Cab #713

Date: 6/13/09
From: Wicker Park
To: South Loop

The Cab: Has one of those credit card Verifone systems. Like a little TV screen. Hey, there's an idea! Put quarters in the slot . . . watch a little TV. Or cab porn. Tax that, Daley!

But does it really only take MasterCard? I mean, I don't expect it to take Discover, but . . .

The Driver: Late in the ride when I learned this was his first day on the job, I became embarrassingly excited. I was his second customer ever.

"How did the first one go?"

"It was trouble."

I didn't quite follow the story, but a suburb was involved.

The Driving: Starts out burning rubber on a wet street. That was way before I learned this was his first day. Looking back, I can attribute it to the nerves of a rookie.

Looking back, I can attribute a lot of things to his nerves as a rookie. Like asking me if it was okay if he talked into his arm like a Secret Service agent. Apparently that's where his phone thingy was.

I also had to offer a route suggestion because I could tell he was hesitant. So he starts going down the entrance ramp to the Kennedy from Milwaukee Avenue and I see that the highway was more crowded than I anticipated it would be on a Saturday morning.

"I'm sorry," I said, even though there really was no better alternate route. His rookie nerves were catching.

Upon my apology, he stopped halfway down the entrance ramp in confusion. Dude, you can't turn back!

The payoff came at the end. He mentioned he actually liked Chicago's weather. I asked him where he was from. Kurdistan, he said. Where the weather is worse, he reiterated. But where the roads are better, he added.

Nicely played.

Overall rating: 2 extended arms

- Steve Rhodes

There are more than 6,000 cabs in the city of Chicago. We intend to review every one of them.