taxis, not bumper cars

after waiting at the Hilton for 20 minutes or so, a couple got in and asked to go around the corner to Grand Central Station. It wasn't around the corner, and i didn't bother telling them, since the fare would be under 5 bucks. After about 2 long blocks east and 4 or 5 blocks south they asked me if I was taking the fastest way there. I had to chuckle out loud on this one. The ride was under control, there is hardly a way to over-ride them. I explained the whole thing

"No, the hotel is at 53rd and the station is at 44th. I gotta go down to 5th Avenue and then go for about 10 blocks to 44th, then hang a left and after 2 more blocks you're there. The ride will come to either 450 or 490." I had just take my last ride from that hotel to that station, it was typical.

And as typical protocol, they leaned forward to try to find their bearings in this unknown city. I stayed in the far left lane since I had to make a left in about 2 blocks at this point. Just then a random guy sticks his hand up and walks out from the sidewalk. the cab in front of me was empty, but he'd already passed the man by. However, the idiot cabbie jerks on the brakes without any signal. I stop in time and check my right mirror for an opportunity to swing around the obstacle. When I look back, to my front, he stopped short again and I bumped him, both cabs shook.

No damage to his car

I feel inclined to yell at both the cabbie and the guy who hailed him.

to the hailer: "Do you know how to find an empty cab?! I'm not empty, he is! you hailed me and he stopped. A cab is empty when the light is on!"

to the cabbie: "You can't just do that without signaling, you already passed him, and you don't signal, how am I supposed to drive when you do somthing like that!?"

the fare was already 4.90 and they got out. I forgot to get them to sign the trip sheet as witnesses. The cabbie grabbed my side marker light which some how fell off the car, and he handed to me. He said it was my fault anyway, but he'd rather not do the paper work. I told him that wasn't possible, when he didn't signal and he stopped short not givving me enough time to drive around him, but I understood that who ever hits the other in the back is the one to blame.

oh hey look at that!

When the passengers left I told him that I was upset about loosing a light, that I've never lost a light before, and that this wasn't particularly so minor. He told me it was no big deal, to which I replied, "Yeah to you it's no big deal, you got no damage. I'm gonna have to go back to the garrage." Fortunately it turned out to be no big deal, since it was a cabbie on cabbie bump, they figured it wouldn't be reported, and I drove in to the garage wasting a half an hour, to get a replacement light screwed in.