Some Winners

Kicked off the shift last night around 7pm with a dream run. First up I scored a radio job from out west to the International Airport. The passenger was noticeably concerned he was being taken on a Cooks tour rather than the usual cabbie route. Upon arriving at the Airport with the meter showing ten dollars less than expected he cheered up enough to sling me a twenty cent tip...

No matter, within fifteen minutes I was carrying a party of four from the Domestic terminal up to Bayview on the Pittwater, a ninety two dollar job. After being quoted (touted) $160 for the job by hire car drivers they’d wisely elected to take a cab, making for a five buck tip.

Some ten minutes later heading back to the city a street hail in Forestville requested Oxford Street in the city. Bingo ! The passenger sat in the back and didn’t want to chat so I left him alone and played the radio. Consequently he gave me a great tip ! From thereon in I cruised through the night and couldn’t do a thing wrong, rare for a Monday evening, but that’s cab driving, hot and cold.

On midnight I swung into the Prince of Wales Hospital for a coffee, when normally I’d be on the burst for the last three hours. The coffee bar there has a small television to entertain the night owls who haunt the joint waiting for emergency treatment, their connections, expectant fathers and a steady stream of nurses.

The television was playing a DVD about a Californian family who build custom motor bikes, Orange County Choppers. One of the most interesting reality shows I’ve come across featuring the assembly of beautiful bikes plus entertaining interaction between the owner and his sons running the company. Given a certain birthday is fast approaching my nearest and dearest now know of a popular gift to buy, hint, hint.

Shortly thereafter I accepted a radio job for a young fella in his twenties, returning home from his girlfriend’s joint. ‘How’s your night been ?’, I asked. ‘Well, on one hand it was great to have night off’, he said, ‘but we’ve got problems at work which is really worrying us’. ‘You work with your girlfriend ?’. ‘Yeah, we’re both chefs and the management has been giving us a hard time’. I often carry chefs home after midnight and the younger ones are often exploited, unfairly it would seem as theirs is a tough job.

‘Mate, piss ‘em off’, I told him. ‘The market’s in your favour with this low unemployment, there’s plenty of jobs around’. ‘Yeah, heaps’, he agreed. ‘Have you heard about the chefs in Western Australia being paid $5000 just to show up ?’. He hadn’t so I related how the resources boom has triggered a demand for staff in both Queensland and Western Australia. Places like Port Headland are considering importing taxi drivers and the same applies for the hospitality industry in WA. ‘Mate', I advised, ‘you’re only young once and you can save good money there is little time. Plus it'd be a great adventure'.

This news excited my passenger and he pledged to get on the Internet as soon as he got home. ‘Just Google for ‘chefs+mining+Western Australia’, I suggested, ‘to find which employment agencies are handling those jobs’. In the space of ten minutes the young fella’s mood improved considerably and he hopped out thanking me profusely. It was that sort of night, a winner for all concerned.

Comments

[south coast cabbie]

adrian 7pm seems very late to start your shift do you get lower payins.in 26 years of pushing cabs driving manly most of the time i have never been that lucky to get a airport to bayview,best one was to dee why,but i have had a few going the other way ie had one to helensburgh and a few months back got one to cranebrook as you know both over $100 jobs but going way the wrong way for a manly taxi.And sorry to be padantic but american chopper is set in new jersey not california.

[itelli]

Back then when, I wanted to become one of yous. I liked driving and meeting people (go figure). But something happened, and I didn't. Been following u for a while, and u verify my opinion about cabbies: u do not just have a job, u offer social service. :)

Am also contemplating a move down there at some point, need to plan it. If i do, shall I book u to pick me from the airport?

[Jo]

Good onya Adrian for cheering him up :-)

[David Crawford]

Orange Coounty Choppers is located in Orange County, New York state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_County%2C_New_York

The show you were watching is called "American Chopper". It's on the Discovery Channel here in the US. The Tutel family, who own OCC, is now very famous, thanks to that show. They're in commercials for Napa auto parts, and 7-11.

[Lee]

Good advice to that young chef, Adrian...good money to be had over in WA and up around the coalfields in the Bowen Basin in Qld. as well.

[Sheri]

Don't you love it when you have a good night, and then it ends even better?

Glad to hear you cheered the young man up!

[adrian]

SC cabbie, I'm really tired from endless work this month plus the heat has me starting late. Same pay-in, lower wage, unfortunately.
Itelli, unfortunately I can't be privately booked but thanks for the kind sentiments, and others.
David, I'd assumed Orange County was the Californian one so thanks for the tip, and SC. I hear the Chopper series is also here on cable.

[Paul Pluta]

And on this dream night (12 hours work) you still only managed to earn what most people earn in an 8 hour day......

This taxi driving thing really stinks..... best you can hope for is a normal days wage..... worst you can get is $4-$5 an hour........

The hole taxi industry stinks.......
How can anybody support a family on a taxi drivers wage?