November 17, 2003
Manhattan on $900 a day.
"The Sheraton Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue; don't tell me you don't know where the Sheraton is? I responded."
Achmed dialed a cell phone taped to the dash, and began an animated babbling. Finally, "There are three Sheratons. I thought you said Eleventh Avenue."
What horse shit. Two of the Sheratons are a block apart, on 7th & 8th; the third is East, over Park Ave way. There is no way any NY cabby doesn't know where the Sheraton Towers is. No tip for you, Abu.
An even earlier attempted hustle occurred as we were leaving
Penn Station, and were "assaulted" by gypsy cab drivers who would have
made Abu look like June Cleaver, no thank you. But, here's the larger reality about New
York City today (I hadn't been there in a few years). Of all the
service people we came in contact with -- taxi drivers, hotel clerks,
bellmen, waiters, etc., just ONE spoke passable English (our waitress
at the Stage Deli where we brunched). WTF? Oh well, at
least they're all trying to learn English, and their kids will
speak it perfectly. And, I assume they're paying taxes and are here
legally. Right? Right. How does the FBI keep track of them though? They are, aren't they?"Novie" ?
Posted by: Ric on November 17, 2003 04:22 PMWas this your first visit to the Big Apple Rodger?
I've been there 3 times and have enjoyed (for the most part) every visit.
In 1994 I actually rented a bedsitter apartment in midtown for two weeks (at $70/night). Had to shop, cook, clean and look after myself. It was quite an experience! One day I met the building manager and asked how much the apartment was worth. He told me about a million! This was a one room place with a single bed--ya wouldn't have fit a queen size in there.
If I was very rich I'd like to live in NYC for a while but as an ordinary "Joe" forget it! I dunno how the average person survives there.
I never had a problem with non-English speakers, although I only used a cab once (JFK to the city). I got around by walking and the subway. Fortunately the city is relatively flat--unlike say San Francisco (Don't try walking that one. I did walk across, both ways, the Golden Gate though).
I worked there for several years, most recently in 1988. I haven't been back since 1996.
Posted by: Rodger Schultz on November 17, 2003 04:53 PMPS - the fare to La Guardia & JFK is a flat fee $35 (not including tolls and tip), or about $40. Sheesh.
Posted by: Rodger Schultz on November 17, 2003 04:56 PMI don't remember. I was severely jet-lagged at the time. If it'd been $100 I would've paid ;-)
Serves you right for putting that crap on ANYTHING.
Buy ketchup, support John Kerry.
Yuk.
Posted by: Kim du Toit on November 17, 2003 06:32 PMHuh?
Posted by: AnnoyedOne on November 17, 2003 07:20 PMI don't care for ketchup, but if I were to buy it, I'd buy something other than the Heinz brand...
And separately... you could've stayed across the Hudson in Weehawkin... take the ferry over to midtown instead & to avoid the cab, use the free shuttle from the ferry to the theater district. Although that probably wouldn't save you any money and perhaps cut into touristy stuff in the city! Hope you enjoyed the play.
Posted by: liz on November 17, 2003 09:53 PM"Novie" = Nova Lox
Posted by: Rodger Schultz on November 18, 2003 07:46 AM