Tampa Taxi Shots

It was bound to happen. A car hit the trolley on the way to the cruise ship today before the Gasparilla parade. The cross ways are poorly marked, and someone from out of town would not be looking for it, or expect it. Believe me, I have come very close in the past. I always thought those things were a bad idea for nobody rides them, and the conductors come flying through intersections. I wonder who was at fault. We were busy today as the pirate festival kicks off the start of our tourist season. May, 5 will mark the end.You will see me with my Corona beer that day drowning my sorrows for the party is over. That's what really sucks about the seasonal nature of Florida. Today was not a normal Gasparilla day for me. I was working the Westshore area and got three ship runs in a row. They were very nice people from up north that were amazed and loving the beautiful weather we are having. They wondered what all the fuss was about and I explained the pirate heritage of Tamp...

José Gaspar, known by his nicknameGasparilla (supposedly lived c. 1756 – 1821), was a purported Spanish pirate, the "last of the Buccaneers," who is claimed to have raided the west coast ofFlorida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Though he is a popular figure in Florida folklore, no evidence of his existence appears in writing before the early 20th century. His legend is celebrated every year in Tampa with theGasparilla Pirate Festival. A statue of Jose Gaspar in south Tampa posted from Bloggeroid

Tampa Bay is known for its tropical beaches and sunshine Christine is a fitness,glamour,lingerie, and swimwear model. She was born in Clearwater, Florida but now resides in Ft. Myers, Florida. She was crowned Miss Hawaiian Tropic Tampa in 2006 and competed in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International finals in 2007. She is now in the 2008 Miss Hawaiian Tropic Calendar. Some of her print credits include Hooters magazine, Natural Muscle magazine, American Curves magazine, Maxim magazine and many others. In 2007, she was offered a developmental contract with the WWE but turned it down due to professional and personal commitments. She has also done a few infomercials that can be seen often involving Tony Little as well as Technopower. You can find out more about Christine at her own personal website at  http://www.idreamofchristine.com/  or at her myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/christinelemaster . Image Credit:  http://www.idreamofchristine.com  &  h...

My taxi friend, Tom Castros (pictured) is a taxi driver for United Cab - Tampa's finest cab company. He and I have driven by Oaklawn cemetery for years but never understood the history of it. It is Gothic in design and was created in 1850 for "slave and freeman." We were able to find the most famous grave in there. The grave of William & Nancy Ashley is a testimony to eternal love. Nancy was a slave and William was her master. They were in love and married. Because of this, they were both hanged. What is strange is the executioner was named Jackson. He is the one that put this tombstone on the grave. That's a little creepy. posted from Bloggeroid

The day Obama became President (notice the price of gas) It's about time! The photo above was taken at the Racetrack gas station the day Obama took office in 2009. The photo below that is at the same station today and its back to the same level. Gas is a major expense for taxi drivers. Nothing could be better news than to see gas continue to fall. Gas is lower today then six years ago Are you going to give the credit to Obama? Is it his economic and energy policies that have led to this fall? I would like to believe that but I can't. If it were not for Obama's green energy policies, gas may even be lower then it is today. He has tried to kill the coal industry. He won't allow off shore drilling. He has stopped the pipeline from being built. Thank God, the fracking guys have been able to create a new source of oil and lower the demand for middle east crude. This president (and his fans) for years wanted investigations into the oil companies because they t...

Well, searching for a good image. I had this concept of juxtaposing the modern skyline of downtown Tampa with the Gothic theme of Oaklawn cemetery. Sunday morning was calm with nobody around. I found my shot but could only notice the state of care for this historic place. They need to at least cut the grass. Everyone from slaves to a Florida governor are buried here. posted from Bloggeroid

This is a post from 2007: This was the view today form the new holding area at Tampa International Airport. What the authority has done is move us over to the quad areas. They believed that the cabs were the cause of the traffic tie ups in the terminal. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is because in Tampa Florida we now do 5 times the volume of traffic since the airport was built in the early 1970's. I guess they needed someone to blame all of this on. Anyway, I did not have to wait long today and caught about 4 rides in 2 hours. They did not go far, but tipped well and it was well worth my effort. With things getting cold up north I need to incorporate the airport more into my daily activities. I did take this guy about my age who had meet this chick on the internet and they were like video caming for the last year and he was now in town to get laid I guess. I wonder why he went to a high end hotel. Love modern style. posted from Bloggeroid

You would have to be a very long time driver to remember James Riley. I first met James twenty years ago. He was a United Cab driver who had a few crazy girlfriends if I remember. He disappeared for a few years. Then, he showed up on the old 23 stand one day in 2010. I took this photo. Then, he vanished again. Today, I got an email from him and he is living in los Angeles. That's about all it said. This is the entry I did in 2010. I was sitting on the Dale Mabry strip zone stand waiting for a call.  This little toyota came puling up, which is not unusual.  People often ask the cab driver for directions this time of year. The guy behind the wheel looked familier, perhaps he was someone I have picked up before.  As he got close, I could tell it was James Riley.  I had not seen this guy since 2002 when he left town after his girlfriend flipped out on him and left him holding the bag.  James "Irish" Riley. He said he had been living in New York but was kind of vague on ...

One of the things you can count on if you work late night is guys wanting a sure thing. It is getting late and they have not hooked up, so they are ready to be taken. In short, they get very, very stupid. I had a call at a Tavern about 2 AM and this guy from out of town wanted to get laid in the worse way. At this point, he was ready to pay for it. If you want to pay for sex in Tampa, you have come to the right town. This area is loaded with everything from strip clubs modeled after petting zoos, old fashion bordellos, all the way to cheap peep shows. What ever you want.  He was counting on me to show him where the action was at. That is one thing taxi drivers are good for, finding where all the vice is at for the clients we are hoping will actually give us a tip for accommodating their illegal activities. We can be a live version of NightMoves magazine published in the Tampa Bay area that detail where all those kind of places are at. I have had fares not really want to go to a ...

The Occupy movement was right about Wall Street Corporate greed. The advent of Uber shows they don't care about jobs (they are destroying them) they only care about investors. Uber drivers would be better off working at McDonald's where they would receive benefits. Fuck Uber!

Its just an app folks In an attempt to make nice with Europe after getting kicked out of Germany, Travis Kalanick stated that Uber creates jobs. In fact, he said it could create 50,000 jobs if transportation authorities would only change their regulations to allow Uber to operate. He said Uber will increase efficiency and reduce emissions. They would be able to do all these wonderful things if European cities would STOP making Uber play by the rules that all forms of transportation much follow. He must think his "app" company is not a taxi company which most municipals are figuring out. Stop this madness. First, I am having a hard time figuring out what Travis means by a job. His claim is they have created 7,500 jobs in San Francisco alone. Those are mostly part time punks that don't want to work at Starbucks or Wall Mart. Kalanick fails to mention the erosion of FULL TIME jobs from hard working men that he is destroying as the vanguard of his Borg like empire r...

A few years ago I had the opportunity to attend a glamour photo shoot in Arizona called The Arizona Shootout. It took place in a very scenic canyon area north of Phoenix, with heroic surroundings. It allowed me to improve my "book" and I am looking forward to possibly attending again in the spring this year. This is me in action next to a large cactus. Critics of mine say this makes me a pervert. I also shoot landscapes and wildlife. posted from Bloggeroid

Adnan Nafasat of Chicago was charged with Kidnapping, unlawful restraint, and sexual assault while driving for Uber X For the second time in three weeks, an Uber driver in Chicago has been charged with sexual assault. Adnan Nafasat was charged with sexual assault, kidnapping, and unlawful restraint. He was held in Cook County jail on $150,000 bail. According to the arrest report, he was driving for Uber X when t he assault accrued. From the Chicago Tribune : "On the early morning of July 31, the 21-year-old victim contacted Uber and asked to be picked up in the 700 block of West Cornelia Avenue in the Lakeview East neighborhood, according to state's attorney spokesman Steve Campbell. As the victim was about to enter Nafasat's car, he was told to sit in the front seat because the driver said the rear seats were dirty and broken, according to prosecutors. After the victim gave the driver his destination, Nafasat reached over and grabbed the man's thigh and tri...

I see this all day long. Before I get the cab in gear, people are on their smartphone. Its sad. When I look in the rearview mirror five seconds after they get in my cab, they are looking down. That's what gets me about Uber. People claim they have these engaging conversations with the Uber driver. The driver is their friend. They claim they talk about British military history, the economic impact of the second Punic War on western civilization. The Uber ride is peppered with discussions about Plato and his allegorical theory about epistemology, and its current impact on competitive hypothesis theory. Oh yea! Taxi riders are on their smart phones within seconds! The driver is INVISIBLE to them. They don't talk to the driver. There was a time when people actually did have conversation. And you did not need Uber for that to happen. The smartphone look down is rude as shit. Are you people fucking addicted? Do you need to go to Betty Ford and get your addiction under control?...

On the waiting deck at Tampa International Airport for taxi cabs The one on the left is Sam from Iran. It was once said his hair never turns grey. Recently, some grey hair is seeping in. The guy in the middle is Mel from Haiti. A really nice guy with a cool sense of humor. He is always laughing and cracking jokes. I'll try to get a better shot from the front so you can see their faces next time. This was just a grab shot. The airport has been good lately despite Uber's attempts to illegally work it.

I had a wonderful time at Lettuce Lake Park. It is on a wild flood plane of the Hillsborough River. Today it was overflowing and the river had crested which is the best situation. The water runs under the boardwalk and the wading birds are closer, making for photographing opportunities. I went to the observation tower and saw an amazing amount of birds. Rosette Spoonbills and sandhill cranes were spotted. Ibid and white egrets dotted the swamp. They are always pecking and scratching for food. The birds of flight could be heard in the distance squawking away. My regret was I did not have a long lense, so I was limited to landscape images. There is next time. Me on the tower. The cypress trees in the swamp. posted from Bloggeroid

To help understand the shoe thrower at Bush and that behavior, look at these Images that show the intent of Islam to destroy my country and the western world. There is no place for Islam in the modern world...this confrontation has been in the works for several hundred years. These Pictures tell it all! Muslims have stated that England will be the first country they take over! DESTROY THEM FIRST! These are pictures not shown on American TV or in American Newspapers (as they might help Bush's war on terror), but were forwarded to me by a Canadian photographer friend who thought Americans ought to know! These pictures are of Muslims marching through the streets of London during their recent "Religion of Peace Demonstration." Why would anyone think that we should be at war! with such nice, peaceful Muslims ?! Americans need to Know - You need to forward this one to everyone in your address book! They are really not bad people...They only want to circumcise women, eliminat...

Uber driver trolling illegally Uber sent an email to its drivers giving them tips on how to make picking up at Tampa Airport more efficient and enjoyable for its customers. The email was BS. It was directions on how to not get caught by the HCPTC and be subject to arrest . It this the kind of business people want to associate with? A business that is a total outlaw?  "While we continue our discussions with authorities on ways to develop a long-term solution," the email said, "here are a few things you can do to meake the pickup and drop off experience more enjoyable for both you and the rider. Keep your Uber phone off the windshield - put it down in your cupholder Ask the rider if they will sit up front Use the lanes farthest from the terminal curbside for pickup and drop off Call your rider to ensure an efficient and easy pickup "Remember, if you receive a ticket while picking up or dropping off Uber riders at the airport, Uber will reimburse y...

After my workout today, I walked to ballets point pier for cardio and to take photos. I took some scenic images with a cell phone because you get an awesome view of the bay  I saw a guy with an expensive video camera filming B roll for the show "This Old House." I was not impressed To get good long shots a foreground object is helpful, especially if it is consistent with the theme. The bird on the rocks worked. He did seem to be using any technique To shoot the pier, with birds, add to the skyline shot. The guy above should have followed what I did and not been so far out on the rocks. Why do I still drivers a taxi? This is a framing device. The other camera guy is in the wrong spot. I need a new gig. posted from Bloggeroid

Not that we are using any gas. The post holidays blues have kicked in and were dead. I'm sure mid month it will pick up. I hope gas drops another dollar for that will have a magnificent affect on the economy. BIG RUMOR: I heard the HCPTC is going to lower the meter rates to $2.10 a mile to be more competitive with Uber. Perhaps a good move? Will the taxi companies lower our leases? posted from Bloggeroid

One of the things Uber and Lyft drivers don't do is get their cars inspected by the authorities. They are outlaws, so they follow no laws. Taxi cabs in Tampa must be inspected each year. I passed. I keep a super clean cab so Joe did not have to do much to it. He did use the blower which is better for vacuuming between seats. Drivers that put this off will find a long line by next month. I was one of the first, and got right in. posted from Bloggeroid

We have cruise ships on the weekends that are a huge boost to the business. Only medallion vehicles can pick up. There is no way Uber drivers can get in there. I am confident that this last vestige of protection will not be crashed. I, also, don't think fares will want to inconvenience themselves by schlepping their bags several blocks passed hundreds of vehicles for hire just to meet Uber guy. That makes no sense. I think we are safe on this one. posted from Bloggeroid

There is a bottle club called GLO. Its a real shit hole. The people that come here are young and Hip-Hop. Do I need to explain? It is an after hours club which means when the bars close, they move it over here to keep getting liqured up. The main problem is when we get a call here, we rarely pick up. They won't cone out or they are already gone. If you do pick up, they run on you. Shootings in the parking lot are common. In that culture "busten a cap" is considered honorable. Notice its daylight when I took this picture. The sun has rizz and they are still drinking booze. Nothing but trouble. posted from Bloggeroid

My new blog about Vegas taxi There is a rule of the jungle "adapt or perish." I try to live by that in how I approach taxi driving. Dynamics change and you must be attuned to that and work in different ways. Uber presents something, however, that I can't adjust to. They have taken just too much from us. I don't know if I want to continue living in Tampa now. In the service industry, you can only make real money four months out of the year. The good news is today is the beginning of that four month run. The airport will be my only hope. I don't have it in me to keep going on after that, especially in the face of Uber. They have devastated the good street business we have had. This is a secret I did not want to revel to my readers. I will now. Its over. White people who do not want blacks to pick them up, have won. Uber riders can now get their Lilly white guy or girl to pick them up. Have fun. Uber will take that cease and desist letter from PTC and wipe their ...

Most 19 year old college freshman spend their summer's chasing girls, Allen spent it being chased. He won the NCAA 110 hurdles in a staggering 13.16. It was the fastest collegiate time since Renaldo Nehemiah set the NCAA record of 13.0 in 1979 while running for Maryland. He also won the 440 hurdles and joined the Oregon Ducks football team, and became a standout wide receivers. Marcus Mariota will target him tonight against Florida State. Why not? At 19 he is one of the fastest runners in the world. He even hurdles over other players. This cat can scat. Who said white man can't run! posted from Bloggeroid

I always take a selfie with the Tampa skyline behind me before sunrise. The major goal of the year is the elimination of Uber from Tampa. I believe that can be done for the state of Florida. The only roadblock would be politicians who have been bribed with Uber's BILLIONS!

If New Years Eve 2016, gas prices are lower than they are now, that will be a wonderful year. The positive effect on the United States economy will be fantastic and the economy will have finally recovered. Dispirited about Uber but still think I can get out of the poor house.