 -by Alex Farr I was driving back to a BART station cabstand, when a New Year's resolution came to me. Sure, it was mid-March, but that's when Iranian New Year is... so I figured I was entitled.... and I'd just had a birthday too, so I guess it was doubly close enough. It was a Friday night, around rush hour, and just starting to rain... when a fare came walking up. It was a black guy and his two young daughters, and as soon as he got in the car, he immediately asked me to put out my cigarette. "Sure, no problem." I told him, since that's the law and all... and I really don't feel the need to carcinoginate children. I don't understand why it is though that I can wait 45 minutes for a fare to show up, only to have one suddenly appear when I light a cigarette, even if I'm still 4th in the cab line. So anyway, once I've put my cigarette out, and he's done apologizing to me for making me put the cigarette out... "Yeah, sorry dude... I know it's your cab... blah blah blah"... he tells me that he's going to 36th Ave and E. 14th (which is maybe 3 blocks from the Fruitvale BART where he'd found me). "Yeah.. ok, well that should be quick and easy..." I mutter. Once we get there though, it turns out that he's going further than he'd first said. He's headed up toward Foothill, which was apparently more detail than he knew how to articulate... but that's ok, because that means more money for me. So we get to Foothill, and I'm trying to prompt him into more details about where he wants to go. "Should I just pull over here?, Cross Foothill?, Make a right?..." He pauses for a moment, to give the cars behind us a chance to start honking at me, before deciding that he wants me to make a right so he can make a quick stop at a liquor store. Then he and the girls pile out, without giving a thought to offering me a deposit. But, since I've got parking in front of the door, and since none of these little liquor stores have back doors (so the guys working there don't have to watch any more than one door for petty thieves, armed robbers, etc.), I decide to be cool and just let it slide. In a few minutes he's back out, and demanding I make an illegal U-turn in the middle of the block to take him further up 36th without having to cover any extra meter charges for driving an extra half block out of the way... but I spot an opening, so what the hell? And, once I finally pull over for him, the meter's at $6.08. He takes about 3 to 5 minutes to find a $10, and a quarter... and then he waits for his 4 dollars change. When I start fishing for the 17 cents too, he tells me "No, that's cool man. You have a great weekend, and thanks again for putting out the cigarette." What a putz. What really pissed me off though, was that, before I had a chance to think about it, I answered "Yeah, thanks man... you too." It's a bad habit, and one I mean to change. And, that's my New Year's resolution... if any putz asks for any special favors, and can't be bothered to pony up at least a buck for the extra consideration... he/she/it gets nothing but a "buh bye". And, if they don't get it, and continue to try to ply me with banal pleasantries, they just get it again "Buh Bye!". I so resolve. And, I'm sure I'm gonna get a lot of
practice too. It'll be a new habit in no time... Fucking... people.
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