Cablog

Haircut

After some local pressure last Friday I bit the bullet and had my locks shorn off, start of spring and all that. Instead, winter returned for a final fling and it absolutely bucketed down for the next two days. Typical.

Whilst sitting in the chair at the hairdresser I attempted to record the moment with a (decidedly dodgy) self-portrait. Then I had a better idea...

Hell

Today's Daily Telegraph carries a journalist's horror story regarding a violent driver refusing to accept her fare, despite being Vacant...

In response to her predicament, I wouldn't accept the taxi owner/manager's plea of ignorance regarding the unauthorised driver. The person responsible for that taxi knows who it was leased to for that shift.

Thus I would be petitioning the Ministry of Transport regarding this incident.

Otherwise, for scenarios involving one word against another, if possible passengers should discretely employ the recording functions of their mobile phones. Just in case.

Lower

An even lower act is the selfishness of residents who (allegedly) poison trees to enhance their views. And the local council is not letting them forget it, after erecting a number of these signs.

Sick

In short

China never figures in my visitor statistics until yesterday when the blog came under sustained attack from comment spam. Some clown in China with too much spare time recorded 947 page hits spruiking some game. Idiot.

In other news a fresh Cabpoll went up yesterday and, with luck, will be followed by a passenger video interview today. Pretty tricky stuff but it should be okay.

Finally, for anyone interested and not at the pub tonight, I'll be making an appearance on Channel 9's A Current Affair to talk about Cabpoll. Hopefully, it too will be okay.

UPDATE: Unfortunately the ACA piece is not complete, despite a successful session late this afternoon. A little more material is needed to round out the story and will now be broadcast next week. More importantly, though, my first Cabpoll video interview with a passenger is now online here. 

Winners

Last night I took a rare Saturday night off work and attended the annual Sydney Swans/Collingwood footy match at Olympic Stadium. It was a chance to see how the passengers relax and also to catch the mighty Magpies.

Anyone who follows the AFL knows that Collingwood supporters are not only extremely passionate but the most caring, gracious and friendly people one could meet. So it was delightful to share their jubilation over crushing the hopeless Swans and their dodgy supporters.

At the end of the game my brother received a text message from a mate, a mad Swans fan. Her one-word message was unambiguous; ‘c...s’. After which a dejected Swans supporter farewelled a Magpies fan with a sneering suggestion involving a star Magpie’s mother. Choice.

A few weeks ago I collected a bloke from the Swans/Essendon fixture at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Upon inadvertently revealing that I followed the mighty Pies, he exploded, "How could you !? Have you ever been to Collingwood ? It’s full of drug dealers, thugs, prostitutes, felons, welfare cheats...they’re all criminals!"

Of course I forgave his outrageous lies; as a long-suffering Melbourne supporter he was just being vindictive. Winners are grinners. (images enlarge)

UPDATE : Supporters clueless

UPDATE 2 : I’m ashamed to report that post-game, a nephew was involved in an unseemly altercation with a completely innocent and harmless Magpies supporter. As this nephew already had 'form', he will be severely counselled at the next family BBQ.

Fun

Didn't work last night so I went up to the supermarket, with my fly undone. Celebrated blogger, Tony the Teacher also had some related 'fun'.

Speaking of fun, meet Queensland cabbie, Bryan Law,

I'm 53 years old. I'm a husband, a father, and a nonviolent social justice activist. I drive a taxi in Cairns for money.

Drives a taxi for money, heh. Bryan, a practitioner of Gandhian nonviolence, is due in court to defend a trespass charge brought by the Commonwealth. Needing help with a defence, Bryan unwisely appeals to master beclowner, Tim Blair, whose readers are only too happy to advise.

Speaking of Blair,

Here’s how blogging works. First you run a site for four or five years, then one day John Malkovich turns up at your house:

Seriously, hit that link for image.

UPDATE : Blair on Virgin's 9/11 farce.

Dumb

A Brisbane cabbie has been robbed by a knife wielding passenger and locked in the boot of his cab. In a media interview the driver has sent a video message to the bandit,

"You caught me by surprise - I really just want to thank you for not killing me at the end of the day."

What he didn't need to say is that the robber's image was clearly captured and is now broadcast over the media. So it's only a matter of time before he's tightly gripping the soap in Boggo Road jail.   

Tacky Bay

Here's a pathetic Christmas display in Guilfoyle Park, Double Bay. In past years a large Christmas tree was featured but now it would appear the Chamber of Commerce and Woollahra Council have decreed the tree passé.

That Double Bay now feels like a ghost town, thanks largely to Westfields Bondi Junction and its easy parking, is not helped by installing a koala in drag to celebrate Christmas. No class.

(image enlarges)

Giving

With my cab unavailable this week I've taken the opportunity to get away for a few days up the Coast. Arriving in Port Macquarie early on Tuesday evening I noticed groups of young teenagers walking along the roads, causing me to use high beam to safely pass. The fact they nearly all wore black was no help to motorists either.

After mentioning this to my girlfriend I was informed the kids were observing Halloween. Yes, for many kids in this regional town the American custom is now an annual ritual.

Last year she had a couple of young kids knock on the door requesting a 'trick or treat'. A few minutes after politely refusing she heard a commotion on the street. The begging kids had been mugged by other kids for their goodies, leaving one kid with a broken nose and making local media and police reports. What can one say ?

ON a lighter note, check out this hilarious Halloween post by Irishman, Twenty Major.

UPDATE : Twenty Major's latest Halloween post.