Taxi Strike Tomorrow

Thoughts that came to me while standing on the corner of M & Wisconsin on my way home from work:

1. 6 cabs just turned right from westbound M onto northbound Wisconsin. Several more waiting in queue as the light turned red.
Would a taxi strike ease a little congestion in the district? It could actually make traffic better.

2. Wouldn't a strike be more effective if it was from Halloween until a) the drivers got what they wanted b) they realized they wouldn't make enough money not driving and gave in?

3. This is from earlier... Can you call a VA/MD cab to pick you up in DC? Then the strike could be sort of moot on Halloween. Also - sober ride is operating 1 (800) 200-TAXI, so there is that option.

Oh well. I've been in two DC cabs over the past two days. The first one was from AMorg/Mt Pleasant to Rosslyn on my way home late Saturday night - $13.25 - It was a realistic price and I tipped up to $15. Even though the driver almost killed someone on Roosevelt Bridge. But he didn't. So I tipped him...
The second was from Rosslyn to the Kennedy Center to get to the ADL concert last night. (Yes, I know, did we really need to take a cab... Ehh.) Actually, more on that - it is $16 to park at Kennedy Center and we figured about equal to take 2 cabs, granted we caught their shuttle to metro on the way home. ::rambles:: The cab that picked us up in Rosslyn was a DC cab, which I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to do... Then he went the wrong way... Then the trip cost us $10. For about 2 miles. That man did not get tipped.

Update

So checking the Marine Corps site tonight, they have posted the phone number for Active Network Customer Support (yeah, that wasn't up at 2pm), so obviously there was some sort fo glitch. Did anyone get that resolved through them? How'd it go?

Uh yeah, and redskins fans should just be kind of embarrassed right now. Yikes. 52-0... Hang your head DC!

Sports Sunday

NOW: I am watching the Patriots absolutely CRUSH the Redskins right now. (38 - 0 with 12 mins remaining in the game.) Earlier this week there was a lot of talk about the "Skins" having a chance to win this one. At least around here. I was too busy at work to actually read the articles, so if someone can fill me in that would be good.

LATER TONIGHT: Sox Rox on Fox? The BoSox will be taking on the Rockies in game 4 of the World Series with a 3-0 lead. Get f-ing ready. I will be a little bummed should they win w/Youk not being played, but he got in last night so looking good Youk, looking good!

THIS MORNING: Ran around the city chasing a marathoner. Got text message alerts from the Marine Corps Marathon Web site. BAD IDEA!!! Somehow the alerts got fucked up after mile 22 alert & I got probably 100 of the same alerts in a row. When we came home I called the MCM number but they were closed, then I went on the site (active.com) that was sending the alerts and couldn't figure out how to turn contact anyone there. The MCM site also locks up on marathon day so you can only access the results section, you can't get to anything else. THEN I tried logging in to vtext.com, but I had apparently already registered & couldn't remember my password. So I called Verizon customer service, but they could only block all texts, and couldn't do it specifically, directing me back to vtext, where I tried resetting my password BUT they text you a password & that wasn't coming through because my mailbox was full and anytime I deleted a text more Mile 22 texts would show up. YUUUUUCK.
I finally got it figured out & blocked active.com, but goodness what a mess.

If anyone reading this had the same problem let me know, and let me know how you resolved it. Now I have to see if Verizon will reverse those charges.

PS: Pats game is now 45-0. What now DC? C'mon!

PPS: He ran a 2:45!

Metro

Saw this one via DC Blogs: Bad Metro Information Design. I guess I don't think about how confusing that map is since I am pretty familiar with metro, including what car to get on on orange/blue to make changing at metro center easiest. I still get absolutely turned around inside the stations, and certainly don't ave anything close to instinct in terms of going in the right direction after the fare gates because IT IS NOT CLEARLY MARKED. Exception - Smithsonian - has signs for VA/MD or something that are easy to see, you don't have to check out the little lists on those silly polls.
I still vote for inbound/outbound but that will never happen.

YAY

Republicans who voted to pass SCHIP & override the moron's veto: Mary Bono, Vern Buchanan, Shelley Moore Capito, Michael Castle, Tom Davis, Charles Dent, Vernon Ehlers, Jo Ann Emerson, Philip English, Mike Ferguson, Vito Fossella, Jim Gerlach, Wayne Gilchrest, David Hobson, Mark Kirk, Ray LaHood, Steven LaTourette, Tom Latham, Frank LoBiondo, John McHugh, Candice Miller, Jerry Moran, Tim Murphy, Thomas Petri, Todd Platts, Jon Porter, Deborah Pryce, Jim Ramstad, Ralph Regula, Dennis Rehberg, David Reichert, Rick Renzi, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Christopher Shays, Michael Simpson, Christopher Smith, Pat Tiberi

NAY

Republicans choosing to fuck over poor children: Robert Aderholt, Todd Akin, Rodney Alexander, Michele Bachmann, Spencer Bachus, Richard Baker, J. Gresham Barrett, Roscoe Bartlett, Joe Barton, Judith Biggert, Brian Bilbray, Gus Bilirakis, Rob Bishop, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Jo Bonner, John Boozman, Charles Boustany, Kevin Brady, Paul Broun, Henry Brown, Ginny Brown-Waite, Michael Burgess, Dan Burton, Steve Buyer, Ken Calvert, Dave Camp, John Campbell, Chris Cannon, Eric Cantor, John Carter, Steve Chabot, Howard Coble, Tom Cole, Michael Conaway, Ander Crenshaw, Barbara Cubin, John Culberson, David Davis, Geoff Davis, Nathan Deal, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, John Doolittle, Thelma Drake, David Dreier, John 'Jimmy' Duncan, Terry Everett, Mary Fallin, Tom Feeney, Jeff Flake, Randy Forbes, Jeff Fortenberry, Virginia Foxx, Trent Franks, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Elton Gallegly, Scott Garrett, Phil Gingrey, Louie Gohmert, Virgil Goode, Bob Goodlatte, Kay Granger, Sam Graves, Ralph Hall, J. Dennis Hastert, Doc Hastings, Robin Hayes, Dean Heller, Jeb Hensarling, Wally Herger, Peter Hoekstra, Kenny Hulshof, Duncan Hunter, Bob Inglis, Darrell Issa, Sam Johnson, Tim Johnson, Walter Jones, Jim Jordan, Ric Keller, Steve King, Jack Kingston, John Kline, Joe Knollenberg, Randy Kuhl, Doug Lamborn, Jerry Lewis, Ron Lewis, John Linder, Frank Lucas, Daniel Lungren, Connie Mack, Donald Manzullo, Kenny Marchant, Kevin McCarthy, Michael McCaul, Thad McCotter, Jim McCrery, Patrick McHenry, Buck McKeon, John Mica, Gary Miller, Jeff Miller, Marilyn Musgrave, Sue Myrick, Randy Neugebauer, Devin Nunes, Ron Paul, Stevan Pearce, Mike Pence, John Peterson, Chip Pickering, Joe Pitts, Ted Poe, Tom Price, Adam Putnam, George Radanovich, Thomas Reynolds, Mike Rogers, Hal Rogers, Mike Rogers, Dana Rohrabacher, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Peter Roskam, Edward Royce, Paul Ryan, Bill Sali, Jim Saxton, Jean Schmidt, Jim Sensenbrenner, Pete Sessions, John Shadegg, John Shimkus, Bill Shuster, Lamar Smith, Adrian Smith, Mark Souder, Cliff Stearns, John Sullivan, Tom Tancredo, Lee Terry, Mac Thornberry, Todd Tiahrt Bobby Jindal,

BREAKING NEWS

THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!

Dunkin Donuts gives police officers a 10% discount.

WHOA. WHOA.

Yes, I stopped to get an iced coffee this morning & a woman was buying a bunch of ice cream (DD/BR) and the little screen that records the order had the containers of ice cream and then:

1 POLICE 10% (21.00)

(Being $21 was 10% of her order of a ton of ice cream for the po-po.)

Doesn't this just explain, like, EVERYTHING?

And I left my celly in the car so I couldn't snap a picture, but I'm off to look for proof online...

YES! Good work Mayor Fenty

Hehehe! Here's to Fenty giving a big fuck you to the taxi cab commission aholes...

And yes, I am a Virginian so I am especially happy that I wont have to bargain cab fares anymore.

Really?? For serious??? Oh geez...

The car was from Florida, but this was in Alexandria. Guess what kind of car it was?
Mercedes s350 or something - the suv. It gets better - there was another one exactly like it parked next to it.

But without an asshole license plate cover.

Today's news... No surprises here.

So recap of DC events of note via the Washington Post:

Tomorrow is the meter vs zone decision. I am pulling for meters and turns out a lot of other riders are too: Many D.C. Cab Riders Are Eager For Meters

We finally find out who stays in New York Avenue hotels - Europeans! Judge Shuts Down Hotel, Calling It a Health Threat
(Maybe they just didn't interview the prostitutes?)

NPR is for hipsters

Anne Coulter does it again!

That's right, she says something so unbelievably stupid, you have to wonder how she manages to still exist...
From truthdig:
“If we took away women’s right to vote, we’d never have to worry about another Democrat president,” Coulter told The New York Observer. “It’s kind of a pipe dream, it’s a personal fantasy of mine, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. And it is a good way of making the point that women are voting so stupidly, at least single women.”

Gosh, she's special.

As a woman AND a democrat* the only way I will vote for Hilary is if she gets the nomination. I hope she does go down in the primary, because for as many people that love her, an equal amount really really don't.

*Good lord, tie me up, lock me in the closet, and take away my voting rights! A woman AND a democrat. God forbid I support insuring poor children too! ::gasp::

Conversations to maybe NOT have on the bus

*my computer is being weird, so excuse the lack of apostrophes*

So on the way home today the guy sitting behind me on the bus was on the phone with someone, telling them about a visit to California where he met up with his father. In terms of things to overhear on the bus, this wasn't an entertaining overhear (see DCist, eavesdropDC), in fact it was ind of sad. Apparently he had dinner with his dad a few times in CA, ended up paying for dinner & giving his dad some money because his father was having trouble getting some social security checks. This is all well and good as a conversation, and not particularly notable, until he said, "Maybe if my dad had got our of jail and turned himself around..."

Whoa dude, your dad was in jail? And that's not the kind of personal information you'd be hesitant sharing out loud on the bus?

Then he said, "Maybe the social security problems are because of something that's held up from being in jail. I know he is out of probation in 3 out of 4 states, I'm not sure about Texas..."

At that point I almost stayed on the bus past my stop, the conversation was getting a little intriguing, and I honestly wanted to see if he would talk about HOW his dad ended up in jail and on probation in four states...

Not that this is funny, it was a pretty depressing conversation, but given that his dad was some sort of criminal (in the sense of criminal being a person who was in jail), here is this guy on the bus, who's talking about his grad program and his girlfriend-wife-fiances dissertation. So not a sketchy character talking about things like that.

It was just... WEIRD!

TOLD YA SO!

Celebritology reports:

The Associated Press is reporting that Britney Spears has to turn over custody of her children to Kevin Federline by Wednesday:

Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon ruled that Federline will take custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday "until further order of the court."

Oh Thank God! FINALLY! I knew K-Fed would get those poor babies! (Just go back a whole bunch of entries.) Told. Ya. So. Hah!

Reference: http://ihatethedistrict.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-was-wrong.html

http://ihatethedistrict.blogspot.com/2007/08/nit-wit-brit.html