Tales from the road

[catherine]

My brother always wanted to start a website called Suitcase City, where people would contribute their travel stories. Everyone has travel stories! I was going to be his editor. We never did it, but I did pick up a funny travel story today:

I love talking to cab drivers--they usually have so many interesting stories and perspectives on life, so since I'm usually in question-asking mode still after doing my market researcher job all day, I usually pump them with questions.

Today, as the well-heeled car-service driver was taking me to George Bush Int'l Airport in Houston, I asked him what his fellow Texans thought about Jeb running for president. He said, "We think ANYONE besides Donald Trump! Trump is crazy, he insults women, he insults African Americans, immigrants--he's just crazy!"

I concurred and then he turned it on me and asked, "Who do you want," so I told him Bernie Sanders, and he agreed saying, "Yes, he seems very honest. Hillary won't be good. Cruz is like Trump. The Bush family has already had their turn." When I talked about how inclusive and fair Bernie is, the driver agreed.

So then I said, "It's an interesting election cycle for sure." To which he responded, "Well, it will all be up to the Jews anyway. They control everything."

Hmm... and you said you didn't like The Donald because...??


Anyone else have a Tale from the Road?

[Ultralight]

My brother always wanted to start a website called Suitcase City, where people would contribute their travel stories. Everyone has travel stories! I was going to be his editor. We never did it, but I did pick up a funny travel story today:

I love talking to cab drivers--they usually have so many interesting stories and perspectives on life, so since I'm usually in question-asking mode still after doing my market researcher job all day, I usually pump them with questions.

Today, as the well-heeled car-service driver was taking me to George Bush Int'l Airport in Houston, I asked him what his fellow Texans thought about Jeb running for president. He said, "We think ANYONE besides Donald Trump! Trump is crazy, he insults women, he insults African Americans, immigrants--he's just crazy!"

I concurred and then he turned it on me and asked, "Who do you want," so I told him Bernie Sanders, and he agreed saying, "Yes, he seems very honest. Hillary won't be good. Cruz is like Trump. The Bush family has already had their turn." When I talked about how inclusive and fair Bernie is, the driver agreed.

So then I said, "It's an interesting election cycle for sure." To which he responded, "Well, it will all be up to the Jews anyway. They control everything."

Hmm... and you said you didn't like The Donald because...??


Anyone else have a Tale from the Road?

That is so wacky! lol

[Ultralight]

When I was about 24 (I am 36 now) I traveled to NYC with some friends. We were in The Village and walked past some hip little clothing store. My friends wanted to go in and do a little NYC-style shopping spree.

This turned me off, so I said: "You all go ahead. I am going to wait out here."

They went in and not two minutes later did a giant, black SUV with tinted windows pull up.

Traffic on the street was not fast-moving, but thick, sticky, and congested. This vehicle parked illegally and made it so the traffic around it was impeded. Horns were honking, people were cussing.

I stood there between the big SUV and the clothing boutique and thought: "What the heck is going on?"

Out of the vehicle comes a gigantic man -- 6'6", huge muscles, angry scowl, and gaudy rings and such.

For a country boy like me (and I was more country then!) this was just strange.

The big dude just stood there for a moment, like a soldier at attention.

Then out of the car tumbles one Britney Spears.

She walks right past me -- like a foot or two away.

I grin, nod, and say: "What's up, Britney?"

Then I harmlessly snickered a little bit.

The big mean guy comes over and says: "DON'T YOU EVER, EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

He was right up in my face.

I remember my first thought: I doubt I would ever run into Britney Spears in The Village again...

Second thought: I don't even like her music.

Third thought: This dude is really scary!


Anyway, I was annoyed by the situation. So after she and her bodyguard went into the boutique I started telling everyone that passed that Britney Spears was in that clothing store. I pointed out the SUV parked in the street. People started pulling out their cameras and going inside in droves! LOL


My friends came out and said: "Jake, you will never believe this! Britney Spears is in there! There are tons of people trying to get her photograph or autograph or take pictures with her! It is a madhouse."


I told them what happened outside and we all laughed.

[freshstart]

that's a riot, UA. My cop cousin had a side gig in the 90s driving around celebrities and acting as security, he drove Britney a few times and said she was not nice at all. She would drive a half hour out of their way to get KFC. I hope it wasn't my cousin who yelled at you, lol.

catherine, your driver must not be in the know, the Jews only run Hollywood.

[rodeosweetheart]

I am always so horrified to hear of that kind of anti-Semitism, Catherine.

Terrible thing, having just watched "Where to Invade Next" where he goes into great detail about Holocaust education in Germany, I wish we did more in this country to combat anti-Semitism.

Time for all of us to reread "It Can't Happen Here," "Gentleman's Agreement," rewatch "It Happened Here" and "Glorious 39." Maybe it's time for a refresher in the stakes. There is too much to lose, with Trump out there trying to become president.

[iris lilies]

Glorious 39 is a mediocre film..

[catherine]

haha! Thanks for the story, UA! That's a good one!

freshstart, yeah, he clearly is confused.

Rodeo, living as I do in the liberal, politically-correct NE, I'm always astounded when I go to other parts of the country where people own up to serious racism and prejudice in front of total strangers! How did this cab driver know I am not Jewish? Would he have even cared?

One time my family and I shared an elevator in a NC hotel with an old white Southern man who spewed hate about blacks to us between two floors, not caring that he didn't know us and not caring that my young children were present. And he didn't use the term "blacks" either. I was dumbfounded.

[rodeosweetheart]

Rodeo, living as I do in the liberal, politically-correct NE, I'm always astounded when I go to other parts of the country where people own up to serious racism and prejudice in front of total strangers! How did this cab driver know I am not Jewish? Would he have even cared?

One time my family and I shared an elevator in a NC hotel with an old white Southern man who spewed hate about blacks to us between two floors, not caring that he didn't know us and not caring that my young children were present. And he didn't use the term "blacks" either. I was dumbfounded.

I am always shocked, too, by the terrible things that some people come out with. I was just watching this PBS sequence when I read your post, about anti-Semitism in Denmark, about the killing there of Dan Uzan:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-Dan-Uzan.html

and I was just blown away by a feeling that I was spinning back in time, that it was 1935 or something. One of my best friends in high school's dad was a holocaust survivor.

It's just hitting too close to home, you know?

[Rogar]

About ten years or so before UL's story I was sitting at a bar with a friend at a downtown jazz club. A nicely dressed man came up to the cigarette machine next to us and was pondering. My friend says, those Old Card Tables are good. The man says, I've never heard of those before and my friend says, well, one hit and your legs fold up. Which got a good laugh and a good talk. Finally the guy asks if we knew who he was and we say no. He tells us he is Bobby Seale. Nowadays there are probably a lot of people who don't know that name, but back then he was a bit of a legend. So, my friend leans over over to me and says, yeah, like I'm Jackie Gleason.

We talked a while longer about half thinking it might just be, and he goes back to his table where a nice looking lady is seated. A little later a gin and tonic shows up and the bartender says it is from our new friend. Then there was a newspaper article that Bobby Seale was in town on a speaking tour with a photo and sure enough.

So the co-founder of the Panthers, one of the original Chicago 8, and the subject in a CSN+Y song bought me a drink. A while back, but I was watching the excellent PBS special tonight on the Panthers and was glad it's not faded into obscurity.

[JaneV2.0]

Good stories--and a brush with greatness, so to speak, Roger.

It's not just the great unwashed who are capable of stunning prejudice, either. Justice Scalia was famous for off-the-wall, insulting, fifties-style characterizations of gays and African Americans, comparing gays to pedophiles and murderers and suggesting black students might do better at second-tier colleges--proudly proclaimed as if he were the sole arbiter of Truth.