Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Recession Special


My cab smelled like puke tonight. I actually gagged a little when I first got in. I considered asking for a different one, but I didn't want to deal with the potential wrath of John the crazy Romanian dispatcher. I wiped down the floor and seats with the bleach wipes I usually use to clean the steering wheel and buttons, and pulled out with all the windows down. The whole night, the smell was there, like an annoying passenger that wouldn't get out. On top of that, it was a slow night. This picture is an illustration of what I saw in front of me for most of the shift: empty cabs.


I stopped at Gray's Papaya to eat around midnight. It's crap food, but it's quick and cheap, and there's parking right in front. I usually get the "Recession Special," which consists of two hot dogs and a juice for $2.75.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

a most excellent blog.
but i'm curious about something. now that it's getting colder, are fares easier or harder to find? or is weather irrelevant to how many people you might pick up in a shift?

M.P. said...

Yes, cold weather definitely helps. The colder the better. Same with rain. But that can backfire too. Too much cold or rain can influence people to stay home, which means business will be slow.

Anonymous said...

As a frequent business traveller in NY, I can say it's almost impossible to know who cut off whom. Generally, all I see is two yellow blurs, two drivers screaming at me. I can expense every ride I take, but more often than not I take the subway to avoid all the drama. If I could tell who the bad guy was, I would do the right thing!

M.P. said...

Shit. I have no idea. But that's a great guess. Next time I'm at 54th and 7th, I'll check to confirm.

Anonymous said...

Fat Al: Don't forget about P&G's on 73rd and Amsterdam! ;-)