Kelly Dessaint, SF Examiner

Kelly Dessaint

SF Examiner

Oakland, CA, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • SF Examiner

Past articles by Kelly:

The loneliness of the late night taxi driver

In the small hours, Howard Street can be the loneliest stretch of asphalt in The City. Driving through the quiet streets of SoMa after midnight is like sta → Read More

Stuck inside a taxi with the winter blues again

February is a bust. I only worked three shifts this month. Which is the longest I’ve gone without driving a cab since getting my a-card four years ago. Eve → Read More

Playing the taxicab hustle pays off with bigger fares

Last Thursday was my first taxi shift in two weeks. After failing to come up with my share of February’s rent, the powers that be, i.e., my wife, issued an » → Read More

Inside the secret life of taximeters

“Just so you know,” says the guy in the back of my taxi. “This isn’t what you think…” Driving a taxi can be dreadfully dull at times. During the day, most → Read More

A ride for everyone

In a Yellow cab, you really stand out. Besides the distinctive, universally recognized color scheme, there are seven giant ‘3s’ plastered along each set of doors, along with an assortment » → Read More

Navigating new terrain in familiar places

Deep in the cut, I play the radio hard. Taking one order after another. Mostly short rides, along with some no-go’s, that push me further into the outlying neighborhoods of » → Read More

The scourge of the surge

It’s all part of the process. As demand spikes and dynamic pricing kicks in, Uber/Lyft drivers are desperate to take advantage of the higher rates, as well → Read More

A rider delivers an all too familiar rant about The City

After circumventing the 45 bus, the red carpet on Third Street is all mine. With an eye out for any interlopers who think they’re clever enough to access the transit » → Read More

Getting stalked by a bad aura

Maybe it’s just my imagination. Or maybe I really do need to get my aura cleansed. That was Irina’s sardonic recommendation to cast away the various misfor → Read More

When a turnaround becomes a second chance

It’s a cold, blustery evening in The City. As I wait for a red light to cut me some slack, a tsunami of garbage drifts through the intersection. Competing → Read More

Taking a cop’s reprimand as a compliment

On Friday night, as the symphony and ballet are about to break simultaneously, I’m racing up Seventh Street, hoping to get a fare before there’s nothing le → Read More

‘Tis the season to go old school

With the holidays fast approaching, there are certain things a taxi driver can count on: Union Square will be packed with shoppers and families enjoying th → Read More

Letting fate determine my trajectory

Not all rides are equal. Even if they start at the same point, destinations vary so drastically — and financially — that entire shifts can hang in the bala → Read More

Driving into the apocalypse

My day begins under an apocalyptic sky. Due to the deadly Camp fire up north, the atmosphere in Oakland is polluted with tragedy and a thick haze of smoke. → Read More

Helping out strangers in a strange land

Outside the Hyatt Regency, an Amtrak Thruway Coach idles in the bus stop, leaving just enough room for me to pull into the cabstand. A few seconds later, an elderly » → Read More

When bloviating regulars are no longer worth the effort

It’s all fun and games until you realize you’ve been listening to the same passenger moan and complain in the backseat of your taxi for the last… uhhh… two → Read More

Driving home a weeping, staggering dinosaur

As last call draws near, the lost souls of Halloween wander drunkenly through the late night/early morning fog, in tattered costumes and feeble disguises. → Read More

Navigating a Friday night blowout

The streets of San Francisco are ribbed for your car’s pleasure. And the massive potholes, some of which could easily qualify as ditches, are there to make sure you’re paying » → Read More

A very strange reaction

“Hey, cabbie! Can you turn up the music?” “Oh, sure,” I grumble and twist the volume knob to the right. At least the hip-hop is drowning out the chuckle fest » → Read More

Losing my edge

Not working for ten days really threw me off my taxi game. Once I’m finally behind the wheel of Veterans 233 again on Wednesday, it’s a struggle to get my » → Read More