I find it very fascinating that cabbies are so different in every city I've been to. In New York City, they don't blink at anything; you could strip completely naked and have a threesome with a homeless guy and an Olsen twin, and they just don't care. Why? Because that happened during their last trip, only with Ashley instead of Mary Kate. In Boston, they drive like kamikaze pilots, careening wildly into pot holes, street signs, and elderly citizens that take too long crossing the street. In San Diego, they are exceedingly quiet and very polite when spoken to. And in DC?
They talk. Incessantly. Then badger you about your political views.
Some of the more interesting conversations I've had included a debate between McCain and Hillary's convictions, a lengthy discussion of Obama's idealism and how it could affect international relations, and a delightful story about how this one cabbie was visiting his son in Boston, but he was on some random medication and it made his bladder always feel full, so he pulled over somewhere in the North End and peed behind a pillar.
Not that peeing behind a pillar has political ties, unless we're discussing the Bush twins after a night out on the town, but still.
They talk. Incessantly. Then badger you about your political views.
Some of the more interesting conversations I've had included a debate between McCain and Hillary's convictions, a lengthy discussion of Obama's idealism and how it could affect international relations, and a delightful story about how this one cabbie was visiting his son in Boston, but he was on some random medication and it made his bladder always feel full, so he pulled over somewhere in the North End and peed behind a pillar.
Not that peeing behind a pillar has political ties, unless we're discussing the Bush twins after a night out on the town, but still.
How do YOU feel about the approaching economic recession?The cabbies here just really enjoy a good chat. Sometimes this is alright with me, as sometimes I'm in the mood to prattle on and on about my own convictions, but other times I don't feel like being badgered and yapped at. Especially in the morning, when I'm practically a zombie.
This morning my cabbie was very nice, but he asked the dreaded question - "isn't it a lovely morning?" followed by the worst of all time, "are you feeling motivated this morning?"
First of all: No. No, it is not a lovely morning. Do you know why? Because it's the middle of January, it's 3 days after Blue Monday (aka the most depressing day of the entire year), and it's DC. It's a terribly depressing day, even if it is a Thursday, and therefore close to the weekend.
And second of all: No, I am not feeling "motivated" this morning. That's a ridiculous question to ask at 9am. The only times I get motivated before noon are if something huge is going down; if I'm moving, if I'm leaving on vacation, if there's breaking celebrity gossip on TMZ, etc. Otherwise, I'm cursing the world in general for forcing me to be awake at such an ungodly hour.
So, to answer the cabbie's question, I replied, "No, I'm not, but I can't wait for the weekend." To which he laughed. I almost cried. I explained that it was cold, and it was the middle of January, and therefore it was very difficult to muster up some motivation.
He replied, saying something I found to be very interesting: "Well, you're obviously, what, 20?" (it's the suit - without it, people think I'm 16) "Of course you feel that way now. When you get to be my age, it won't matter."
And this frightened me.
What do you mean, it's not July?!At this point in my life, right in the throes of my Quarter-Life Crisis, it's killing me to imagine going through 75+ more years of gloomy, gray Januarys. I hate the cold; I hate the winter; I hate that terrible feeling of "oh my god, we have at least four more months until it starts to warm up." Am I doomed to spend an eternity feeling crushed by the weight of winter gloom and nosy cabbies?
For the moment, I'm toying with the idea of hibernating for the rest of the winter. I really love sleep, and I really love being cozy in bed. And I really love gorging myself on food and then going into a food coma. But, as the past week has shown me, I hate cabin fever, and I cannot survive on my own. Regardless of anti-social feelings first thing in the morning, I'm a social, needy person. Sure, I can live on my own if I have to, but it doesn't mean I have to be thrilled with it. I like noise, and people, and constant entertainment; hibernation doesn't exactly offer a wild time.
So, in an effort to tackle my issues head on, I present you with:
Your Survival Technique Of The Day:
How to Survive The Winter Blahs
Step 1: Hibernation. If it's your thing, go crazy. Eat a lot of heavy foods, chug some beers, and tuck in for the long haul. Remember to lock your door beforehand, though, because your neighbors are probably really weird, so you don't want uninvited company coming over when you're in a self-induced coma. Unless you're into that.
Step 2: Indulge. Find winter activities that you enjoy, which will help you embrace the cold. If you like skiing, hit the slopes; if you like ice skating, hit the rink; if you like watching other people's misery, watch them tromping by in the cold from the warmth of your office.
Step 3: Take a vacation. A Rockefeller? Go to the beach - Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, whatever. A broke ass 20 something? Beg your parents to pay for you to go to Miami. A broke ass 20 something with mean parents? Print out pictures of tropical islands and plaster them all over your office/cubicle/bedroom walls. Close enough.
Step 4: Reward system. So you hate skiing, you don't want to sleep for 4 months straight, and those blurry pictures of Aruba are pissing you off instead of making you feel better? Plan a reward system to help you through the long haul. For every week you stop yourself from committing a messy suicide, give yourself something nice - it can be anything from a new pair of shoes, to a package of Oreos that you've been dreaming about. Like Pavlov's dog, we can be programmed to eagerly look forward to tasty treats.
For the moment, I'm toying with the idea of hibernating for the rest of the winter. I really love sleep, and I really love being cozy in bed. And I really love gorging myself on food and then going into a food coma. But, as the past week has shown me, I hate cabin fever, and I cannot survive on my own. Regardless of anti-social feelings first thing in the morning, I'm a social, needy person. Sure, I can live on my own if I have to, but it doesn't mean I have to be thrilled with it. I like noise, and people, and constant entertainment; hibernation doesn't exactly offer a wild time.
So, in an effort to tackle my issues head on, I present you with:
Your Survival Technique Of The Day:
How to Survive The Winter Blahs
Step 1: Hibernation. If it's your thing, go crazy. Eat a lot of heavy foods, chug some beers, and tuck in for the long haul. Remember to lock your door beforehand, though, because your neighbors are probably really weird, so you don't want uninvited company coming over when you're in a self-induced coma. Unless you're into that.
Step 2: Indulge. Find winter activities that you enjoy, which will help you embrace the cold. If you like skiing, hit the slopes; if you like ice skating, hit the rink; if you like watching other people's misery, watch them tromping by in the cold from the warmth of your office.
Step 3: Take a vacation. A Rockefeller? Go to the beach - Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, whatever. A broke ass 20 something? Beg your parents to pay for you to go to Miami. A broke ass 20 something with mean parents? Print out pictures of tropical islands and plaster them all over your office/cubicle/bedroom walls. Close enough.
Step 4: Reward system. So you hate skiing, you don't want to sleep for 4 months straight, and those blurry pictures of Aruba are pissing you off instead of making you feel better? Plan a reward system to help you through the long haul. For every week you stop yourself from committing a messy suicide, give yourself something nice - it can be anything from a new pair of shoes, to a package of Oreos that you've been dreaming about. Like Pavlov's dog, we can be programmed to eagerly look forward to tasty treats.
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