Miguelito
As a cab driver, you should always have at least one ten, one five and five ones on you. At least that's what makes me feel safe from embarrassment in case somebody gives me a twenty.
Around noon today I was completely out of small bills and really needed to pee. I had just dropped somebody off at Church and Duboce and decided to go into the Safeway to take care of those two needs. A guy walking up Church raised his hand to flag me down. I shook my head no and pulled into the Safeway parking lot. I was determined to pee and get small bills. I was about to pull into a spot when I heard "Taxi!" coming from the left. A guy was sitting near the entrance with a cart full of shopping bags. Something made me say
"Where are you going?"
"Financial district." I knew that I had to pick up a couple at Union Square in half an hour, so this was the perfect segue fare.
"I have no change at all. Do you have small bills?"
"Yes, I have, " he said with a Mexican accent.
Ignoring my bladder, I helped him load his grocery bags into the trunk. On the way to the financial district, he told me that the groceries were for his deli. He said the deli was inside the Equinox gym on Pine and Sansome. He said that the food there was Mexican and healthy. I told him that I wanted to come check it out some day and that I was always looking for new places to get a good snack while driving.
He gave me a little card with a magnetic strip.
He said it was a discount card for $3 off. I thanked him and said
"That little guy on it is so cute!"
"Thass me when I wass five yiss ole."
I laughed loudly and turned around, in love with what he had just said.
"That's you when you were five years old? That is so cute!"
"My friend help me dessign it."
"I love it. And I love sombreros. The bigger the better."
"Sometime I use sombrero as umbrella."
I turned around again, even more in love. He told me that his mom used to sell food. His first job ever was to open coke bottles for customers. He said he was five years old. One time it was raining, and the sombrero kept him dry.
When I dropped him off at Pine and Sansome, he gave me two fives and seven ones. After I picked up the couple at Union Square and dropped them off at the airport, I peed.
posted by Vera @ 6/14/2007 07:33:00 PM
5 Comments:
1. yay for healthy mexican a block from my work!!
2. i am worried about your bladder.
Don't worry about my bladder. I am usually very proactive about it.
I work near Equinox and took a tour of it last month. Nice gym, but expensive. $140 a month? The salesman told me about Miguelito, and that as a member he serves as a "personal chef" to members. Basically, you pay per meal you eat there, but as a member you can tell him what you like and don't like, or what you can or cannot eat, and he will prepare a lunch specifically for you each day you request it - breakfast,lunch or dinner. Sounds like an excellent service if you can afford it.
Last night a Luxor driver gave me a deal. He only made me pay $6 for an $8.50 trip. He told me it was because he'd rather not run the credit card. But really, I think it was because we had this long talk (gin and hormone fueled on my side) about the impossible demands of marriage.
Kent, I adore your honesty.
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