A Cheap Motel, A White Tee Shirt, And a Twenty Dollar Bill

What a cab driver will do to make a living is beyond what most people can handle or comprehend. One thing we do is go into very bad areas of town and pretend it is normal. At least I still think it is normal. Like the Pakistani store owner who sells smokes, beer, lotto tickets and blunts to the people who walk in his door while all the time hoping he doesn't get shot, you begin to think this is normal. I got this call about 4 in the morning today. Things got a little weird. Not to bad, but not what I was expecting.

It was the Downtowner Motel, one of Tampa's swankier joints. Its the kind of place that has "weekly rentals" and calls them apartments; imaine what kind of crowd that will draw. The dude was on the balcony and very anxious to get going, a clear sign that someone wants to buy drugs. I guess his buzz has worn off and he needs to get more. He and some chic with sunken cheeks and a glazed stare get in the backseat. They seem to have a bunch of nervous energy.

After we bound around from one hotel to a back street this black dude on a bike with a white tee shirt does a "fly-by" of the cab; he is trying to determine if he has a customer. My fare tells me the black dude is a friend of his that he owes money. People will tell us anything, it is their boss, their cousin, whatever, he wasn't even being original. I tell him fine, but "get out and do whatever you need to do outside my cab." I tell him. He complies and after about one minute, he returns looking happy. I end taking them back, no big deal.

What bothers me about these people is they think they are slick. They are not fooling anyone; we know what is up. Eventually, they cab drivers will stop responding to the call. However, in today's climate and the need to make money, many drivers will take the call. It is amazing how desperate you can get for a twenty dollar bill.