Earlier today I was travelling along a major road in the town when I saw a young mother pushing a pram. She wanted to cross the road and was stood on the edge of the kerb waiting for a gap in the traffic. She was on the edge of the road and the pram was actually on the road.
I saw this and indicated to pull out into the middle of the road giving the pram a wide birth. She just stood there with her hand son the pram, fag in her mouth looking very much like "Waynetta Slob" from the Harry Enfield shows on the television.
You could see her nervously pushing the pram further into the road and then back again in a hope that traffic would stop to let her cross.
This isnt the first time I`ve seen this and it seems to be a thing with young mothers lately where they dont seem to put their childs safety first. Personally I don`t think some of them even care.
The crazy thing about this was that 20 yards down the road was a zebra crossing and she couldnt be bothered to walk towards it and use it.
Standing on the kerb with the pram in the road is a dangerous thing to do. I wish these idiots would think about the consequences of what damage could be done to their child.
Tuesday, September 29
Sunday, September 27
Lazy Boyfriend
Picked a fare up this week, a young lady around 25 to 30 years old who had a little boy with her aged around 10 years old. He didn't say much apart from saying goodbye at the end of the journey, However, his mum was totally different....
She proceeded to tell me how her boyfriend was a "lazy lump" who didn't work and wouldn't do any work around the house. He went out drinking and when he came home he would just fall asleep.
The conversation then turned to sex as she said that she was fed up with him not performing properly and all he wanted to do was fall asleep.
A little too much information was spoken from her mouth and from a taxi drivers point of view, we do get to hear all sorts of stuff but to talk about this in detail in front of her child.... well, no wonder he was quiet and going a deep shade of red. I asked her if she always discussed matters like this in front of him and her response.... "Well he`s got to learn sometime"
I was glad when the journey ended as I could see that poor boy going red and felt really sorry for him
She proceeded to tell me how her boyfriend was a "lazy lump" who didn't work and wouldn't do any work around the house. He went out drinking and when he came home he would just fall asleep.
The conversation then turned to sex as she said that she was fed up with him not performing properly and all he wanted to do was fall asleep.
A little too much information was spoken from her mouth and from a taxi drivers point of view, we do get to hear all sorts of stuff but to talk about this in detail in front of her child.... well, no wonder he was quiet and going a deep shade of red. I asked her if she always discussed matters like this in front of him and her response.... "Well he`s got to learn sometime"
I was glad when the journey ended as I could see that poor boy going red and felt really sorry for him
Thursday, September 24
Twos Company, (Threes a crowd)
Picked a fare up last weekend. A young couple. He sat in the front and she sat behind him in the back. She was very quiet and never once spoke. Not even to say Hello, Goodbye or Thank you except for one sentence which I will come to soon.
He was the opposite and spoke all the way on the short journey of around half a mile. He tells me how he wanted to win the lottery so that he could travel the world and do what he wanted to do.
I then asked him if he was taking anyone with him to which he replied and I quote. "I`d take the young nurse that I have been seeing for the last 4 months. Wouldnt take the wife as shes too boring".
At this point the girl in the back shouted some obscenity at him and exclaimed that they had been married to each other for 2 years and then a full scale argument starts in the car.
It turns out he had been going out at night saying he was with mates and all the time he was with this nurse. He`s only himself to blame as his reponse to her exclamation was "Oh Shit.... You were that quiet I forgot you were in the car. Sorry Luv.."
I was asked to stop the car while she got out, she insisted on walking home so he then paid the fare and walked off after her.
Not my fault I thought so best leave them to it and not get involved so I pulled away and just went onto my next job.
He was the opposite and spoke all the way on the short journey of around half a mile. He tells me how he wanted to win the lottery so that he could travel the world and do what he wanted to do.
I then asked him if he was taking anyone with him to which he replied and I quote. "I`d take the young nurse that I have been seeing for the last 4 months. Wouldnt take the wife as shes too boring".
At this point the girl in the back shouted some obscenity at him and exclaimed that they had been married to each other for 2 years and then a full scale argument starts in the car.
It turns out he had been going out at night saying he was with mates and all the time he was with this nurse. He`s only himself to blame as his reponse to her exclamation was "Oh Shit.... You were that quiet I forgot you were in the car. Sorry Luv.."
I was asked to stop the car while she got out, she insisted on walking home so he then paid the fare and walked off after her.
Not my fault I thought so best leave them to it and not get involved so I pulled away and just went onto my next job.
Sunday, September 20
Not a sporting chance
Why is it that quite a lot of passengers that get in the cab will start up a conversation about the Rugby or The Football or The Cricket or any other sport. They will say something and then ask what you thought of it.
I would frequently say to them "it doesn't interest me and after all, its only a game."
I`m entitled to my opinion and if they ask me what I think then I should be allowed to say what I do think and if that's my opinion then they should respect it, either that or keep their mouths shut in the first place and don't ask.
However, this one guy I picked up then went onto say that I must support some team as its the way of life. Everyone has to support a team and why do I not bother with it. He kept going on throughout the journey about me not supporting any team.
Why should I? If I`m not interested then why should I pretend to be. I`ve always adopted the attitude of speaking my mind. Sometimes I may have sailed a little too close to the wind but if I`m asked for my opinion and I give it then its their problem if they don't like what they hear.
This guy then went on to tell me what a great team he supported (I cant remember who it was as I wasn't really taking much notice) and tried his hardest to get me to support them. He just wouldn't shut up and was adamant that he would have me interested in his team before the journey ended.
Its a bit like religion isn't it? Imagine those religious people coming to your door to preach the gospels and try to convert you to their faith. He was trying to get me interested in something I couldn't be bothered with and why should I be.
I am a great believer that we are all unique individuals and should be allowed to believe in any religion we like, just like we should be able to support (or not bother) with any sport there is.
We have that choice and shouldn't be forced into something we don`t want so why do these people get in the cab and naturally assume that you are interested in the match or game and when you say that you don't follow it then they keep going in your face about it.
Eventually I did tell him who I supported.... I told him I supported all the other cabbies that throw idiots like him out the cab and if he didn't shut up then I would do the same with him and maybe I just might not stop the car when I do it.
Maybe I had opened my big gob again but he took no notice of me and carried on babbling on.
This was one fare I was glad to have out of the cab.
Its not much to ask is it. Don't shove your beliefs, football teams or any other crap in my face and just sit back and enjoy the ride home.
And the best bit.... This guy was on his own, stone cold sober and had just finished work so their was no excuse for his attitude.
I would frequently say to them "it doesn't interest me and after all, its only a game."
I`m entitled to my opinion and if they ask me what I think then I should be allowed to say what I do think and if that's my opinion then they should respect it, either that or keep their mouths shut in the first place and don't ask.
However, this one guy I picked up then went onto say that I must support some team as its the way of life. Everyone has to support a team and why do I not bother with it. He kept going on throughout the journey about me not supporting any team.
Why should I? If I`m not interested then why should I pretend to be. I`ve always adopted the attitude of speaking my mind. Sometimes I may have sailed a little too close to the wind but if I`m asked for my opinion and I give it then its their problem if they don't like what they hear.
This guy then went on to tell me what a great team he supported (I cant remember who it was as I wasn't really taking much notice) and tried his hardest to get me to support them. He just wouldn't shut up and was adamant that he would have me interested in his team before the journey ended.
Its a bit like religion isn't it? Imagine those religious people coming to your door to preach the gospels and try to convert you to their faith. He was trying to get me interested in something I couldn't be bothered with and why should I be.
I am a great believer that we are all unique individuals and should be allowed to believe in any religion we like, just like we should be able to support (or not bother) with any sport there is.
We have that choice and shouldn't be forced into something we don`t want so why do these people get in the cab and naturally assume that you are interested in the match or game and when you say that you don't follow it then they keep going in your face about it.
Eventually I did tell him who I supported.... I told him I supported all the other cabbies that throw idiots like him out the cab and if he didn't shut up then I would do the same with him and maybe I just might not stop the car when I do it.
Maybe I had opened my big gob again but he took no notice of me and carried on babbling on.
This was one fare I was glad to have out of the cab.
Its not much to ask is it. Don't shove your beliefs, football teams or any other crap in my face and just sit back and enjoy the ride home.
And the best bit.... This guy was on his own, stone cold sober and had just finished work so their was no excuse for his attitude.
Thursday, September 17
Under the influence....
This week I picked up two young girls aged around 20 maybe 22 years old and they were chatting amongst themselves and the usual girly conversation was about parties they had been to, and then one of the girls said to the other girl , and I quote,
"Your Dad was lucky he didnt get caught drink driving when he came back up the motorway".
Her mates reply was "I was sh**ting myself as he was all over the three lanes at 80 miles per hour."
Did you know he was drunk? came the response from the first girl.
Second girl replies. "Yeah but we had to get back home and didnt want to leave the car overnight"
Some people seem to think that it is socially acceptable to drink and drive, not only putting their own lives at risk but also other people as well. As for the girl who travelled in the car with her drunken dad behind the wheel then I have no sympathy. They are both as bad as each other. Her for knowingly allowing herself to be put in this danger and him for being a complete idiot.
Lets face it, what sort of decent father would put his daughters life at risk allowing them to be carried in a vehicle where the driver is drunk.
I was going to do what I normally do and open my big mouth and tell them what I thought of them but on this occasion I just kept my mouth shut and didnt say a word.
Just as the girls were about to pay the fare and get out the car one of them said to me, "You didnt hear that conversation about my dad did you?". I just shook my head and ignored her. It wasnt even worth me having a go at her about it as experience says that people like that never listen and never learn.
"Your Dad was lucky he didnt get caught drink driving when he came back up the motorway".
Her mates reply was "I was sh**ting myself as he was all over the three lanes at 80 miles per hour."
Did you know he was drunk? came the response from the first girl.
Second girl replies. "Yeah but we had to get back home and didnt want to leave the car overnight"
Some people seem to think that it is socially acceptable to drink and drive, not only putting their own lives at risk but also other people as well. As for the girl who travelled in the car with her drunken dad behind the wheel then I have no sympathy. They are both as bad as each other. Her for knowingly allowing herself to be put in this danger and him for being a complete idiot.
Lets face it, what sort of decent father would put his daughters life at risk allowing them to be carried in a vehicle where the driver is drunk.
I was going to do what I normally do and open my big mouth and tell them what I thought of them but on this occasion I just kept my mouth shut and didnt say a word.
Just as the girls were about to pay the fare and get out the car one of them said to me, "You didnt hear that conversation about my dad did you?". I just shook my head and ignored her. It wasnt even worth me having a go at her about it as experience says that people like that never listen and never learn.
Friday, September 11
Tea for Two
Picked an elderly lady up on her own this Sunday just gone and she asked me to take her to a place in town that served meals as she wasn't cooking for one and she normally goes out for a meal with her friend every Sunday but her friend couldn't make it so she went on her own.
When we got to the destination she realised that she had left her money at home and couldn't pay the taxi fare but she did have her credit card with her. She was panicking about how she could pay for her meal and the taxi as she had no cash and I suggested she used her card to pay for the meal but she couldn't pay the taxi with a card as we are not yet geared up for it.
She was a regular fare and she felt awkward that she couldnt pay me at the time but I wasnt too bothered as I know I could knock on her door at a later date and collect the fare but she felt bad about it and suggested that I go and have a meal with her and she will pay for it instead of the taxi fare.
I was feeling a little hungry and thought about this and succumbed to temptation. It meant 30 minutes off work but I got a free carvery out of it and the elderly lady shared my company and it really made her day.
After we had eaten she asked me to drop her off home where she would pay me the fare for the journey home. I took her home and she went in the house to get her money and came out with a £10 note and told me to keep the change as I had been very understanding to her and she didn't have to eat on her own and she didnt want me losing out.
A good day all around, a £10 fare including a tip and a carvery. Cant go wroing with that one.
When we got to the destination she realised that she had left her money at home and couldn't pay the taxi fare but she did have her credit card with her. She was panicking about how she could pay for her meal and the taxi as she had no cash and I suggested she used her card to pay for the meal but she couldn't pay the taxi with a card as we are not yet geared up for it.
She was a regular fare and she felt awkward that she couldnt pay me at the time but I wasnt too bothered as I know I could knock on her door at a later date and collect the fare but she felt bad about it and suggested that I go and have a meal with her and she will pay for it instead of the taxi fare.
I was feeling a little hungry and thought about this and succumbed to temptation. It meant 30 minutes off work but I got a free carvery out of it and the elderly lady shared my company and it really made her day.
After we had eaten she asked me to drop her off home where she would pay me the fare for the journey home. I took her home and she went in the house to get her money and came out with a £10 note and told me to keep the change as I had been very understanding to her and she didn't have to eat on her own and she didnt want me losing out.
A good day all around, a £10 fare including a tip and a carvery. Cant go wroing with that one.
Sunday, September 6
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