Good Friday

Good Friday night wasn’t a typical Friday night and I really couldn’t get into it. I did three or four jobs then someone upset me and I “lost it” a little bit and went home. I was on a run into the West End, to the Prince Edward Theatre in Old Compton Street. The proper way to go is via Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Shaftesbury Avenue then through Soho to the theatre. But Regent Street is always solid at that time and most other times too so some vehicles cut through Brewer Street then do an illegal right turn into Rupert Street and round into Old Compton. I’ve been doing it for years with no problems. It had to happen one day, and that night it did. As I nosed the cab into the illegal turn I saw two coppers standing in the road talking. “That’s fucked it,” I said to myself. The theatre was probably a couple of hundred yards away but because I couldn’t use that road I had to detour round nearly a dozen one-way streets which made it look like I was running the meter up. Of course the passenger piped up in the back. I let them ramble on for a bit then exploded in a tirade of expletives, which I think frightened them a bit, which wasn’t my intention but I was stressed out. Passenger complaints are part and parcel of the job and most times I am quite diplomatic but I think we all have an off day don’t we? I couldn’t calm down after that and went home.
I took my daughter to Thorpe Park on Saturday to celebrate her cousins 14th birthday. It’s a theme park on the outskirts of London with some amazing rides, check out the link.

A deserted Kings Road, Chelsea.
Work tonight was pretty slow. The streets were deserted. I did have some quirky passengers though like a couple of extremely drunk posh women talking about death and about someone they knew who had recently been murdered. I had the intercom full on but unless their head is turned towards the mike in the window sill it’s hard to hear clearly. I had a four-hander to The Garage, a music venue in Highbury Corner. They all had an open beer in their hands and I thought of Paradise Driver informing them that they were breaking the law (as far as I know it’s not against the law here). I nearly managed to get a booking for 4am in the morning to take a guy out to Gatwick Airport but when I told him how much it would be he changed his mind. I stopped for these two sorts (good lookers) in Kings Road and they only wanted to go about 500 yards down the road. They asked me something on the way and I answered them and one of them said “Ooh what a lovely voice you have, it’s so. …growly!” Little did she know I had a frog in my throat.

I’ve had a headache all night. I think I caught the sun yesterday. I was out in the open air for the best part of 12 hours. I never took anything for it as I couldn’t be bothered to stop anywhere. It’s still with me now as I write this

When it seemed like the night was over I drove past Victoria Coach Station and a lady with two little girls flagged me down and asked to be taken to Finchley Road which fortunately takes me part of the way home, which I did do straight after dropping her off.

I'm attending a barbeque at my parents house later on today. We haven't had one for a while and this is the first of the New Year. Read my sister's blog for more information on it. I have to contibute a couple of Spanish omelettes. There's generally always too much food there so it's best to not eat anything all day until the afternoon. Happy Easter everyone.