Cabsandpalmtrees has left the house

Well, it finally happened. The economy has struck with its evil hand and I'm out of the taxi business. It's so bad right now that I couldn't make the weekly lease payment on my cab, so, that's it. Gotta find a job now.

This isn't the first time this has happened to me, I usually drive for a few years, take off for a decade or so, then come back for some silly reason. This might have been my last time, though, I'm getting a little old for all this, just turned 60.

Anyway, seeya!

Jerry Parker

Taxi business is REALLY slow

Generally, January and February are the slow months of the year around here, so I don't think I can complain too much, but if it doesn't come back in March, I don't know what I'll do. I enjoy cab driving too much to give it up easily, but if I can't at least make my basic expenses, reality may take over. So far, I've been able to make my expenses and bills (barely), plus, I'm sitting in a coffee shop with a latte right now, so I guess I'm not totally busted (Ray Charles, 1963). As long as the tourists and business travellers keep coming to LA, It'll be ok.

Otherwise, driving cab in Los Angeles is still the mellow work it always has been. After all, slow traffic is only frustrating if you have to get somewhere on time. I've got all day but my passenger probably doesn't.

The New Year

Happy New Year and I hope your Christmas was Merry. The new year has started out on a good note, I moved into a more comfortable and more affordable place. However (and there has to be a "however") today I was literally shit upon. At least my cab was. This morning I went down to the underground garage to find my cab covered with water, a janitor on a ladder next to it, and a foul odor in the air. He told me a "water" pipe had burst onto my cab, but he had "hosed it all off." He didn't speak much English, so I didn't ask WHAT he hosed off, but it didn't smell like drinking water. So today had a shitty start. It's getting better.