Excitement already?!

Well, sort of... It was an adventure, at least.

For those who don't know, let me give you a bit of background about our fabulous transit system. Most times, it really *is* fairly fabulous. It runs (sometimes off times, but it does run), and gets me, for the most part, to work and back home again on time. HOWEVER - there are occasions, such as holidays and Sundays, when the bus doesn't begin to run until after 7am.

This becomes a problem when one must make a trip downtown for work, but has no vehicle. The last few times, I've relied on the local cab company to take me to the nearest transit center, where I can catch the one thing that *is* running at 5:30am - the MAX: our lightrail system.

By and large, the cab company I use is great. It arrives in a reasonable amount of time, and the drivers are, normally both polite and friendly. If they don't know where they're going, or don't recognize the name/address, they will ask if I can direct them. This isn't a problem for me, either. I may not have a vehicle, but I know how to drive, and where I'm going.

This morning, being Thanksgiving, the busses were on the holiday/Sunday schedule, which meant that I was going to have to head over to the transit center. So, I called the cab company and waited for them to arrive.

It didn't take the driver long to get there. However, I had this hinky feeling that all was not right with the gods of travel. I gave him my destination name "Beaverton Transit Center", and he nodded, then pulled out onto the main drag. The next thing I knew, we were headed onto the local highway, going right past the exit he would have needed to GET to said transit center. He passed by two more exits, and I knew then that he had NO idea where we were going - or it was an imposter bent on kidnapping me for horrible purposes...

I asked him where we were headed, and why we were going this way. He pointed to the off-ramp which lead to another highway, this one heading perpendicular to the one we were on (and heading further away from the destination I had originally requested), and muttered something about Transit Center. I said no, that's not the way to the Beaverton Transit Center. That one is behind us, and we passed by all the exits to get there already. He pointed up toward where there was, indeed another transit center, nearby where we'd pulled off (further away from my house, but would still do the purpose).

I tell him, as he begins to pull out, to go ahead and go there, since I need to go to work. He takes the other ramp, and pulls out onto the highway rather than the off-ramp, and starts driving again. At this point, I'm thoroughly confused. It's obvious he speaks very little english and doesn't know his way around Beaverton, but he is unwilling to take direction from me, unwilling to ASK for directions, and is basically doing his own thing. And the meter tab is getting higher the further we go.

He pulls off on the next exit, about 3 miles from where we pulled onto this highway. He then starts driving back toward Beaverton, and calls someone on his cell phone, presumably to ask for directions. I know exactly where we are, since I used to work and drive down this road. It goes past the front entrance to Nike's campus, and then over to where I used to work, at Stream. He's not slowing down as we get to the road he should be taking to get to the transit center, either.

"Take a right," I tell him.

"Oh! *NOW* you know the way?" he glances into the mirror at me, an annoyed look on his face.

"I've known the way since we pulled out of my driveway. *YOU* didn't. You never asked me."

Sulking from front of cab ensues.

"And," I add, "I'm not paying $26 for a cab ride that should only have cost me $7-$8, thank you."

More sulking, then "Ok, ok. I fix, I fix... (pause) For the second time!" He then starts trying to figure out which road to turn onto from the main drag to get to the transit system.

"Next one, take a left" I tell him.

There's construction on that street, so it's split with cones - he tries to pull onto the wrong side... so I point out he has to go to the other side. Then he drives down the road attempting to pull into any and every driveway he can find, trying to look like he knows where he's going.

He finally finds the bus portion of the transit center and pulls in there. He turns off the meter, clears it, and writes $7 onto the charge slip. I decline to give him ANY tip at all, and get out of the cab, pissed.

I still cannot believe how insane this morning went. In comparison, walking the 12 blocks from the MAX tracks to work was a delightful and easy trip.

~M