Why you should DEFINITELY memorize cab numbers

Now for the second, much more disturbing story.

Saeeda and I went to catch a movie on Friday night (Vantage point – wait for the DVD), and decided to take a cab on the way back home. The guy drove over the speed limit, and swerved across lanes multiple times. That in itself is not unusual behavior for taxi drivers in a big city, but it was dangerous nonetheless.

The fare was $5.85 by the time we pulled up to our apartment building. I had a brief internal debate over whether I should give the guy $6.00, therefore punishing him for the bad driving by giving no tip, or whether I should give the guy $7.00 (the amount I would have paid normally). I generally tip cabbies, because I know the hard work they put in, and how little they make. So despite my better judgment I gave him $7.00 and started walking away from the cab.

A yell from the cabbie caught my attention, and I turned around. Next thing I know, the cab driver is approaching me aggressively, and shoving a quarter in my hand. I ask him what that’s for, and he makes a face and says it’s my change. Confused, I asked him what the change is for. He says that the fare was $5.85, and I only gave him $6.00. I say that he is wrong, and that I gave him $7.00.

Despite this guy’s aggressive behavior, I ask him to count the money I gave him, because I’m still willing to give him the extra dollar. Of course, it turns out that he has counted incorrectly. He looks up at me sheepishly, and I say that in the future he should count the money properly, and walk away.

This sets him off. He charges at me, yelling and cussing at me that I can keep my dollar. I’ve walked into my building lobby by this time, where Saeeda is waiting for me, and this cab driver comes INTO my building, still yelling and swearing at me. Dangerous though his behavior is, and even though avoidance is the best approach, I lose it the moment he takes a step towards Saeeda.

Placing myself between Saeeda and him, I get in his face and yell at him to get out. But I’ve also managed to lose my temper by this time, and start swearing right back at him. Somewhere along the line we both realize that we’re Pakistani, and the Urdu curse words follow. One part of me is amazed at myself, but another is just waiting for him to touch me. The adrenaline kicks in, tunnel vision kills my perception of my surroundings, and my face is an inch away from his.

Saeeda told me later that it was only through our doorman’s intercession that no physical violence ensued. The doorman managed to push the guy out of our building, and Saeeda somehow managed to get me into our elevator.

I had trouble sleeping that whole night, because I could not believe that cab driver’s actions. If you don’t get tipped appropriately, you can yell, curse, flick off the passengers, whatever. You do NOT leave your car under any circumstance. This guy did it TWICE. Once to shove a quarter in my face, and another to confront me once he realized he had counted incorrectly and I had called him out on it. That he was unstable was obvious, but that was no excuse for his actions. I spent the night kicking myself for not remembering the guy’s cab number or company.

Luckily, our doorman had noted down these details, and I got these from him the next day. The city of Chicago has heard from me, and I fully plan to see this idiot taken off the streets before he causes some serious damage. In the meantime, make sure you memorize that four digit number. You never know when you’re going to need it.