Cab-atitude

My roommate coined this term for her attitude when getting into a taxi here in Chicago... meaning that if she gets in and it's unacceptable, she gets out and waits for another one. I have had several interesting experiences in cabs myself...

The Speed Racer - Drivers who think they are a part of the Indy 500. As a passenger, you're slung all over the place and can start feeling quite queasy. I'm under the impression cabbies think they increase their earning potential by decreasing the amount of time they spend per customer. I know that I tip less for reckless driving - I'm a big tipper too so they should be more aware of their customer's comfort.

Once, a friends' husband nicely said to a driver, "we're in no hurry" which worked to slow one down. So that's the line I'm going to use, my problem is by the time I realize I have a problem with their speed racing, I'm on the verge of getting motion-sick and I'm afraid opening my mouth will cause my stomach to leave my body.

The Preacher - These are the drivers who take advantage of the fact that you are TRAPPED in their vehicle for a certain amount of time to pontificate about whatever: I've been lectured about God, Bush, American's evilness, the weather, my building, traffic, Mayor Daley, etc.

The last time I was lectured was about my building: I walked out of my building, asking my doorman to flip the cab light. As I exited, a cab was pulling into my driveway and I got in. The driver then proceeded to tell me he was just turning around and the light should be on and I needed to learn how this process worked, etc. etc... I asked if he wanted to get out of the cab and wait for another (granted, while he was telling me how I wasn't doing the right thing, he had pulled out of the driveway and into traffic). So he lectured me the whole way downtown and again, his tip was my only response. I'm not about to start arguing with a cabdriver but I felt as this lecture wasn't necessary.

The Perfumer - Some cabs have distinct smells, like cigarette smoke or blantant B.O. and some have heavy and mysterious smells which are overwhelming and a little scary. Who knows what has been smoked in these cabs or what condition the driver is in. Plus, I hate heavy perfumes so I constantly feel as though I'm choking. And when it's -0 degrees as it can be in a Chicago winter, I hate rolling down the window.

But there are times when being cold is better.