My Taxi Cab Confession

Yellow-Cab

Have you ever had trouble catching a cab in NYC at night?  Has a cab driver ever refused to take you to a certain neighborhood? A few Saturdays ago, I experienced my very own taxicab confession.

I had gone into the city that evening to attend a get-together at a friend’s place. I decided not to drive that night because I wanted to have a few drinks and enjoy myself. When it was time for me to leave, I asked a friend to come outside with me, so I could catch a cab. I had heard about the racial profiling issue with some cabs and I didn’t want to risk missing my train because of someone’s ignorance. My friend hailed the cab for me and as soon as I shut the door, the cab driver asked me why I had her flag the cab down instead of doing it myself. I told him my reason for doing so, and that’s when the confession began.

The driver told me that though he picks up all passengers, he was warned not to pick up black people. He was first told this by a police officer after an incident with a passenger. The cab driver had called the cops on a man who hopped out of his cab without paying. He said when the cops arrived, one cop told him this will happen every time he picks up a ‘N- word’ (that is the term the cop used).

Other cab drivers had also warned him not to pick up black people. I asked the driver if most of his bad experiences had been with black passengers, and I was happy to hear him say no. He said he has had equally bad experiences with all races and genders. In addition to discriminating against passengers, I had also heard that Manhattan cab drivers won’t take people to Brooklyn.  I decided to ask the driver about this, since he was being forthright with everything else.

He said that he takes passengers to Brooklyn because he lives in Brooklyn, but most Manhattan cab drivers will not take passengers any further than Downtown Brooklyn. He went on to say that cab drivers will also refuse service to certain parts of Harlem and the Bronx.

I didn’t get to chance to ask him any more questions because I had arrived at my destination. I thanked him for being honest and giving me insight. I feel that all people have the right to cab service, regardless of their race or destination. What’s your opinion?

Do You Go To The Cemetery?

Never really gone

Being that tomorrow is Mothers Day, I’m sure you know restaurants will be packed, movies will be sold out and traffic will be horrendous. There’s also another place that will hold a large crowd: the cemetery. Have you ever gotten upset at a relative or spouse for not going to a cemetery to visit someone close to you?  Why do you go or not go? I can’t give you an exact reason as to why I used to go to my father’s grave and sit alone for hours at a time, but I can tell you how I felt while I was there.

Rarely did I feel sad at my father’s grave.  Even though he wasn’t there in the physical,  I felt his presence spiritually.  I didn’t go to the cemetery all of the time; I would mainly go  whenever life got hectic, because I always  found peace and assurance there.  Now I’m a good distance from where he is buried, but I make sure to visit his grave when I am in town visiting my grandmother.

Aaliyah

Unlike me, my grandmother would go to my father’s grave every day. Sometimes she would go twice in one day.  After about a year of continuously going, she realized her obsessiveness with the cemetery was her way of mourning. What’s interesting is there are people who mourn over their loved one, but don’t go to the cemetery.

For example, my oldest sister wouldn’t go to our grandmother’s grave for years. My sister was very close to my grandmother, but I think going to the cemetery was too painful for her. Some people prefer to remember their loved one when he/she was alive and vibrant, not  in a casket.

There are those who believe that in order to pay respect to the dead, you have to go to the cemetery. Personally, I don’t think it’s disrespectful not to go to the cemetery.  People deal with death in different ways. I hope that all of those who lost their mom stay strong tomorrow.  I think our loved ones are always around us and watching over us. What do you think?