This afternoon I finished work and began walking down the street to get a cab. This was one of the first days that felt pleasant during the day. Its very frustrating looking outside the window and seeing what looks like a beautiful day, but knowing that if I step outside it will be to hot to tolerate for long. Sometimes I’ll stay inside all day just to avoid the sun. When I go to work I leave early enough that the heat isn’t too bad and leave when the sun has started going down.
Anyway, this afternoon I was walking down the road from work to the big main road where I always get a cab. I flagged the first cab I saw and got inside. The guy (or I should really say boy) driving the car looked like he just got his license yesterday, if he was much older than 16 I would be surprised. I probably would have waited for the next cab if I had seen how young he was before I got inside.
No traffic on the way home, which was a blessing, and I was looking forward to having dinner with Boraie at my place. I really hate it when I get in a cab that doesn’t have the thing to roll the windows up and down. The cab I took today didn’t and the window was mostly opened. This was particularly irritating because the kid insisted on driving fast since there wasn’t any traffic and the wind blowing in my face was pretty powerful.
When I first got in the cab I was worried that the kid would bother me since he was pretty young. He didn’t give me any trouble, although I did think I saw him looking in his rearview mirror a few more times than was necessary. We’re on my street, and he turns around and asks me where to go and I tell him straight. We keep driving and then he asks me if I speak Arabic (in Arabic). I tell him not a lot. He starts pulling the car over onto the side of the road and I tell him forcefully, straight ahead straight ahead. He keeps driving but is now smiling at me in a way that makes me feel really uncomfortable. He asks me what my name is (again in Arabic) and I don’t say anything. He asks me again and I tell him it’s none of his business (in English). We arrive at my building, I tell him to stop. He starts trying to ask me something. I get out, hand him the money and walk into my building.
