Robert the cab driver

 Place holder for a later post about a butthead who indirectly got us robbed.  

So Ron found, when we lived near the Post Office sorting facility it was almost impossible to get a cab.  One guy (Robert) would come so we used him regularly.  He wasn't very bright but he got us there.  

He took Ron to the bank a few times to make deposits and began telling his other passengers the blind regular he had, went to the bank "every day with a big pile of cash".  He told everyone. Where we worked, etc.  

Before the accident he was complaining about some other regulars, she was pregnant and they were always asking for free trips.  When they had the twins he was taking them all the way downtown (about a $50 one way trip back then, even more now) and back for free.  They were not in the habit of paying regularly.  They would give him a $5 for a $20 trip, for instance.  

In the meantime Ron was always a good tipper, not crazy (that came along in the Ace days).  He was ready when he called, etc.  

So Ron got Ron over.  I called Robert to take me to the hospital.  I just wanted to GO.  We could talk all the way.  But he had the car in park and pumped me for all the details for 20 minutes, then spent another 15 minutes telling me "knew it would happen" and it was my fault because I didn't follow Ron every where he went.  It was hideous.  He charged me full fare, too, and when I paid him (I gave him a decent tip) warned me "Your free rides" (which I never got I think he had me confused with the other clients) "are over".  

Needless to say I didn't call him again.  Ron got Metrolift when he got out of the hospital and we never called Robert again.  

Later on we were going to work and Metrolift had a legally blind black lady in the car.  She was about 60.  She said "I hear you're going to the post office, you must be the guy Robert told me about, with all the money".  We told her we never had any money and she thought we were being coy.  We kept riding together for a while and every time she rode with us she would tell anyone else in the vehicle about "Those bags of money going to the bank every day" etc.  

Our house got robbed shortly after that.  I made a point of telling her, and she asked what they got.  I told her "A very old computer because that's all we had.  We kept telling you we're not rich.  But someone went around blabbing we were.  It would be a shame if someone went around blabbing about your big insurance settlement and where you lived." and she shut up.  She did have a big insurance settlement she had told us about several times and we had picked her up at her home.  

Ugh.  Glad those days are over!