The Ford Crown Victoria is a lousy taxi

By Jeffrey the Barak

Having just returned from the airport by cab, I have been moved to rant about how ridiculous it is for Los Angeles taxi cabs to pick the American dinosaur Ford Crown Vic as a cab.

It’s a large sedan, with a big engine, and many cab operators buy them as used vehicles from the police, so the Police Interceptor version is a veritable rocket ship dragster.

But in taxi guise, the partition that keeps the driver safe from potentially violent rear-seat passengers also takes away the rear seat legroom.

A Fiat Taxi in England - small outside - roomy within.

Tall people have no way to place their feet on the floor without twisting them to the side. Only two normal adults can comfortably stand a short ride on the hot vinyl seat in the back of a Crown Vic cab.

The particular cab that we took from LAX also had a propane conversion. Nice for the environment you say? Well that propane tank has to go somewhere, so only one suitcase could fit inside the trunk, and our second bag had to go in the front seat beside the driver, obscuring his view of the right-side mirror.

Our flight originated in the UK where all kinds of economical, sensible vehicles are used as working cabs. All of which are able to take four adults and their luggage, and none of which have any issues with steep hills, motorway speeds etc.

The American taxi industry seems to have lost the plot. if you had to choose the worst possible passenger vehicle to use as a cab, it might very well be the exact one they have chosen.

The next chapter at MyPoP

By Louis the Scooterer

Before I get going on my scooter, to MyPoP, let me show you a couple of pics. The sea view I had, where I lived at the previous address..was a small studio with balcony…magnificent views of beach and promenade, and always much to see.

My current apartment on the other side of “town”, where I can see some sea..and 90 meters of the promenade. (3 pics from previous studio balcony, ….and 1 sunset from (current) apartment window.)

So the pics I took the other evening at MyPoP of the “finished place”..was spectacular at the least..unique setting…I was told its a wedding ..120 guests..about 40 persons attending to the guests..and cost roughly a leg and an arm ?..and the hubbub of workers and organisers was incredible !

The next morning it was just an empty parking-lot..and a clean-up delux…I couldn’t believe what gets thrown in the garbage skips..good pieces of carpeting and floor coverings, one tall table with a broken leg..many meters of useable cloth and other things.

In passing, I mentioned to M..who works at MyPoP as a “do-everything-man,”.. that earlier in the morning I had seen at the showroom where I bought my current scooter, an ATV with same name as Ice Cream that is sold at the counter…

This great story was told to me by M.. was that an uncle of his was planning a party to celebrate his 65th birthday, and uncle casually mentioned that a longtime desire was to have a drive on an ATV…SO, M got the ball rolling and began gathering moss, and all sorts of manipulations were handled, and many friends and relatives collected enough money to buy a good used ATV.. and on the night of the party..at the busiest time..as the food was being served..M drove this ATV thru the garden, and placed it in front of the “birthday man”..can you imagine??

I have had many short chats with most of the waiters and waitresses..and other temporary staff, and the partners..(several stories will come about from those chats)…but they all have work to do, while I watch the waves and can relax quietly, in a beautiful clean place..also watching some mermaids and others..its just such a shame that so many of those people are smokers…but thats another story.

and dont forget you can email me louisdrinkingt@013.net Read the rest of this entry »

Visiting, coffeeing, chatting and seeing at MyPoP

By Louis the Scooterer

As I said in my previous post, I go to MyPoP (almost) every morning and spend a couple of hours, and have found my favourite spot, where I place a chair under a big umbrella together with the bright orange color low settees and a low table…(I prefer a higher chair becoz when my knee stiffens a little, I am able to stand up easily and take a stretch !)

Without turning my head much..I can see the sea and beach, the full length of the terrace restaurant, which has many different types of tables n chairs n lounging chairs n stools and can seat more than 120 bums, and shaded by large umbrellas. I can see the bar n kitchen, and the round building which is undergoing renovations. Behind me is also the beach n sea n fairly big carpark and of course…cliffs, and the drive leading up to the main carpark and the road.

So my short stories are not gonna be as a diary, and not in chronological order.. I will tell some things that may have happened a few hours ago..or some observations from a while back…and even some reminiscing about wayback.

When I make the effort to find conversation, I simply approach a person, a couple, or a group..I casually ask “do you speak English?”..and the answer is usually “YES” or “a leetle”, and usually when I say “I speak Hebrew a leetle”..then there are many smiles, and we are already “friends”, and conversation flows.

“Event makers” large and small are often bustling around preparing for “a reception” to take place..mostly in the carpark, which is transformed to become a beautiful setting, with many tables covered with tablecloths and wineglasses and whatever goes onto a dinner table. Most of these events will begin before the sun goes down and the sunsets are magnificent. They always arrive in their big trucks and offload a great variety of “things” and set about their planning.These fellows and even some young women will carry furniture, and push loads of flowers and move bar-counters and clean-up..also will settle down to fold napkins (serviettes) and place them in glasses. Certainly never a dull moment.

I do not often travel around on scooter after dark, especially on roads that are not lit up..as is the last few hundred meters leading to MyPoP, so I cannot describe any actual event..(yet..I plan to do just that !)..what I can say is that “after the event” everything is taken down..and an empty carpark is what I find when I arrive, in the morning.

Okay enough descriptions for this writing….see you at MyPoP.
Comments welcome and also you are welcome to email me at louisdrinkingt@013.net