This Fruitful Friday, started with me getting up earlier than normal to partake in a day of work at the local jail. Yes that’s right a facility where you can go to work off a fine. I arrived 10 minutes early and waited for half an hour until four people and myself were called onto a Whatcom County Sheriff Bus. I had to leave my phone behind and be in protective work gear. On the bus, a lady who I saw in the court room the day prior sat next to me. “So your subpoena didn’t work too well I guess?” I stated. ” No unfortunately it didn’t, I didn’t do it correctly”. She replied. “Well that’s a damn shame”. The driver was a bloke named Jeff, he had singled me out because I was Australian. Apparently he went downunder back in 1998 and 1999. We chatted until we got one of the busiest streets in Bellingham, the Guide Meridian. Here we go, gloves were put on, hard hats were adjusted and grabby tools were picked up. We picked up rubbish on the side of the road in the road for an hour. In that time I had picked up cigarette buts, shoes, plastic, cans, paper, and random pieces of metal. Oh and Hi-Chew wrappers! Conversations were made with the other crew, one lady used to be homeless and was caught stealing food to survive, another was caught driving without a licence multiple times, drink driving, and speeding, another was there due to multiple DUIs, and finally the other lady was there due to using a technological device while driving. A bunch of misfits for sure. I felt sorry for two of the people there because one was trying to survive and the one with the multiple offences can never drive again. He has kids and his wife is a druggo. This bloke looked like across between the actor Edward Norton and the singer Eminem. He works hard and illegally drives so he can have money for his kids. He chooses to work for the work crew instead of pay the thousands of dollars of fines he has. According to the veterans of this program no one had ever asked for their name before. It was no skin off my nose at all. These people were unlikely to track me down and cause any trouble to me at all. They were friendly and ended up on the wrong side of the law.
After one sweep of cleaning we piled into the bus to try and find another area to clean. We drove around until lunch time, where we found several rubbish bags full. The homeless people cleaned up after themselves. We picked up their three bags full, then we ate lunch and drove around some more. Ater a while we went to the tip to offload all the rubbish we picked up. On the way there we saw more rubbish on the side of the road. “What about here?” I asked “That’s not our jurisdiction”. Was the response of the driver. Apparently it’s the City of Ferndales problem and not Bellinghams. I obviously laughed at this. We got to the tip, weighed in and proceeded to the dumping ground. The bus stopped and we piled out. Two of the vets went to the back of the truck and started to remove the bags. Tossing them out willy nilly. I grabbed two bags and just got out of the way. Once all the rubbish was offloaded we drove around town and parked by the river. Everyone talked my ears off about Australia.
That was it nothing else happened. I finishes the day and went north to shower. I needed to get ready for fruitful Fridays. Can’t be gross for my customers. After getting ready I started my evening in Bellingham. A customer at Fred Meyer. We witnessed impatient drivers on the way to her house. It was a stressful start. People cutting other drivers off in their vehicles. Cars swerving. Cars tooting (honking) each other.
After dropping her off I sat for a minute and realised how crazy this job can be. Next passengers I got was a coast guard and his other half a geologist. I asked my coast guard how his job works in this country? He replied “It’s essentially a mini navy. In times of war all offshore patrol vessels, cutters, aircraft, and land vehicles become an extra line of defence. Out of war we help people who have run aground, we help stop illegal immigrants, and locate missing people”. It sounded like Australia’s navy. In fact they probably have the same amount of ships Australia does. Something to look up. I dropped them off at a fancy restaurant in town.
Ping! A lady who works at a bong shop. She used to work at The Mayo Clinic. 🤔 Interesting change of careers! Then I had a house keeper at the wrong address. She put in a totally different pickup location. Crikey crumbs get it together people! It was for her friend 6 minutes out of the way. Super frustrating. I finally found my passenger and dropped her off at a cidery. I was about to drive off when I saw a lady in a Grinch costume running behind my car waving at me. I stopped and she ran up to my passenger window in the front. “Here’s a $10 tip for my stuff up, I’m so sorry”. I replied “Oh why thank you, I didn’t expect the Grinch to give me such a nice tip! Nice costume by the way. Happy Holidays and be safe”. She said “you’re welcome and darted away down the road”.
Then a ping in the centre of town. High school students going to one of the schools to the north. They were dressed as cheerleaders. A quick trip. Then a park’s and rec lady needed a car to the casino. I had picked her up once before. We revisited our previous conversation about my former boss and my work situation. She was happy I scored a job with a bigger company.
Next was a ping then a cancellation back in Bellingham. Lucky I didn’t wait too long for a bloke named John from a college in California. A punt returner trying to make the big time. We talked about all the positions in American football. I personally think I would have been a good punter. I can kick a rugby ball 50 yards and I used to be quite fast in the day. Only thing is gridiron wasn’t a thing in Australia. To be honest I didn’t know much about it until I moved to the states. I appreciate it more because I’ve learned about the sport.
Then a Sheila booked me than cancelled, then rebooked me again. Little annoying because when I thought my journey east was put a halt, I had to turn around and go back. 🙄 The lady had many passengers to pile into my car. Then they all bombarded me with 20 questions about Australia. Lucky it’s a topic I know very well.
Dropping them off these kids I got another ping. A bloke who has a daughter who is learning how to play the violin. She didn’t like it at first, but now she has a new teacher and absolutely loves it. I said that’s all it takes, good teachers who you can connect to are important. Her teacher has played around the globe and played in orchestras. If someone is just teaching for a paycheck, they’re doing a disservice to their students and shouldn’t be teaching.
The conversation continued about archaeology and eventually how my rider met his wife. She was from Mississippi and he was from Alaska. They both met at school in Montana. He was finishing his final year and she was in her second year. He went away and so did she. They didn’t encounter other again until they crossed paths again five years later back in Montana. A coffee shop. Next thing you know they dated, married, and moved around the country with their daughter. Sometimes things are meant to happen and possibly for a reason.
Now my next passenger had an incredible story about her mother. She went to Australia back in the day and went on a dreamwalk with the a small aboriginal community. It was photographed and published in the National Geographic. Something that would be frowned upon these days. In Australia that is called secret women’s business and the men have secret men’s business. Both involve strict aboriginal rituals and ceremonies associated with initiation and other cultural practices. I was surprised I never heard about this Nat Geo publication. I will see if I can locate it.
Then I had a crane driver and a beer enthusiast in my car. Along with a manager from T Mobile. All separate rides. Then importer exporter. Then another person who buggered up her address. I finally went south and then eventually north to complete another fruitful Friday!
Next is solid Saturday! 7 rides Lyft and 5 Trips uber.
