What A Commute!!!!

So I leave early in order to take the kids to Momma-San. My first leg goes as smooth as a gravy sandwich. The Bx5 is flawless as I get to Simpson Street. Even my coffee was made to order at the Dunkin Donuts without too much of a hassle. We let a #2 train go by because it's full and catch the next one with more than enough room to sit comfortably. Now, even though I haven't complained much about my commutes as of late, all these steps working in sync is a little too good to be true. It was.

We get to the Jackson Avenue station when the conductor announces that there are extensive delays in Downtown #2 service due to a train stalled at 42nd Street and Times Square. It is now 4:45pm at the cusp of evening rush hour. This is not looking good folks. So the train moves into the next stop which is 149th Street and 3rd Avenue.

At this point the conductor now says there are delays in Downtown East and West side service because some #2 trains are running on the #5 line which does not help me out in the least. Momma-San is on the West side. So off the kids and I go to the street to catch a cab.

If you don't know the area, traffic on 149th Street and 3rd Avenue is usually hectic. It was abysmal today. Fire trucks on one corner. Cop cars on another. I finally catch a cab and tell him that we're going to 72nd Street and Broadway. Remember that intersection. It's important to the story.

So as we navigate through the Bronx in the abysmal traffic I mentioned before, we end up on 161st Street near Yankee Stadium where the corner of the Crown Diner is tapped off, full of cops and crowds of onlookers. That usually means one thing: Shootout. The cab driver put on 1010 Wins and on cue the story pops up.

Apparently a man approached the newspaper vendor on the corner, whipped a gun out, filled him full of bullets. Instead of running, the shooter dropped the gun at the spot, raised his hands in the air and WAITED for the police to arrive so he could be arrested. And this was a few minutes before we drove by the scene. Talk about a WOW moment. But the commute gets better folks.

Remember that intersection I mentioned earlier? Yes, 72nd an Broadway. Apparently my African driver misunderstood my request and even after I reminded him where we were going he took me to 172nd Street and Broadway. LOL.

Luckily today is a nice day and we had a pleasant breeze coming through the windows AND that I am quite relaxed with the drive. When the driver realized his mistake he apologizes profusely for his error. All I can do is laugh. It was an honest mistake. I try to reassure him that it's ok and that we just need to go to 72nd and Broadway.

He jumps down the Henry Hudson parkway and we zip down to 72nd and Broadway. We're in the clear. Right? Nope. The driver has no change. So he jumps out and asks the cab driver next to him for change. He doesn't have any. My driver drops stuff from his pockets which he is now fumbling to pick up as the light on Broadway turns green causing a cacophony of car horns to be heard behind us. Sweet NYC music. He jumps back in. Pulls over and runs to the hot dog vendor on the next corner to get change. I just sit there laughing kid of feeling like the guy sitting in the yellow cab in the beginning to Airplane.

He comes back, opens the door for us gives me my change and again apologizes profusely and hopes that God Blesses me for my patience with his mistake. I guess I maxed out my commuting adventure meter since the rest of my commute was flawless, even getting to work ON TIME. Let's hope the rest of the night stays nice and smooth.

FH