When I thought about blogging about my cabbing experiences I told myself that I wouldn't use this as a forum to make fun of those who are less fortunate than I am. I have had some fares with some people really down on their luck. Sometimes while they are in my cab I find them annoying then later after I think about it for a while I find myself feeling sorry for them I wish I could do more for them but I know I'm in no position for that.
It was a Friday morning and I was filling in because we were short a cab driver. I was the only cab from our company on the road and I had the dispatcher phone. I usually work nights and quickly learned that I prefer the graveyard shifts. Starting at about 9 A.M. I had a series of fairs involving an elderly couple. The wife was in a wheelchair and the husband appeared to be in the early stages of some form of dementia. Started out with a call from the Fair Field Inn Hotel. I was told that they had a couple that wanted to go to the Sprint store and that the lady was handicapped and needed a car because it was easier for her to get into. Luckily I was in a car and I proceed to go there. I pulled up and out they come. I get out, open the front and back passengers door and wait for them to get to the car. I get next to the woman in the wheelchair and I smell the stench of hot piss mixed with body funk. It was so bad that not only was my nose burning but my throat seemed like it was going to close on me too.
I get them in the car and we are on our way. The lady says to me that she will be about 15 minutes and that she will need a ride back. I had another run waiting for me so I told her that after that fare I will come back to get them. She agreed and all is well. After she got out all I could smell is that funk. I really dreaded going back for them but I did it anyways. I got them back to their hotel without incident.
A couple hours pass and I think I don't smell her anymore, The phone rings. Its a social worker calls me from the hospital and asked if I could pick up an elderly couple at 1:30 with the wife being in a wheelchair, and take them to the Rockingham County Courthouse in Brentwood. Holy shit, I know who that is! The social worker tells me that they are going to pay for it. I just happen to be passing the hospital so she agrees to meet me by the main entrance to give me a voucher to pay for their ride. while there I tell her that I know them because earlier I gave them a ride to the Sprint store. Then I'm off again.
A few minute pass then the social worker calls to tell me that they decided not to pay their fare because she thought they were broke. And if they could afford a cell phone then they could afford a cab ride. I explained to her that when I go to get them if they are broke I'm going to leave their asses at the hotel. She said fine.
Suddenly I'm thinking to myself, How the hell do I get myself in these situations. Then I remind the heavenly father that I'm sorry for all the bad things Ive done in my life. About that time it occurred to me that they probably don't have money so I wont have to worry about it. The smile on my face was interrupted by the phone ringing again. It was a lawyer telling me to go pick them up and that he will pay cash for it. Dammit!! Now I'm thinking about how will I prevent myself from smelling her and how will I get that smell out of the car.
At 1:30 sharp I'm at the hotel. That woman is smelling as ripe as ever. I could hardly stand it. I thought I was going to puke. I drive the 30 minutes and I get them to the court house in time and the Lawyer gave me a 40% tip on the fare That was my last fare of the day but I was frustrated that I could smell her and I knew I was going to have to get the seat she was in cleaned.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I get online and Im reading the local newspaper online. The cover story is about a police officer who responded to a minor car accident and found an elderly couple who lives in their car with squaler conditions. He offered to get them help. They refused so he arrested the woman because she was the one who was more coherant, if you will. At the top of the article there was a picture of the couple. Can you guess who it was? You guessed it! The couple who was in my cab. Suddenly I go from being frustrated with them to feeling sorry for them. I wish I wasnt such a softy.
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