Yes, I help the environment...

By taking public transportation.

And by that, I mean Silu Taxi.

Rankin Inlet has ... to the best of my knowledge... two taxi companies.

And they must make a killing. One keeps adding "new" cars to the fleet... affixing magnetic "Silu Taxi" signs to the hoods...

It's a different person every time I call. Sometimes they know where I live, sometimes they have no clue. Sometimes they pick me up. Sometimes they don't.

Today, they didn't. So I was a tough little Northerner and walked home sans snow pants in -25 (-35 with windchill). It was okay for the first 10 minutes. Then I became a chilly little toaster.

Sorry mom. I'll wear them next time. Promise.

But back to my point. The taxi service in Rankin Inlet is unlike anything else I've ever seen... save Iqaluit. But even Iqualit's taxi service is a little more refined.

First of all, even though we have cell phone service in town these days, all communication is done via radio-thingie. I don't know how I'm able to CALL a walkie-talkie, but it happens.

Then (if they show up) sometimes they come into my building and wander around calling 'taxi!' until I run out, half a bagel in hand... boot laces flying, clumping down the stairs.

If you are the first one in the cab (more on this later) its a bit of an insult to pull the "you are my chauffeur" routine, like we do back home. You sit up front.

Unless of course, the driver doesn't have one of his buddies along for the ride/company.

Then it could either be a direct ride (VERY RARE) or you could then be taken for the grand tour of the hamlet. If you are in the smaller vehicles, this isn't a big deal, but one of the taxi co's have this GIANT 10 (?) passenger van. And they cram it full of people, picking up and dropping off at random intervals.

And the fare is a flat 5 dollars. Which works out to your benefit (probably) if you are like me, going from one end of town to the other (really only a 7 min drive - direct)... but not so much if you are trying to cram a bunch of your folkies in post-friday night soiree.

Not that we really do that here anyways haha, so it doesn't matter.

And that my friends is the art of taxi-driving/riding in the north.

La Fin.

A brand new low...

Well I certainly created a bit of a splash in my first full day in Rankin. I really wish I had a theme song for my "Jackie antics" entries. They seem to be getting more and more frequent. Scary.

So, I was loaned the CBC vehicle last night, so I could do any grocery shopping etc. I needed to do... as well the guy that was supposed to take it home went home early, and left it with me.

I was thrilled, because that meant that Jaime and I could go on a driving tour of Rankin... rather than a walking, shivering tour of Rankin.

So to kill time, and to pick up a few things before I picked her up... I headed to the Northern (and apparently parked in the "for sale vehicles" area... oops!) I waste a sufficient amount of time, and head back out to my car.... and somehow set off the car alarm.... AND I CAN'T TURN IT OFF. So after about ten minutes of trying to turn it off... I give in, and call my producer. She drives down to help me out. She can't stop the alarm either. Then three kids ask me if I'm robbing my own car. Actually, it went more like this:

Kid: "Is there a robber?"
Me: "No, *engaging smile* I just set of the alarm by mistake"
Kid (to friends): She's robbing the car.

Ye-ah.

THEN. My producer and I jump in her car, head to CBC tech guy's place, because he knows how to fix it. He tells her. We try it. No dice.

By this time it is at least 20 minutes after I said I was going to meet Jaime.

THEN producer leaves me in the car, (to sit totally awkwardly, and freezing-ly in the screaming vehicle) to go get tech guy. Twenty minutes pass. No producer. No tech guy. Turns out in this time, he came, and tried to find me, but because I was parked in the "for sale" parking lot, thought all was fine.

FINALLY, I am rescued, and he drops me off at home, and then takes me to Jaime's place. A good hour after I said I was going to be there.

Or so I thought.

Turns out I'm an idiot... and got the wrong building, but decided I didn't need my wallet to go to Jaime's so I have NO MONEY. So I walk BACK to the Northern. And call 411. Ok I have her number. Can I remember my calling card number? Not a chance. Solution?

BEG FOR MONEY AT THE NORTHERN. That's right. I had to scam a quarter off a 12-year old in the Northern. How low can you go?

Anyways, I finally got there, had some fan-freakin-tastic cheese pizza... some classic "Beauty and the Geek" and broke out the Wii. I'm no longer a Wii-virgin. And now I want one. Blame Jaime.

Oh, and now I'm not allowed to take the car home for awhile. I think they are worried I might set it off in the middle of the night, and they don't want me to wake them up haha.