The Syrian

Well yesterday was my day off. You need one every so often to stay sane.
Tonight (wednesday) started off slow. I picked up a guy at Victoria station and he couldn't speak a word of English. He had a sim card on him and wanted to put it in my phone to get an address off it. I thought he wanted to run off with my phone (the fact that he had 2 cases never swayed my thoughts). The chip never worked in my phone so in the end he used my phone to ring someone. He handed me the phone and another poor Enghlish speaker gave me an address in Southall, West London. Once on the way my passenger was eager to practice his English on me and amongst other things I established that he was from Syria and had gotten out of that country as the situation there is deteriorating by the day. He kept saying "Syria, very bad" over and over. Then he asks me if he can use my phone again and I agreed, thinking I'll be reimbursed at the end of the trip. He dialed four or fiver numbers and spoke to each of them for a good while. When we arrived at his destination the meter clicked over to £40. I thought to myself "it's got to be at least £50 he's gonna give me". He promptly produced 2 crisp £20 notes and disappeared into the house leaving me despairing about the cheek of some people. That turned out to be the best ride of the night but there were one or two other decent rides.
On my nightly visit to Tesco to get my daughters packed lunch there was a guy pleading with the shop asisstant to be let off a few pennies as he was short but the asisstant was having none of it. Cue my good deed for the day. I often help out people less fortunate than me as it makes me feel good about myself.

Murder down the Kings Road

A typical Monday night out there on the mean streets of London, hard work!!
Part of Kings Road was sealed off after a 20 year old guy was shot dead after he got in to an argument with 2 younger guys, resulting in the traffic being lead up a dead end by the police and everyone having to turn around in a very confined space. I picked up a couple from Bam Bou in Percy Street and took them to Queens Park. All the way there they were arguing and she was calling him the biggest wanker she'd ever known etc. and he was taking it pretty well considering it was giving me the hump. Stopped at Marylebone Station for a coffee and brownie then pulled off the rank after it never moved one space for 20 minutes. Got rid of an old £20 note after i'd inadvertently accepted it from someone else, always a great feeling. Got chatted up by an old Irish bag lady in the BP garage in Clipstone Street but gracefully declined her advances. No decent jobs tonight. Best one was probably about £23 from Paddington to Avenue Road in Highgate, N6.
Popped into Tesco's at Sutherland Avenue to get my daughter's packed lunch for school and treated myself to a ham and cheese sandwich to which I added some cheese and onion crisps...luverleeee!!!

Who still uses DOS

It's 3am on Monday morning and I have just got in. Nearly never went out at all as I'd been up my dads all day (he's 73) trying to show him how to use Word 2000. He still works at his age and uses a Word Perfect program in DOS but nobody else does so he's been told he has to use Word. I bought him a book from PC World and spent a few hours sittting with him explaining stuff but he was none the wiser when I left him. The saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" springs to mind.
Working on Sundays you tend to just hit the nearest mainline stations. Paddington is the best as the Heathrow Express brings a constant stream of passengers in to town until 11 or 12 at night. Victoria, Euston, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street and Waterloo are also extremely busy on a Sunday night. No nutcases out tonight just people wanting to get home after the weekend. Best job of the night: Victoria Station to Gants Hill. £37.20 Legal. Best tip £5 from a Gooner...I wonder why???

Another decent night

Another decent night after a bad start. Couldn't get into the rythmn of it until I'd stopped for a cuppa with my cabby mate Chris. Had a latte and a plaited donut type thing, very nice indeed. Then got down to the business of earning money. Kensington to Wapping, Tower Bridge to Hammersmith, Fulham to the West End, decent folks, losers, drunk kids. Saturdays are always this varied. Highlight of the night:Job goes £18, guy gives me a twenty and a ten (possibly a mistake?) and says keep the change!! "Thank you very much" says me and speed off incase he realises. Well I do have kids to feed. Best job of the night: Southwark to Ashford in Middlesex on a radio account. £57.80. Takings for the night...........I don't think you need to know that but lets just say pretty good.

Gay Week

All in all it's been a pretty "gay" week.
I've been told I was a good looking guy by an gay american passenger, then I had this gay Irish guy in the back trying to convert me telling me I'd love it and then tonight I had to endure these four gay guys openly comparing notes on who'd given who a blow job and who'd swallowed etc. Not really my cup of tea but as long as they don't shove it up my "Khyber" then they can say what they like. Best job of the night: Central London to Egham in Surrey. £67.60 Legal (that means no tip) Still a nice job to finish up.

How it works

I work most evenings unless there's something to have a night off for and I cover most of Greater london with the occasional "roader" into the Home Counties. I'll pick up anyone and everyone as long as they look like they can afford it. How can I tell? Just a look or a gut instinct is usually enough but occasionally one slips through the net and the night is ruined.

1st post

Hi all.
I drive a cab around London and thought you may (or may not) be interested to read what sort of things go on in and out of the cab. Watch this space...