Josh Johnson Is Dynamic For The Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost set the NFL record for going without a first down in a football game. They were going nowhere against the New York Giants today in Raymond James Stadium, until Josh Johnson came in. In the the 4th quarter Ray Morris put in Josh Johnson from San Diego State to play quarterback, and it was clear that he added a dynamic that has been missing from the Tampa bay Bucs since Steve Young was here. I believe they should start him next week and forget about Josh Freeman until they really need to play him.

HCPTC Charges Illegal Fees To Taxi Drivers

This is a ticket for $30 written by Joe Halberstran (sic) of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. It was for having a shirt on without a collar. Can you Believe that! With all the services I provide this community and the aid and help I give to tourist, the only thing this prick is interested in is a shirt collar. What a cocksucker.
I have received E-mails from people who say that HCPTC has no legal authority to write dress code tickets. Hence, they are acting illegal

The NIght Taxi In Tampa

I begin my taxi shift very early on any given morning. I love the early hours and how the city looks and feels at this time. I want to continue doing this, but I don't know how much longer I can go on. The recession has been very bad and I can't pay my bills. I am behind in every area, including my responsibility to my company. They are thinking of letting me go.

In the cab business, you pay a lease. I have fallen behind on that. I am not to bad, a little over $100. Considering that I am 53 and have been doing this since my '30's, it means nothing to them.

I had to have the head of Drivers Relations, Amy, go to bat for me. She convinced the owners to not "fire" me. I have another day to try and reprieve myself. I wonder if it is really worth it.

I make no money. I could do better panhandling or flying a sign on a street corner. I don't know. I am really at a crossroads and trying not to think of myself as just another victim of the economy.

The irony of all of this, is that things are about to get better. I have managed to hand in there for three years and I am only just a little behind. 2010 should be the turnaround. That is what I have been waiting for.

I may not get the chance. That would be tragic.

I won't go postal..I will just go quietly into the night.

Tony The Italian Has Passed...Cab #440

Tony Cartarapoli has passed away. A new comment from “Sawbriars” was received on the post “Tony The Italian Has Died” of the blog “Tampa Taxi Shots”. Sawbriars is currently driving cab in Las Vegas and used to driver taxi in Tampa Florida and knew Tony well.


"I worked the bird with Tony...I saw him just about every day for the 3 or 4 years I drove a United Cab in Tampa. I always considered him a friend. He was a very likeable fellow...had a great gift of gab. I remember once complaining to him about some of the assholes that got into my cab and thought they were tooooo good to converse--he replied "everybody that gets into my cab talks"...he made them talk--one way or the other. Tony was a 'classic' Cabbie--he would have made a great N.Y. or Vegas Cabbie--he almost came to Vegas once but backed out for some reason. Regarding his outlook on life...I think he was a realist. I do think he enjoyed life-- to some extent anyway. I have always prefered people who had a 'sour' outlook on life...I think there is more truth in them. ...he did go to prison because he refused to pay his wife child support-or was it alimony? I forget now but I think it was child support. This no doubt contributed much to his negativism regarding 'life'--but in truth that is the way life is--who really gets a fair deal? Not many and especially not cabbies. He was very tight with Anthony the 'loan shark' at the port--always in hock to him. I think Anthony helped Tony a lot...it was a sort of love-hate relationship but they were very funny and always entertaining to watch how they interacted and kidded each other. Tony sort of held 'court' at the airport...a flock
of his admirers would always gather round--- as he sat on one of the picnic tables there expounding on life or whatever. Also it was amusing how he interacted with the negroes at the port...he would not hesitate to call them a 'nigger' to their face if they did something stupid..though I do not think he was anymore a racist than anyone else...one of his best friends was a negro driver--i forget his name now. In a nutshell Tony was someone that will be long remembered by those who knew him--a true character that deserved much better than he got..especially from Nancy. "

Poor People Will Go To Jail Under Obama Health Care Plan

I saw the interview on ABC between Obama and George. I think the President is making a hugh oversight. He is forgetting why there are 48 million people without health insurance. These people will never be able to comply to the regulations that Obama will be handing down. They will punished for simply being poor.

The President was trying to state that $2,200 a year for health insurance was a good thing for the American public. That may be true for the middle class and the nuclear family, it is not for the people that fall between the cracks.

The uninsured are POOR Mr. Obama. They are PAUPERS (these two more words you can consult the dictionary on) People of meager means will never come up with he money that will extort from them. They thought you were on their side.

People who do not have the money will be fined $3,800 and then be subject to having wages garnished and possible jail time.


Can you imagine that, poor black people being sent to the camps because of the first African-American President. Wow, and I may live long enough to see that.

Switching To Shift Work

In the 14 years that I have been driving a cab for United cab of Tampa, I have always been a 24 hour driver. I am now switching to a 12 hour shift driver. The reasons are easy to explain.

When you are a 24 hour or weekly driver, you are essentially married to the cab. Every day you awaken, you are on the hook for the lease. I am very tired of that. What happens is that years go by and you realize that have never taken a day off. Your life is slipping by.

Not for me.

My going shift, I can work when I want. I can make my own schedule, and I am not married to the cab. When I drop my stand dues at the end of the day, I am not commit ed to another day in the taxi. If they never see me again...oh well.

Since my 50th birthday has come and gone, I realize now that there are things I am infinitely more interested in doing then spending everyday of my life driving this taxi to make other people rich while I suffer.

I will be better off mentally and spiritually for this move.

The HCPTC is a corrupt organization and has Barnie Fife working for them.

Kevin White Needs To Go...Sooner Rather Than Later

The next episode in County Commissioner Kevin White's sexual harassment case could play out on a public stage.

A majority of county commissioners said Monday they want an open discussion on how to limit taxpayers' liability in the wake of a jury verdict that White sexually harassed his former aide, Alyssa Ogden. County Attorney Renee Lee had planned to hold the discussion in private during Wednesday's regularly scheduled commission meeting.

What about the cab drivers liablity from the laws he has enacted that punish Tampa Cab drivers who do not wear a collared shirt and have to pay a $30 fine. That money, we now know, goes into the HCPTC slush fund in which Kevin White took out over $400,000 dollars and then said there should be an investigation to find out where that money went. We know where it went. It went into his sexual get some young ass fund. I for one, as a Tampa Cab driver HACK #303362 am tired of this harrasment.

The decision to open the meeting came on the same day commissioners learned attorney fees related to White's trial could soar higher. Lee informed commissioners Monday afternoon of an opinion from the Florida Bar Association that the county attorney cannot appeal any issues related to the case in order to reduce its financial responsibility and cannot negotiate with Ogden's attorneys over their fees.

That means the county's outside legal bill for the case, already at $170,000, will probably balloon. The county is also potentially liable for $216,000 that Ogden's attorney has asked for in legal fees and court costs, and $75,000 in damages the jury awarded Ogden.

"It just keeps bleeding," Commissioner Jim Norman said, referring to the county's liability. Norman said he will only vote to hold the White discussion openly if Lee can assure him statements made publicly will not hurt the county's chances in future appeals or lawsuits.

Rose Ferlita was the first commissioner to demand that Wednesday's discussion be held in public. Lee had proposed a closed meeting in a Friday memo to commissioners. She cited the state statute that allows legal discussions to be exempt from the Sunshine law