Then and Now

I came across an article in the NY Times that stated that only 8% of New York City cab drivers were born in the U.S.A. Talk about thinning the herd! It used to be when a visitor arrived at the airport or Penn Station, the cab driver might be a political pundit, an urban philosopher or a sports junkie. He might lament the placement of the bike lanes and curse ConEd who were practicing their mantra "Dig we must!" And rail at the current mayor for not sending the snow plows into Queens, etc. And he may have owned his medallion. Now when you arrive and catch one of the 92% you worry if he knows the way. There is hardly a greeting and he is on his cell phone speaking in a "language that the stranger does not know" - as the Irish put it. He could care less that the Giants and Dodgers left town. In the end you swipe your plastic and its all very sanitized but not as much fun. And that's the way it is.
tjs