Tampa Taxi Shots

Is The Tampa Theatre Haunted?

 
Did you know the Tampa Theatre is haunted?  I found this out recently when I was at Borders Books and considering that Halloween is Sunday, I have been thinking about ghost and stuff.  In fact, it seems the Tampa Bay area is full of ghost.

According to Haunted Houses.com

"thedesign of this beautiful theater is described as being "an eclectic blend of Italian Renaissance, Greek Revival and "Florida Mediterranean styles." Gargoyles decorate the main lobby, which has a terrazzo floor. The interior is decorated by statues, terra-cottas, copper and brass jugs, detailed tapestries and banners, reproductions of paintings hang on the walls, dozens of gilt-edged mirrors highlight the decorations and atmosphere of the place. The large ceiling of the auditorium is a mass of blue sky and hundreds of twinkling stars. It originally had 10,000 light bulbs."

Foster Fink Finley is said to haunt the place.  He was the long term organist that played from 1930-1965 when he died of a heart attack during a movie showing, in the projection booth!  As with many ghost, it took years before strange manifestations began to occur.

 
People who have walked by the projection booth (which is very small) have heard knocking coming from inside.  Now that would scare the shize out me.  People inside the booth, when trying to leave, cannot get the door open.  It is as if someone is pressing it closed.  At night, people have felt someone tapping them on the shoulder.  They turn around and nobody is there. I'm running man.

It is said that if you leave an object at a specific spot, in the morning it will have moved to another place.  This was confirmed in 1984 during a controlled experiment. Someone may have been in on it.

Anyway, I was taking a man from California to the Tampa Theatre this morning to attend a wedding of of Robert and Yari (their names are on the marque) .  They picked a beautiful palce for their nuptials.  I hope they don't have an unexpected guest.  Woo!

I Finally Got It Right!!! Yahoo!! Cause For Celebration

Thanks to Godaddy my URL is now connected to this website/blog.  I am not Mr. tech or geek guy, so it took me a while to figure this stuff out.  I am so excited!  Just enter tampataxishots.com and you will pull up the Tampa Taxi Shots blog that I have had for the last five years.  Wow!  I finally did it. 

I Finally Got A URL For Tampa Taxi Shots

I finally got a URL tamapataxishots.com from Godaddy.  I am using it on my "shadow blog" on Blogger.  The reason is after two days of not being able to figure out how to link it to Typepad, it took two minutes to link it to Blogger.  Sorry, but some times you have to be practical. Plus, Blogger is free. I have been paying Typepad money for five years. Can't really afford it. Check out my 'shadow blog.'

I Picked Up Two Strippers

How could you work all night at a Tampa strip club and only have $100 bills?  Don't the guys give tips to the girls as they dance on stage with $1 bills?  Give me a break.  I am not the 'make change' taxi driver.

 

Taxi Business In Tampa

I don't know if it is because Nancy was fired but seems to be on the upswing. There are many conventions and events going on including The Nation Of Islam at the comnvention center next to "the women of faith" christain meeting. Maybe they will leed some of those guys to Jesus (they believe he is the white mans God). Oh well, lets just hope things continue to improve.

Rick Scott Is A Liar And A Criminal: He Should Be In Prison, Not The Governor Of Florida

Dick Morris says that Rick Scott should be in jail, not in the Florida Governors mansion.  Scott needs to leave the State of Florida or go to prison, I agree.  I can not logically see any option that puts him in the Governor mansion...A 8' by 12' cell would be more appropriate. 

 

Bay And Beach Cab In Tampa

This taxi seen in downtown Tampa is an invader - but not for long. The former manager of United Cab in Tampa started a new company while she was employed by United Cab.  She also started up a new company, which by defenition, is a competitor with United, and a conflict of interest. That may be one of the reasons that Nancy Castillano was fired from united.

Her company is doomed to fail.  If you can now only hire the drivers that you once fired, where are you going?  Since you can't feed sweetheart charges to your company, where do you go? He company will eventually be one the many of failed ventures by her (Bay Shuttle) and others who have tried to crack this market. 

Incident At Starbucks

I got a call this morning at Starbucks Coffee on South Howard in Hyde Park.  I was on time and pulled up next to the front door so my fare could see me.  Within seconds, there was a problem. 

A guy driving a dark colored Porsche  pulled behind me and started flashing his high beams and blowing his horn (very adult behaviour).  He would not leave it alone.  He had plenty of room to go around, but that was not good enough for him.  Finally, he pulled around and yelled out his window that I was in a no parking zone.  He must not have seen that I was a cab and there obviously to pick someone up. 

He gets out of car and charges my taxi.  He comes to the front window and tells me that I need to move forward because he says so.  I put it in reverse and move one foot backwards.  He yells "that is not forward."  I yell "get the fuck out of my face asshole." 

"You worthless Goddamn piece of shit is not going to stand here and bust my balls when I am trying to make a living. "  "Fuck off, and get away from my taxi now ASSHOLE." 

His jaw dropped.  I guess in his world people kiss his ass. 

My fare came out (she works there).  She said he was pissed because he always parks in the no-parking zone. She laughed.  I felt much better about myself and my self-esteem has been very high all day. 

Kathy Castor Needs To Go - She is Bad for Tampa

Kathy Castor is a committed socialist.  He mother is an 'aider and abettor of enemies to the United States.'  Their radical and unconscionable agenda is the wrong thing for Tampa, Florida and the Untied States. The last straw was the SCHIP that closed down the cigar industry in Tampa.

There is a clear choice in November - Mike Prendergast.  He is an American hero and a retired Army Colonial.  We need this guy.  Goodbye Castor.

On a personal note Kathy...how could you and your mother make a living out of condemning a system that has made your family rich?  If you had come up in my family, of hard work and NOBODY giving you a break, you would have a different understanding of life.  

We know this because you refuse to return opposition phone calls or debate any candidate.  You have a lack of personal courage Ms. Castor.  For that alone, you are unfit for office.

Go away Kathy Castor and get a real job.  Maybe you will learn something about life.  I don't think that will happen.  Your life of privelage keeps you going. 

Tampa needs someone who will represent them in Congress that will be focused on jobs and what is right for our area.  We do not need someone is simply trying to impress the President and score points with her party.  I wish that all Marco Rubio supporters will consider Mike Prendergast to replace Castor.  There is much at stake.  If we don't get rid of here now, she may be there for decades.  She caught a break when Jim Davis gave up the post to run for Governor.  Don't let a accident burden us for a generation.  Vote Mike Prendergast.

The Price Of A Taxi Hack License In Tampa Florida And Baseball Playoffs

If you want to work in Hillsborough County Florida as a taxi driver and pick up hot babes in Ybor City who get in your cab with their boobs hanging out - it will cost you. 

The cost of a 'Hack' permit is now $75 up from $10. Nice for the commission.  Cab drivers are finding this very hard to come up with.  I know, I renewed mine today and had to work a seventeen hour day to make up for the shortage. 

The fee is worth because I believe things are getting better.  Maybe, with the colder weather upon us, we can make a couple of bucks for ourselves.  Perhaps a World Series will help.

The 'Hack' will not allow a driver to work in St. Pete but I am considering it for tomorrows baseball playoff game between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays.  There just might be some action over there. 

You Will Pay The Taxi Fare Or Go To Jail

The Hillsborough County Transportation Commission gives taxi drivers the right to collect all fares in advance under all circumstances.  That is the end of the story.  You will pay - or else. 

There are no circumstances that will keep you out of jail if you try to Wiesel your way out of paying a fare.

Why do people try to beat the cabbie?

• They are drunk
• They are stupid
• They are from New York
• They think the cabbie took them the wrong way (an urban myth)

If the fare runs $20 and you tell me the cabbie the night before did it for only $10 - that is between you and him.  Pay me bitch or go to jail

Rays and Red Sox are Now Part Of The Same Federation

The Tampa Bay Rays are the champions of the American League East Division.  They have much to thank the Boston Red sox for.  

The Rays mood changed in the dugout when they heard that the Yankees had been defeated by the Red Sox.  This type of event has future implications. 

In Star Trek The Next Generation the philosophical premise was that the Klingons had joined the Federation because we were now at peace with them. In the episode Yesterdays Enterprise it is shown that what preceded this peace, was when the Enterprise defended a Klingon (Red Sox) outpost from a Romlulin (Yankee) warship.  Dying in defence of your enemy is the highest form of honor.  

The Red Sox showed this honor during the weekend with their fierce determination to play spoilers against "suck-nation" and help their now blood brothers, the Rays win the division. 

The lines have been drawn.  We are enemies no more. From this historical moment onward the Rays and Red Sox battle and fight against the dreaded Yankees and not each other. 

What Ever Happened To Tommy Duncan and Sticks of Fire Blog?

I ran into Tommy Duncan Friday at Sweetbay supermarket in the pasta section.  I was very glad to meet him again since I have not seen him since the blogger meeting at Wings Gone Wild on Bay To Bay about three years ago.  

In case you did not know, the Sticks Of Fire blog is down.  It was once the biggest blog in Tampa and two years in a row voted by Creative Loafing magazine as the best blog in the Bay.  Tommy was the owner of that blog.  I asked him what happened. Many things got in the way. 

The economy has not only affected cab drivers, it has affected normal people, as well.  Tommy, and his associates, went into survival mode when the economy went south, and Sticks Of Fire suffered as well (I would leave a link, but Norton says it is infected with Malware).  Sticks of Fire is no more.  That is a total mind freak to me. 

Tommy is now working on a new project.  He is the regional editor of a sports blog called SBnationtampabay.com.  He goes by the name of Gregg Burrage.  The site is awsome, and I hope he does well. 

It is always a reality check when you hit in the face of how life moves on for everyone. The irony is weather you are ready or not - it will. 

Tommy still has his rock band the Johnny G Lyon Band featuring Tommy Duncan, and they seem to be still putting out hot music. 

 

How Much Does a Free Ticket Cost to See the Tampa Bay Rays?

As the Tampa Bay Rays march toward the best record in baseball and their second post-season appearance, fans have not followed them through the gates. The first-place Rays rank 22nd is attendance, ahead of only cellar-dwellers like the Nationals, Orioles, Indians and Pirates. After only 12,000 people showed up for a potential playoff clincher last week, David Price and Evan Longoria, the faces of the franchise, publically expressed their frustration.
1
Starring down a PR nightmare, the Rays responded quickly by announcing that they would offer 20,000 free tickets to last night's game against the Orioles. The move was unprecedented for a contending team, but it seemed to work as the entire allotment was exhausted 45 minutes before the first pitch and attendance for the game was 36,973--a sell-out, if you can call it that

via www.huffingtonpost.com

What I find amazing is the 20,000 who got free tickets booed when the Rays played badly. Florida is a very unique market, we don't have the fan base of northern cities. People move here, have their kids in schools and own a business, but they still pull for their old team. All sports should move out of Tampa. We have had a Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup in recent years. Still, nobody cares. What more do you need.

A Nip In The Air

The first morning in October has brought some cooler air to the Tampa area. The next six months should be very nice.