Two interesting fares tonight

I picked up two younger guys, perhaps early 20s, from a residential area. They were going to the airport. After I heard them talking about working in Miami, I asked about it. They spend their summers selling home security systems door-to-door. They get $100 for each sale, and can usually do two per day. They're both college students, and this is their third year selling.

The company pays for their airfare, one way, and all hotel and meal expenses.

One mentioned he's the top seller for the company, and the other said he does okay, but not nearly as good as his buddy.

I noticed two things about them before they mentioned their line of work: One was fairly quiet, and the other was outgoing. Naturally, the outgoing guy is the better seller.

When I mentioned that getting a mostly free trip to Miami sounded fun, considering they get nights and Sundays off, here's how they responded:

Quiet guy: Yes, but it's hurricane season in Miami, isn't it? The job will be terrible.

Other guy: No, no, dude. If it's raining, more people will be home. We'll make a lot of money!

Is it any surprise the quiet guy doesn't make as much money as his friend? Some people are good salesmen, and some aren't. I'm in the latter group.

I picked up a guy at about 9 p.m. at a nice house in the South Bay area. He needed to go about ten blocks to pick up his car. He had had some work done on it, and it was now finished.

When he got in the cab he asked if I had seen the woman standing in his neighbor's front yard. I hadn't; it was very dark outside. He said she had been standing there, with her arms crossed, the whole time he was waiting for the cab -- about five minutes. After a few minutes, he said, he had walked up to her and asked if she was okay. She wouldn't respond to him or even look at him.

My customer: Isn't that strange?

Me: Yes, very. Did she look like she was in distress?

My customer: Kind of. She wasn't crying or anything, but I'm guessing -- total guess -- she's fighting with her husband.

Me: Do you know them well?

My customer: No, they just moved in last week. And she's attractive, too.

Me: Oh, man, you should have invited her in to split a bottle of wine. (I've only slept with one married woman my entire life, and she came to me. I feel bad about it now, a little.)

My customer: Oh, no. No, no, no...

Me: Aw, c'mon, you only live once, right?

My customer: Yes, and you only get buried once.

Fare: $6. Tip: $2.