PANAMA INVASION

 

.....I should have known when the night started bad...

 

When I signed on the dispatcher said the supervisor wanted to talk to me at the office...now!

 

Turns out he's had a complaint from another driver.  I had not answered a first call until nine minutes

after I took it.

 

Four minutes beyond the allocated time of five minutes.  He did not say who complained, what trip or what time.

 

I didn't know what he was talking about.  I explained, sometimes it's difficult to get thru on the radio.

 

He accepted the explanation then said he would be enforcing the "five min." rule.

 

The first call were some old folks out of a hospital.  I

 had to get aggressive with her for, "over directing".

 

Then there was a noise in the right front wheel.  I stopped and popped the hub cap.  It was the cap inside.

 

Next I go to a Christmass party in Highland Park from the airport.

 

Later I'm sitting on the Hillcrest stand when I take a call for La Cieniga and Saturn.

 

Before I get there the dispatcher announces that the U.S. has just invaded Panama.

 

At La Cieniga and Saturn I call in for the address.  It's 8542 Saturn, apt #2.

 

 

I look at the numbers.  I'm in the 6000 block of Saturn.  The 8500  block is quit far away.

 

I call in to find out why they sent me so far away from the numbers.  In spite of three or four attempts I was un-able to get thru because the dispatcher was so busy talking about the invasion.

 

I looked down Saturn.  It ended a couple of blocks W. of La Cieniga.  I went to Pico to head W. but discovered that the 1st block W. of La Cieniga

the numbers jumped to 8500.

 

I located the address.  I honked the horn and waited.  When no one showed I got out and knocked on the door.  No answer.  The house was dark.  I figured it was a prank.

 

Back in the cab I double checked to make sure I was on the right St.   I was.  I tried to call in but the dispatcher was still going on about the invasion.

 

 

I made a judgement call.  I decided I wasn't going to be able to get thru so I returned to the stand.

 

Maybe five minutes go by when the dispatcher calls and asks what happened.

 

I told him.  He said I should have called him to call them out.

 

I told him I had tried but was un-able to get thru because of the invasion chatter.  He expressed suprize then apologized. I went back and got the fare.

 

He was going to Gardena  At La Cieniga and Centinela the dispatcher called and asked my location.  He said call him when I got back to Westwood.

 

Later he was complaing that I had criticized him over

the radio.  I had to meet the night supervisor and explain.

 

By the time we finished it was 2 A.M.  I called it a night.

MORE BEVERLY HILLS

One of the company rules was, drivers, except for the call of nature must remain in thier cabs.

 

The reason for this is because when drivers sit around on a stand, they sit in each others cabs and talk.  When they get a call on the radio they try to take it in someone else's cab.  Another number comes up on the screen in the office and adds to the confusion.

 

Iranian drivers spend a lot of time squabling over infractions of the rules.  This is a waste of time and energy which is a dis-advantage in the taxi game and how it's played.

 

 

The Iranians learn thier area fast enough, but thier territory is small, therefore they are limited.

I on the other hand having lived in L.A. for thirty years knew a larger area and therefore played a larger game.

 

The other night I picked up at Carlos n' Charlies on the strip and dropped at the "Rivers" hotel at Seventh and Central.  He said his parents stayed there in 48'.  I screwed a whore named, Nicky there.

 

It is in an area populated by Mexican cross dressers posing as hookers, a real life circus.

 

I had lived in this area and knew enough to try and catch a load out of the truck stop at Olympic and Alameda.  I hadn't been in the area for some time and was suprised to find the truck stop...gone!

 

Across the street, standing next to a cab with out a driver was a security guard who wanted to go the other side of Atlantic.  Wow....a Beverly Hills cab East of Atlantic.

 

Note:  Beverly Hills cabs were only allowed pick up

in Santa Monica, L.A. and L.A. county.  Even tho it was a Beverly Hills cab we were not allowed to pick up in Beverly Hills.  We were told we could have

every thing, West of La Cieniga.

 

After dropping him off the other side of Atlantic I returned to E. Seventh to video some of the Mexican cross dressers.  No sooner do I get the camera out when a walk up wants to go to El Monte.  A good, long trip.

 

If I got a flag while I was out there, would I pass it up, legal or not?  Who's around?  Who would know?

 

A couple of days later I catch a fare off of Santa Monica and Barrington.  A young couple who had thier car stolen.  They went from W.L.A. to Sixth and Alvarado.

 

At Eigth and Alvarado a good looking chick catches my eye.  I stop and park for a few minutes.  A highly wired white hooker and her pimp jump in and go to the Downtowner at Olympic and Figueroa.

 

...I catch a couple off the Sixth St side of the

Biltmore to Van Nuys, then back over the hill to Westwood.

 

....a house at Texas and Brockton to Hy's in Century city.

 

....he gets out, someone else gets in to the Four Season's at Third and Doheny.

 

...he gets out, a Chinese couple get in, to the Bel Air Hotel above UCLA.

 

...cruise it once then back to Westwood.  Back to the Bel Air for a trip to Malibu.

 

...in Santa Monica catch one to Westwood and call it a night.

 

...that's the way it goes...!!