Kansas

Is your pet peeve being told what route to take? Perhaps having someone fire up a cigarette. Someone using the cab as a phone booth and insisting you turn the cab radio down because it's interfering with their phone call?

I don't like being touched. Imagine some random member of the public reaching out and touching you, literally. Sound like fun? Passengers wonder why they're supposed to sit in the back seat on the passenger side, well it's polite. However, we have many impolite passengers. The most common circumstances of being touched by a passenger are sex and pure obnoxiousness, it's usually just something that will simply make your day, the actually dangerous times are pretty rare.

On Tuesday, I was picking up someone at Method One, a great ride, great money. No, you can't smoke in the cab, no you can't smoke in the cab after we clear the city limits, NO I'm not another cab driver, and no I don't care what other cab drivers have let you do in the past.

While we're at it, my name isn't Kansas. On occasion people call me that, thinking that's what they heard, when they asked me what my name was, and I'd taken this passenger to Method One once before in the past. This particular passenger wanted to sit in the front seat, so I allowed it, I didn't have a good reason to refuse. However this reaching out and running your fingers through my hair, is NOT appreciated. That is how the ride began.

I haven't been propositioned by a passenger in a while, and it doesn't happen very often, but it is one of the occupational hazards of the job. Ah, I'm very involved with my dog and he's very jealous thank you very much. (As a former smoker I'd NEVER consider getting involved with a smoker anyhow, it's the kiss of death for remaining a non smoker.) Am I like Ru Paul? Ah, no, absolutely not. Jesus, am I glad I get rid of this squirrel in 10 more minutes! And it went like that for the rest of the ride.

The upside of it is, I got a line on when this person goes, and as Chas would say, information is the name of the game on the day shift. I drive a few day shifts, I'll spend 4 or 5 months driving days this spring and summer. I got a line on another really good ride too, but otherwise, that shift sucked the fat off dead bears butts.

Upside? Yeah. The money for the ride is good enough, that I've got to simply ignore the rest of the BS. I will take that passenger again, many times.