On Monday morning – November 17 – I went to a Rutters to pick up a copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  It was a day off so you don’t have to ask why I wasn’t I headed for work.  I come out of the store and I see a New York City Yellow Taxi cab at the gas pumps.  I got a closer and saw that the meter is still running.
$295.50 and counting.
Soon afterwards I met and talked with the driver and his fare.  I’m not sure if I got the conversation thread straight.  But if I understand what he was saying, the fare was going to be double what the meter read when finished.
I’ve been trying for the rest of the week trying to figure out why this one guy needed a Taxi ride from NYC to Central Pennsylvania.  I mean just how much does Air Fare from any of NYC’s three airports to Harrisburg cost anyway?  It just doesn’t make sense.  While at Jump School at Fort Benning, another Taxi Driver told me about the time he had a soldier hire the taxi to go from Fort Benning to the Atlanta airport.  The fare was around $80 back in late 1970’s.  But that drive stayed within State boundaries.  This trip started in one State, crossed two State lines, and the trip wasn’t over yet.  The taxi was merely getting gassed up again.
I can’t figure it out.  $300 for a taxi ride.  $600 if I caught the conversation straight.

What was going on Monday morning anyhow?  I would love to know.  Any suggestions?

Probably $600 to make up for the other $300 trip getting backto NYC.  All in all, thats less than I would have thought.  If I don't take the subway, I spend about $5-7 just getting from my apartment on 21st Street to my office on Madison & 57th.  There's a flat $35 fare for a taxi from Manhattan to LaGuardia or Kennedy airport though.  I'm sure Amtrak or the Acela would have been faster and cheaper though.

Hand delivery courier. Cheaper to take a yellow cab than, a black car service. Did it for a while, easy work, good pay, but never home.

Terrorists have a harder time getting on planes now. And they are well funded.

Yes... terrorists... exactly how much gas does a taxi hold?