New York is Full of Actors

Yes, jerk-ass, it's to scale.

Leaving the Javits Center in Manhattan last night I caught a cab to Penn for the train back to Philly. What I hailed was unbelievable.

When you stand far away from the herd of hailers you usually get a cab first as it is easier for cabbies to pick up the guy farther away and get away again before other cabs block you in with picking up fares from the crowd on the sidewalk.

So out of the churning taxi pack pops a vintage taxi right to me and not of the newer but still filthy breed. “Wow.” I thought. Just like Taxi.

I get in. Cab takes off. No meter. No license info. No id of any kind. Folded cash paper clipped to the visor. Dude has a cycling cap on.

The cabbie was super cool… he said he’d been a cabbie for 60 years. He told me about the “brownies” or unarmed NYPD traffic cops. He laughed as a cop pulled a “damned” SUV over. He bitched about the new buildings. He complained about West Side Highway. He asked me about my family.

He drove on the sidewalk.

Penn station, in all it’s multicultural confusion and odor, was at my feet in minutes. When I asked him what the damage was he said, “Whatever you want to give me. One million, two million.”

I gave him a 20 and asked for a 10, payment for the character. He handed me back two fives already paper clipped together.

I avail to the Big Apple Friendly Friends... is this a daily thing?

Bill:"You ruined this cab bit, I'll have to make up for it in a future movie." David:"Freemasons are listening to everything we are thinking. Here's a shiv to defend yourself."