Pirates to Pyramids: Las Vegas Taxi Tales Read Online Free Page A
Author: JJ Carlson, George Bunescu, Sylvia Carlson
happened.
"First, they threw my girl friend out," he said with a little anger.
“ They threw your girl friend out of the Bellagio?
My head had snapped around again, this time faster. I was shocked. Shocked he even had a girl friend. He was old. Maybe it was a hooker, I thought, silently.
"They called her a hooker," he said, outraged.
She was, I thought
"They called your girl friend a hooker?" I sympathized.
"So what, if she was?" he said. I bit my tongue. He went on.
"When you lose 12,000 dollars at a Casino in Vegas the least you expect is that you're going to get laid, but not at the Bellagio." Back came that outrage and another long pause.
"So, that had to upset you." I showed him I was on his side, because I had to get to the best part of the story before we ran out of ride.
"So then what did you do?"
"This is so embarrassing." Oh good. Tell me now or you are never leaving this cab.
"What did you do when they made you mad?" Yes, a really long pause.
"I got up from the table, went over and took a leak in one of their slot machines."
I looked right into his eyes, thinking, oh my god, did he just say that? The voice in my head got louder; Joe, the car is still moving- the car is still moving. I turned my head back to the road and started my own long pause.
The Bellagio was then considered to be the premier hotel on The Strip. Of all the hotels in the whole town you chose that one. Then my thoughts stumbled onto something good.
"Cheer up! At least, you are not in jail."
"Yes, that is the good news." But it did not cheer him.
"I am not allowed in the Bellagio again for at least six months." That figured. If not for the $12,000 he would never get in again.
"Did they take you to the back room?"
"Oh yes. They take you to the back room for that."
"Did they hurt you? Did they want to hurt you? Did they act like they were going to hurt you?"
"No, no, no. They just looked at me, for two hours. Then they escorted me out. This is so embarrassing."
"Oh… I bet they were checking out that machine to see if you damaged it. That is another good thing; you didn't have to buy a new machine. How good is that? “He clammed up on me.
“ See, we are finding some good things. Evidently you didn't get your stream up into the ‘electrical's’ of the machine. You probably just filled the change tray?"
I noticed I might be talking too much for him so I went back to listening.
"This is so embarrassing." He repeated, and he was right because I was even getting embarrassed. Now we both needed to cheer up so I offered a new thought.
"Well, that was last night and this is today and the only one who hates you is the cleaning lady."
It did not cheer him and he slowly left the cab like a condemned man. His final statement,
"Yeah, but word travels."
He was right. They would be waiting with his stuff and they would all know.
As I drove off I remembered one of life's rules: there will be lessons.
COCAINE LESSON
One night I rolled up to the doorman for my next ride at the hottest new hotel in town only to see security officers escorting a guy to my car. I quickly locked the doors and opened the window a crack. When the door didn't open for the doorman the following exchange ensued:
He: Open the door.
Me: No.
He: What?
Me: No.
He: Why?
Me: Look behind you. It took three security officers to get him out here. I need to know if he was belligerent.
Me: Is he belligerent? He asked them.
He: No, he was not.
Me: Is he sick like going to vomit? He asked.
He: No.
Me: Does he still have money? He asked.
He: Yes, he still has money. Are you going to take him or leave him for the next cabbie.
I took him.
Background: 1) I had learned all of this at this very hotel. One night they brought up this girl in a wheelchair who was not disabled, except by alcohol. Her friends were stumbling behind her to my car. So I locked my doors.
He:
"First, they threw my girl friend out," he said with a little anger.
“ They threw your girl friend out of the Bellagio?
My head had snapped around again, this time faster. I was shocked. Shocked he even had a girl friend. He was old. Maybe it was a hooker, I thought, silently.
"They called her a hooker," he said, outraged.
She was, I thought
"They called your girl friend a hooker?" I sympathized.
"So what, if she was?" he said. I bit my tongue. He went on.
"When you lose 12,000 dollars at a Casino in Vegas the least you expect is that you're going to get laid, but not at the Bellagio." Back came that outrage and another long pause.
"So, that had to upset you." I showed him I was on his side, because I had to get to the best part of the story before we ran out of ride.
"So then what did you do?"
"This is so embarrassing." Oh good. Tell me now or you are never leaving this cab.
"What did you do when they made you mad?" Yes, a really long pause.
"I got up from the table, went over and took a leak in one of their slot machines."
I looked right into his eyes, thinking, oh my god, did he just say that? The voice in my head got louder; Joe, the car is still moving- the car is still moving. I turned my head back to the road and started my own long pause.
The Bellagio was then considered to be the premier hotel on The Strip. Of all the hotels in the whole town you chose that one. Then my thoughts stumbled onto something good.
"Cheer up! At least, you are not in jail."
"Yes, that is the good news." But it did not cheer him.
"I am not allowed in the Bellagio again for at least six months." That figured. If not for the $12,000 he would never get in again.
"Did they take you to the back room?"
"Oh yes. They take you to the back room for that."
"Did they hurt you? Did they want to hurt you? Did they act like they were going to hurt you?"
"No, no, no. They just looked at me, for two hours. Then they escorted me out. This is so embarrassing."
"Oh… I bet they were checking out that machine to see if you damaged it. That is another good thing; you didn't have to buy a new machine. How good is that? “He clammed up on me.
“ See, we are finding some good things. Evidently you didn't get your stream up into the ‘electrical's’ of the machine. You probably just filled the change tray?"
I noticed I might be talking too much for him so I went back to listening.
"This is so embarrassing." He repeated, and he was right because I was even getting embarrassed. Now we both needed to cheer up so I offered a new thought.
"Well, that was last night and this is today and the only one who hates you is the cleaning lady."
It did not cheer him and he slowly left the cab like a condemned man. His final statement,
"Yeah, but word travels."
He was right. They would be waiting with his stuff and they would all know.
As I drove off I remembered one of life's rules: there will be lessons.
COCAINE LESSON
One night I rolled up to the doorman for my next ride at the hottest new hotel in town only to see security officers escorting a guy to my car. I quickly locked the doors and opened the window a crack. When the door didn't open for the doorman the following exchange ensued:
He: Open the door.
Me: No.
He: What?
Me: No.
He: Why?
Me: Look behind you. It took three security officers to get him out here. I need to know if he was belligerent.
Me: Is he belligerent? He asked them.
He: No, he was not.
Me: Is he sick like going to vomit? He asked.
He: No.
Me: Does he still have money? He asked.
He: Yes, he still has money. Are you going to take him or leave him for the next cabbie.
I took him.
Background: 1) I had learned all of this at this very hotel. One night they brought up this girl in a wheelchair who was not disabled, except by alcohol. Her friends were stumbling behind her to my car. So I locked my doors.
He:
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