Commuting ...

Jul 22, 2008 at 6:12 AM
25 comments

Commuting via train is not an option at the moment because of the crutches. I have seen people on the train on crutches but they have been at least 25 years younger than me. I don't think that my arms, shoulders & wrists could do the 3 block "walk" to the metro and then manage the escalators (because our station elevator is nearly always out of order) plus escalators at my transfer station and another 3 block walk to the office.

I did a cost analysis comparison between a long term car rental (6 weeks) and a twice daily taxi. The rental had to include insurance, parking fee at work and fuel - as well as a personal stress toll!

Both were way too much money but the taxi is a few hundred less horrendous than the rental car. So, as long as I earn at least $40 a day and cut down on food ......... Actually, someone from the office will be able to give me a ride home 2 or 3 times a week making the taxi even cheaper.

Yesterday my driver was from Ghana, Africa - he was very laid back, played nice music and we talked about a wide range of subjects.

This morning my driver was intense, drove erratically and spent the entire trip running his 8 fingers not on the wheel, through his prayer beads - which was a little worrying!

It is going to be an interesting 6 weeks!

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Yesterday my driver was from Ghana, Africa - he was very laid back, played nice music and we talked about a wide range of subjects.

This morning my driver was intense, drove erratically and spent the entire trip running his fingers through his prayer beads.

Try to think of each taxi ride as a mini excursion to a foreign country without all the jet lag. It is indeed going to be an interesting 6 weeks! 8:-)

[this is good]

I don't mind getting taxis if you get an interesting driver you can chat to...that's always fun for me.

Emjay replied to Queen of Fractal Beauty’s comment:
Jul 22, 2008
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Ooh - I like the idea of the travelling without jet lag! I will probably "visit" many countries over the next 6 weeks. (I would feel happier if the drivers kept all their fingers on the steering wheel though!) :-)

Yes, I like to talk to the drivers - a lot of them have some very interesting stories to tell especially if they are "new" Americans - some of the tales on how they got to America are fascinating.

[this is good]

Such an interesting story! I hope you don't run into any more of the hand-off drivers. :)

Yeah I think I'd enjoy that myself. But I also look at it this way, for most of them here at least, you don't get many who chat to them...and that must make for a really long and lonely shift, so it's nice to talk and let them talk.

When I had my tendon broken, 10 days ago I returned to the Job. The most difficult thing was to move because it is so difficult to walk only on one leg. And what it is difficult to go upstairs. But my company paid me the taxi every morning to go working and every evening to go back home. Be patient, and also carreful.

Unfortunately I don't think I am important enough for my company to pay my taxi.... Stairs absolutely suck! I have them here in the house and pull myself by the banister (which I hope is really strong). I am starting to find that my wrists are getting sore from using the crutches.

You know... because it (the driving) was making me nervous I did eventually ask about the beads and the driver told me that it was specially made and had 200 beads. He showed me a stone one he had with the usual 100 beads and explained that it was too heavy for him to use all day so he got the 200 bead one made out of wooden beads so that his fingers don't get tired/sore while he uses it (and drives at the same time). I really enjoy an Indian or Pakistani driver when we get to talk about cricket LOL :-)

One time I had a driver who came from Sierra Leone and his story was so sad! As I just replied to Purpesque, I really enjoy Indian & Pakistani drivers where I get to talk about cricket - not because I particularly like cricket but because we (Oz) are good at it and it is something in common apart from both being foreigners - which in itself quite often leads to interesting discussions on American lifestyles etc.

Yeah great point actually

Wow..my favorite beads when I was a kid were fluorescent and glowed in the dark.

Cricket is always fun, especially when you run into somebody unexpectedly and they know what you are talking about!

This reminds me of my time taxi'ing to and from work with my broken ankle. The thing that struck me about the taxi drivers was how many of them would launch into bagging some other ethnic group (after first takign the precaution of establishing my ethnicity). I also got very good at giving directions (even though I was new in Sydney at the time so didn't really know my way around) as so many of them had no idea where they were going or how to read a street directory!

Emjay replied to Empress Nasi Goreng’s comment:
Jul 22, 2008
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LOL. With my accent the first thing I say when I get in a taxi is "I live at xxx" so that they don't think I am a hapless tourist. We used to have a zone system until about a month ago and I had trouble working out where the boundaries were for each zone so I don't know how tourists got on - I'm sure sometimes drivers went over one too many streets just to charge an additional zone. They were very resistant to the meters going in. I have not had many problems with drivers not knowing where they are going here but I certainly remember those issues in Sydney!!

Empress Nasi Goreng replied to Emjay’s comment:
Jul 22, 2008
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Yes, Sydney taxi drivers really are awful. Sounds like yours pretty dodgy as well.

Look at that wonderful selection of people you are going to meet, and all the new music and cultural diversity, although it is much safer on the internet, if the internet crashed you wouldn’t get hurt and you could always block a person you didn’t ever want to hear from again!

Things like that really sucks and getting around is a real pain trying to get around if you try to be like a normal person! So what I have to say is one of those electric powered personal transporters the kind people use when they get very fat and its too much for them to walk. I was thinking of getting one of them to use with a bumper sticker “If you don’t like my driving stay off the side walk” !

Take care by the time you get good at getting around the cast will be off!

I suspect some interesting blogs coming our way!

I saw a girl this morning trying to get the hang of new crutches walking up from the car park...I think you made the right decision!

Happy birthday to you :)

What a great diverse group of humanity you are going to meet for the next 6 weeks! Take your camera with you. I remember getting a taxi at O'Hare with the family years back, our driver had shoes on that curled up at the toe part with a bell hanging from each. My kids (and I) were surprised to say the least! Interesting lot, the taxi drivers :))

Is it your birthday today?

This morning my driver was listening to C-Span - that gave me a lot of laughs. The callers are so passionate about either being a Republican or Democrat that it became a little like a comedy to listen to. LOL - the bumper sticker that would be funny!

Emjay replied to Flamingo Dancer’s comment:
Jul 23, 2008
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LOL - not the same girl as got left without the umbrella?! I heard the forecast for rain today and thought how the hell do I use an umbrella - followed closely by the thought of how silly I am going to look on the street with a rubber banded plastic bag on my leg! I want that wheelchair your mother is not using! :-)