L.A. SPEAK

A selection of cab gab:

black: adj . unavailable for service. “I’m black at Vons near Melrose and Vine.”

blue: adj. occupied, busy. “I’m blue with a senior from Crest Haven.” Can also mean final destination. “I’m blue to Cedars Sinai.”

clear: adj. empty.

dog pound: n . the Greyhound bus station. “Pickup at the dog pound downtown.”

fly’s open: n. code meaning the Fly Away Bus depot in Van Nuys has no cabs waiting in the stand or cab zone area. “The fly’s open and a single female’s waiting for pickup.”

gray-bar Hilton: n . the police station. “Pickup at the gray-bar Hilton. “

guzzle: v . to steal another driver’s order. “Hey, that guy guzzled me!”

Henry: exclamation meaning “What?” or “Repeat that, I didn’t understand.” Named for Henry Sanchez, a former Yellow Cab supervisor who had a hearing problem. “ Henry . I got static.”

make like E.T.: v . a command from the switchboard telling the driver to call the dispatcher.

red: adj. driver is clear within a zone or pickup stand and available for orders. “I made like E.T. Now I’m red at Burbank Airport.”

taking pictures: v. police use of radar. “They’re out taking pictures at Lankershim and Magnolia.”

yellow: n . a threatening or dangerous person or event. “I have yellow in the cab. Please assist.”

ten one hundred: n. bathroom break. “I need to take a ten one hundred. “