Hillsborough County trying to shut down website

Hillsborough county is spending $60,000 to shut down a website run by David Thompson.  His website is WWW.mytampaairport.org and TIA objects to any URL that has key words such as "Tampa" and "airport." They are wrong.

This country is run like the Gestapo.  We already saw the last head of HCPTC convicted of bribery. He was also shown to have accepted an unorthodox mortgage in exchange for giving permits to a poacher Michael Moses and Nancy Castellano to start a taxi company.

I don't like poachers but I believe in freedom of speech. Sombody in this hick county needs to read the constitution.

Rainy day

The first tropical storm of the season, Beryl, is dropping lots of rain all over Florida. This is a good thing because we are in drought conditions. There have even been wildfires.

They say when it rains the taxi business gets busy. I do know our side of the airport today has been very busy.

Big Mike called and said he was having trouble adding a comment. I don't know what to do for its on the the most liberal setting for allowing comments. I wonder if any Republicans attending the convention in Tampa will leave a comment.

When you are in town for the convention, stay away from the poachers. Most of them are Democrats.

Poachers at Tampa airport

Just another van unloading at Tampa international airport. I swear, this town has more transportation then Chicago. Most of these vans are being operated by drivers that were fired by United cab but they still want to drive for a living. So, they start these operations poaching our business. Most of these guys are bums that would be doing day labor if they weren't so lazy too work.
I wish the HCPTC would stop granting permits while cab drivers starve

Michael Mosses does face plant at Rays game

Mike mosses of Bay & Beach taxi of Tampa Bay dove for a ground ball during a Boston redsox game. He said he was trying to protect Nancy Castellano (his girlfriend) you be the judge.

A video at a nudist camp

I shot this video a fews years ago at Paradise Lakes nudist camp. This is the tame version

Clearwater Beach on Memorial Day weekend

I benefited from tourist who were going to Clearwater Beach for a nice weekend. Cab drivers dream about these type of runs. They are necessary to help cover our high expenses. Lease and gas are at all time highs and the economy is at an all time low.
They where going to sand key and I pointed out Sheppards Beach club because they were young guys and was were the bikini contest is at.
I picked them up at the airport. Rides like this are rare on the streets ($5 laundry runs) . I wonder if any delegates from the Republican National Convention will stay on the beach or will they use the scab transportation companies that are poaching our business.

Taxi Cab Comedy

A former dispatcher from United Cab of Tampa Robert Bash has been trying to break into comedy for the last couple of years. Bash is from Pakistan (not really known for belly laugh humor) and goofs on his own culture and what it was like to be a cab driver in Tampa Florida. He used to have a routine with another driver, who went by the name "Mighty Whitey."

Good luck to anyone trying to better themselves and get out of a very depressed part of the country and try to make a real living.

Pasco county nude tourism capital of America

Pasco county nude resorts draw many tourist from around the world. The climate is mild in the winter and people can walk around naked all year round.

Years ago I made money providing unique content for websites but the tanking economic situation knocked me out of the game.

Anyway. This was a shoot I did recently at Paradise Lakes resort in Pasco county. Nude resorts are a great place for this type of photography because everyone else is naked too.

First good day I've had in four years

With two out of town trips, and one to Lakeland, I had the best day in four years driving a taxi
We just need the economy to continue to recover. I need to get my life back together. I have so much I need to do and I have been on the mat because of this recession. I can't wait until it gets the hell out of here.

A driver got sick at the airport

I was rolling onto the deck after being called up from holding and I saw police and an ambulance loading one of our drivers. I was told he was a diabetic and was going into shock.

Between Obamacare and the United Cab insurance plan, I am sure he will be alright. People don't know but taxi drivers get no insurance. That is just wrong. That is why only Africans want to do this anymore.

Stand your ground law in Florida no help for a black women

Marrisa Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in Florida prison form firing a warning shot at her abusive husband. She claimed she was standing her ground.

It seems she had been abused for years by her husband and was trying to get him to back off.

George Zimmerman shot a kid and, will use stand your ground as a defense. Casey Anthony killed her kid, and walks free. One of the first things you learn in life is there is no justice.

What did her in was Florida's "10-20-life." 10 years mandatory for the commission of a felony while using a gun. 20 years if someone is hurt. Life, if someone is killed.
http://bossip.com/584732/floridas-stand-your-ground-law-no-help-for-black-woman-sentenced-to-20-years-jail-for-firing-warning-shot-on-abusive-husband/

Obama fares badly in West Virginia primary

MSNBC won't tell you this but Obama had an opponent in Tuesday's West Virginia primary. A prison inmate got 41% of the vote.

Obama has tried to crush the coal industry and is paying a political price for it. They won't be able to blame this on George Bush.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/after-wv-primary-obama-site-adds-support-clean-coal_644369.html

Save the Friendship Trail Bridge

This is an image of the Gandy Bridge taken 1956 (They say nobody is from Florida). The Gandy Bridge was completed in 1924 to connect Tampa with St Petersburg.
In the last decade it was open for recreational activity such as jogging and biking. It was closed when engineers claimed it was unsafe. They claim it is going to collapse. I don't believe that.
Saturday afternoon there will be a picnic on the Tampa side of the bridge to raise funds to save it.
Hillsborough country is allowing a period of time for supporters to raise enough money to make the needed repairs. I wish them luck.

Tony Dungy and a lost blog

I have had a popular blog Tampa Taxi Shots since 2005. That may be coming to an end.
I have thr service througj Typepad and keep billing me every month and I just can't afford it. Blogger is free and it is owned by Google. So why should I run up a $300 bill that I cannot pay.
I have been taking down many of the photos that I want. The photo of Tony Dungy taken at the university of Tampa during his last training camp as coach of the buccaneers means a lot to me. This was taken with film.