 His Smile Reflected an Awful Lot of Rays of Sunshine... -Alex Farr So the days have been slow, and I've had lots of time to watch and see how to maneuver myself to actually get enough fares so that I can support my bourbon habit. It's not an easy trick, but I've learned that the suits downtown seem to like to end their meetings (and then fly away) right around noon, and around three, and around five. Occasionally it happens at other times, but nine out of ten fares going to the airport show up at one of these times. So one day I hit one, but it took until about three... and knowing that there wasn't likely to be another good one downtown for a couple of hours, well I got lazy. So I went to the BART near the airport, and the Coliseum. It's a really shitty neighborhood the moment you get off the strip that leads to the airport. I sat, and I read, and I pondered the theoretical difference between patience and laziness. I couldn't think of anything. And then, out of the blue, a kid climbed into my car. He looked like he must've been about 16, and he was sort of giggling or grinning or something... and just looked happy to be alive. So I asked him where he wanted to go. "Yeah man, take me to 84th and Rudsdale." he answered, the sun catching the metalwork on his shiny teeth. "Alright, no problem man. I just need some money up front." I answered,
having decided kids with shiny teeth are NOT to be trusted. For too many of the young with "grillwork", ripping off a cabbie seems to have become a fun way to add a little spice to one's day... "What? Uhh, it's in my shoe though..." he answered me, not smiling so much anymore. "That's cool... just whip your shoe off, and give me some cash." He looked around, bewildered by this terrible turn in his day. He seemed to be looking for inspiration. For God possibly. He didn't seem to be doing much in the way of looking in his shoe for money though. "Uhh, what's up with that? I ain't giving you nothing in advance, how'm I gonna trust you like that?" I chuckled. "That's cool. Get out and walk then." He fidgeted some more, and finally got out. It was maybe a minute before someone else came up and needed to go to the airport. As I made the U-turn, I spotted my shiny smiled little friend. He'd crossed the street and met up with a buddy of his, and they'd hopped into his car. Funny that... I can't help but think his buddy was gonna follow along, and between the two of them they were gonna try to heist me. Either that, or dude just found someone who believed the shoe money story...the New Waybills there's No Place Like Home... You gotta be shitting me Alex |