Monday, February 27, 2006

I Almost Died Today!!

Throughout my life, I have tried my very best to erase stereotypes. Today, ironically, that was not able to happen.

I had never ridden in a cab before, so I was simply basing my knowledge of taxis and their drivers on what I had seen on tv and movies. Typically, on tv, a taxi driver is someone from a different country whose cab smells and is decorated with items from their home country. In addition, tv cabbies are typically terrible drivers, anxious to honk their horn and cut people off while going 20 mph over the speed limit.

This picture became very real to me today in Chicago. As I waited for my cab, I watched countless American cab drivers pass by, but sure enough, when mine arrived, the man was from India. His cab was decorated with all sorts of Indian material and reaked of smoke. Then we started driving. Within a minute he was on the horn and must have cut off nearly 10 people in the 20 minute drive. Also, he was traveling the freeway at 80 in a 55 mph zone.

But I survived and now have another story to tell. He must have been an okay driver as I remain in one piece!!

Jason