Tampa Taxi Shots

Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission yesterday sent Uber a stop order. Their legal division was advised that criminal prosecution was the next step if they do not comply. This is a wonderful way to close out 2014 and hope that 2015 will be the year when law and order are restored. A contact I have with the commission gave me the copy of the letter above. Remember people of Tampa - if you use Uber you are using an illegal business with no insurance. You will also be charged tonight 10 times the normally rate. They call it "surge pricing." The law calls it gouging which is illegal in Florida. This is today's front page in the TBT exposing the Uber rip-off.

Lim James on the left and blogger Genti on right Lim James, the Diary of a Singapore Cabby blog was recently let go by the largest taxi company in Indonesia. It seems out of the 50,000 customers he has picked up over the years, one of them put in an exaggerated complaint. His blog is very successful worldwide and he has a large readership. He let his fans know what happened on his blog but first lamenting how he is getting older (he is 67) and how life is an injustice we never asked for, but must face on our own terms. "Sometime I felt a tinge of sadness and misgivings. I wonder and so do many elderly people, how did time sped away so quickly? Wasn't it just yesterday that my eye sights and legs were stronger? My hair is still reasonably black but my skin is crumpled with age spots. Yesterday, my memories were like daylight. And climbing, running, jumping and squatting were taken for granted? Today, aches, pains and comatose are my un-welcomed friends. I learn to be ph...

Its been a while since I did a dog with his head out of the window post. This pooch may be named Fast Max, at least that was the name on the side of the car. For whatever reason, dogs love to do this. Even Norman use to stick his head out the window. Max looks like a friendly dog. posted from Bloggeroid

"Sukka" now has a collar. The wound on her neck was not healing because she kept scratching it. It happened when she got stuck trying to get under a fender. Elena hopes this will prevent her from digging at it. I hope so for Sucka is a sweet cat. She does hunt small game and is quit skilled at it. It's hard to get angry at her when she leaves dead birds at the front door. She thinks she's contributing to the dining room table. Just put it in the rotisserie oven.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just won the Marcus Mariota Sweepstakes!!!!!! Losing to the Saints gives the Bucs the first pic in the 2015 NFL Draft. Let the party begin!! The pick above shows how impressive his stats were two years before he won the Heisman Trophy. "Suck For The Duck" has woked in Tampa Bay. This is Josh McCown who will he towed to the ash pile of sucking QB in Tampa history. Ironically, Tampa has DRAFTED great quarterbacks that won Super Bowls for other teams...Doug Williams, Steve Young, Trent Dilfer have won the Lombardi trophy. I believe Mariotta will do that with the Buccaneers. A happy day today in Tampa Bay. posted from Bloggeroid

This is me by the fire pit in Kevin's backyard by the lake. It was not really cold but it was the holiday party and this helped set the mood. There was even a fire in the living room. Computer generated but still cool A nice glow from the fire. You could have fried an egg on my face. Too bad it was not a clear and cold winter night. Too bad one of Kevin's friends chose to offend me about looking for Bigfoot and Kevin would not defend me. It gave me no choice but to leave. I believe my friendship with Kevin is in major jeopardy. This is his dick head friend Steve sitting on the right. He is also a believer in flying saucers. A UFO guy should be more objective. Perhaps he is jealous that I have a modicum of fame. posted from Bloggeroid

This is the campfire with MUFON and Bigfoot researchers at our annual party. The candles on the boat dock. It was a tranquil sunset tonight.

Teri and Kevin are holding the annual holidays party and she is a major prayer candle person. This looks like I'm in church! Imagine that. I'm hoping the sky clears so I can use my new stargazing app. We will have the campfire no matter what. This is going to be fun. Relaxing for the holidays while others cab drivers work like coal miners. I work to live.

I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas with love one's and friends. Don't lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas. Enjoy good food and a little indulgence is not bad either...whatever that may be.

Santa Tim After the reindeer came down with Kennel cough, Santa was in a jam. He must get those presents out under all circumstances. He had heard of Uber and decided to give them a try. The problem was the "surge pricing" they wanted for the night of the 24th. So he called United Cab after negotiations with Uber fell through. All I needed was cookies and milk, a tank of gas, and we are on the way. If you don't get your presents by morning, call dispatch. You might have trouble getting thru. I suspect the lines will be jammed.

Kevin and I were in the old growth section Starkey in Pasco. Down by the river, we found this giant oak. It could be centuries old. Anyway, it was a beautiful day for winter time here in Florida. posted from Bloggeroid

When the new management took over in 2011, we have had a Christmas party every years for the drivers and shop mechanics. It was always a huge spread of food. The fellowship with the drivers was important, and allowed you unwind in a social setting. That is something severely missing from many drivers lives. This year, United Cab has decided not to have it. The reasons are not clear to me. Poor turn out by drivers, too much of a mess to clean up, save money. I also heard they did not want to offend Muslim drivers because there would be ham on the table. I can only  guess. Jean did tell me she would try to get me a dish of her outstanding eggplant Parmesan. Wow! That stuff is good. Anyway, I have good friends and we had our Christmas party last night, with a boat dock and campfire. Life moves on folks. I really will miss the party. Don't get me wrong, United Cab of Tampa has been very good to me over the years. That is one of the things I am actually grateful for this ho...

Yesterday was the shortest day of year. I like it. You can turn your. Christmas tree on early, light a campfire early, and later football is played in the dark. Next year the Bucs will have a new quarterback who we can watch under the lights.

Clay Matthews after beating the Bucs and sacking our QB all day long The Bucs continue their qwest to secure the number one picked on the NFL draft. Losing to Green Bay was a good thing. It means massive change is in order. Everyone knows we need a quarterback. Even the announcers of the game said that. Josh McCown sucks. I would draft Marcus Mariotta, no doubt. Lovely Smith will keep his job but he is clearly on the hot seat next year.

Sign post for the Florida Trail I had an opportunity to travel to the Green Swamp wilderness west track to do an overnight back country backpacking trip with our FaceBook group. This outing was organized by Nick who is new to Bigfoot and doing a great job.  I got there around one and headed down main grade road to find the cut for the Florida Trail which would headed north to the camp. I passed a bunch of campers at the equestrIan camp who must of thought I looked funny dragging a suitcase like I was looking for the Hilton.

The Cheese Heads will make Raymond James Stadium a home field for the Packers tomorrow. They will party hard tonight in all the night spots. Then, they will watch the Bucs get massacred. The only good thing is our sorry ads team will have the first pick in the draft...The Marcus Mariotta sweepstakes. Go pack!

Working on her sun tan on Clearwater Beach Come down to Clearwater Beach in the Tampa Bay area for some fun in the sun. While you are shoveling snow up north, you could be working on your tan - like these girls. Bring you golf clubs and your bathing suit. Clear blue skies and mid 70's await you. You just might mingle with these hot bikini babes. For sure if you go to Hogan's Beach Club. That is where all the hot people are hanging out.  Don't forget to ride in a legal taxi cab and not the illegal Uber or Lyft        

These cab drivers are fighting over a fare, I guess. The Yellow cab driver parked behind them must have seen this coming and turned on his cell phone video. Clive said it was because his most recent fare only went two blocks and he thought thee other guy would hold him out...WTF? If you get a short fare that is just the breaks man. Clive has been around a long time and knows this.

After getting back from the weekend camp trip, I am sorting through all the images of the wonderful time we had. I want to do a full essay and that will be up soon. I have put up five YouTube videos which you should watch. This photo is me looking for the Florida Trail cut off main grade road.

Zero visibility at the airport yesterday. Planes were delayed but we still moved a bunch through. The airport is a moneymaker and the last thing you want are cancellations. I just had to watch my speed. Multiple car pileup are often the result of figure.

The board is alive with calls The board is little up like a Christmas tree. The red means activity in zone. This is what drivers want to see.

Gas is coming down Foggy this morning at the gas station. I got here every morning for my coffee. World demand for oil is dropping and there could be no better Christmas present. People are still surprised to hear taxi drivers buy their own gas.

A view from Kennedy blvd A shot of downtown Tampa to test the quality of shots. It's amazing how far the technology has come.

Early on a Monday morning In 20 years I have never seen cabs stacked in holding at 8 in the morning. This is a sign of desperation. I bet it is true that the long haul Logistical care charges are being run in house. There could be no other reason. Perhaps Iberia and Lufthansa are killing us more then is commonly known and picking up at the airport.

Back at work going for a good day in the cab business. I'm still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles. My other phone was three years old and I needed a serious upgrade. I'm on the T-Mobile network now.

I am not working this weekend. I am tired of the 7 day a week grind that is normal for United Cab drivers. I went to a backcountry backpack site with, Nick, Rob, Kevin, and Teri. Its wonderful out here and the stars are unlike anything I have ever seen. Yes, campfire coffee on a cold morning is highbrow, even if its instant. More on the trip later posted from Bloggeroid

A business model of defiance and law breaking has underscored the flaw in Uber's thinking. They are dealing with humans. Their driver are dangerous and have not been screened by law enforcement.

The shine is fading on this fad. The bloom is off the rose as drivers and riders wise up to the Uber rip-off.

This morning I noticed a cloud cover over Tampa. That was strange considering there was a 0% chance of rain. I continued on taking my fate to her appointment on the east side. While I was waiting, I noticed people taking photos in the parking lot. I then noticed the bright color of a typical Winter Sunset. It only lasted for a few minutes. posted from Bloggeroid

If your willing to backpack 3 miles in the Green Swamp to reach this camp, the state of Florida has a surprise for you. This primitive campsite will be home for Nick and I and there is no semblance of civilization. Coyotes and black bear are out here. We will have to be on guatd. Nick is a survivalist former army guy and I need new video for my growing YouTube channel. That's a good combination. My blogs and media site are taking off. This is a very exciting time and I am having fun along the way. posted from Bloggeroid

These women are members of congress and are protesting Uber (I tried to warn you about Uber) Nidhi Shah said she complained to the web-based taxi service after the driver stared at her and smiled "creepily" during a November 26 journey in the Indian capital. "I took a cab with Shiv Kumar Yadav in Delhi on Nov 26th. Scares me beyond belief," Shah tweeted late Tuesday. "He was staring at me and smiling -- made me feel quite uncomfortable." Shah told the NDTV news channel she felt she should report the driver to the company. "I had a bad feeling about him," she said. US-based Uber has been banned from operating in Delhi after the passenger in her mid-20s accused Yadav, 32, of raping her when she fell asleep in his cab on Friday night. On Tuesday it emerged that Yadav, who is now in custody, was working for the company while on bail on multiple charges including assault, robbery and rape. Yadav was charged with molestation in 2003, ...

I was on the "Squatch Detective" radio show last night. Steve Kills is the host and the one that blew the lid on the 2008 Bigfoot in the freezer hoax. Steve wanted me in the show because my fame and reputation is spreading. I do more work then the FINDING BIGFOOT show in Animal Planet and I've found more evidence. I will put up the show on this blog when Steve releases the archives. posted from Bloggeroid

I have seen the commercials with Kate Upton. I still don't know if its a movie or a game. Damn. I don't know games but I know horses. They use this beautiful black horse to distract men like me. I never noticed the girl because of the horse. Its a beautiful horse undulating when it runs. posted from Bloggeroid

Thousands of subscribers and millions of views (told you) A real asshole left a comment saying I do not have a successful YouTube channel that is becoming my prime form of income. I have THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS and I have gained another 12 subscribers just over the weekend and growing everyday and you can see I do have MILLIONS OF VIEWS . YouTube places my channel in their top 1%. That is why they approached me for the AdSense campaign. Sorry if the truth hurts guy. Oh, I do pay for that cab in which I take it home and use it as a personal vehicle and I do pay the insurance. Its amazing how wrong someone could be on such a simple comment. Why all the hate? Do you have hate yourself? I love my fat ass.

While waiting for a fare this morning, I noticed the full moon. It was setting low and a fog was setting in. I mean, that's the perfect situation for a photographer. Only this time of year will you get the fig. This was shot with a cell phone with a minimum of filter. I understand the new DSLR cameras have built in editing software. My eight year old Nikon has none of that. Anyway, I kind of like this image.

I really hated that a herbal viagra website had the URL dot com for Tampa Taxi Shots. In the new media age it is all about brand identity. You must have a dot com. Since the most popular taxi movie of all time is "Taxi Driver." I have fired up my old blog that will now be " Tampa Taxi Driver. " With the dot com. I also have a micro blog " TampaTaxiDriver.info" that has multiple photos, quick post, and video links. Things are happening fast and you need to stay informed. Hence, information. posted from Bloggeroid

We are now on the new system where both United Cab and Yellow cab are on the same side of the airport. We are on the west quad and we will be for the next three years because of construction. It is a major project that will result in a larger and more efficient airport. In fact, the Marriott Hotel will be torn down and converted into a shopping mall. This project will allow more people to move easily through the airport. The economy is getting better and we are ready to rock and roll. posted from Bloggeroid

Marcus Mariota (future Buccaneers QB) will destroy Arizona tonight in the Pac-12 Championship. They need to so they can destroy Florida State. Oregon has more big play guys ever. Mariota is a generational guy that is the best ever. Do you want to have fun tonight? Watch the Pac-12 Championship tonight. Our dispatcher Mike is an alumni of Oregon and I have told him my sentiments about the great one Mariota. He is "The Flying Hawaiian." This post is before kickoff so you know I called it. Go Ducks!!! Go Bucs! posted from Bloggeroid

Kevin and I went to a walkthrough at a nature preserve. It was full of wildlife and we even found an abandoned hunting cabin from decades ago. That was there long before civilization found its way to north Hillsborough county. I'm glad we found the cabin because it began to rain like crazy. It rained for a good half hour before we could finish the hike. We then went as far as we could but much of the trails were flooded. You see I have boots on. When we got back to the cars, there was standing water for we were in the grass. I started the cab and buried it in the mud. You should have been there. You would have laughed your ass off. After waiting 2.5 hours for the tow, he winched me on to the parking lot and charged $100. I found out the charge should have been $45. I think the company will dispute this. I hope. posted from Bloggeroid