Taxi!

Magnet #838 - New York Taxi

Disclaimers:

1) If you're a kid, stop reading. My mother hates when I curse. And I can't help this one, and it's the 2nd worst curse word to use!

2) If you're a respectable, nonthreatening cab driver, please disregard this magnetblog - and thank you for your great service.

3) If you're a New Yorker or a visitor, you probably have your own cabbie stories to share. ALL of my cabbie stories are probably a lot like ones you've heard before. And of course, with this post, I've jinxed forever my cab-hailing luck.

Ok. By now, ya'll have heard how much I love New York City - the bestest place ever, the coolest place ever, yadda yadda yadda. Yes, I drink the NYC Kool-Aid.

That said, I am not blind to her faults. There are certain things in this city that I can't stand, and here's #1 with a bullet.

Over the last several years, I've come to hate riding cabs in the city. Hate it. I would rather WALK somewhere, than have to cab it. And if you know me at all, you know I hate walking anywhere.

But today it was raining. Today it was like a freakin' miracle that a cab at shiftchange was even available. So when I saw an open cab, I hailed it, and as he was slowly turning down Lexington and stopped, I opened the cab door, and he was yelling at me, with some serious, serious rage in his eyes: "Goddammit, not yet, Goddammit!" Yelling.

The door was already opened, and I had forward momentum going, and said, "I'm already in," and sat down. Then, I couldn't get the door to close, and as I re-opened the door, he yelled again, "Goddammit! Get out!"

As the car was rolling. Rolling, people. Yes, not breakneck speed, but rolling is rolling, yo.

Shocked at the cabbie's atrocious behavior, I looked at him and said, "Yeah, I'll get out," and opened the door, and folks, while the cabbie was still yelling, and still rolling, I stepped out. And slammed the door.

It's been a helluva day today, and that didn't stop me from dropping by Times Square to buy this particular magnet (let's not discuss how I knew what magnets are sold where, thanks) to use for today.

I wanted to file a complaint. But, apparently, filing an official complaint (rather than firing off an email) for this abhorrent behavior with the TLC, leads to an automatic hearing with the guy in person. You know, this same rage-filled guy that I would be afraid of meeting in broad daylight, much less around 3pm on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, on the Northwest corner of Lexington and 96h Street, Cab #5N61.

Yeah. No, I don't want to go after this guy or his livelihood. But people should know that there are some crazy-ass mofos out there.

Complaint. Magnetblogged.