Saturday night provided a prime example. My charges were a bunch of working folks on a night out to a sporting event. I think their boss had somehow subsidised the trip, because the hourly rate was well below that which The Boss customarily charges for the giant stretched SUV. Sigh. Who knows how these things work, but from my point of view, 15% of a smaller than usual number is a smaller number than otherwise. If you get my drift.
It's always interesting noting how people react to a limousine if it's their first time. It actually DOES make them feel important. A few elements contribute. There's the fact that I open and close the door, call them Sir and Madam; there are the tinted windows, and the general feeling that they might be famous; and there's that idea that everyone feels like they are SPECIAL for the night. Alcohol heightens all these emotions.
Along with the usual drinking/socializing banter, it became clear to me that the folks planned on smoking a little weed at some point. The partition was up, so they don't know that I could hear all this. The argument ran along two lines; they could blow the doobie now and be stoned for the game, or they could wait until the ride home and party on afterwards.
Fortunately they decided that walking into the game reeking of high-grade Chihuahuan Mind-Bender might not be good form. After the game it was to be.
Insert three hours.
At that point, once all the photos had been taken and everyone was on board, I quietly suggested to the group leader that there was no smoking in the limo. But if they wanted, we could stop at a nice rest-area a few miles down the road, and everyone could stretch their legs and take a comfort stop. Wink wink. The message got through.
Better than that, once at the rest area, all but two of the twelve disappeared out of view for fifteen minutes or so, thereby giving me at least some kind of deniability. It's a dumb move, really, because if Johnny Law stopped us and made the people for moronic dope fiends, I'm not totally out of the frame.
But that's a story for another time.
The lesson here is that sound-transparent partitions are a good thing, if it helps keep us all out of trouble. Only the stuff that affects me sticks in my head.
6 comments:
then there comes my one rule: you see nothing, you hear nothing.
sucks that these schmucks put us in these sticky situations, it is part of the job. so i am not sure if we are drivers can be completely liable.
Wombat, you ought to be in the diplomatic corps. Good work.
Limousine services has become the fashion and become the status of the people. We all should go with this way because its a very affordable way!
Ha, thanks, Don. You found the right word - diplomatic.
Balancing the (sometimes) conflicting aims of keeping the customers happy and keeping ME legal does require a certain...circumspect approach.
The Lightning lost to the Panthers, in case you're interested. :-)
I always thought you could do the denial bit - 'well officer, the partition was closed and I had no idea . . .'
You know, that's what I always figured too, Joe. Plus if I'm not partaking, and have nothing illegal in my possession, you'd think I was golden as well.
Apparently not though. For some dopey reason, not only do I have to drive these people around all night and be polite to them, I also have to discharge Deputy Sheriff-style responsibilities.
Complete. Stupidity.
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