“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.” — Helen Keller
Yesterday, en route to Boston, I smelled it.
I hadn’t encountered the aroma since my early teens, but the moment it hit my nostrils, I knew –
Underwood Deviled Ham
Someone was eating it. And I was suddenly a child again, sitting at my mother’s kitchen table on a summer day, eating ham spread and crackers for lunch. I loved that stuff, back when processed foods were new and convenient, not the thing that was going to kill us all.
I like the logo, too. To this day, I could pick their brand out on the supermarket shelf when others from my childhood are long forgotten.
Good ol’ Underwood Deviled Ham.
I have to admit, I checked out FreshDirect.com — where I order the majority of my groceries — to see if they carry the stuff. Of course, they don’t. (It doesn’t exactly match their fresh food philosophy.)
But the kid in me is curious to see…
What the devil did I like about the stuff?
Robo cab
Living in NYC, I am pretty spoiled when it comes to hailing cabs. For those of you unfamiliar with the Big Apple, here are the steps required:
There are no numbers to call and usually very little wait (except at rush hour and in the pouring rain.)
I have often bemoaned how difficult it is to get a taxi in smaller cities where you have to place a phone order for a cab 30-45 minutes ahead of time to guarantee a ride.
Boston is somewhere in between. Taxis aren’t as plentiful as NYC, but you should be able to get one within 10-15 minutes of your call.
But now you don’t have to call.
B
oston Cab has installed a ‘text a taxi’ system. Once your cellphone number and name are in their system, you just send a text with your current location, and they text you back the number of the cab that has been dispatched.
I love this.
No more talking to surley dispatchers….or accidentally getting into the wrong cab while you are waiting. Plus, since you get a text when the cab is on its way, you don’t have to stand outside and freeze your giblets.
So, kudos to Boston for taking the leap into the 21st century with taxi texting.
(I’m sure NYC would have thought of it…if we needed it.)
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Posted in Cars, Commentary, Humor, Internet, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged 21st century, Big Apple, Boston, cabs, commentary, hail a cab, Humor, Internet, Manhattan, New York City, pouring rain, rush hour, taxi dispatcher, taxi texting, taxis, text a taxi, Travel