El Taxista

LSD @ 60 mph

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1309 S Halsted St

Tonight I picked up a woman stranded near Wrigley. Actually she was just north of Wrigley, near Broadway and Montrose. She asked me if I wouldn't mind taking her to 95th and Peoria. Thats a long way, so I asked her, "do you want me to take Lake Shore to the Ryan?"

"No," she replied, "I was on the Ryan earlier, do you mind taking Halsted straight south?"

"Sure," I agreed, "either way it'll be no more than $40."

"Forty dollars!" she exclaimed, "it cost me sixty to get up here!"

So we head south down Broadway until it meets Halsted. From that point on we took Halsted south for about 135 blocks. This is a street that should have a documentary filmed about it. From the begin we were in Boystown, which needs no explanation. Phallic rainbows decorate the street. Just south of Boystown past Clark, Halsted becomes full of Big Ten Yuppie bars and Blues bars. Through Lincoln Park there are a variety of businesses, from high-end retail, five star restaurants, 4 am bars, and various theaters. As you cross North Ave, Halsted becomes industrial alongside Goose Island and the River. What are now million dollar townhomes were once a large urban project called Cabrini Green.

After you cross the river you see the end of the island and the Chicago Tribune printing press. From that point south its a fairly quick ride into Greektown. South of Greektown you find the Hull House and the UIC area which had really changed. University Village now overtakes what was once Jewtown/Maxwell St area, a once vibrant Blues district (pictured above). Again, after Cermak, Halsted crosses the river once again making way into Bridgeport, the Mayor's neighborhood.

Just south of Pershing, the stockyards nasty stench starts to creep in. That area has a smell of burnt bacon which makes way into Canaryville/New City. Thereafter, Halsted is lined with liquor stores and vacant lots as you approach Englewood. The new Kennedy-King College campus is beautiful and hopefully will attract young guns to go to college. The streets are lined with all sorts of shady people at all hours of the night. Businesses are closed, lots are vacant, and buildings are boarded up. Life still keeps many people out all night just hanging out on the street. Englewood seems to last for about forty blocks, but it moves fast. Not many cars around.

Whats interesting is that Halsted was once a very dangerous unwelcoming street to interlopers. Now there exists an entire gamut of the social structure and classes. Obviously what is north will soon dominant the south, rich white professionals. The Olympics hopes are not that far away and the gentry are moving fast. Drive down all of Halsted, remember it for what it was, see it for what it is, and accept what it's going to be.

"Stop all this weeping, swallow your pride. You will not die, it's not poison." --the medicine man

I cannot drive during the day. Being a cabbie during the day is the most frustrating thing in the world. Rogers Park takes an eternity. Halsted/Monroe to Wells/Adams take half an hour. At night traffic is predictable.

Lake and Halsted sucks, people stopping to look, driving down one way streets, stopping mid turn to realize they made a mistake. Green, Union, Des Plaines, Morgan, Aberdeen, Kinzie, Grand all lead to the same place, Halsted/Lake or even Milwaukee/Grand. Why can't anyone think outside the box?

Clark St is a nightmare! Thank God it ends after 2 am. Never seen so many fools on a street, and a variety of them, not just pilgrims, Blacks, frat boys, suburbanites and Cub fans. There are old fools, cops with associates "degrees," punks, freaks, cross dressers, gays, and blue collar men.

Lincoln is well patrolled by good police officers. So closely watched I NEVER will look for a fare on that street. Rush/Division on the other hand, makes absolutely no sense. Tens of cops, hundreds of cars, and many valet services. Who should valet at 4 am? Are these cops looking for drunk drivers?

The instant they drive off they act like idiots in their vehicles. Who leaves the club at 4 am and drives off? Does the mayor's office really approve this? 4 am valet services so people can drive off? The workers are there earlier and later than everyone, they can drive. The DJ has all his equipment, he should drive. Everyone else, why do they drink and drive? Does this sound right, encouraging drinking and driving?

Turn those loading zones into cab stands. How much congestion would that save? Sure, cabbies would fight, but who cares? We are always fighting. Or close the streets and make "Valet and Cab Traffic Only" on certain streets.

Mayor, come watch Division St on a Saturday and tell me that wouldn't be a good idea. Close those streets to everyone else and charge the damn toll to get into the city. Will those people continue to visit the bubble? YES! Maybe not during the day, but they can take a train, cab, or bus. If they pay for parking they'll pay for tolls. The city is over populated with single drivers.

Sit in traffic much? I used to, during the days. Nine out of ten cars have ONE person, the driver. Or maybe people need to start getting married, then they'd share the ride home at least.

Businesses would complain? Really? Only the ones in the Loop. If drivers get off the expressway and into the neighborhoods, wow, HOW MANY MORE SMALL BUSINESSES WOULD THERE BE?

October...

October, I'm starting to get into a pinch. I have three months to make my reserve for the long winter months. The cab business is slow after New Year's Eve. This will be the first year I drive only nights in the winter. Weather effects the business so much. I'm not sure how it will go this year but I'm dreading the winter. I'll have to mark various events every week that I will work without stressing myself out. Bears games, Bulls games, Blackhawks games and the every weekend will be critical. I can't make any large goals and have to hope for the best every week.

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