On Monday morning – November 17 – I went to a convenience store to pick up an out of town newspaper.  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.  Now while we have Yellow Taxis around here, this one had New York State plates and everything.  I got a little closer and see 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.

If anybody around Manhattan sees Yellow Taxi 9K86, license plate 9K86A around, give him a Hello from me and ask him how much was the final fare.  When I left it was $296.50.  What was going on Monday morning anyhow?  I would love to know.
I’m posting a slightly different version in the Pennsylvania Forum.