Saturday, May 31, 2008
Lakers in 6
Yes Danny A. has done a great job with the Celtics. However, what does my learned partner think Jerry West is "chopped liver". A whopper of a deal was when Gasol came to L.A. It is a shame for us Laker fans that the rookie had to go under the knife. Than it would have been Lakers in 4. Of those 8 championships, in the early years if a team had 10 players with a beating heart s they made the playoffs. Also the talent was a lot different. Not taking anything away from Larry Bird. Bird had to be a winner with a first name like that. The series is going to be determined how Rondo plays and how Odom plays. Boston's top two, Garnett and Pierce will get theirs as will Kobe and Pau. Rondo and Fisher. I believe the Lakers have the best bench. I think Luke Walton had plenty of time to talk to his father. GO LAKERS.
What a difference a year makes
A year ago Koby was demanding a trade out of LA, and the Celtics finished 5th in the draft lottery ping pong game, this despite having the worst record in the NBA.
Danny Ainge looked like another idiot president, and Boston have had a few since Red left that chair.
Danny Ainge was making one bad trade after another with no rime or reason and the Celtics where going
nowhere.
Koby continued to demand a trade before the draft and through the summer, we can only wonder how close the Lakers came to moving him, and how that would have changed history.
Back on the east coast, on draft day it looked like Ainge made another bone head trade for Ray Allan, then few weeks later the other shoe fell, and now the Celts have a team of 3 super stars and a bunch of no body's.
The two teams have faced off 10 time's with the Celt's wining 8 of them going back to the days when Red was coach, GM and president.
So all I can say is BEAT LA...BEAT LA...BEAT LA.
Tom UC 123
Danny Ainge looked like another idiot president, and Boston have had a few since Red left that chair.
Danny Ainge was making one bad trade after another with no rime or reason and the Celtics where going
nowhere.
Koby continued to demand a trade before the draft and through the summer, we can only wonder how close the Lakers came to moving him, and how that would have changed history.
Back on the east coast, on draft day it looked like Ainge made another bone head trade for Ray Allan, then few weeks later the other shoe fell, and now the Celts have a team of 3 super stars and a bunch of no body's.
The two teams have faced off 10 time's with the Celt's wining 8 of them going back to the days when Red was coach, GM and president.
So all I can say is BEAT LA...BEAT LA...BEAT LA.
Tom UC 123
Friday, May 30, 2008
MEDICADE AND CREDIT CARD #2
I was just reading Tim's blog and he was complaining about the short fares out of the airport. Now why doesn't that surprise me. I guess the reason that guy didn't go any farther is because that is why he came to Tampa for business perhaps. Maybe after his business he will leave his money here. Nothing has changed over the years, when the rates are raised in the cab business, we would have to explain why. In this case it is the high price of gas and the high lease. I have found that when you explain it like that most people understand our position. But if you put the blame on them"never go anywhere", and of course of those of you who know me, I still say, "if you work the airport what you see is what you get." I can recall a few former posts tell us about all the great fares.
I was sitting in a doctors office, which I do quiet a bit lately, I had a great conversation with a lady who used to ride a cab in Ft. Peirce for .35 cents, ha in 1950.
About the medicade fares. It is now flat rates. It was 16 months ago. The rate was always short, sometimes a dollar or so, but sometime a lot. Than we would have to call Amy for a correction. The reason for this flat rate, is a lot of the drivers would fudge to much in trying to make up for the discount. I am the first to say I would also get the 10% back from Tamp General. I think Tampa General should do like St. Joe, just take the folks home safely.
With regards to credit cards. We have to problems with them, first the 5% we have to take off, yeah the office gets us on that deal. I have found that if you talk right to the fare on the way to the airport or wherever they are going, they will add more than the 5% anyway. I remember one lady I picked up, she had called late and when she got in my cab she started in on me, hurry up, change lanes, go faster. Now that can get on your nerves. This happened not to long after 911. They were still stopping care in the right lane., They never stop a cab, but I would always stay in the left lane.. This time however, yeah you guessed it. I got in the right lane praying that they would stop me and check my trunk. Ha they did. This broad was livid. It only took a few minutes, but she kept telling me hurry, I had had enough, I told her that the security of our country in a lot more important that her dumb ass flight. She damn near broke my door and no folks NO TIP.
I was sitting in a doctors office, which I do quiet a bit lately, I had a great conversation with a lady who used to ride a cab in Ft. Peirce for .35 cents, ha in 1950.
About the medicade fares. It is now flat rates. It was 16 months ago. The rate was always short, sometimes a dollar or so, but sometime a lot. Than we would have to call Amy for a correction. The reason for this flat rate, is a lot of the drivers would fudge to much in trying to make up for the discount. I am the first to say I would also get the 10% back from Tamp General. I think Tampa General should do like St. Joe, just take the folks home safely.
With regards to credit cards. We have to problems with them, first the 5% we have to take off, yeah the office gets us on that deal. I have found that if you talk right to the fare on the way to the airport or wherever they are going, they will add more than the 5% anyway. I remember one lady I picked up, she had called late and when she got in my cab she started in on me, hurry up, change lanes, go faster. Now that can get on your nerves. This happened not to long after 911. They were still stopping care in the right lane., They never stop a cab, but I would always stay in the left lane.. This time however, yeah you guessed it. I got in the right lane praying that they would stop me and check my trunk. Ha they did. This broad was livid. It only took a few minutes, but she kept telling me hurry, I had had enough, I told her that the security of our country in a lot more important that her dumb ass flight. She damn near broke my door and no folks NO TIP.
Problems with Medicaid and other charge calls
Cracker's trouble with Medicaid calls reminds me of the problems in Tampa.
First of all United and Yellow have vans they own together that take a large percentage of the Medicaid calls, ca$h flow does make for some strange bedfellows.
What's left over is bid out over the air, sometimes as a Medicaid call sometimes its not, but always at 15% off the meter big surprise.
My question is who gets the 15%? Could be Medicaid, could be the cab co that dispatched it or could be the jointly owned co that owns all those vans.
One way or another its not the drivers and that's one of the reasons drivers don't like the call's, why else how about all the no shows.
I got sent to pick up a woman in the 2100 block of Spruce more then 30 times, but for many reasons I never ever got her in the cab. One day it was raining, another she had no baby sitter, (do you see a trend here) after a while I would tell the channel 1 dispatcher it was a no show as he was giving it to me. But I had to burn gas and time and confirm the no show.
OK we have worn out Medicaid for a while.
How about credit cards, they pay United 5% for all calls we take someone's charge card in payment for a ride, first of all United only gets charged 1 1/2 %.
Guess who gets the 3 1/2 %, yeah United does, who has all the risks oh yeah that would be the driver, just as they do for getting robbed or beaten.
Corporate accounts are another opportunity for the driver to get ripped off, just for an example Tampa General Hospital used to get 20% off and about 8+ years it dropped to 10%, how or why I don't know, do you.
Tom UC 123
First of all United and Yellow have vans they own together that take a large percentage of the Medicaid calls, ca$h flow does make for some strange bedfellows.
What's left over is bid out over the air, sometimes as a Medicaid call sometimes its not, but always at 15% off the meter big surprise.
My question is who gets the 15%? Could be Medicaid, could be the cab co that dispatched it or could be the jointly owned co that owns all those vans.
One way or another its not the drivers and that's one of the reasons drivers don't like the call's, why else how about all the no shows.
I got sent to pick up a woman in the 2100 block of Spruce more then 30 times, but for many reasons I never ever got her in the cab. One day it was raining, another she had no baby sitter, (do you see a trend here) after a while I would tell the channel 1 dispatcher it was a no show as he was giving it to me. But I had to burn gas and time and confirm the no show.
OK we have worn out Medicaid for a while.
How about credit cards, they pay United 5% for all calls we take someone's charge card in payment for a ride, first of all United only gets charged 1 1/2 %.
Guess who gets the 3 1/2 %, yeah United does, who has all the risks oh yeah that would be the driver, just as they do for getting robbed or beaten.
Corporate accounts are another opportunity for the driver to get ripped off, just for an example Tampa General Hospital used to get 20% off and about 8+ years it dropped to 10%, how or why I don't know, do you.
Tom UC 123
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Child car seats
Riding around with or without a child car seat is a sticky choice.
Not county or company will give you any money to buy one, and the last I heard you can't charge for its use.
Other downsides are it takes up space in the trunk, which can be a pain in the butt with an airport run, also after riding in the trunk for a while it doesn't look very clean and people complain.
All this makes carrying a child seat is a bit of a trap, at times I did carry one mostly to cut down on no show's, but sometimes it backfired when I rolled on a child seat call only to find they needed 2 child seat's.
I did have one very positive experience with a child seat, I was forth out at Busch Gardens and a woman came out and asked who is first and then asked if that person had a child seat. He answered no as did the next two she then asked me and I did, the woman and the three kids went to Disney World.
Guy's you can make this easer with a few comments to let us know what you think, you asked for taxi stuff and we are trying.
We would like to hear from you with any taxi story's you would like to share with us at gentom727@gmail.com.
Tom UC 123
LAKERS
Thanks to the steady play of Kobe and a return to form by key role players, the Lakers thwarted San Antonio’s last-minute rally, 93-91, and now stand just one away game from a birth in the NBA Finals. San Antonio nearly had a chance to either tie or win the game with no time remaining in regulation, but the officials ruled no foul on a bump by Derek Fisher on Brent Barry as he was going up for a three point attempt . I don't think anyone can beat the Lakers 3 straight in the playoffs. The Spurs showed a lot of heart, which is what a championship team is supposed to do. In the junior conference Boston is fooling around, they keep it up and Billups will get healthy and look out then, as it is the Pistons have stolen two games without him really playing his game. I saw on AOL news that a poll was ran on the worst states to drive in. Wow Florida didn't make the top ten.. What really makes me upset is that people don't even know how to make a turn into traffic. The first thing I learned when I started to drive, if you are turning right end up in the right lane, not all the over in the left lane. The same goes for making a left turn. Ha, but not here in Tampa. Oh well shi&%$#happens.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day II
Today is actually memorial. Yes "Barber" you are right about Dale Mabry. I think there was also a military base named after him. If anyone is interested you can go to your search engine and St. Pete Times has a good article on him. Nice time to thank the men and women that are in the "war" especially the ones who gave all they had.
Strange or unusual rides part II
LEJ is right you do need to take chance's, we can't always sit back and wait for a sure thing, because there are few sure things in life.
The thing is you do have got to pick your spot's, and sometimes you will get burned.
The next day the same guy called me on my cell phone as he did every time he was in town.
I just read on Tim's blog that the meter went up as well as the flat rate's, that's all good news if greedy crew from Fort Lauderdale doesn't grab a big chunk of it.
The other nasty side of a fair hike is decreased rider ship, its not like that has never happened before.
Hey guys if you have any taxi stories you would like to have posted send them to gentom727@gmail.com and we will put them on.
Tom UC 123
The thing is you do have got to pick your spot's, and sometimes you will get burned.
The next day the same guy called me on my cell phone as he did every time he was in town.
I just read on Tim's blog that the meter went up as well as the flat rate's, that's all good news if greedy crew from Fort Lauderdale doesn't grab a big chunk of it.
The other nasty side of a fair hike is decreased rider ship, its not like that has never happened before.
Hey guys if you have any taxi stories you would like to have posted send them to gentom727@gmail.com and we will put them on.
Tom UC 123
Sunday, May 25, 2008
MEMORIAL DAY
I don't know if any of you out there watched 60 minutes tonight. But Andy Rooney was great. There is too much commerical pushing on Memorial Day. So many people just think of it as just a 3 day weekend. Lay back and watch the Indy race and drink beer, after all have the next day to sober up. Or maybe take the family to a park for a picnic. All of that has nothing to do with Memorial. I, for one, still get a prickle on the back of my neck when Lee Greenwood sings "Thank God I am a American". I am going to close this for today with, does anyone know how Dale Mabry got it's name. No, to bad.
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