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Taxi!
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:04 am
by Gob
New York taxi driver Mohammed Alam has picked up the fare of a lifetime - $5,000 (£3,000) to drive across the US to Los Angeles.
Investment banker John Belitsky said he and friend Dan Wuebben wanted to do something "magical".
They decided on a cab ride to LA and struck the deal with Mr Alam after finding him at LaGuardia Airport.
The 2,448-mile trip took six days and included a stop in Las Vegas where the friends won $2,000.
Mr Belitsky, of Leonia, New Jersey, and Mr Wuebben, of Queens, New York, haven't yet said how they intend to get back to the East Coast.
But Mr Alam says a friend will help him make the drive back home.
The epic trip has been documented by Mr Belitsky on his Twitter page.
On 22 April, after their winning streak in Las Vegas, he tweeted: "Woke up Alam to a shower of $100 bills at sunrise."
New York news blog NYU Local estimated that the trip would have cost $17,000 (£10,000) if the meter had been running for the whole trip.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13179413
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:07 am
by The Hen
Isn't this a movie plot?
What a cool adventure.
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 8:18 pm
by kristina
About 20 years ago my then-boss and I were in a cab going from downtown LA to the Burbank airport, on one LA's many freeways. Cab either runs out of gas or breaks down (I forget). While we're waiting for dispatch to send a new cab, the driver told us a story about the day of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. He got hailed by a 30-ish couple in downtown LA, and asked if he could drive them to San Francisco. The couple were scheduled to fly to SF at 5:30pm; flight cancelled because SF airport shut down after the earthquake (5:04pm) and they were frantic to get home to two small children (at day care). They weren't able to get in touch with anyone by phone, so they paid this cabbie to drive them to SF. Happy ending -- children safe with day care provider, cabbie got hefty tip!
(edited because somtims I leve leters out...)
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:57 pm
by Sean
My mum once got a taxi from the west coast of Ireland to Birmingham in the English midlands. Not quite as far I know, but it was international and involved three countries and a sea crossing...
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:03 pm
by The Hen
How much did THAT cost her?
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:10 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
Sean wrote:My mum once got a taxi from the west coast of Ireland to Birmingham in the English midlands. Not quite as far I know, but it was international and involved three countries and a sea crossing...
That's four countries if you count Birmingham
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:22 pm
by Gob
ROTFLMCO!!!
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:34 pm
by Sean
LMAO - Five really Gen'l as she had to travel through the Black Country too...
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:37 pm
by Gob
Ooh! Ooh! Sean said "black" he said "black country" Racist! Racist! Racist!!!
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:58 am
by Sean
Whaddaya gonna do about it leek boy?
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:26 am
by Gob
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:14 am
by Sean
Ha! You've got to get me to the UK before you can use that...
*Pulls pillowcase over head and runs off*
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:15 am
by Sean
*Realises that pillowcase needed eyeholes whilst disengaging from lamp post*
Re: Taxi!
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:23 am
by Gob
ROTFLMCO!!!!