Saturday, 04 October 2008

• What is the worst experience that you had when taking a cab?

  Well, this wasn't perhaps too bad, just very odd.  Anyway, it's the spring of 2005 and I'm leading a small tour group in Israel.  We get into a cab near the Jaffa Gate and ask the driver to take us to the Bible Lands Museum over in New Jerusalem (near the Knesset).  Along the way the cabbie starts telling us about his brother who has a nice tourist shop in a near-by neighborhood.  Immediately assuming we were interested, he begins driving there instead of to the museum.  Sitting in the front seat, I thanked the driver anyway, and told him we'd rather just continue on to the museum. 
  "No, no, my friend, you don't understand.  Just walk around inside for a minute or two, you don't have to buy anything!"
  "Then why go in in the first place?" I asked.
  "Because he, uh...you know, he gives me a little money for each tourist I bring in."  By now we are parked outside what looks like a garage-turned-shady-place-of-business. 
  "Well, how much does he pay you?" I asked.  "Here's my idea, I'll walk in and pretend to shop around a bit, and then when I come out, you give me half of what he would give you!"
  "Oh!" he said, "How rude of you to ask how much he gives me!"
  "How rude of you to take me someplace I don't want to go!" I retorted.
  At that he put the car in gear and sped us to the museum.  My Hebrew's a little rusty, but I don't think he wished us an enjoyable rest of our stay as he sped off, leaving us at our originally desired destination.
  
     

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