« El Demonio y la Senorita Prym | Main | Lunch time »
March 10, 2005
Who am I?
There's not one person I've met who hasn't warned me about Bogota's taxi drivers, so i'm obviously very suspicious of them all. The cabbies love to pry and they will interview you like an obnoxious reporter to find out as much as they can about who you are, where you live and what you do for a living, so I've taken to lie for the sake of making it home in one piece. To most cab drivers, I'm an unemployed secretary from Brazil looking for work in Bogota, or an unemployed Brazilian teacher who is trying to work at one of this city's 20-plus universities. Most cabbies must think I'm crazy, for the unemployment rate in Colombia is higher than that of Brazil. Well, let them think I'm nuts. That - and the fact that I'm an unemployed, and therefore broke - might be enough to eliminate me as a target.
I took this cab yesterday to Universidad Nacional, Colombia's largest public university and the alma mater of many leftist guerrilla leaders. In a checkered jacket and patterned tie that didn't match, the driver, Elizio Zapata, didn't seem interested in duping me. He was interested in finding out if I had a husband and where he was and if I would consider a date with a divorced bogotano who is a great salsa dancer (at least, that's what he told me). I politely declined, but not until I got out of the cab at my destination.
If you're wondering why I still ride cabs, it's because it is safer than riding the bus. Bogota's buses are old and filthy. Plus, bus drivers are maniacs: They go through red lights, cut off cars and slam the brakes constantly - a practice that's not only dangerous, but also makes me want to puke.
Posted by Fernanda Santos at March 10, 2005 02:49 PM
Comments
It could be worse: you could be back at headquarters playing 20 Questions with DCPI
Posted by: rocco at March 11, 2005 02:15 PM
Pick up as much information as you need because after this writing you may not be able to take another trip there "incognito"!
Posted by: Lola at March 21, 2005 02:05 PM