Monday's tasks complete

The commissionaire at the airport has a small stock of uniform items, and managed to scare me last week with his predictions of ballooning sizes - each year in my career marked by a return visit and "Next size up, please!"

At least the cap is infinitely adjustable, so if my head swells I can accommodate it.

Looking at the fellow giving me the weighty advice, I could tell that he was speaking from experience, becase there are plenty of middle-aged taxidrivers who are lean and keen, and that's the direction in which I'm aiming, being a touch on the tubby side already.

The airport might not have had my generously-proportioned trousers on hand, but I found another outlet that did. Somewhat nervously I tried on the size 92 waist (that's centimetres, not inches, for those of you conjuring up visions of a taxi cab consisting mostly of driver's seat) and found to my vast relief that they fitted perfectly, and I wasn't in that uncomfortable no-mans-land between 92 and 97.

I had to wait half an hour for the embroidery, and I passed the time rummaging through the array of objects that could be personalised with logos, names, pictures and so on. It won't be long before they can inject an animal with some genes and it will grow out in Coca-Cola colours and logo. For a price.

I refrained from getting some warm outerwear. It's the middle of spring and I probably won't need a jacket during the day. If I'm on night shift I'll have enough warning to buy something, but I may not need it. Cabs usually have the engine running continuously, so if I feel cold, I can whack on the heater.

Next stop, once I filled the car up with petrol, was the long hike up Hindmarsh Drive to Woden. I always like cresting the ridge and seeing the valley spread before me, the Brindabellas rising over the far side and a few little toy skyscrapers on the valley floor in the town centre.

Health Services Australia was in one of those buildings. I waited at the counter behind some people who were probably attending for an immigration medical, and then pointed out my problem to the young lady running the show. "The doctor didn't sign my form," I pointed out, "nor did he tick this box saying I'm fit for an unqualified licence."

She looked at it, agreed that the important parts hadn't been completed, and went in search of the doctor, leaving me to wonder if maybe I wasn't as fit as I'd imagined. Luckily she returned with some rubbish excuse and my form filled out correctly before i could make myself sick with worry.

Final stop of the day was Civic. I needed some comfortable black or brown shoes that weren't sneakers. Much as I love my Columbia Razor Ridge boots, their shades of green are an automatic disqualification. I've got some black shoes that are stiff and uncomfortable, used for formal occasions such as weddings and funerals, but I'd hate to spend ten hours in them day after day. Mountain Designs in Braddon is the local Columbia stockist, and I was kind of hoping that as well as their range of hiking and walking and mountain climbing boots, they might have something that could reasonably be seen as fitting into the casual end of what might be acceptable to wear with a cabdriver's uniform.

No such luck, but I used up my ten minutes of parking meter time in looking through the range. There was one pair that might just pass muster, but I'm not accustomed to paying $284.95 for a set of shoes.

Rivers in the Canberra Centre was my fall-back position. They make clothing and footware that is supremely comfortable, and I asked the young lady on duty for advice. She steered me towards a pair of soft leather moccasin style shoes. Brown to fit with the dark blue of my trousers. We started at size seven, my usual fit, but the thick and comfy socks I wear nowadays had me trying sizes upwards until we reached eight and a half, which surprised me, but they were tight enough to walk in and loose enough for comfort, and at $129.95, not too expensive. I've had Rivers shoes before. Comfortable and well-made, long lasting, but not quite the standard of Columbia gear.

But comfort is the name of the game for me. If I'm sitting in a cab for ten or twelve hours straight, I don't want minor irritations in the fit of my clothing turning me into a growling bear at the end of the shift.

So that was Monday. I'm now fully kitted out in uniform, albeit mostly with creases and folds plainly visible, and the next step is to do some practical driving to supplement the mapwork I've been doing in ad breaks for Futurama and Mythbusters.

More later, with photographs.

Pete at Canberra Cabs

Pete at Canberra Cabs,
originally uploaded by skyring.

This is a "cababout" series of posts.

On Thursday I have my practical driving test. While I have no doubts that I'll pass it, I still like to make sure. Knowing the routes, drop-off locations and so on helps me get the feeling that I am in control, adding to my confidence on the test.

I know where all the places are, but there's the difference between driving past a place, and knowing which lane to be in, which entrance is best, and so on. When I have a passenger in the cab, it will be good to give the appearance of professionalism.

There's a list of thirty locations that may be requested during the practical driving test, and I'm supposed to not only know where they all are but be able to choose the shortest route between any given two of them.

The test begins at the headquarters of the cab company, so my practice run also began there. I dressed up in my brand new uniform and took a photograph outside, using the "stick the camera on the end of my arm" technique.

Kembla Street in Fyshwick. Canberra is a planned community and Fyshwick is the name of the district set aside for light industry, car sales, workshops and so on. The cab company has its offices here - a front counter, a back office, a training room, and upstairs are the offices for the executives and the radio despatch room full of computers. "Canberra Cabs" is the name of one of the three internal brands owned by Aerial Consolidated Transport. The other two are Elite and Silver Service, but you've got to be an experienced cabbie to drive for them, so I'll begin work with Canberra Cabs, which is the main brand by a large factor.

Pete at the Railway Station

Pete at the Railway Station,
originally uploaded by skyring.

Closest destination is the railway station. From hints the examiner dropped during the course, I get the impression that he'll ask me to drive here first. It's the only railway station in Canberra and it's actually a fair way from the city centre, though not as far out as Fyshwick with its car sales, porno shops, tires and exhausts.

The cab rank is around the side and maybe it might be worth waiting there when the infrequent trains pull in. I parked in one of the spots reserved for the staff and got a dirty look from one of them returning from lunch.

Pete at Brumbies

Pete at Brumbies,
originally uploaded by skyring.

Rugby is big in Canberra, and the Brumbies are the local team. Union, rather than League, I imagine, but what do I know?

Anyway, the club is on the list, so I pulled up outside, stuck a camera on the end of my arm and posed with a toy bear, to the amusement of some big boofy blokes walking into the clubhouse.

Pete at Red Hill

Pete at Red Hill,
originally uploaded by skyring.

Hard to get that bear to pose for the camera!

Red Hill is at the far end of South Canberra, hard up against the slopes of the red dirt hill behind. A typical Canberra suburb, shops in the centre, flats nearby, school across the road, about a kilometre worth of suburban houses extending around.

I once got gazumphed on a house in Red Hill. Nice place, with "god-sized bedrooms" and tremendous street appeal. Even had a bit of a view out towards the airport. Most unhappy to lose it.

Pete at Manuka

Pete at Manuka,
originally uploaded by skyring.

Ok, this was a difficult picture to take. The list says "Manuka taxi rank", but the actual rank is just around the corner, and I'm illegally parked in the feeder rank under the "Taxi Zone" sign. Not much of a landmark, and it was hard to line up the shot. Would have been easier without my sunglasses on!

Manuka is reasonably ritzy, serving the ritzy inner-city suburbs nearby. it's also a hub for nightlife and a taxi driver can make a quid or two ferrying the drunks home.

Incidentally, it's a lousy place for a feeder rank, because a cabbie parked here can't see the main rank around the corner, and consequently has to leave his cab to see if he should move up.

Pete at Manuka Pool

Pete at Manuka Pool,
originally uploaded by skyring.

A classic piece of Canberra architecture. And one of the landmarks of the summer social scene from the early days when there wasn't a real lot to the city besides Parliament House.

IMG_7118

IMG_7118,
originally uploaded by skyring.

Just an apartment block in Kingston, but for some reason it's on the list, so me and the bear posed for a picture outside.

Kingston is pretty much all flats nowadays - the pokey old detached houses have been demolished and it's now wall to wall medium density. These sorts of places are big with politicians and parliamentary staffers, so there's a lot of work between Kingston and Parliament House. Only a five minute trip, but if it's steady work, it's good money because each trip has a $3.60 flagfall. String a few of these together and it's a good rate.

Pete at Kingston

Pete at Kingston,
originally uploaded by skyring.

Another taxi rank. There was an actual taxi parked there as I climbed out of my car, but by the time I'd walked to a good spot for shooting, it had pulled away.

Oh well. I ducked into the shop and bought a drink. Hot day and thirsty work driving a bear around!

Pete at Deakin Offices

Pete at Deakin Offices,
originally uploaded by skyring.

This is a focus for conspiracy theories. Big government offices tucked away against a bushland reserve, doesn't appear to have any windows - heaven knows what those public servants are getting up to!

Bear at Italian Embassy

Bear at Italian Embassy,
originally uploaded by skyring.

I stuffed up the focus on this one. Not much to see of the Italian Embassy except for a flag behind a hedge.

Another trick question. Most of the other long-established embassies are over the other side of Adelaide Avenue in Yarralumla, so you can cruise around the diplomatic district looking for the Italian Embassy all you want, but you won't find it by chance. You need to know where it is.

Pete at Parliament

Pete at Parliament,
originally uploaded by skyring.

I pulled out the tripod for a big finish. This shows the uniform in light and dark blue, but the big feature is that you can see where the logo comes from. Yes, the distinctive flagpole above Parliament House, its four legs forming a hollow pyramid, and don't they have a lovely time changing the flag!

There's a ricketty little car which climbs up one of the legs and then turns vertical for the last bit. The two workers have to step out onto the tiny platform over the vast drop beneath. Usually performed about three in the morning (which must be a lot of fun in the middle of winter) but a few times each year they change it in the daylight during school holidays and they get all the kids to hold the old flag out horizontally. It's about the size of a double decker bus, and the younger children run around underneath, squealing with excitement.

There are grassy ramps extending all the way up to the top. Pre S11 you could walk up and over Parliament House - in fact farmers have driven flocks of sheep across the top - but there are now security barriers in place. In theory, you could have driven a truck up the ramps and crashed through the glass roof of the central hall.

Not as far-fetched as you might imagine. A little while after the building opened, some nutter lined up his 4WD and drove straight through the front doors, through the foyer, coming to a halt in the middle of the Great Hall, where the Queen had opened the building.

So nowadays there are stout walls and bollards everywhere, and you can't get into the place without you go through a security checkpoint. That's to stop you walking up the roof and lobbing grenades into the courtyard, I guess.

Anyway, the building itself is spectacular. That's a solid cliff of Italian marble forming the facade, and inside it's all Australian wood, inlaid and highly polished.