Today, I had a nice conversation with a British anthropologist. We mostly talked about how odd it is that more people in England aren't religious at all and churches are weird places for old people, and yet in America religion has thrived and some ridiculous percentage of people, even higher than in Revolutionary times, believe in God. We also ( Read more... )

Today, I taxied a middle-aged mom. She hopped into my cab and told me that she needed to run some errands while her daughter was getting registered for university. She aid she'd walk but it is just too hot and she's got some multi-syllabic foot problem and no thank you, I'll just take a taxi. She was from Los Angeles. She wanted to stop by the ( Read more... )

Saturday was the Homecoming game between the Badgers and Minnesota Gophers. This is pretty typical of a game-day in the autumn.

( Forty Pictures )

There was a Teabagger rally at the capital yesterday, which was, uh, interesting.  I wonder who pays for their buses.  A lot of buses.  Since I drove one of the bus drivers & her husband and daughter in my taxi, I should have asked.  But I was polite and kept my mouth shut about how completely misinformed they are, nor did I bring to attention ( Read more... )

I was driving taxi on Thursday and I got a call for a round trip from an apartment to a porn shop and back.  This particular porn shop also carries drug paraphernalia so I figure this is a porn run (but who needs to go buy porn when it's free on the internet?) or guy broke his pipe or bong and needs a new one, quick!

I needn't wonder long - the ( Read more... )

I made a voicepost about my last passengers yesterday.

Yesterday I was picking up a passenger at one of Madison's "massage parlors" (winkwinknudgenudgesaynomoresaynomore) and while I was waiting, a guy came out and when he looked up and saw me sitting there... he looked so embarrassed.  He averted his eyes and quickly hobbled off toward his car.  Hobbled?  Why was he hobbling?  He looked like your ( Read more... )

Today, dispatch got a call for sixteen sorority girls going out to the IHOP.  That's the International House of Pancakes for those of you who are foreigners or live under rocks ( Read more... )

Today, my taxi directed me to a clinic on the far south side.  There, I picked up a girl in her late teens and a young boy in his upper threes, maybe as old as four.  I couldn't tell if she was just a young mother or maybe the boy's sister.  They never said anything to give away their familial status ( Read more... )

Two days in a row I drove a blind man to the doctor.  The first was on Sunday.  He got in the taxi and asked for a cigarette.  I don't smoke so I didn't have one and told him so.  He was quiet as we drove to the urgent care.  "I think I have to get my tonsils out," he said.  We arrived at the office.  The sign in the window said they opened in a ( Read more... )