Work was fine as it should be on Friday night, I had good luck tonight and was able to get few extra bucks in tips than what I usually get in tips, there were few fares who paid 100% tips, but later on that night I went in guilt mode. Around 10:00 P.M., I dropped one fare in Park slope, Brooklyn, On my way back while I was stopped at red light off the Manhattan Bridge, I spotted one fare on north bound Crystie street, this is the spot, where no other cab would come. On green light I drove to the lady, who was may be in her 60's. She had some luggage across the street and wanted me to make u-turn and pick up the luggage and drop her off to the Fung Wah bus stop, which is only one block away from there. I told her I can't make a U-turn, "I can wait here until you bring your luggage to this side of the street, or hale another cab on other side of the street." I told her.
"No empty cab is coming to other side of the street" she said, "and luggage is heavy for me" she completed her sentence. I was not ready to take a chance as that is hot spot for the police, I apologized to her and kept on my way north, later on I felt guilty of not doing that for her, I should have taken the chance.
Around 11:15 I got another fare going to little west 12th street, in Meat Packing District, I took 9th street to cross the town, turned on Greenwich street from Christopher street.Most cab drivers know Greenwich street and Washington Street in meat packing district can really turn into nightmare with excessive Stop signs if they fail to pay attention, which by the way act as taxi traps for cab drivers.
As as stopped at stop sign on Bethune street, I started talking to the passenger if she wanted to go around Washington street and come back on little west 12th street or she wanted to get off on 9th avenue, upon crossing the Bethune street I noticed police car rushing from Bethune street onto Greenwich street behind me,with flashers on, my first thought was " he might be looking for way", I moved to right side of the street, police car came behind me, which assured me I got pulled over.
"Your license and rate card" officer told me as he approached my car, I gave him my license and rate card and asked "what did I do wrong, Officer?"
"you were on the phone and did not stop properly" he answered me.
"I was talking to the passenger officer and I did stop there more than 30 seconds while talking to the passenger" I told him.
Then he said, yeah you were stopped but when you came into motion there was one pedestrian on cross walk which you ignored.
End of the story, he took my license came back after one minute and did not issued any tickets, good enough.
So yeah my night went great, Thank God.
Labels: meat packing district, NYC, NYPD, Taxi Tales, Ticket, Tiger Woods



