Jumping the Wall
When you drive around Las Vegas you see a lot of drunk people walking around as the night gets later and the morning begins. Later into the morning, we get more drunks that walk off the sidewalks and into cabs. These fares are hit and miss. When one of these fares pours themselves into my cab, the first thing I do is try to get a destination. Then I confirm they have money for the fare.
You can talk to 10 drivers and all 10 will have different opinions on these types of fares. Personally I don’t mind them. I’ve only had one guy puke all over me and my cab. Considering the amount of drunks I pick up I don’t think that’s too bad.
This morning I picked up a guy who stumbled up the driveway of a hotel I was at on the southern end of the strip. He wanted to go to the northern end of the strip. So I checked for money and off we went. I’m driving a minivan today so he took advantage of the extra room. About a minute into the ride his feet come flying up between the front seats and he begs for the air to be turned up. That is never a good sign. Needing more air normally mean you have less than 5 minutes before they blow. I push down on the gas a little bit harder hoping to make it before it’s too late. We come to a stop light and I look in my rearview mirror to see him now looking green and his head is swaying.
Next thing I know, the silence is broken by a blood curdling scream.
Him: AAAHHHHHH!!! Who the fuck are you?! Why in the fuck am I in this cab?!
Me: You’re drunk and needed a ride
Him: Fuck you I do (mumbled something)
Then tossed $10 at me slid the van door open. He started running up the strip through the intersection. I just sat there for a minute watching him until Metro pulled up next to me and asked if I was ok. I told them I was but pointed at the guy who was then jumping a wall to get on the sidewalk (there was an opening to the sidewalk just 4 feet away). I said, “but I don’t know about him”. He just laughed and made sure that the guy didn’t go back into traffic. I pulled through the light which, was now green, and pulled over to shut the door.
Just another day as a Vegas Hack. On to the next fare.
June 15, 2011 at 16:15
LMAO!! You ARE going to write that book, right? That’s priceless! I wonder why he was so anxious to get away from you?
June 16, 2011 at 20:46
One day. I have a lot of stories to compile. It will come though I promise. As far as he goes I don’t think he knew who he was at that point.
June 15, 2011 at 18:37
LOL! Guess you weren’t expecting the blood-curdling scream, eh?
June 16, 2011 at 20:50
No that I wasn’t. The sad thing is that things like that really don’t phase me like they use to. Driving is slowly killing my soul
June 16, 2011 at 05:05
Scary! Other people are weird.
June 16, 2011 at 20:52
Even more weird when they come to Vegas.
June 17, 2011 at 07:37
hahaha! At least he still threw you a 10 spot even though he didn’t know how the hell he got in your cab!
That was funny. I seriously want to ride for at least an hour with you in your cab. You know just a little fly on the dashboard.