Well, I finally, after three months of work, got out of ANLV Cab Company and am now part of Virgin Valley Cab Company. Why is this good? Because, I will no longer work “extra” shifts and begin accumulating benefits. YEAH.

Also, Virgin Valley has some real benefits unlike all the other cab companies. First off, only top booking drivers are accepted into Virgin Valley (this means I make a lot of money for the company). Second, their cabs are all newer models and better maintained than the rest of the fleet. Nicer rides equal more tips. Third, there is no bidding system (I do not have to worry about seniority for better shifts and cabs), so if I do well I will get the better rides and shifts. Forth, if they do expand (and that may be in the near future) by getting in now I automatically start out in a higher seniority ladder than all the newcomers.

So, I am now a fish in a smaller pond (one of about fifty) and that means that I can sink or swim by my own actions as opposed to being lumped in with four hundred other drivers. It also means that I can rise to the top faster within the company and earn some bonuses easier and gain more recognition. (Yeah, I like the recognition, why bother to deny it.)

So what does this mean for the rest of my life? Well, I will be off Thursdays and Fridays (so look for blog entries then) but I will be working from 3am to 3pm. I know what you are thinking, those sound like shitty hours, but you know what, as I can see it they are actually very good.

The hours are good because I get the most out of the day without the major slow down and congestion of other shifts. The early morning is spent shuttling the late night clubbers around (generally good tippers). Then there is about an hour lull between clubbers and early flyers (good for some breakfast). The early flyers start at about 6am and go till about 11 am, and they tend to tip well also. From 11am to end of shift is the Vegas Shuttle around, people looking to see the city and such. Then I go home and miss the late afternoon slow down and traffic where there are twice as many cabs on the street as there should be. This lets me maximize my day. So, not so bad.

The down side, early evenings. No longer am I the night person I once was. However, since I will have the next day off after Thursday nights, I might get back into singing again (they, Barbershop Chapter I want to go to, meets Thursday nights.) It will take some getting used to. We will see if it is all worth the trouble.