Currently browsing 'taxis'
Havana Cabs
The Havana cabs are a diverse species. Just like other material objects in Cuba, cabs are a wedding of what’s available. You have your standard checkered yellow, George Jetson Cocotaxis, pedicabs held together with some clever salvage craft, and then these… the ones that defy time, science and embargoes… what makes Cuba feel oh so 1950s. More on taxis to come.
the loneliest taxi stand…
When in a cab migrating north or south on the Henry Hudson during evening hours, if I’m not scanning the Hudson river sparkling with city lights, then my head is often turned towards that interesting territory adjacent to the highway where the city starts. One thing that always captures my attention but never the lens of my camera is the lonely taxi stand outside of Hustler. That’s a strip club, for those not in the know. Taxi stands are not a familiar sight, at least in the parts of the city I find myself in. Usually every where you step is a taxi stand, created by your very own self when you peak outside the sidewalk with a raised hand. Voila. Taxi stand. But right off the highway is a canopied (glass?) stand with a large sign, “Taxi” around the corner (but out of sight of) Hustler’s doors. I’ve never seen someone standing in it, and I’m always looking whenever I pass. And I just have to think that it is the loneliest taxi stand, without a person and more so if someone’s in there. There is no hiding your nocturnal activities if you’re standing in this glass box with a glaring sign,-Hey, I’ve just been enjoying some gyrating, pole happy tits, fantasy is over and now I need to go home… if you are trying to be discreet. And if you weren’t in Hustler and just need a cab, people will probably never believe it. I’m waiting for the day I see someone waiting in it, to imagine all the stories that accompanies standing in the taxi stand in front of Hustler on the West Side Highway. What probably bothers me is that it is a scene set for a character who hasn’t walked onto the pages yet.
Have any other lonely taxi stands, or thoughts on this one?
Dante’s Inferno, Fourth Circle: (Most) Yellow Cabs and Non-local gypsy cabs
I am pretty sure in Dante’s Inferno, the banished were allotted room for redemption. So join Beatrice and sing for these groups:
A special place is reserved for some members of two groups that manage to always make Nova go to the verge of supernova status (big difference between the two). That would be the majority of yellow cabs and non-local cabs that troll around neighborhoods that aren’t their turf. Why such harsh words for you? Let’s start with the hornets:
- F*ck you for not wanting to go past 125th street, and forcing me to hail you on the downtown lane to trap you into going uptown.
- Once in your vehicle, screw you for either:
- kicking me out because you don’t want to go uptown.
- sucking your teeth, cursing in [insert language], being disgruntled and driving angry for the entire ride up.
- abandoning me midway pretending the car broke down.
- here’s where Nova becomes Supernova: demanding a $5-10 tip for “going this far up”.
- While you’re busy screwing yourself, study a f*cking map of NY and accept that Inwood is in Manhattan and not the Bronx so NO you can’t charge me Bronx fees from the airport. Dante’s Inferno, Fourth Circle: (Most) Yellow Cabs and Non-local gypsy cabs – continue reading …
Riding in Ruins: A Taksizis in Athens
I’m probably going to have a number or Greek city stories, so I might as well start with one of the first to stand out in memory. Every city boasts taxi cab stories, and I’m not here to rerun that cliché. I will, though, tell you some Athenian taxi cab flavor that I’ve enjoyed. Not talking about the smoking in the cab with the windows closed. (Don’t smoke? Well you are a smoker by default in Athens. Spend some time living there, and cigarettes look mighty good by the time you leave. Don’t be surprised if you need a nicotine patch to get you through the first two weeks back home.) I’m not commenting on the fact that you share your cab in Athens with whoever can fit and is picked up on the way. That, to me, is a delightful way to minimize traffic, greenhouse gases, and is just plain common sense. Let’s get the rest out of the way so I can get to my story: a lot of them are Mercedes Benzes and a lot are not, you often yell your destination to them as they pass to see if they are going your way… Greeks on this blog-you fill the rest in. Meanwhile, here’s one of my first rides in an Athenian cab: Riding in Ruins: A Taksizis in Athens – continue reading …
