So this morning. I have to be a work early. Obviously, this requires a taxi.

Guy in a suit comes up to me at the street corner. "Where you headed," he asked. "Midtown," I replied. "Mind if we share," he proposed. "Not at all," I said.

He introduced himself in the car and we chatted the entire way to my stop, which he generously offered to make first, even though his stop was before mine and he was late and I was not.

We chatted about our neighborhood, the deal on his apartment that he landed in 1991, traffic, etc.

He said to me, "One thing you *have* to do if you live in this City and want to keep your sanity, is take a Taxi. The subway will drive you insane in no time. It's hard to live here as it is but I insist on indulging in the small comfort of a taxi to work. The 10 extra minutes I get to sleep mean everything."

I felt like I was at a Civil Rights rally. I was like "Right ON, brotha!" That's what I'm talkin' about.

Next thing I know it's my stop and I reach for my wallet and he wouldn't let me pay. I offered to give him $3...anything just to contribute but he wouldn't take it. He said, I'll tell you what - next time we meet up on the corner, we'll split a taxi again and next time you pay. Deal, I said.

What a great way to start your day. My opinion of Wall Street guys is changing.

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