Cab #5884

Date: 10/11/2006
From: Hyde Park
To: Garfield Green Line

The Cab: Despite sporting the always-hateful ad bar up top, exceedingly clean and - most importantly on a frigid evening - warm. Seatbelts prominently displayed and in full working order. The burglar window was locked in the open-and-trusting position, and there was an extremely low level of inoffensive air freshening that threatened, for once, to actually freshen the air. Radio was tuned to a crushingly depressing NPR segment on child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which had a dampening effect on the conversation. Still, it certainly put your correspondent's runny nose and empty stomach in their proper context.

The Driver: Knew exactly where to go when asked for the nearest Green Line station; a boon to your correspondent, whose knowledge of that particular extended finger of the CTA is far from comprehensive. Had a perfect manicure, in keeping with the level of maintenance bestowed on the car itself. This guy really seems to care.

The Driving: Direct, orderly and risk-averse right until the elevated tracks swung into view, at which point the velvet hammer was brought down in a sympathetic attempt to beat out a train already standing at the station. A welcome, if ultimately unsuccessful, effort.

Overall rating: 4.5 extended arms

- Natasha Julius