so last night I was calmly enjoying my ride back to the hotel.
I had a diferent driver, a bit older than my regular driver I have had most days since I have been here.
I did not think much of it, as occasionally I have had different drivers, as I'm working weird hours and getting
out of the office anywhere from 8 to 12:30 pm. As with most of my regular drivers (and not much different than
most cab drivers in Seattle) he is on his cell phone the whole time. But all of a sudden this guy turns around to
look at me, and starts insisting 'U-turn? U-turn?'
I was kind of drifting off and not paying much attention to the road. all of a sudden I come to my senses, look around,
and try to tell him, no, its the next one. so instead of taking the uturn he was starting to take, he veers across all
lanes of traffic and exits the highway, the wrong way.
As I try to explain his mistake, and (now that I have my bearings) tell him where he needed to turn, it becomes painfully
obvious to me that he understands very little of what I am saying.
now I'm getting worried. I'm wondering, if I got out now, could I walk back to the hotel? and I'm thinking, I'm not sure
I want to do that. Luckily we only get about half a kilometer before he pulls a uturn and starts heading back at least
more generally in the right direction. I'm thinking that with hand gestures I can probably guide him back.
Then, he sees some sort of guard booth for a hotel or parking lot, with a uniformed guard inside and a few guys standing
around. he screeches to a halt in the middle of the road, shuts off the car, and calls to them. They all ask me my hotel,
which is 37 Crescent: its both the name of the hotel, AND the address, 37 Crescent Road. but I think that made it more
confusing for them: "hotel? hotel?" "37 Crescent" "what address?" "37 crescent" These guys are looking at me like
I am a moron.
After each one of the bystanders opines on the best way to find a hotel that no one seems to know anything about, and
several phone calls, we get going on the road again. Its clear that its up to me to get myself home, so I start directly
guiding my driver.
At this point, he's driving down the middle of the freeway, doing about 15 mph, cars and motorcycles careening around us
on all sides. When I see the correct uturn, it takes a while to convince him to take it. ("here?" "yes" "here?" "yes,
uturn, then left" "here??" "yes yes, take a uturn, then left, yes!") so he takes the uturn, but will not take the left.
so we end up going back down the highway a few blocks, until he finally stops and starts asking more bystanders for
directions. I am frantically trying to explain to all of them, "its right back there" gesticulating wildly at the road
we just passed. so, and this was just perfect, he shifts into reverse and proceeds to back through oncoming highway traffic
until we return to the correct street, where he blocks the intersection turning the car around, then finally takes the correct
turn.
then as we are dricing down the road he is still
obviously unsure of himself. he's ready to stop at any house or parked car ("here?" "no" "here?" "no" "here?" "no,
straight!") even when there is clearly no side street, he's asking and looking like he's going to turn ("left?" "no,
straight" "left?" "no, keep going" "right?" "no, no!")
Finally, when I successfully guide him to the hotel, I point at the big sign that says 37 crescent, and he erupts in hilarious
laughter. I think he finally realized that I was not completely insane. at least thats one of us. :^)e
