Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Cabbing it!


Ya know there's a blog called the New York Hack that I read. It's all about a female cab driver's experiences on the road in NYC. Well....since I hurt my ankle, I've been cabbing it back and forth to the train and my office each day. I'd like to share the other side of the New York Hack experience, sitting in the back...

Day One....Hailed a cab....(actually you can get killed hailing a cab in NY in the morning as much as you can get killed by someone driving one). Tell the driver where I want to go. Mind you, this is one of the hottest days on record in NY. So...I small talk..saying Boy..it's gonna be a hot one today (why is it that weather is what one always talks about)...why can't people feel comfortable saying something like" Geeze you're good looking!!!" or "Gawd that's an ugly shirt your wearing...." but anyway...the cabbie just grunts at me and says yeah....of course I don't leave it alone and ask..How's the a/c work in here? Is it going to keep you cool all day long??? He says..probably not.....I see he's doing paper work while we're driving! hmmm.....No wonder why he doesn't want to talk...he's writing, driving, listening to some god awful station on the radio, guess he can't do all these things AND talk to his passengers all at the same time....I mean..really!

On the way home....Since I get to leave early (my leg, remember?) I don't have too much trouble in the hailing of the cab. The cab pulls over.....and signals with his hands as if asking if I'm going in a certain direction...I told him yes i'm going south...he waves me in.....now if i'm not mistaken....I don't think he can turn down a passenger.....but anyway....that's a story for another day.....so I get in and of course I say something about it being really hot outside and ask him if he's staying cool....he just puts on a great big smile...and nods his head....I ask if he's been drinking lots of water today? He just smiles...nods his head. After my third attempt at questioning...I've come to the realization that he has absolutely no idea what I'm saying...he doesn't speak English....I guess they go to taxi school to understand the names and numbers of streets????????

2 comments:

Odat said...

Great idea!!!!

Maria said...

My favorites, is when they think your a tourist and try to take you out of your way. Always happens when I am super late to work and than I have to make him pull over get out and try in the morning to hail another cab from God Awful, port authority! Or there dirty perves... but wait thats not such a very bad thing... on second thought! lol have a great day! M