purchasing his own taxi. He seems to think that it would solve a raft of problems. To me, it looks to be a recipe for disaster. But then again, I've largely disposed of the notion that I'd be getting ahead in the world by driving a taxi more often. I have my reasons, which I've been more than happy to share with taxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344482.post-1051785189123832012003-05-01T06:33:00.000-04:002003-05-01T06:33:09.043-04:00Welcome to the blog. I can't believe you'd read such drivel, but I'll try to be semi-entertaining.
The purpose of the blog is to provide an outlet for this driver's observations about his job. I'll make little to no pretense to omniscience here; the pursuit and revelation of objective knowledge of 'taxi' a) is covered somewhat by other sources; and b) might well be the subject of a free-standingtaxikonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12949091243303836526noreply@blogger.com0