Last Sunday was a beautiful. No rain, moderate temperatures, and a sun shining benevolently down from the heavens. So, while I was first planning to go to my office to do some work, I decided instead to ride my bike, which I hadn’t ridden since coming to Astoria.
My bike had sat in my apartment with two flat tires for weeks until I got these CO2 cartridges which filled them up in seconds. So I was ready to go, just waiting for the right day. Sunday was that day.
Off I went down Ditmars Boulevard, with my helmet on and the wind in my face. I had gone about 6 blocks when one of those private car service cabs turned right in front of me, causing me to slam on my brakes and collide with the rear end of the cab.
A hissing noise rose up above the traffic sounds on Ditmars Boulevard. It was the noise of my front tire’s inner tube releasing all of its air after being punctured from the collision with the cab.
Loud voices followed. The driver, an older man, got out of his cab and immediately started yelling at me in a heavy Greek accent. I yelled back, stating that I had the right of way and that he turned recklessly into the intersection.
“I’ve been driving a taxi for 40 years, in Astoria, and have never had an accident!” For some reason the “in Astoria” part was very important to him.
I replied, “Well, congratulations, you just had an accident!”
We went on for about 10 minutes. Finally, both of us were worn down, having expressed our individual outrage to the other.
And then something remarkable happened. He put out his hand to shake mine.
I was stunned. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, still being annoyed that my entire day was ruined by this man’s careless driving. But I looked at his face which was now smiling and I reached back to shake his hand.
We spoke a bit more and he put out his hand a second time, and I shook it once again. We left each other in peace, maybe not as friends, but certainly not as enemies.
If only global controversies were so easily resolved. We’d be spending enormous sums of money not to blow each others’ brains out but to alleviate some of the pain and suffering that has always accompanied humankind’s struggle to survive on this sometimes challenging and sometimes wonderful planet that we call home.
Stumble It!
I enjoyed this one David!! I think I know that greek cab driver!
btw.. my sister also graduated from Cardozo School of Law...
Posted by: Lee | October 28, 2009 at 06:50 AM