Brit abroad Andy Bush is quite happy to argue over a cab fare, but not
if it’s going to cost him his life.
As ad sales account manager at Time in New York, Bush travels to various
US cities on business. On a visit to Boston, the cab driver who picked
him up at the airport pegged him as a new boy in town.
’He took full advantage by taking me down the same road into the city
three times. We kept driving around in a continuous loop. When we
finally arrived at my hotel, he told me the fare came to dollars 45.
When I asked him to divide it by three he took major offence, became
extremely violent and slipped the words ’gun in my locker’ into a now
rather one-sided conversation.’
Needless to say, the driver got his dollars 45, plus a healthy tip.
’I didn’t ask for a receipt - I was too busy thanking him for the
’lovely scenic route’ he took. Then I scurried rapidly into the safety
of the hotel. Moral of the story: don’t contemplate serious arguments in
a country where over 75 per cent of the adult population have guns.’