In Which Raine Doesn't Tip the Taxi Driver

I had a request to relate my taxi adventures and for you, Loyal Readers, I oblige.

I have on street parking. When it snows, the city calls a parking ban. No parking on any street. This means that I have to park in one of the two garages. One is closer, but significantly smaller, so it fills quickly and the other is farther and huge. Needless to say, I end up in the farther one nine times out of ten.

How far, you ask? Well, close enough that on a nice day it is a nice walk. Far enough that on a snowy cold day when you cannot push the stroller, it is way too fucking far.

Daycare, to make this worse, is farther away in the opposite direction. Did that walk one morning with the babe and he was nearly frostbitten. Poor parenting that day, for sure.

Anyways, I have submitted to calling a taxi when I have the child. If I am by myself, I walk. But not with the kid.

Last year it was $5.00 flat fee. Five friggin dollars to go a mile. Then a tip on top of that? Damn.

I wake up to find no cars on the road except mine. Shit! I jump up and quickly get Ryder ready so we can get my car off of the road before they tow it. I parked in the garage and called the taxi. He came and we got in. I was not paying attention, but a car pulled up alongside the taxi to let him know that he was going up a one-way the wrong way. This is a MAJOR road. He gets to my house and I hand him a ten. He hands me four back. "I thought it was $5." "Nope, $5.50." "Whatever."

This guy was sketchy so I wanted to check up on it. Their website says $4.50. I call the company and ask him. "Blah Blah Blah.... It is $5.50." Okay. Now it is $5.50 for one measly mile.

I'm not tipping. Fuck that.

The following day I need to get my car. I call a different taxi and the ass on the phone says he'll see if he can get a car here. "Do you have any idea how long??" I ask. "I don't know. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes? I don't know," He thoughtfully replied.

The cab came quick enough. He drove along telling me about all these shitty people he has seen around town. Honestly, I do not care. I wish he would pay attention to the road. I gave him $5.50 when we arrived at the garage.

No tip. I don't feel bad.