Cab ride of the damned

[gordonzola]

I took a cab home from work last week. I had groceries, my knee hurt, and it was starting to rain. I only live 8 blocks away but it’s uphill. I treat myself to a cab less than I treat myself to a half order of Big Nate’s pork ribs after my crazy Saturday of work, so I figured I deserved it.

I didn’t deserve my cabdriver though. He immediately started in. "What do you think of Gavin Newsom and his gay marriages?" he asked, not really asking. Reserving the qualifiers I might use in a conversation with friends, I responded to his intent. "I think it’s great."

Of course that was what he was waiting for to start his rant. After going on about all that Christian Blah Blah for a bit, he said something about how you don’t see "dogs marrying dogs in nature". I admit I was caught a little off guard since most SF cabdrivers go on Lefty rants, not Christian ones, if they wanna talk politics. But I did take the opportunity to point out all the studies in the last few years which have shown homosexuality in the animal kingdom. This angered him.

"Lies! All Lies! I am a scientist and a Christian! That is the same science that tries to tell us that men came from fishes and monkeys!" He stopped his rant to yell at the confused car in front of us. "Stupid Women drivers," he screamed out the window even though he couldn’t see the driver. When we passed I looked back and noted that it was a man.

He then decided to bring the conversation back to safer ground. "Newsom will do a good job with the homeless though. Don’t you think?"

Comments

[reddawn.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed that you bothered to engage in the debate. There's something about being stuck in a car with someone I don't know--someone who's probably packing heat--that makes me a bit wary of controversial topics. Is that just my Chicago paranoia shining through?

yeah, you got Chicago paranoia

[slipkid.livejournal.com]

SF cabbies can't afford hand guns. but they do have cool picture cameras that go off when you open the door (you don't notice it). they turn into movie cameras if the driver presses an oh shit button. as long as they don't have to put up the thick plastic like in NYC, the cabbies can do what they want. although i rarely talk to them about anything besides the weather and how a local sports team is doing. the worst thing i have ever gotten is horrible jokes.

Just cuz you're paranoid don't mean they're not going to shoot you.

[reddawn.livejournal.com]

Heh, I think Chicago cabbies can't afford not having guns. Then of course, if I take a cab 3 or 4 times it's a heavy cab year for me.

BTW- a couple years ago they did a poll of bus drivers here and found that more than 1 in 10 were carrying guns on the bus. Sweet.

Bus drivers???

[slipkid.livejournal.com]

I would think that they would want to get into a physical confrontation with the passenger so they could injure themselves and go on permanent disability. (fyi, my oldest brother used to be a bus driver so I am just giving them a little harmless grief)