Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Dad's armchair occupied once again

My Dad came home from hospital on the 10th of June. He's doing really well all things considered but still has to build up the muscles in his legs after months of inactivity. It's great to see him back in his regular pew at home.
My cab went in for it's annual overhaul on the 8th of June and cost me double what it cost last year. £883 + £50 for 2 days cab rental.....bloody scandalous!!! I wouldn't mind but it drives worse than ever. The suspension on all these "new" taxis are absolutely crap and I often get complaints from passengers.
Today I left Radio Taxis Ltd after being on there a couple of years and have applied to go back on ComCab. I get fitted up next Tuesday morning.
I recently pulled on to the rank at Eurostar in Waterloo and a young French lady asked to be taken to the Ibis hotel. "Which one?" says I , "Oh the one in central London" she says. "Have you got the address?" says I, to which she produced a slip of paper saying Ibis London Thurrock. I said it was outside London and was an hours drive and would cost the best part of £70. She started cursing as she'd asked the people who booked it to put her in a hotel close to the centre. Anyway to cut a long story short off we go to Thurrock. It being outside my knowledge area I have to complete the journey with my Master Atlas of Greater London on my lap. The final twists and turns were quite awkward and just when I thought I should see the hotel at any moment I found myself on the ramp for the QEII Bridge or Dartford Crossing. It was too late to do anything at that point and I had to proceed onto the bridge, pay the £1 toll drive a mile further on the other side and come back through the Dartford tunnel paying another £1 toll that way. To add insult to injury as I got onto the bridge the Ibis suddenly came into view and she started getting all animated so I had to switch the meter off, which just so happened to have clicked onto £70, and forfeit at least a tenner. Still I got her there in the end and she was mighty peeved to say the least.
I picked a lady up in Queensway recently and she asked to be taken to Bell Street. Half way there she states that she hasn't got any money on her and would I like to be paid in kind!! Anybody who knows me....what do you think I did? I'll leave the rest to your imagination. Be Lucky