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...!!