Palmer

Every so often I'll get a ride to Palmer which connects to Wasilla now that the valley has grown so much.

Its a farm town with its own
"Major League Baseball" field.

Good Laugh

As I snapped this picture a gust of wind blew my hair in my face.

Windys in Town

Picture taken out of my cracked windshield.

Cab Calling

Got me a smart phone yesterday. Got an iPhone for 49 bucks but with all the gadgets I needed (cover, bluetooth and car charger) with it the total was $177. The protective cover cost more than the phone.

I have to make sure I grab a cab that the lighter works!

Good Cabbie Coffee

I usually get McDonalds coffee, its hot and cheap. A medium coffee with 3 creams is a $1.62 including tax in Wasilla. $1.60 in Anchorage. Every once in a while I splurge on an espresso. A 2 shot Americano with half and half is my order,

Big Lake Ice Road

Take a drive on the lake that is the start of the IRON DOG snowmachine race Sunday.

A Day at the Office

The Glenn Hwy between North and South Birchwood exits. Winter driving advisory today!

Tundra Cat

It would be cool if this was my cab!

Moose Lights

Too bad moose are not lit up at night like this when they are crossing the road.

Stepping Out

Cabbies are always in contact with each other via radio. We take turns dispatching, usually 2 hrs each depending on how many drivers are rolling. When not in the office you let the dispatcher know you are stepping out and when you are back in. You broadcast when you pick up, where you are going and when you are clear. We all help each other out with directions if needed. When we get backed up and say so on the radio other cab companies monitor our frequency and send their drivers out to our pickups that are waiting more than 15-20 minutes. Thats the business.

I can see for miles

Long day for the FishTaxi today. Went in an hour early for a pickup in Wasilla to the Anchorage airport at 5:30am. Thats a flat rate of $65. Nice to start the day almost paying the lease. After we get to the airport the ride asked for a military discount so I knew there would be no tip. Oh well, I was off and running. Almost burned through a tank of gas and covered ground from Settlers Bay (pictured above) to the Butte out past Palmer. Wanted to get off early so I could go swimming in the Wasilla pool but that didn't happen. Not when money was being made. Don't want to miss out on that. But I don't want be a fat cab driver either sitting on my ass all day and eating ice cream every night. I want to swim so I can eat ice cream.

Dumb Ass

At shift change tonight I'd gassed up and was heading back to the yard with my ears on listening to the night shift first dispatcher. I had just snagged an early morning Anchorage run that nobody wanted when a call came in.

Dispatcher: Alaska Cab

Caller: One of your drivers in Car #31 is tailgaiting me.

Car #31: hey dumb ass! Your going 25 in a 45 mile an hr zone!

Caller: wow.

(hang up)

The caller guy expected to tell on the cabbie...not get immediately yelled at.

Beautiful sunset tonight.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel

One of the cool things about driving a cab is helping old people with their groceries. One 89 year old lady who drove up the Alcan in 1952 painted these beautiful oils. The cat below is the cat that rode up with her in the back seat of her chevy coup. She invited me in to see the cat hanging on her wall. I asked her what the cats name was and she couldn't remember so just called him cat.

Day Tripper

Driving day shift I get to the yard in time to check the fluids and warm up my cab to be rolling by 6am. It starts getting light out about 8:30 and this is the sun setting at 5:30. Soon it will be daylight my whole shift.

Fish Shack

This is a small tourist information place thats closed down for the winter. It sits in the Chevron parking lot on the corner of the Parks Hwy and Webb Street. Chevron is where all the taxi cabs pump their gas. Today's gas price is $3.50 a gallon. We lease the cab for $70.00 a day and always leave a clean cab (inside and out) for the next 12 hr shift. We drive Crown Vics with studs all around in the winter. They handle great and are fun to drive. After driving them all day I get in my Toyota van and feel like I'm driving a bus.

Fiddler Crab

New look for the FishTaxi Blog. Things have changed once again for me. Moved to the valley 3 weeks ago when I got a job for the good local cab company. Staying with a friend in Big Lake and the picture is of the Fiddler Crab in her community fish tank.

Stay tuned for daily updates and pictures of the adventure of driving a cab in the Last Frontier.