Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday, the conclusion of another wacky week at work. (Try saying that five times fast.)
Some of the passengers have been getting increasingly vocal in voicing their displeasure about the state of humankind. I nod most of it off. But I got an example of what they mean today.
Take out the logic meter: I race cross-town to pick up a run standing at a storage facility... he's got three small suitcases with him. It turns out he was standing there waiting for us for over 40 minutes. With the weather, the condition of the cabs and the condition of the drivers (all referenced below), this is becoming the norm. Long story short, he tells me in less than perfect English that he's already called another company, and they're on their way over.
This was one of the rare times on the job where I pulled away, rolled up the window, and literally cursed the guy out for his stupidity. Yes, we were late getting there. But we showed up. In turning us down, he guaranteed himself another 5 to 10 minutes of wait time. Even if the other cab were only 30 seconds late, that 30 seconds could have been spent loading the trunk, boarding, and at least getting onto the street. He would have been further along than he made himself be.
We complain about inconvenience. But here seems to be one who thrives on it.
I didn't write the past couple days because my eyes have been exhausted, as well as my concentration, thanks to the idiot weather. A simple run from Allen Park to Detroit, normally a 20-minute trek, took over an hour. Freeways were only going about 10 MPH, side streets were flooded with the rain, slush & snow, and you'd swear all the drivers were Georgia transplants, not knowing how to drive in the conditions.
Today, we lost two cabs due to accidents; neither of them the drivers' faults -- they were cut off. One, as I jokingly say, "made love" to a parking lot light. This loss of cabs won't help our response time. My lack of recent experience driving full-time in the winter doesn't help either. It's a good thing we aren't an EMT service.
And I have another run I refuse to take, for stupid reasons: I took a $30 run from Inkster to Woodhaven, the girl had to get to work. She's the girlfriend of one of our drivers, and we engaged in good conversation. INNOCENT conversation. But when I picked up the driver, he went on & on about how that was "not cool."
First, a little background: She called him before we got to Woodhaven and told him I was the driver, and how much he would owe. I didn't hear one iota of complaint. I told him he would be driving my cab tonight, according to the schedule. He said "I'm not like other drivers, I don't follow schedules." Sounds like a rulebreaker right there: you drive what you're assigned.
Presented with the facts nearly three hours later, he goes on his tirade. Well, why didn't he end up saying something three hours earlier? He gets mad because I broadcast his distaste for my cab to the dispatcher. The least he can do is drive my cab back to the office and tell the dispatcher he wants to switch. It's his responsibility. Instead, he takes the cab, with already half-bald rear tires, and squeals it in the snow upon leaving. A total blatant lack of respect for the equipment -- never mind me.
And I'm not sure which of the two ticked me off more.
Our company is littered with people who don't want to work. This guy complains about working more than eight hours. I worked thirteen in each of the past two days. And the guy didn't even have yesterday's weather to worry about, as he stayed home, while I stayed, plugging through the conditions.
I don't have one ounce of sympathy for either of these two goof-offs. And they'll find out about it somehow... then we'll see what's really "uncool" about the events of the day.
