Date Taken: 10/15/08
From: Downtown
To: Wicker Park
The Cab: A van cab. It was first in line at the Hilton Suites Hotel so I got it all to myself. But I never feel right as a sole rider in a van cab. This one was weird though – not a bench seat but two individual seats behind the driver. Also, an odd odor. Not quite a dead person, but somewhat Seinfeld-ish. I wonder if I’ll be able to get it out of my hair. And while the van is clean, it is also vaguely dispiriting in its appearance; there is an odd deathly hue inside the cab. I’m getting faint. I suddenly feel as if I might just die. There isn’t even a bench seat to lie down on.
The Driver: Deadly silent. No radio, on private phone conversation. I can’t even hear him chomping on his gum. Maybe I’m already dead.
The Driving: Maddeningly passive. Could we more perfectly hit a red light on every block? I could crawl home fast than this. A complete inability to change up the rhythm of the road. Exacerbated by the odd decision to take North Avenue the whole way instead of jumping on the freeway or taking Grand to Milwaukee to Wicker Park. Maybe this is my life passing before me – block by block.
Overall rating: 1 extended arm. And that arm is awarded only because I arrived home safely, though I’m still unsure if I now smell. This ride made me feel bad about myself, and that’s not what you want from a paid car trip.
– Steve Rhodes
*
There are more than 6,000 cabs in the city of Chicago. We intend to review every one of them.
Posted on October 20, 2008