Tampa Taxi Shots

Uber killed the taxi business in Tampa today. The Pirate Festival today is traditionally considered the busiest day of the year for taxi drivers. Today, it was like a slow Tuesday. When I say they did not take half the business or most of the business, I would be miss speaking. They took it all. Based on what happened today street level taxi driving in Tampa is now over. That is not an exaggeration. It is a reality. If not for the medical charges that I run Monday through Friday, and the right to work the airport, there would be no business left. Yes you would have the poor sections of town in the minority communities that over does not work but that would not be enough to even pay the lease. This gig is over. The handwriting is on the wall. That is why I am glad to be transitioning into other opportunities. There is no way this business can sustain itself at this point.

Robert Reich is an economist who worked in Bill Clinton's cabinet. His problem with Uber and the "shared economy" is no sharing is going on. The worker absorbs all cost and risk, for less than minimum wage.

There's this taxi driver that thinks he's being slick. He got lucky one night and stumbled upon my private order. He now thinks that he can stake a claim to something that I have history with touching upon 3 years. He did beat me last night by rejecting cash calls that were hitting the board. What does dumb ass did not know if some of these calls were good ones. You can see the photo of here taken at the Safety Harbor spa. I'll take cash call out there any time of the year. What this guy fails to understand is that there is no way I will relinquish this call. The earth will stop revolving on its axis before I give this up.

Go to your Uber app and there are no drivers working right now Uber drivers in Tampa are at Gaslight Park protesting the "de-surge" in rates, now down to 65¢ a mile. It is impossible to run a profitable ride share business at that rate and that is why they are pissed. Currently, all Uber drivers have either shown up for the protest, or gave gone "offline." Good for them. They have achieved solidarity (crucial in labor disputes). I have recently developed a new found appreciation for them and any one trying to make a living picking up the public. It is not easy and they have my support. Why not. The politicians won't support us.

I will get a direct deposit from Google next week of $485 which is the largest one yet. Each month it is getting bigger and I now consider it a business. Just think, if I can grow it for times over, it will be over $2,000. That ain't chicken feed. I did this on my own. Many would have said give up. You got no chance. I really feel I am on to something big. When I set up my office with computer in my new place, I will be turning out some great content.

Uber is screwing their Tampa drivers up the ass. They have lowered their rates 30% to 65 measly cents a mile. Drivers now get 20 bucks from downtown Tampa to St Petersburg... Big deal. Minus gas, time, insurance, maintenance, wear and tear, federal income tax, social security, workman's compensation, and you have what's left in your baby's diaper. In a word: Uber drivers are desperate. This is what one Tampa Uber driver said on the boards: "Uber is a thermometer of what this country has become. We are scavangers.... Everbody is doing this UBER CRAP because there is only one reality, THERE IS NO JOB or just FEW JOBS out there. This country can measure the desperation of its people with UBER, like the economist who measure the economics of the world by the McDonald's Big Mac, same concept"

I was approved for a condo in Clearwater. It is located near the Long Center which has an indoor Long Course pool, weight room, basketball courts, athletic center, and so forth. I joined and worked out today. It was awesome. My friend Elena is going to help me decorate after I close on the deal and move in. I am staying in a rental near by and can't wait to move in and begin a new chapter in my life. Figure it out. Moving out of county is the first step in moving on.

I really hate it when someone just opens up the door and gets in the front seat. How rude. I keep the door locked for security reasons. I you are up front and I have to hit the brakes, I may have to stick my arm out chest level to stop your fall. I would hate doing that.

Lovie Smith was fired last night. It came as a surprise to many. Watch video below for my thoughts on this. Its a new day in Tampa Bay. Depending on your mobile browser the thumbnail may not show. Click video and it will play. Posted via Blogaway

This is just a test of a new app. It is supposed to perform direct video upload. It also allows easy photo loads and sections. Such as Love Smith was fired last night.

57° in Tampa and notice the lifeguard wearing sweatshirt. My workouts carry on. I started on April 21, 2015. After nine months, this has now become part of my lifestyle. Mist people make stupid New Years resolutions, and give them up after a week. Exercise has to become what you do.

TAXI CONFIDENTIAL:  A CASE OF MURDER... I got a call at home Saturday afternoon from channel one dispatch saying the Tampa Police were looking for me. He said I needed to drive back to Tampa (30 mins) and meet officers at the corners if Florida/Fowler. This involved the final fare of the day. I was hoping I was done with that Jack Wagon. I told dispatch to tell the cops to pack sand. I was ready to watch football and leave me alone. A few minutes later, my phone rang, it was the cops. He said if I did not come to them, they would come to me. Something REALLY BIG was going down and I was a material witness. I could tell it was urgent so I put my shoes on and headed for Tampa. Earlier, I had picked up this middle aged black couple at the Boston grill. Their SUV had run out of gas and they needed to get to St Petersburg. I did find it strange they did not want to go to a gas station but people have their reason. I noticed the car had South Carolina plates. He said it was a renta...

A business talk show said gas may go down to $1 a gallon this year. That would be a tremendous help to the economy and the general well being of the nation. Cab drivers must buy their own gas and for years we were taking it the shorts from many directions. A Hugh cluster fuck combined with the great recession, did us in.