Poetic

You may recall a recent shift report on my dealings with some Hard Men. How a Japanese businessman waited for 10c change from a short fare. Only to then have a service station operator ‘overlook’ returning my 20c change. Well, early this morning I experienced a reverse twist to the same tale, involving the same nationalities.

This time three Japanese, two males and a female, hailed me outside a City karioke bar for a journey home to Manly. They were fairly drunk and happily chatted amongst themselves whilst I drove in silence, until one bloke alighted near Manly. After which I addressed the remaining fella sitting up front.

He was a young fella working in Sydney for a Japanese company, a bank, I guessed despite his ultra casual attire. When he requested a beach side location in Manly I asked if he was a surfer. "Yes, me surfer, love surfing," he replied. "Before-work surfer, too ?" I suggested. "Yes, everyday surfer," he laughed. He seems pleased I knew of Japanese surfers and we laughed about how many lived in Sydney.

With the meter showing $39.90 the girl said, "Hmm, wait, I have 90c...", indicating the fare would be paid exactly. However the surfer dude overruled her by flopping out a fifty and insisting I keep the change. Magic; for some passing chat I scored a ten buck tip.

Then in some poetic irony after gassing-up, the Indian service station operator failed to return my 10c change, whilst engaging me in conversation. Of course, on this occasion, I was only too happy to forget it. I love those Japanese surf nuts.

Comments

[be3tgws9vg23]

"Then in some poetic irony after gassing-up, the Indian service station operator failed to return my 10c change, whilst engaging me in conversation."

Can't you pay with credit card? In the US most gas stations will give 5% rebate if you use the station's brand credit card.

[south coast cabbie]

part of the reason i moved from manly to the south coast after growing up and spending 42 years living there to many japanese and brazil surfers,although the girls from brazil are stunners in there g-string bikinis.