Cab rides are always an adventure. Regardless of the hour of the day or how far one is traveling, they offer an excellent opportunity to meet interesting people and take a peek at their world. Today after checking out downtown Minneapolis and taking in a great art exhibit and fair trade world craft store, my friend Zach and I grabbed a cab to go home.
As I usually do when riding a cab, I struck up a conversation with the driver to get a feel for his life/story. I first asked how long he had been driving cab and whether he liked it or not. He said he had been driving for "a long time, many years" and that "I don't like it anymore. I've been too many places." After chatting a bit more I introduced myself and found out his name is Mohammed and that he is from Mombasa, Kenya. I explained to him my plans to climb Kilimanjaro and that it will most likely involve flying into Kenya. Mohammed immediately encouraged me to fly into Mombasa and explained how close it is to Kilimanjaro, "only forty minutes, very close." I then told him about my plans to move to Yemen, something that surprised him quite a bit. Mohammed told me to be very careful and safe in Yemen because "there are many terrorists there, that is where Osama bin Laden is from." He then suggested I tell people I am from Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Brazil, or some different 'American' country. I told Mohammed I appreciated his help and that he was going to see that I make it through my two years in Yemen alive. :-)
After Mohammed's advice, I asked a question I like to ask cab drivers frequently: "What is the weirdest or strangest fare you have ever had as a cab driver?" He first said "I have driven too many people" but then began to tell a story about a fare he drove all the way to Kansas City. "They were going to be late for a wedding, they missed their Greyhound." He then told me the details of the remainder of this trip including the total amount he made, $1100 (cash, nonetheless). In general this seems to be a good memory for Mohammed, as he spoke very kindly of the customers and mentioned that "we stopped to eat and rest, they were very nice." By the time Mohammed finished this story we were back at the place and parted ways. We thanked him for the service, he thanked us for the business, and then we parted ways. What an enjoyable encounter.
More will be coming soon, so be sure to come back. Next up: Art Galleries in the Twin Cities!!
When Michael and I were traveling overseas it was sometimes just easier to say, "We're from Canada." LOL
ReplyDelete