Love works

On the way back from the airport I had a lady in my cab that I would describe as bitchy. I made this judgment after overhearing two of her phone conversations. The first one, I assumed, was with a client/customer.

After establishing their names, she said to him impatiently "Can I help you?" And for the rest of the conversation her tone and choice of words made it very apparent that she had no interest whatsoever in helping him or talking to him. After hanging up, she said "God!" and I could hear her eyes roll back into her skull.

The next thing I heard out of her head was "You are the most annoying person in North America!" I got really tense but then relaxed slightly when I realized that she was not talking to me but to someone on the phone again.

"You knew I was flying to the West Coast this morning. What made you think I would be able to answer the phone?"

Bitch, bitch, bitch, on she went. I noticed that my body was still tense, and I thought 'I can't wait to get this woman out of my cab.'

She had two more phone conversations that appeared to be with family members or close friends and that were much milder in tone, in which she used words like "honey" and "love you."

I was still slightly frustrated about the negative air with which she had filled my cab earlier, but instead of sending her negative vibes in return, I decided to send her love. I breathed out and imagined love emanating from my heart and finding its way directly to her.

When I pulled up in front of the W Hotel a few blocks later, she said chipperly "Oh, we're here, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," I said, relieved.

"I'm always surprised by the lack of hotel driveways here in San Francisco," she said in a honeyed voice. Then she told me that she didn't even remember which hotel she had stayed in the last time she came to San Francisco--from LA, she added--and that she was looking forward to dining at the Slanted Door later in the day.

She gave me a big tip. I was torn between feeling proud and manipulative for having made her stop being a bitch.