I'd just started driving cab in Key West, Fl. It was around 3:30 A.M. on my fourth day on the job. I was approaching Duval on Truman when I noticed someone in the lane ahead of me.
Not unusual, often in a desperate attempt to get a cab people will stand in the street, like the guy in Tianaman Sq. As I got closer I could see he was naked from the waist up. He had a dog collar on with spikes on it. Next to him on the ground was a bright, shiney, red fire extinguisher.
He did not seem to be...should I say...happy. Not him. Not a happy camper for sure.
He's in a Rambo stance, prepared for combat. His arms are out, his back is arched. No smile, just a snarl. I'm thinking, the city ain't gonna' like this. Looks bad, image etc. He then throws down the gauntlet and snarls, "go around".
Well ya' know I was new on the job and didn't want any trouble. Didn't wanna' get fired, so I adapt my best hospitality strategy and say, "sure", and proceed to go around him.
Talk about your moody PMS bastard, he picks up the bright, shiney, red and wacks my hot, pink taxi and breaks the window. Not good, not good at all. The company definitely will frown on this. "See what ya' done". How am I gonna' explain this?
The company supervisor was a tough cookie. I was in deep shit now. As I pulled away from the enraged visitor I wondered, where is the supervisor? Well talk about the devil, up he pops, there he comes around the corner.
About that time a station wagon comes around the another corner. Mr. enraged vistor (Un-happy with the service, sir?) goes after the station wagon. It spins out of control. I tell the supervisor he broke the window.
The guy runs off, the police show up in force and locate him under a car. The police make him lie down while they cuff him. He didn't like that and told them so. He caused a scene so the police shackled him and threw him into the back of a police car.
You guessed it, he didn't like that either. Voiced his opinion. Police voiced theirs. He was un-happy with the service. Bigger tip next time stupied. This has really messed up my night.
We're standing around doing the paper work when another hot pink taxi pulls up. His passenger gets out and walks out on a dollar fare in front of a crowd of cops. Stupied and drunk, a real combination. Ever see a key stone cop movie. The whole crowd takes off after him and apprehends another inebreiated visitor.
Well they got the money out of the guy who then forces a five dollar tip on the driver, who reluctantly accepts it. Then he gets nasty with the driver and makes a few suggestions on what he can do when he's alone. The police take a dim view of this and explain to him what will happen if he doesn't leave.
The guy in the back seat of the police car takes a dim view of the whole thing and explains his opinion by screaming. His boyfriend wants to talk to me. The un-happy camper is really a good guy from my Michigan who has had too much to drink.
Too much in-deed. Turns out he had stopped the station wagon and asked for the keys. When he was denied instant gratification he did the drunken tourist stomp on the roof and collapsed it. The boyfriend was broke and didn't have a motel room key. KA-CHING, had his tuff luck card punched. Talk to the supervisor, he stamps it for you.
Well by and by the paper work got done, the circus ended. I go home for some rest. Once again amazed by my fellow men but grateful for a good story. I only lost half a nights work. This job could be fun but it seems the quality of tourist has deteriorated.
No comments:
Post a Comment