Mellow Cab

I have never been late for class. Seriously. I always wear a digital watch and synchronized it with the school's exact time, even to the exact second. The latest I have been was last Tuesday (August 7, 2007), for my PE class. My class was at 10AM and I arrived at 10:09AM. We have like a leeway of 10-15 minutes before you'll be marked as late or something (like Dunce or Useless). Anyway, our teacher usually checks attendance while we do the mandatory warm-up jog. Well, they weren't jogging anymore by the time I came. So I just waved right in front of my teacher's face and told him I am present and still not officially late.

But why was I late, almost late I mean? My dad isn't the fastest driver around, and I didn't have the time to wait for him to start the car, comb his hair, and all. So I just went straight out of our house, ignoring our dog who constantly barks at me to scratch him (or her, since we are not sure if our dog is a hermaphrodite), and luckily saw an empty cab. I thought I was so lucky, not having to wait for so long until I have deep-vein thrombosis (the next level of varicose veins) just to get a cab. The instance I came there and said, "Katipunan po," he retorted, "Hija, cleft lip ka?" I do not have a cleft lip palette. I have a hare lip, but nevermind.

Then the life story of his child started. He was talking nonstop, I tried to listen to my iPod to ward off his voice, but I don't want to look rude so I didn't. I think I must've used my iPod, it would've done wonders and saved me from the stories. Anyway, he was always talking, even looking at the rear view mirror. He was talking again. Then I said, "Kuya, green na po oh." Still after speeding away, he was talking again. From the time his son was conceived, until the kid was a toddler, until at present. He talked until the kid turned 5 years old, and I turned 90 years old because of his nonstop story. Did I mention he was talking all the time?

I was like a psychologist there, about to tell him, "How do you feel about that?" Except that I don't want to extend his stories and hear him talk more.

Argh, it was SO annoying. Then add the power windows. At times I ride a cab, it is rare to find power windows. And when I addressed his car's windows, ding ding ding! I hit the jackpot. He changed the topic from his child, to the windows. While we were along Boni Serrano Avenue, he was controlling the power windows at the back. He was rolling them up and down, up and down until the passenger at the back would cover his/her face from shame and irritation. Plus, he let pollution in, with some mosquitos as well. Ahh, complete package. I can't wait to get off the car.

I arrived at the covered courts annoyed and irritated. I think I had a taxi trauma. Nonetheless we won our game and I scored my first goal, so it was fine with me. I learned my lesson, to use a music player or pretend to read to avoid an unwanted conversation.


MORAL: Avoid having a conversation with a taxi driver when the topics are about politics, family, show business, and education. Mind those about politics, especially when you both have opposite views. You don't want to ride a cab with a mad driver. You'll pay for it.