I was also lucky to have made a friend from the new hire class who is working nights and loaned me his car to go for my initial needs when I moved in. Another wonderful place to shop is online. I bought so much from Overstock.com. Everything arrived on time or early. The one real problem I had was handled better than I expected. I ordered a small canister vacuum. When showing it to Elena on Skype, I showed her how the power chord pulls out and when I pressed the retract button nothing happened. When I called their customer service and told the problem, I was told they would ship me a new vacuum the next day and I had 30 days to return the defective one. When I told her I could not print the return label since I did not have a printer yet, she told me she would email it to herself and mail it to me. I also mentioned one of the plates in the dinner set I ordered has a small chip, but I had lost the invoice, she looked up the order and then placed an order for a replacement plate. To me, this efficiency was something I had not seen in years.

About life here in Las Vegas, for me there is not a lot. I work long hours and if I take a day off, I do errands.  I do go out after work on Saturday nights with 2 co-workers to a Fridays in the Orleans Hotel and Casino, which is on the way home. We sit at the bar, joke with the bartender and just relax. I do not have too many margaritas to relax for health reasons. The health problem from drinking is being too relaxed and inebriated driving my little scooter.

If you have never been to Las Vegas in a long time as me, or never visited, the city has expanded. Vegas has built out to Henderson on the east, all the way south, west and north. In the past, all the activities and better dining was at the hotels on the strip or downtown and those general vicinities.  Now there is stores, restaurants and businesses for the locals to have a more normal life. It is not totally like anywhere else, gambling is most everywhere. Most of the convenience stores and gas stations have slot machines. Even supermarkets have a side room with those machines.

Since I do not have a lot of free time after work to putter around in the kitchen and cook, I either have a frozen meal or pick up something on the way. I have found some good and reasonable restaurants nearby my apartment to pick up something to eat. In Davao I had learned to eat until I am not hungry instead of eating until I am full. That is how I lost 50 lbs the first year there. With this eating style, most items I buy for dinner lasts me 2-3 meals.

Another item that first excited me and now is not a happy thought was being able to see American TV shows when broadcasted instead of the few reruns you get in the Philippines or having to download shows to watch on the computer. Well, with my hours, I am asleep when they are showed and even recording is not the answer since I have little free time to watch anything. I even miss most news broadcasts since I look at the TV too early for the normal news. I am up at 1:30-2am and leave for work at 3am, then I get home by 4 and talk to Elena until I need to get to sleep around 6-7pm.

I am hoping once Elena gets here and starts working we can adjust our schedules to have a more normal life.  I look forward and am excited to show Elena Las Vegas and American stores and places she has only heard about or seen on TV and in movies. I might be kind enough to breakdown and take her to Jollybees or Chowking here in Las Vegas for an old fashioned Filipino fast food meal.

Thanks again for all who still follow my little site.

I am still working and doing ok. I had my 90-day review and had good comments. I amnow off probationary status. This is because I am keeping close or above the “Average.” A driver who is below 15% of the average can be fired. I am usually within 1%. I have learned the faster back roads around Las Vegas since Las Vegas Blvd, “The Strip” gets very congested, especially on weekends.

Since I enjoy talking and meeting people, I am enjoying this part of the job. I have meet people from many states in the U.S.A.  and many countries in the world. I have not met any celebrities since they are driven by limousines.

Not like most other cities, it is against the law for taxi drivers to pick up Flaggers.  Flaggers are people who stand on the curb and waves to call a taxi. This is for the protection of the Taxi Driver. All porches of hotels have video cameras so if something happens to a driver, video can be reviewed to try to identify the last customer the driver picked up. A taxi driver can receive a violation if caught stopping for a Flagger.

I recently realized I have had customers from ever continent except Antarctica. Because of this, I have decided, if I see a Penguin on the side of the road trying to flag a taxi, I will pick him up.

Another story of a more strange occurrence is one Sunday morning, driving a Geographically or “Geo” restricted cab I picked up a fare at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This customer wanted to go to the MGM. I am allowed to drop off there but not pick up any customers.  As I turned onto the grounds of the MGM off a side road, I say a couple in their 30s wave for me to stop. I motioned for them to wait for me to drop off my fare.

After dropping off, I returned and picked them up. As they got into the car, they told me their last taxi driver kicked them out of the taxi at that location. I asked why they were kicked out. The girl told me, “He did not like me giving my friend “head.” I was shocked at first and replied “What a prude.” The guy then mentioned he had the girl show the driver her breast to offer some way to continue the ride. He then asked if I wanted to see and the girl pulled her blouse down and popped out a breast. She then said she really wanted to give the guy head.

I told them that they could go to the back seat of the van for privacy and I could drive around until they were finished but they told me just to drive them to the Hard Rock.

In some ways, Vegas has changed. In the past, It was the glamour, the shows and the gambling. Now it is the Poker Tournaments, the Night Clubs and the Pool Parties. Many of the hotels have these parties at their “European Pool” where ladies can go topless. There are big bands and lots of drinking.

This week is the Magic Convention with many fashion companies showing off their new lines. It is so big it is in two main venues, the Las Vegas Convention Center and Mandalay Bay’s Convention Center. There are some conferences as well as Miss Universe Pageant will be at Mandalay Bay too.

Wednesday, a usually quiet day, was so busy there was many times I would drop off a customer at a Hotel to see no taxis on line and was reloaded and off to another location. I had as many trips as I have on a Sunday or Monday. My tips were on the high end too. I was hoping to be able to work Thursday but there was no available taxi. I guess everyone was smart enough not to call in sick or take the day off. I hope I can get on tomorrow, Friday.

I had one nice fare on Thursday. I picked up a man from the Magic Convention at Mandalay Bay to go to the airport. Once in the car he realized he needed something from an Apple store. There was one close.  As policy, I let the meter run as he was in shopping and he thanked me for the detour and the waiting for him. When we got to the airport, he thanked me again and gave me a $10 tip for a $25 dollar ride. This was one of those special occasions that keeps you going on bad days when you remember the good times.

I also enjoy meeting someone from the Philippines or has a friend there. It gives us conversation topics. A while back, I picked up a customer to go to the airport. When I mentioned that I recently moved back to the States from the Philippines and had this website, he looked at my Taxi Driver Permit and asked me “are you the Bruce from American in Davao?” I replied “yes.” He was so excited and told me he had a girlfriend in the Philippines and reads my site all the time.

I will try to write more about my experiences and my life here besides any news of my petition to get Elena here.

Thank you all for your continued visits.

A few weeks ago they had their bi-yearly shift bid. This process is done twice a year where you bid on the sifts you want to work. The drivers bid based on seniority and being low on seniority most of the good shifts and days off are already taken. I was able to keep my days off of Thursdays and Fridays and Geographically Restricted medallion Saturday and Sunday, North-North on Monday and Unrestricted Tuesday. Even though North-North was good for me on weekends where you get the long runs to the airport or the Strip and with only paying 22% of the fuel you do not mind the ride back to the area without a customer. Mondays you get mostly grocery store runs which are short and low tips. You also spend time just waiting or driving around the areas looking for customers at shopping centers.

To earn extra money I try to work six or even seven days a week. Today, a Thursday as I am writing, is my day off. I do though plan to work tomorrow. With the days and hours I work, it does not leave much time for a life, but right now income is more important than play. During a typical day I get up at 1:30am, pour my coffee and chat with Elena on Skype. I then shower, dress and get to the taxi yard by 3-3:15am for my shift. I am home by 3:30-4pm, make a light dinner, chat with Elena again and in bed by 6-7, This does not even leave me time to watch tv, my old favorite pastime.

Because of some problem with the new shift change they had another shift bid process again. This time I was able to drop my North-North and now have Geographically Restricted Sunday and Monday and Unrestricted Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. All my shift times except Saturday start at 3:30am and have to be back in the yard by 3:00pm. Saturday I start at 5:30am and return by 5:00pm.

Without telling too much, it was clear to me I needed to get out and get my own apartment. Since I am no longer a young adult, I had some needs I wanted in an Apartment especially since Elena will be here in the future. I wanted a place in a nice apartment complex that is well maintained.  With me driving a scooter and Elena at first will need to use the busses I wanted a location closer to work and with easy access to the bus system.

I spent a good part of a Thursday visiting many apartment complexes and finally made my decision. It is on Tropicana west of the Strip (Las Vegas Blvd). There is a bus stop just outside the gate for both east and west running busses. The apartment is on the second floor which is also the top floor. This way I get the added security and also do not have to worry about footsteps over head. The Facility also offers a pool, spa, exercise room with many machines, gated and because many residents work different shifts at different hours, there is a noise restriction 24 hours a day which keeps families with kids discouraged on living there.

Once deciding on an apartment, I then needed to look for furniture. I do not have a lot of money, but wanted to be comfortable. One driver I have been friendly with told me about a furniture liquidator that has the used furniture from the hotels.  The bedroom furniture I decided on came with  a king size headboard, two nightstands, two lamps, two pieces of artwork, large armoire, wall mirror and also a service cabinet with the service refrigerator. I was able to trade the service cabinet for a round table and four chairs to have as my dinette set. With the mattress, box spring and frame plus deliverer I was able to get this all for under $800. I then went to a furniture store and got a good deal on a sofa, loveseat, coffee table, two end tables and a three lamp set for around $1000 including delivery. Once all set up, I will publish some photos.

With my application for Elena’s Visa I am being told about five months for it to clear USCIS and it looks like the Senators cannot rush this process so we just have to be patient.

Next I will write more about my life and experiences as a taxi driver.

In addition, last week Elena and a friend went to Cebu for the CFO seminar. Two other friends joined them for a mini vacation at a resort in Cebu. Monday was the seminar and Tuesday they enjoyed the resort. They returned Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, Elena went to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and received her new passport.

Worst case, it could take 8 months or more to get Elena her visa and trip to the USA but I will look for and use any resource I can find to get her here quicker.

We do video chat every morning and evening and since we have a Magic Jack in Davao, Elena and I usually talk on my cell phone in my mornings as I am driving the taxi. We do end the call when I get a customer, but call back after I drop them off.

With this, we stay in communication but I miss her hugs, kisses and presence as I sleep.

Please, all readers, add a prayer for Elena’s visa to come through quickly.

Of all the different companies in the Valley, some are individually owned and some companies have a few taxi company names under one ownership.

The costs and benefits vary per company but overall, the cost to the driver balances out. Here are the items involved with earnings. The amounts I will mention is from drivers I have talked to from different companies.

As a driver you pay a trip charge to the company, it can be as low as .60 per trip you drive and as high as $1.25. One company charges a flat fee of $16.00 a day, which is great if you get many customers each day, but is bad if you only have a few, like in a restricted area.

Every driver from every company pays .20 per trip that goes to the Taxi Authority to cover their discounted Senior Citizen program.

Most companies make the drivers pay for their gasoline. Some the full cost, some a percentage and a lesser percentage if you have a North-North restriction since sometimes you drop off in a area where you are restricted from taking on customers and have to drive back to your area without a paying customer.

Then the drivers get a percentage of the meter. It can be from 39% to 50%.

Some companies give the drivers a better percentage of some of the charges after the driver has completed one year of employment.

Now if you look at a customer riding in a taxi and paying the fare on the meter, the driver has to pay a trip charge, a Taxi Authority fee, some or all of the gasoline used and then a percentage of the meter, there is not a lot left. Then a percentage of the earnings of the driver are added on for tax purposes since the IRS wants to tax employees on tip earnings too.

Another problem for the driver is if the meter malfunctions, or the driver presses the wrong button on the meter and causes it to put on a charge that was not supposed to be added, the driver loses that amount. For instance, any taxi leaving the airport with a passenger has to pay a $1.80 Airport Fee. There is a button on the meter for this charge. If a driver has a customer on a ride that is not from the airport, and by accident presses the Airport Fee button adding $1.80 to the fare, the driver cannot charge the customer, but has to pay it to the taxi company.

The driver keeps the Tips, but not everyone tips at all, or well. I have had a few times where the customer pays the charge and says keep the change and the change is .10 to .20. Some drivers get mad. I just smile and say thank you.

Two Labor Unions represent some of the taxi companies. I am not sure if all companies are organized by a union and since Las Vegas is a “right to work” city, drivers have a choice to join the union or not. But regardless if you’re in the union or not all drivers get the same rules and pay. When you complain about something, the answer is, “Well, the Union did not get that in the contract, maybe next time the contract is negotiated.”

One thing that protects the driver is they must, by law make minimum wage set by the Federal Government. However, since it is a job where tips can be earned, the minimum wage for this class of employees is lower than normal types of jobs.

About tipping, I have thought many years that tipping should be abolished and the employer should pay correct wages. If this happens the business owner will raise his prices or lower his staff to cover the costs. Then everyone loses again. In America, it has become a standard for service people to receive tips by the customer to show their appreciation. Good service gets better tips than poor service.

I know one driver who has this policy. If is picking up a customer at a hotel and the doorman just leaves the luggage at the curb and does not load it into the taxi, but received a tip, the driver will say, you load the luggage or give me the tip. I have not experienced this so I do not know how I would react. The doorman loads the luggage at the hotel and I load and unload luggage at the airport.

I had a bellman for a customer the other day and we discussed tipping. We brought up the subject of getting coffee at Starbucks. Many people tip the person giving them the coffee at the counter at coffee shops but we do not give a tip to the person handing you your burger at McDonalds.

One comment mentioned his barber. As my rule of thumb, if a person owns the business, you do not tip him since he gets the profits. If a barber owns the shop you do not tip, but if a shop has barbers who get paid per client serviced or rents the chair, he does deserve a tip.

So far I have not had enough experience to give an “average” amount.

Well, after all the paper work, drug screening, physical, studying, testing, training, I am finally a Taxi Driver.  My schedule is Saturday through Wednesday from 4:00 am to 4:00 pm. When I meet for my schedule, I had a choice of these hours or work 4am to 4pm shift. I felt, until I get to learn the city and the roads better, it would be best to be out in the sunlight. I can always in the future apply for a shift change.

To understand more, let me explain about taxis in Las Vegas. As I have written so far, the Taxi Authority governs the taxi industry. This is an organization that controls the types and amount of taxi medallions, who can drive and where taxies can pick up passengers. They are here to regulate the taxi industry and protect the customers and the drivers.

Different from most other places in the States and the world, in Las Vegas it is illegal for a taxi to pick up “flaggers.” A Flagger is a person who just stands on the street, and waves or “flags” a taxi. In Las Vegas passengers can only be picked up legally at taxi stands or if they call into a taxi company and orders a taxi. A Taxi stand is the location in front of hotels, restaurants, attractions, and some shopping malls where taxi’s can legally line up to accept riders. This is to protect both the passengers and the taxi drivers.

Most Taxi Stands have video surveillance so if there is any problems, such as a robbery, the taxi can be tracked and the alleged person can be identified through the video. It also protects the passengers in case there is a complaint, the video can be used to spot which taxi and driver was involved with the complaint. Also with all the traffic, especially on the Strip, a taxi stopping for a fare can cause an accident. The Taxi Authority can also give tickets with large fines too.

There are also different types of Taxi Medallions here in Las Vegas. A medallion is a license for a taxi to operate. Here there are many types. Some are unrestricted where you can pick up customers anywhere in Clark County. Then there are restricted medallions. One is Geographically Restricted where you can pick up customers anywhere except Downtown, the Las Vegas Strip and the Airport. Then there is one called North-North. With a North-North you are limited to the northern part of the city to stage or be on a taxi stand. You can take radio calls in a larger area but still not everywhere. Once you have a customer, you can drop off anywhere in the state of Nevada.

If you want to take radio calls you need to book into a zone. The city is divided by zones. You have to tell the dispatcher what zone you are located and you are willing to take radio calls in that zone.

Now back to me. My schedule is Saturday through Wednesday from 4am to 4pm. getting used to this schedule and sleeping early is difficult. I get home around 5pm, have dinner as I chat with Elena and then try to get to sleep my 6 to 7pm. Saturday and Sunday I have a North North medallion taxi but Monday thru Wednesday I have what is called “Extra Board.” Extra Board is where you wait for the shift to come in and if there is an extra taxi, you can get picked to drive. The order of being picked is seniority with the company.

Saturday morning I arose at 2:00am, if that is the word to get up at such an ungodly hour. I made my coffee and English muffin and was even able to video chat with Elena for a little while. Since I have to arrive a minimum of 15 minutes before our scheduled start and driving the scooter, I left the house at 3:15. It was 61F degrees when I left the house and even with my jacket, it was nippy.

Once at the Taxi Company I check in and wait for my Trip Sheet. Then I go to my taxi and on the sheet put all the existing information such as odometer and info stored in the meter.  Miles, paid miles, # of fares, airport fees and such. Then I inspect the taxi and make sure it is clean and gassed. I then get on the road.

Since I have a North-North medallion, I drive to the Red Rock Hotel and Casino which is in the north western part of Las Vegas. They have a taxi stand and long staging area. On my first day I booked only eight rides but I booked $208.00 in fares, I received $64 in tips. I think mentioning I was in Vegas only 3 weeks and about my past 2 ½ years, they wanted to help. Sunday I also had 8 fares but only booked $125 and only received $25 in tips. Of this, one tip was $7.00 so you can see how bad the rest of the tips were.

You never can figure out how the tips will be and who are the big tippers and who will stiff you. Sunday morning my first ride was from downtown to the MGM Hotel. The fare was $19.20; the girl gave me a $20 and told me to keep the change. You smile and say thank you as you curse under your breath.

Monday was Memorial Day and a holiday is not a day that drivers want to take off, so after a while a most of us on Extra Board was told that we could leave then or wait until 6am to get Shift Credit. Since all bonuses and benefits are based on shift credits, I waited until 6am and then went home.

Tuesday I got an unrestricted taxi and had fun staging at the hotels and going to the office and other locations in the city. I booked 13 rides and made about $35 in tips. It was nice since I like to talk and so did many of my customers. I have had customers from Germany, England, and Holland and from many states. It is interesting, many customers are from Michigan. Go figure.

Wednesday I got a North North taxi and had to take radio calls. It was not too bad but not as busy as working the strip.

Thursday and Friday, my day off, I tried to stay as close to my sleeping schedule so I would not have any trouble getting to sleep by 7pm Friday night and be able to get 7 hours sleep. Over my two days off I did my laundry, ran some errands, shopping and most important, I mailed off my petition for Elena’s spousal visa.

I will write next about my second week and try to relate funny stories about some of my customers. I thank my readers who have more of an interest in the Philippines and Davao City, but have made a connection with me and are interested in my life now back in America.

For all the time I have known Tom, he has always wanted to help people and families in a charitable way. He gives of his heart, soul and pocket and most of the time, what he gets back is hurt. He has been insulted when he gives and gives and then when he offers advice and assistance he ignored. He has also helped a family open a business and then they run it into the ground and he then is asked for more money.

Well, after I arrived in Las Vegas, Tom asked me if he could help my kids at Agdao market. He knew of the story from last Christmas when Elena and I gave a small Christmas party for about 25 kids. If you missed the story or the video and photo sideshow, click here to see the story.

He knew the new school year was about to start and the kids need school supplies. Even though these kids come from poor families they work at the market to earn a few pesos, to help cover their daily meals.  Their family and their earnings can never cover school supply costs. A few of the kids have asked Elena if she could buy them their needed supplies.

After  Tom contacted me, I had Elena call Tom and ask what he had in mind. He asked Elena to find out what the children needed for their basic supplies, the cost and how many kids can he help. The following Sunday morning Elena asked the girls that assist her what items and quantities are needed and how many children at the market can we help. Elena was told the items and that there are 25 kids in need. The next day Elena went to the mall and the wholesale Chinatown stores to get a quote of pricing. Elena then meet with Tom to tell him all the information. She also asked if they  could also give each kid a backpack. As no surprise Tom agreed and as you read Tom’s story, he increased the supplies too.

During the week, Elena met with Tom and his caregiver/friend Cardawe and went to purchase the supplies. With Elena’s bargaining, they were able to get all the supplies for less cost then was estimated. Over the next few days, Elena divided the supplies and placed them in each backpack. Our nephew, Amar donated four cases of Magnolia fruit juice beverage for the kids too.

Sunday morning, Elena went for her shopping at the market and told the kids to meet her and Tom by the eatery at 10am. Amar meet Elena at the house to load all the filled backpacks into his truck and drove everyone to the market. Once there, when Tom saw all the kids, he told Elena that he wanted to buy them food to eat too, so Elena made arraignments with one of the cafes to prepare food for all 25 kids. Then after eating, they gave each child a backpack filled with all the supplies needed for their new school year.

I am sure Elena, Tom and the kids will remember that day for a long time.

Here is Tom’s story:

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce H. Linder had been helping the children working around Agdao Market for some time. Prior to Bruce returning to the States we had discussed my getting involved. We decided a good project would be helping the children with their school supplies. It is difficult for poor families to provide the supplies needed when school opens in June. They cannot expect much help from a government that cannot even provide desk/chairs for over 20,000 students in the Davao area alone. The supplies needed to start school were 8 spiral note books, 6 writing pads, pencil, blue pen, ruler and 16 count color set. We decided to give in addition an extra pencil and pen, pencil/pen holder and backpack. Elena, Cardawe Acmad and I went to China Town to purchase the supplies. Thanks to Elena’s bargaining skills we were able to save money and get first quality supplies. The supplies were put into the 25 backpacks and on Sunday May 30th we took the supplies to the children and treated them to lunch at the market. The children were delighted and anxiously waiting for us to arrive. Elena had gone the previous Sunday and made the arrangements for the children to meet us at around 10 in the morning.

I am just using some of the photos Tom took, but to see them all, please click here to see all the photos.

I just read Tom Martin’s post and his last comment rang true to me as well. Bruce met my wife and me for lunch before he left for Vegas. We chatted about many things. He was a little upset due to some expats comments, and rightfully so. I do believe we would have become good friends if he had stayed here.

I have been here in Davao for almost a year now. I have not done a lot of socializing because I have been working 6 to 7 days a week building a house. I have met several expat here. I have one for a neighbor, one down the road and another down the road the other way. One, I actually think might become a good friend, but school is still out on that until I transfer (move) into my house later this week.

My neighbor’s idea of friendship is a shoddy barb wire fence that looks like a 10 year old put up, with grow sticks laced in between the strands and native thorn bushes he transplanted down the fence row, in my front yard! Not to mention three coconut trees he planted specifically to block my view of Mt Apo. That will take a few years, if they don’t die. Did I mention I bought my property from him. Nice guy till he saw he was not going to get any more money out of me.

Another foreigner with a bad plan. I would tell him what I think, but he hides or turns his back and goes inside if I get within shouting distance. He always waits until we are not there to do his deeds, early morning or after dark. My wife and I laugh and wonder when he will find the time once we move there. However, given that, the real sad part of it all is the fact that my wife and his wife grew up together, been friends most of their lives. I think his wife has came back to visit my wife one time in 6 months. Such a shame, but fear not, I believe in Karma…….we reap what we sow.

As for the other expats I have met, I put them into three categories. The ones that have little and want to be a King and the ones that have a lot and think they are Kings. Then there are the ones like me that came here because they love the culture and the challenge of a third world country. These seem to be far and few between. I do have several expat friends in Cebu who we visit and are waiting to come here when my house is finished. Yes, there are many inconviences here, downright frustrating at times. However, you got to love the people. Most have nothing but they are always smiling and full of hope. I do have several Filipino friends. All I have to do is mention I need this, or need someone to help me. They always come through and are there to help whenever I have a need. They expect nothing in return.

Well it seems that Tom Martin and I may have a few things in common. Maybe he will read this and who knows, maybe we will become friends. However, I do empathize with him no matter the outcome.

I have had people that are coming here for the first time; ask me about being taken advantage of by the Filipino’s. They are concerned and worried that they will have to pay more than they should. I have to laugh. But it’s true, you may get the white guy price or a Taxi driver may try to get away without setting the meter, (but we know Bruce would never do that). But it’s usually only a few peso’s more. The only way to really combat this is to learn some of the language. More times than not I get a better price then the Filipino’s. I always ask the price of something in English. Once they tell me, I then tell them in their language it’s too high and I want a discount. They are usually so shocked they get a big smile on their face and start lowering the price. As for as being taken advantage of, well my advice is to beware of other foreigners. They will more likely dent your wallet much harder the any Filipino. Sad but true.

Another item is the currency. To me, being an American, I have felt the denominations of the currency, in America made more sense in which denominations are paper, and which is coin. Here, the coins are .01, .05, .10, .25. Yes, there are .50 and even dollar coins, but they are not commonly used. Then in the paper money, there is a $1, $5, $10, $20 $50 and $100. With the Philippine pesos, the coins are .01, .05, .25, 1, 5, and 10 peso coins. Then with paper currency there is 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. While researching information, it turns out there is a 5 and 10 peso bill, but I have never seen them. The thing that is so different here now back in the US is not the denominations as much as the size. When you need to pay, you reach for the dollar amount from your bills and the change from your coins, or just give bills and let them make the change.

In the Philippines, you do not use sentimo coins often. Many times when you pay, they round the sentimo to a peso and usually in your favor. The sentimo coins are small but the peso coins are larger and heavier than US coins. The one peso is about the size of a US quarter and the 5 and 10 peso coin is the size of a half dollar. Also at times it get confusing where to grab your money, for instance if you need to pay 30 pesos. You need a 10 peso coin and a 20 peso bill if you are paying with exact change. Another fact I found out during research is that they will be phasing in new designed currency. They are phasing in new paper money starting December 2010 and new coins in 2012. This is to decrease the chances for counterfeiting.

Another item to readjust is driving. As I mentioned in a previous article is that I bought a scooter. This little motorcycle type vehicle only reaches a speed of 35 MPH under normal conditions. If I am going up a slight grade, the speed will decrease and if going down a grade it can go faster. With this slow speed, I have not had anyone honk their horns or try to push me off the road. Also, driving around I see driving speeds faster than in the Philippines but most people follow the laws. I have not seen cars turning right from the left lanes, or gridlock at intersections. Over all most drivers are much more courteous then back in Davao.

One of my favorite but daunting items to adjust to is eating. When out during the day in Davao and we or I got hungry, at times it was the thought “I am bored with the few choices, so where do we go?” Now there are so many choices. There are many fast food places, private restaurants and different cuisines. Friday I went to Quiznos, which is a sandwich shop that grills their sandwiches. Saturday I had a
Carne Asada Burrito made from fresh grilled beef. I added nice thick firm sour cream, not the loose pourable version you would get in the Philippines. Sunday while running around shopping, I had a burger from my favorite west coast chain, In-and-out Burger famous for their Double-Double. This is double the burger, double the cheese. They also make their French fries from fresh potatoes, not from a bag of frozen fries. I had a Double-double with grilled onions and French fries.

Last for this article is a good but upsetting item, TV. It is wonderful to have many channels in English. The upsetting part is the TV season is over. I loved watching “60 Minutes” and being able to get more US news.

To those readers in the US, you are probably thinking, what is so exciting and need for readjusting, that is normal here and for those who never have been to the US you might have trouble understanding what the difference is except I can say this, If you have been to Manila, think of the differences between Manila and Davao. Manila has more restaurants and choices then in Davao. On the traffic area, the traffic goes from bad to worse.

One problem was with the scooter. The storage box on the rear fell off twice and went bouncing down the road. The first time the nuts on the mounting bolts loosened and fell off from the vibrations. The next day I drove back up to North Las Vegas to have a new one installed. This time they tightened to nuts tight. The following day the mounting bracket cracked and broke around the bolts. I had to drive back again the next day to get another one. This time I got a larger box that is removable. I also asked the owner to use a second nut to lock the nuts in place. This box has stayed on with no problem. One decision is, the top cover of the box is bright yellow. One thought is to paint it silver or black and the other thought is the bright yellow will be easier to see at night.

With all these trips to North Las Vegas, it did give me a chance to drive around and use different streets to get to know the city better. Especially with the test, I needed to take at the Taxi Authority (TA).

Last Monday I went back to the first Taxi company I had visited and applied there. I now have my DOT medical Health Certificates. As usual, I had one hour to go have a Drug Screening, which entails a urine and hair specimen. Late afternoon I called the taxi company and was told I passed and to come in Tuesday morning to fill out the job applications.

The next morning, Tuesday I went to the taxi company early and filled out all the forms they require. The next step is going to the TA for the Taxi Drivers Permit test. The other taxi company I had applied has a review class on Tuesdays at 11:30am to help perspective drivers pass the test.

Since it was only 9am I did not know how to kill two and a half hours. I drove around the area looking for a Starbucks. I finally decided to become a typical person in Vegas and went into a Hotel Casino. The Orleans is off the strip and close to where I was, so I went there. I looked at some of the slot machines and video poker and they all looked so different then the machines I am used to seeing. In the past, the only video units were for poker and most slot machines had the 3 to 5 wheels that spin. You could pull the arm down or just press a button to play.

Now all are video. They have so many strange configurations. In addition, no money drops out of the machine. That was what was used to psyche out the people to play, hearing all the coins dropping out of a winning machine making lots of noise. Now you put your money in to play and the machine shows you your credits. As you win, your credit count increases. When you are done playing, you press a “Cash Out” button and a slip of printed-paper comes out with a bar code and your winnings. You can use this instead of money at another machine or you go looking for a machine that looks like a change machine or an ATM. You put this paper into the slot and out come your cash. These machines will also make change. This reduces the amount of staff to make change or change your coins into paper money.

I sat at a Video Poker machine and started with putting in five dollars. I won some, lost some and eventually lost the investment. While sitting there I ordered coffee, which was my plan originally. It was still too early to head over to the Taxi Company for the review class so I decided to invest ten dollars more. I had some small winning hands and a few bigger ones. I finally noticed my credits equaled Twenty-Five dollars and decided to take my ten-dollar profit and go.

At the taxi company, Two other applicants and I showed up for the class. The instructor was nice and explained how the testing at the TA works. You sit at a computer and take the test there. You get 40 questions and cannot miss more then 10. The answers are all multiple choice and sometimes there are two correct answers but you need to pick the most correct. For instance, if a question asks where a certain hotel is located, one answer could give one street and another answer gives both streets of the intersection it is located. Questions can be about the location of government buildings, hotels, golf courses, strip clubs and points of interest. There are also questions about location of shows or attractions and math questions concerning making change. There could also be questions about the laws driving.

For the past few days, I had been studying the study guides. I even made a two-column list on my computer with the place on one side and the location on the other. I printed this answer sheet and then had a file on the computer with the answers.

Then he started asking questions that could be on the test. I realized with all my studying, I did not know much. I started thinking it would take weeks of studying and even cruising around to see the locations since that usually works best for me.

Wednesday I spent a lot of time studying and deicide to go to the TA Thursday to sign up and take the test to see what it is like. I did not expect to pass, but just to get the experience.

Thursday morning I got up and stopped at Starbucks to sip my coffee and spend some time reviewing my study guide. The problem is there are so many of every item on the list, and my bad memory, I thought I could never remember much and with so many, it will add to confusion. Well, after my coffee I scooted to Sahara Ave.  Once inside as always these days is, sign in and wait. I was eventually called and handed an application to be filled out. After returning  the application I needed to be called up to pay my fee and then they run a background check. Eventually I was called up to be brought to the computer for my test.

At first I was nervous, the first few questions I had to guess for the answer. I had heard of the place but could not remember the location, and then I started getting lots of questions about making change and rules at the airport. Then I got some questions that I had known.  When I noticed I was on question 40, I thought to myself, I wonder how bad I failed. Well I hit “Next” after I selected my answer and up comes a screen saying “You had 7 wrong, Congratulations, you Passed.”  I was in Shock; I have been here only two weeks.

I was next finger printed for an FBI check. It is nice it is no longer done with ink but a scanner type device. I am next informed I have to take a all day “Drivers Awareness” class with the TA. The class is held only on Thursdays and Fridays. Good thing it is Thursday so I was able to attend the next day and not have to wait another week.

The class started at 7:30am and was about the does and don’ts  driving a Taxi. In a town where the main business is Hotels, gambling and shows, there are some people looking for easy money and who else to rob but a taxi driver with all the cash. They tell you to take a good look at each of your customers so you will be able to give a good description to the police if robbed. They also discuss about the hotels, where you can pick up customers and other items they are concerned and responsible. There are TA Inspectors that have the same powers of arresting as the police and they can issue tickets. The good thing is if you get a ticket by the TA, it does not go on your license and your insurance is never notified. In the afternoon they gave a test and once your done, and if you passed, you get your Taxi Drivers Permit.

Now I am legally a Taxi driver in Las Vegas. Monday morning I will go to the taxi company and be scheduled for their training. As I have heard, the training is three days and starts on a Tuesday. If this is correct, I will be starting to work by the end of the week.