simple is beautiful
NYC Taxi Photo: Confused passengers
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Sunday, 29 April 2007

Confused passengers

Indecisive passengers are a real aggravation, I'm on break now, and I actually have a legal parking spot.

Yesterday some old lady got in at Lexington and 57th and told me to go to the Post office,

"Do you know where the post office is?" she asked.

"Yes, if you mean the main one, I know where the main post office is," I say.

"No there is one right here," she was twisting and turning her head every which way. "It is right down the street."

"Ohhh, yeah I know the one, there is one on 45th street and Lex," I reply.

"No, no, its very close, its on 53rd street, well I could have sworn, it is right on 3rd avenue," She says.

"But we're on Lexington avenue," oh no, I think this lady seems to have Alzheimer’s.

"Well it should be right here. It’s this big building with columns on it.... and it.. oh.. It." she fades off into randomness, and unimportant notes about what a post office looks like.

We are at 53rd street, and after pulling over and looking back to try to jog her memory, I look down east and can see all the way to 3rd Avenue. Sure enough I see the building where postal workers hang out, and it says United States Post Office, so we agree that it’s there.

“Just make a left,” she says.

“I can’t, I have to take the next street down.” Most of the Manhattan streets are only one-way streets.

The fare is 3.70. And the time this ride took was 5 minutes, for 6 blocks.

"Thank you for putting up with me" she pays me 5 whole dollars, golly, my lucky day.

She also commented routinely that we were going to fast, whenever we started to move.

-----

This guy today, picked him up at Bleeker and Broadway and he says Varick and Van Dam. Not sure where it is but I’d take Houston to Varick, or traffic is so light I'll take Prince to Varick, and find Van Dam.

Guy- "On second thought, make that Spring and Hudson."

I just passed Prince and Broadway, how do I go to Spring and Hudson? Every damn street stops at Varick, what the f- goes to Hudson? And where the f- is Van Dam anyway? See to get to Hudson I could take Prince possibly, but Hudson runs north, and Van Dam is definitely south by a few blocks. Broome is south, but only goes to Varick. Canal seems too far.

Guy- "Do you know where you’re going?"

Me- "Well I was going to go to prince to Varick and I’d find Van Dam, but now I don't know where I’m going. Nothing goes to Hudson." I’m looking at my torn up page of Downtown Manhattan. "I'm gonna try Broome, but I'm pretty sure it goes to Varick and not Hudson."

Guy (pondering)- “Just take me to Van Dam and Varick"

Jiminy Christmas! if he didn't f-ing change his mind in the first place we wouldn't be going in little squares circles and triangles!!!

Guy- “Just take a side street"

Me- "Where?"

everything is a side street motherheffer!

Guy- "Just take this left."

Me- "LEFT?"

Guy- "Left."

Me- "Why?"

Guy- “To get to Van Dam."

Me- "Van Dam is north of here, and we're going south, also we are going to the Holland tunnel."

Guy- "Varick is south of the tunnel right? And Van Dam is south of the tunnel."

Me- "No, Varick is east of the tunnel. That is the tunnel right there see, we're at the tunnel, and Van Dam is 3, no 4, 5 blocks north of here. I’m’ a have ta get'cha right over there now."

I hang a left on Spring, up 6th-

Guy- "Yeah, we should be here any minute, it should be here."

huh you don't say, And we arrive.

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