Look at the nifty decal my airport taxi was sporting tonight:
While I appreciate the sentiment, based on my experience with cyclists in the city, they need the safe driving reminder.
The suckers will hit anything that moves.
And yes, I am generalizing…based on a wealth of first-hand experience.
Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Commentary, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged airport, automobiles, bicycles, cars, cyclists, decals, Humor, life, New York City, safe driving, taxis, transportation, Travel, wheelie
I hailed a cab to take me to downtown last night — nothing unusual about that. But as soon as we pulled away from the curb, there was a flash of lights and sirens behind us.
From another cab.
An undercover taxi cab police car.
I didn’t even know they existed! But my taxi driver said the police have undercover taxis, town cars — you name it — all waiting to take down unsuspecting lawbreakers.
Which filled my head with this scene:
A New York City bus pulls up to a stop. But it’s not a real bus — it’s an undercover police bus! Filled with SWAT team members. All armed and dangerous. Who run out of the bus and into the streets.
That’s all I got so far. But I like it.
To be continued…
Posted in Automobiles, Cars, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies, Television, transportation, Writing
Tagged automobiles, bus, bus stop, cabs, cars, city bus, entertainment, lawbreakers, lights, movie, New York City, police bus, police story, siren, SWAT, taxi cabs, taxis, Television, towncars, transportation, undercover police, writing
We all know it’s a small world. The song says so.
But sometimes the universe puts a big ol’ exclamation point on it.
I flew home to New York City late Saturday after a trip to Chicago and got in the cab, prepared to doze during the drive home.
My cabbie had a different idea.
You see, he was a talker. He asked about my trip, what I did for a living, where my hometown was. Since I’m a talker, I reluctantly abandoned the nap and chatted with him instead.
(He had a French accent, so it wasn’t a hardship.)
Turns out my NYC cab driver, who hails from a French colony in Africa, attended Southern Illinois University and had a roommate from Paducah, Kentucky — a stone’s throw from my own hometown.
Coincidence? Sure…but what a fun one!
Posted in Humor, Love, transportation, Travel
Tagged a talker, Africa, all roads lead, Business, business trip, cabbie, Chicago, commentary, French accent, French colony, hometown, Humor, it's a small world after all, life, Manhattan, New York City, Paducah Kentucky, put an exclamation point on it, SIU, Southern Illinois University, taxi cabs, taxi drivers, taxis, transportation, Travel, universe
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.)
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
Cabbies usually hail from other countries in New York City.
It’s part of the local charm.
And while some people might find that a hindrance to conversation, I’ve never let it stop me from chatting up the taxi driver on my way back and forth to the airport.
But last night, I was in Tulsa, the heartland of America. I was expecting Billy Bob to pick me up on his tractor and drive me to my meeting. (I say this with all due love and respect; remember, I grew up in Kentucky.)
But who was my driver? Eni, from Jamaica, with an accent so thick, you would have thought he had arrived just that morning, even though he has called Tulsa home for eight years.
Eni and I exchanged only the basic pleasantries until he discovered I was originally from Kentucky. Then he asked, with some excitement,
“Did you go to the University of Kentucky?”
When I said with great pride that I had, Eni talked non-stop for the rest of the long cab ride — with tremendous knowledge and enthusiasm, I might add — about the UK Wildcats basketball program. He is a huge fan of Coach Cal and knew our record this season as well as if not better than I.
Eni knew a lot about basketball…and American football…and the Olympics. In fact, our shared love of sports became our common language, even though we sometimes had to struggle to figure out exactly what each other were saying, since his English was a bit broken.
When Eni picked me up at the end of my meeting, he had updates on the Olympic women’s figure skating still in progress. You can bet if I’m ever in Tulsa again, Eni will be the cabbie I’ll call.
Every two years, the International Olympics Committee brings the world together through athletic competition. Last night, I experienced first-hand how sports can be a bridge.
Posted in Humor, Sports, Television, Travel
Tagged Coach John Calipari, college basketball, Humor, International Olympics Committee, Jamaica, Kentucky, New York City, New York City taxis, Olympic women's figure skating, Sports, taxi cabs, taxi drivers, taxis, Travel, Tulsa Oklahoma, Tulsa Oklahoma taxis, University of Kentucky Wildcats, Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
Are there etiquette rules for hailing a taxi?
One lady seems to think so.
Yesterday morning I rolled my wheelie bag to Columbus Avenue and stood mid-block, because taxis can get ticketed for picking up fares in the crosswalk.
At the corner two woman were also hailing taxis — in the crosswalk — but it’s not unusual to be one of many vying for a cab on the same spot in New York City.
After I had assumed the position — luggage in front of me, arm outstretched — one of the woman started yelling at me for “getting in front of her in line.”
Say what?
Taxis in Manhattan are plentiful, and I could already see about six of them with their lights on headed our way.
I chose to ignore the yelling at first, but she decided to walk over and confront me.
“Excuse me,” she said with quite a bit of ‘tude. “You just walked in front of me.”
“Taxis can get tickets for picking up people in the crosswalk,” I said calmly. “I simply moved down.”
“You moved ahead of me,” she repeated, hands on her hips.
I just turned away and continued to signal for the cab. It was a moot point as far as I was concerned.
“And me, eight months pregnant — nice,” she huffed, and walked way.
Now, I hadn’t really paid attention to her in the first place, and I certainly hadn’t noticed she was pregnant under her heavy winter coat. But I don’t think that knowledge would have changed my behavior….or should have.
Nobody made her get pregnant. And nobody made her stand in the crosswalk.
Everybody makes their own choices.
Some…are simply poor ones.
Tagged cabs, etiquette, hailing a cab, hailing a taxi, Humor, luggage, New York City, pregnancy, taxis, Travel
I worked all day today.
I mention it because it’s Saturday, which is the weekend in most civilized cultures. And I had to work. And I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself.
But even as I say that, I know I’m not the only person who worked today.
How did I get to the hotel in Jersey City where my meeting was held? A taxi, driven by a cabbie who clearly was working.
How did my client and I conduct business all day? Because the hotel manager, waiters, concierge and housekeeping staff all showed up.
Heck, you could surmise that the only reason I am able to post this blog — which is something I do each and every day — is because tech support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to keep it up and running.
Funny thing, though…this blog, which is my own self-imposed, daily deadline, never feels like work. And right now, just writing it making me less irritable and tired after working all day…on a Saturday. (I mentioned that, right?)
A friend asked me once how much I got paid for writing my blog. I laughed at the time.
But right now, this feels like payment enough.
Posted in Humor, Internet, Travel
Tagged blogs, hotels, Humor, Internet, Jersey City NJ, taxis, tech support, Travel, working on the weekend
5 reasons to take the subway
I was you once; I spent too much money on taxis and wore myself out walking dozens upon dozens of city blocks.
But trust me —
The subway is the best way to get around town.
Here are 5 reasons to give the MTA a chance the next time you are in town.
I mean, come on — take a chance and take a ride!
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Posted in Commentary, dance, Humor, New York City, subway, tourism, transportation, Travel, Vacation, Walking
Tagged celebrities, city blocks, commentary, crazies, dance, exhaustion, Humor, MTA, New York City, New York City boroughs, performances, rush hour, slice of humanity, subway, taxis, time, tourism, traffic, transportation, Travel, vacation, visitors, walking, wear-and-tear