Saturday Night Forum (shops)

Saturday is the money night for a cabbie in Vegas. I would imagine it's the money night for cabbies most anywhere. I don't care who you are. If you actually put in a good days work on a Saturday night shift you will walk home with $200. That's a given. If you're any good at all that should get you close to $300. Saturdays are also good because it's your best night to make true side monies. If you're good enough to work some magic your nights take could soar well over $300.

So this should tell you that Saturday's are very B-U-S-Y. You'll average 3 rides an hour no problem. Hopefully 4. Now some people tell me that doesn't sound like a lot. But, if you think about it, at 3 rides/hr: That gives you 20min/ride. All factors included (there are to many to list) that is not a lot of time. For reference, last Saturday I had 50 rides.

One of those 50 was actually the reason for me posting today so I'll get to it.

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I was clearing at the Forum shops downstairs @ Caesars to find about 10 or so people all trying to flag me after my passengers got out. This is what makes Saturdays great. You can do drop and picks like they are going out of style. I loaded a white lady mid 30's, blue sweater, blue jeans. Carrying two fistfulls of bags. More than one person should reasonably carry. I pop the trunk, hop out and grab a couple of them from her.

Here, lets put these in the trunk.

That's ok, lets put them in the backseat

Fine. So I helped her put the bags in and off we go.

She gives a destination of Mandalay bay. Im just pulling out of the tunnel at Caesars, maybe 100 yards. She asks:

Do you take credit cards?

Fuck me. I hate this shit. Don't you think that might have been a good question to ask... I don't know, maybe before I helped you put all your crap in the cab and turned the meter on? You're inconsiderate or you're stupid. Either way I don't like you.

Not a single cab in Las Vegas can accept Credit Cards. Cash only (and some airline vouchers). So there is that problem which comes up often but more importantly I now have a lady in the cab with no fucking money.

No I cant take credit. I take it you don't have any cash?

Fumbles through her purse:

I have 3 bucks

I look at the meter: $3.45

(lady)

Is there a Wells Fargo near MB?

Im pissed. This lady is gonna cost me a half an hour, at least. I know it. As we've covered, a Saturday night is the night you don't want to be dealing with shit like this. Fuck, on a slow day you'd be in the phonebook finding the farthest Wells Fargo possible. But on a Saturday, it's all about time. Nickel and dime it all night. Small rides and a lot of them. Get 50 rides. That's 50 opportunities to get a tip.

So the last thing I want to do is drive off the strip to a bank. Its absurd, I know.

So the only other option is to wait at the door of MB while she runs inside. This option sucks too but I went with this because I had the bags for collateral and it seemed like it would be the most time efficient.

I'll just wait for you to run inside at MB.

At this point we were just leaving Caesars turning onto SB Frank Sinatra and I wouldn't say another word to her the rest of the ride. She could tell prior to that I was mad so I saw no point in making small talk now. She didn't say another word either.

We pull up to the back door at MB. I told her exactly where to find the ATM from the door I was dropping her at and also that the bags would be staying with me. As she's getting out:

What's your name?

What's my name?

Obvioulsy she thinks now that I'm gonna take off with her bags. Or something.

Listen lady I don't what your nasty ass threads ok? I just want my $8.70 plus tip. And perhaps you didn't notice that my first name is posted in plain site in the cab. Along with my last name, and a host full of other pieces of information that might become useful to you in a time like this. But you're to busy not getting into Mensa.

She walks inside and I look at the clock: 7:22.

At this exact moment a shitton of people start walking out of the MB. Amazing. So as I'm sitting here, cab after cab after cab is driving by me and loading. I knew that was gonna happen. I start hoping that this lady will return soon and that she gives me 20 bucks for my troubles. I don't think a $11 tip is out of the question in this situation. After all, your costing me money right now and that's fucked up.

7:33 she returns. Nice. 11 minutes, I got off easy.

She walked right up to my window while flipping through a stack of twenties and hands me 3 of them, then opens the back door and starts grabbing her bags.

Do you want help with those!

No I got it

She gets all the bags, two fistfulls, and then winks at me as she's walking away.

It's confirmed. I suck.

At least there was another ride waiting for me. Back to work.