Topic Of The Week: Cabbie Stories

[Steve]

This week's Topic Of The Week comes from Kandi:

The question is:
"What is your best or worse cabbie story."

[YJAJJ]

This week's Topic Of The Week comes from Kandi:

The question is:
"What is your best or worse cabbie story."

tHE FEW TIMES i NEVER HAD A BAD CABBIE STORY!

I DID GET UPSET WITH LONG LINES & WAITS AT THE AIROPRTS & AFTER SHOWS!

JIM J MI:D

[mrhonesty]

Many years ago on my first Vegas trip,we took our first and last trip in a taxi. The driver scared the Hell :eek: out of us..I guess he would say he was multi tasking..He talked- ate a sandwich-smoked-and read a paper all while driving,and after he bounced off the curb for the second time we stopped him got out and walked the rest of the trip. After that Ive ALWAYS rented a car for the past 2o years........................Tim

[tryon4]

First trip to Vegas was 1975 and have yet to step foot in a cab. :p

[diana-al]

in 1991 we were so lucky to get carole johnson from cleveland, ohio as our
driver-we were walking out of the mirage & wanted to get married-we asked
her where was a good chapel-she said they were all nice but there was a
"DRIVE THRU" one at the "little white chapel" on the strip-thats where we
went & got married in her cab-we got to be friends with her & her cab driver
husband larry-every time we went to vegas we got together with them for
dinner-she has passed away but she was really special-thank god we got her
as our driver-

[pegjim]

My wife and I took a taxi from the RIO downtown to see the lites. The taxi driver was the son of an Air Force Retiree from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. I am a 24 year Air Force Active duty retiree. We had a long talk about all the traveling, and the trials and tribulations of being the son of a lifer in the military. A day later we took a cab from the Tropicana to the RIO, and low and behold it was the same young retiree's son. This time our discussion was about the odds of getting the same taxi driver out of all the taxi's in Las Vegas???

[iam4nd]

Several years ago we had one try to talk us into signing up for some type of investment scheme. He was so involved in hyping it up that he passed up our hotel. When we pointed that out he stopped the meter and apologized---weird.:eek:

Other than a few driving a little recklessly (in our opinion) the cabbies have done a very good job for us. Hope they continue to do so.:)

[concretbob]

The faster the better!!!!The crazier they drive the better I tip...LOL

[MIKE]

This week's Topic Of The Week comes from Kandi:

The question is:
"What is your best or worse cabbie story."
It happened last year and I have been taking cabs since the 60'tys. $12 cab fare and $5 tip. The cab driver called me cheap and said $5 was not enough.

[1940GMC]

We've had a few bad cab experiences...but, with all the cab rides we've taken in Vegas, a few is not that bad. We had one cabbie who lived in Pahrump so he could "get out of this @*#(%# town" He was horrible....very negative, FILTY jokes. Another one drove like a maniac!!!! Turns on two wheels....screeching brakes. Our friend said, "You seem to have a bit of an accent...where might you be from?" The cabbie replied, "Bulgaria!!!" On our recent trip to Vegas at the beginning of August, we had a cabbie who was ticked off at the world. Another cab crowded him out of a lane.....he went around the offending cab and swerved towards it. Scared me to death!!!

But, given the life of these cab drivers----12 hour shifts and offensive riders, we've been pleased with the level of expertise and personality that Vegas cab drivers have.

[parisbill]

First... driving a cab is a difficult job at best. I drove one nights while attending collage.

Cab drivers also have a multitude of bad fare storiesto tell their fellow cab each night as well. drivers.

My story took pace a few years ago upon departing the LV airport.

I requested the direct route to my hotel on the strip... The Flamingo.

Of course he disregarded my request and took his own route .... much longer and a higher fare resulted.

I did not continue complain but told him... no tip this time Pal.

He got out of the cab yelling and screaming in the street.

Just then an LV cop stopped and confronted him and to my astoniushment... he took a swing at the cop.

He was arrested, they took my statement and I promised to appear in court to testify if requested.

Never figured out why he had all this anger to do such a foolish thing like attempting assault on a LV Police Officer.

[pateboo]

I always seem to get the cab driver who wants to tell me about his previous bad fares, or thinks I want his company once he's off duty just because I like to travel to Vegas by myself. And it's never a cute cab driver whom I can easily understand, it's always the one who probably hasn't showered in the last decade and is looking for his ticket to stay in America.:rolleyes:

[mturner]

MY worst is that my last trip and i got taken thru the TUNNEL... me who always brags about not getting suckered into that route. the worst part was as i was scolding him ... he argued with the No Speaka English routine which wasn't flying with me. he did knock down my fare.... tho it was still too much in my opinion.

my best was i had a cabbie who bought into the prank i played on my sister ( taking off before she got in ---- perhaps too long of a happy hour for me ) but both the cabbie and myself and my sister had a good laugh and he seemed to love going along with me !!! after his good laugh he then worried about her.... needlessly.

i was waiting for her cab outside the hotel and apparently her cabbie found it curious that she laughed all the way home tho he had seen it all.

ooooh... somethings are funnier after a few.

[starvegasgirl]

My friends and I were in a taxi a few years ago on the way back to our hotel. As our taxi driver proceeded to get lost going down a few scary alleys (thankfully this trip was during the day!) we heard a call out over the radio about a stolen taxi! We thought for sure this had to be our taxi. By the time we got to our hotel, what should have been a $5-7 taxi ride was $14 because the driver got so freaking lost!!!!

[gcw]

My worst Las Vegas cab story was also my first Las Vegas visit. My girlfriend and I were staying at the Dunes - where Belligio is now, so it should have been a simple matter to turn left from the airport, turn right on the Strip and turn into the Dunes one long block later.

Instead we turned right from the airport, ended up going down a freeway, coming off downtown and then all the way back up the Strip. I don't remember what it cost, but never having been there before didn't know I was being ripped off before getting to the hotel. The front desk lady commented on how late we were and I explained about the 25 minute cab ride. She informed me that even if we had hit every red light possible the trip should not have taken more than 10 minutes at the most.

Even now that I know my way around better, I still take shuttles between my hotel and the airport. They may take a little longer depending on the hotel you are at, but at least they aren't stealing your money! I know that 90% of LV cab drivers are honest and helpful, but I use shuttles and city buses to get around now, and I always enjoyed walking the Strip or Downtown before the knee replacement!

[Lackqueen]

Except for some of the cab drivers going too fast over the speed bumps (hubby has a bad back), we really haven't had much to complain about the cabbies. But our last trip, we were offered a comped limo ride to the airport. Turned out the driver was originally from our part of the country and as we were talking to him, he turned a corner & I could see & hear 2 vehicles slamming on their brakes & horns....it was a VERY close call!! Since I was facing the back of the limo I saw the cars approaching & thought for sure we were going to be hit. Needless to say, we kept quiet & didn't talk anymore to the driver until we stopped at the airport.

[rjgottaplay]

Speaking of cab stories...there is a very interesting Las Vegas Cabbie blog at http://www.lvcabbiechronicles.blogspot.com/

His two most recent entries were a little dull but trust me keep reading and you will be entertained! When I first found it I stayed up for hours reading every one of his past entries. Not sure I'd want to have him over for dinner but he has had some interesting experiences!

Shout out to MarkG from another board who clued me into the link I'm passing on to you.

Enjoy!

[Jacqui, Duskette8]

My mum and I were in a taxi coming from the Frontier (bingo LOL) back to the Luxor where we were staying. We had a taxi driver who was genuinely really funny ... until he mentioned taking us out to the desert and burying us!..... he was joking of course, but to say things were tense for the rest of the ride was an understatement - joking or mentally unstable? you decide! :eek:

[CeeJayRocker]

We jumped in a cab at the airport bound for the Las Vegas Hilton at about 10 a.m., which was back then a $10 or so cab ride, depending upon the stop lights on Paradise. Cabbie edges over to the tunnel, and despite my repeated "Don't take the tunnel, Don't Take The Tunnel, DON'T TAKE THE TUNNEL", takes the tunnel. $16 later, we're at the Hilton. I hand him $10 and ask if he's got any problem with it, because if he does, we can discuss it with the bell captain . . . . He smiles and drives off . . .

I also got dumped at the downtown transit station once after a cabbie took me north from downtown to get to the Hilton . . . .

[MikeinChi]

Most of my experiences with Cabbies have been pretty good and I've only had a few bad ones. Here are a few stories, one funny and one bad:

The Funny One: I came to Las Vegas on business and was in my "business clothes" when I landed. The cab driver was a "cool surfer dude-type" and was very friendly, asking me if I was in town on business, what I did for a living, how long I was in town, etc. He then asks me if I'll have time for a little fun and proceeds to start telling me about the Chicken Ranch brothel and gives their "brochure" to look at. He's telling me it's only a 45 minute drive out there, that he'd be glad to take me anytime, and even wait for me. He says he goes out there a lot and knows many of the girls and that "they're all clean." I found the whole thing very funny.

The Bad One: I was staying at the Hyatt in Lake Las Vegas on another business trip and 4 of us went to the Strip for dinner and gambling one night. We casino hopped a bit and ended up on a hot craps table at Ballys. I couldn't believe it when I looked at my watch and it said "2:30AM" so I gathered the group to get us back to the hotel. The cab driver hardly spoke any English and had no idea how to get to Lake Las Vegas, even though he indicated he knew how. I was very tired and sitting way in the back of one of those big van cabs. I wasn't paying attention and finally realized we were on an expressway going the wrong way. Long story short - it took us nearly 90 minutes to get back to that hotel. One of my colleagues was paying the fare and refused to pay him what was on the meter since he had gotten us so lost. They argued back and forth until a bellman from the hotel came out and settled matters in Spanish with the guy. I always wondered if the cabbie was able to get himself back to the Strip!

[Boston_Bill]

Dont really have a memorable story, most of my drivers have been courteous and they'll talk to you about what brought them to Las Vegas.

I did have one bad experience I was at the MGM and was staying downtown. I split a cab with someone and then it turned into three altogether. We went through a bad neighborhood off strip. Last time I ever split a cab with someone.

[jo45an]

We have been very lucky, as I see by reading some of the
harrowing Cabbie stories! A few years ago, we were in NY for a few days. One of our cab drivers, who was foreign, began to tell us this REALLY sad story about his daughter who needed life-saving surgery:( . He desperately needed money to pay for her medical care. Okay, so we give him a little extra tip and wish him and his daughter well. Several months later, we're in a Vegas cab, with a foreign driver, and, guess what? He starts telling us the same sob story about his daughter, blah,blah, blah! No, it wasn't the same driver, but it was the same story! Hubby and I looked at each other and realized we were most likely scammed in NY (imagine that!!). I think I will start using the shuttles
next trip....some of those Vegas Cabbies sound downright dangerous!!!

Joan in PA.

[cindyinnj]

So far, all my cab rides in Vegas have been normal to delightful! :D Some cab drivers are quiet and don't talk, but the ones that do are a joy to be with. Especially when you have a driver who is from your state (NJ for me), then you have something in common to talk about. They have been knowledgable and friendly. Some may drive a bit crazy, but I take taxi's in New York City all the time and they are the craziest drivers of all. If I can handle them, then Vegas cabbies are a piece of cake....LOL!;)

[Kandik]

Everytime we get into the cab at the airport we say "Harrahs please , no tunnel" the cabbie usuallys responds "Is that Harrahs with a H or Paris with a P?". Happens almost everytime. In March on the way back to the airport we got a cabbie that at every stop light he pulled out his guitar and started playing it. It was really weird.

[jbeall]

The lst time my husband & I went to Vegas (many, many years ago), we stayed at the Excalibur and schlepped up and down the strip for 3 days. On the 4th day, I told him, "NO MORE WALKING - GET ME A CAB!" Our cab driver was so nice - said "you realize you can ride for free on the monorail?" He was a lifesaver. Those were the days my friend (free, free, free)

[ChicChas]

I suppose I'm supposed to limit this discussion to Las Vegas cab drivers and skip all the stories from Chicago.;)

Except for one driver, all of my Vegas cab rides so far have been fine. But last April, our driver from Wynn to MGM Grand one night was actually aiming for pedestrians who weren't obeying the traffic signals. Yes, the pedestrians shouldn't have been in the street, but to actually aim for them? Scary.

[Vegasgrrl777]

The question is:
"What is your best or worse cabbie story."[/SIZE][/B][/QUOTE]

Well the worst cab was just recently in June. We were driving back from NY NY and my friend was not feeling to good well next thing you know out the window she got sick mind it not in the taxi. The driver started punching his steering wheel and dash board and saying every slang word known to man. He pulled over on the side and opened the passenger door and pulled my friend by the arm and ripped her out of the taxi. On top of that he was trying to charge us double because he said we ruined his night. Well honey it is Vegas and things like that are going to happen:p

[bevierose]

In all of the times I have taken a cab either from the airport or to another hotel or restaurant in Vegas, the cabbies have all been polite, almost like tour guides pointing out places of interest and telling us their history (either from NY or from another country). From the airport you may have a choice of going on the Expressway (faster not always) or via the city. If you are staying near Mandalay, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM, NY NY, Palms, Tropicana, Monte Carlo, Aladdin and up that way, south...go via the city. Toward Fremont St and the other end of the Strip (north) you may find it quicker by Expressway. For us the rate has been from $9 to $15, depending on traffic.
All good experiences.
If you can share a cab, it will be cut in half. Enjoy!;)

[barfar1]

There is usually 4-5 in our group when we take cabs in Vegas and most of the time (it's almost tradition now) my husband sits up front with the driver and always asks "where you from?, how long have you been in Vegas? and do you like living in Vegas?" Some drivers are eager to tell their story and others don't respond at all but we always have fun with it.

I guess the only bad experience was when we specifically told one cabbie not to go through the tunnel from the airport and he just ignored us so when we arrived, my brother in-law paid him and said..."You're loss, no tip".

[manduss]

During NAB 2005, I took a cab from the Tropicana to the Hard Rock. Even though the traffic was a little stop and go, the driver averaged around 50 mph. We were NOT in a rush. Even after telling him that twice, he continued to hit the gas (and almost hit a few cars). When we got to the Hard Rock, I tipped him $1 and change (rounding up to the nearest dollar).
We were glad to have survived the trip.
Two days later when we needed a cab from the Trop to the Mirage, WE GOT THE SAME CABBIE!!!
I don't even want to try to figure out the odds on that. He was doing 80mph before we actually go onto I-15. I told him a few more times that he didn't need to go that fast. It got to the point where I decided it was probably best not to piss off a cab driver who was going 80mph, though.
This time, I paid him his fare and no more.
I hope never to see him again.

[mrsgplus3]

The Year Was 1985 And I Was 8 Months Pregnant With My Son, There Were 4 Of Us Staying At Circus Circus, And Took A Taxi To See Legends In Concert(don't Remember Where It Was) This Taxi Driver Had A Puppet With Him, A Duck Puppet, And We Laughed Our You-know-whats Off The Entire Ride. He Had Something To Say About Everything,he Never Shut Up.there Was A Horse Drawn Buggy Or Carriage Along Side Of Us, And Another Car Ran Into Them, Oh My Goodness You Should Have Heard Our Driver's Duck Then...i Will Never Forget These Words....."lady, How Would You Feel With Car Shoved Up Your #$#$?" We Laughed About This The Rest Of Our Trip, I Don't Think Any Of Us Remembered The Show Even. We Tipped Him Very Very Well, And Have Looked For And Asked About Him Every Time Since, To No Avail.

[Nancy from Indiana]

The only time we took a cab in LV was years ago. We started walking down the strip & husband didn't want to walk anymore so we cabbed it a few blocks. The cabbie kept telling me about a stock to buy & I did. It was Prima Donna - the owner of Primm,NV who used to own all or a part of NY NY.
It never did anything & I sold it -don't think it was a loss. Also bought Mirage Resorts which is now MGM Mirage. That one's a winner - too bad I don't own more shares.

[honeyswife]

We live in Vegas, last year we returned to NJ for a visit and a friend was picking us up at Harrahs. We took a cab from airport to Harrahs, the ride should be around $12. We told the cabbie we lived here, but because we were being dropped off at Harrah's he must have forgotten.

Well, to make a long story short he took us to Harrahs via the 15 Hwy, as our meter approached $19 I told him I was writing his license and name down because he took us the long route. He quickly changed his mind and charged us the $12 and I wouldn't even tip him, which normally I would.

You can report rude, overcharging cabbies

[candyb92]

I have had very good cab drivers except one, where he was trying to get out of a traffic jam and actually drove on the sidewalk. Talk about not knowing what to think or say, I was speechless. I thought I was in a movie being chase by cops.

[Larry Robinson]

Three years ago this Fall four of us caught cab at Gold Coast
to the airport. After a few minutes the driver turned off the
meter and started driving 80 mph. We were stopped by
the taxi police and he was given a ticket. We continued on and
paid him just the normal fare to the airport. We have started
taking the shuttle from airport to our hotel to prevent these
kinds of incidents. However, when leaving I don't trust being
picked up on time by the shuttle.:cool:

[kestral]

I wasn't even in the cab for this one.

After one of those torrential desert rains, I was standing with a large group of pedestrians at the drive entrance to the Bellagio, waiting to cross. There were huge standing water pools - 6 inches deep. A cab turned into the Bellagio's entrance. The driver purposely swerved and sped up to go through the pool and send a wall of water onto the pedestrians.

Somehow I'd seen what was coming and escaped the deluge. I wish I'd gotten the taxi number, but he was too frickin' fast.

Guess that driver thinks pedestrians must never take cabs and deserved to be soaked!

[G-Alan]

The Vegas cabbies are much like the videogame. (Crazy Cabbies) for those gamers out there. Don't get in their way! I always enjoy the ride. It's not my car and it will not be my ticket so just sit back and hold on. Most cabbies will talk after you have asked a few questions but then I usually wish that I hadn't provoked him into talking. I will give them credit for quickly getting me where I want to go. I have never had one take the long way around but I am not usually going far. Mostly Caesars to Bellagio or ti to venetian. Just kidding- I actually will walk these. We were going from Bellagio to TI one night and were in a hurry and told the driver that if he got us there in 5 minutes he would get a big tip. The entire (short) ride we were yelling "come on, lets go- and hurry up we got to gamble!!" And of course one of the four of us kept asking 'Are we there yet?" said he had to go to the bathroom. Of course we made it, where it isn't that long of a ride. We probably could have walked it in 5 minutes. But, we just wanted to see if the driver would get juiced up and he did. That may have been the guy splashing water from the other post, who knows!! We didn't even time him but I'm sure we made it quickly and we did tip him well. Anyway, sit back, close your eyes, hold on and you'll be there in a second! :eek:

[HeyNow]

I had a funny cabbie on the way from the Palms to the airport in March 2005.

He asked me where I was from and I told him Daytona Beach. His response: "I knew it. I can spot you California guys. Hey, do you wanna smoke a joint before your flight?" I told him I didn't have anything to smoke. He said he didn't either, but that a lot of passengers like to get high on their way to the airport. Then he told me 3 or 4 stories about smoking weed on the way to the airport. When we got there, I tipped him a $5 and he said "Man, you California guys are always good tippers too".

I never had the heart to tell him Daytona Beach was in Florida.

[mbjts]

Three of us had finished a late show many years ago at the Hilton. We had gotten familiar with where the hotels were placed, and got a cab to take us to the "old" Frontier Hotel as we didn't want to make the walk back.

After we took off, our driver announced that he wanted to give us a ride. We wound up flying through back of the hotel parking areas, while we were holding on for our lives. I finally spoke up (I was almost too frightened to talk), and told him to knock this off right away!:mad:

He just laughed and gave us a few more spins. We finally arrived at our hotel, and shakily got out of the cab. At the last minute (when we had a doorman by our sides), I just through him a five dollar bill and told him to get lost.:p

Thankfully, he didn't even try to get out of the cab. Needless to say, our hearts were in our throats every cab ride from that point on, but the rest of our rides were straightforward with very friendly drivers.

[Janine926]

In March on the way back to the airport we got a cabbie that at every stop light he pulled out his guitar and started playing it. It was really weird.

I found this hysterical, still laughing...:D

[Y2J2006]

Both trips to Vegas this year every cabbie was great. One guy looked like actor Danny Aiello and so we got joking with him when he was taking us from Excalibur to Stardust.
alked about the mob owning Vegas and how he is just moonlighting driving cab. Alot of fun, so many of these guys are the best tour guides for sure.
What was funny is when I was going to a show up at the Stratosphere two nights later, I got him again. He remembered me and we laughed about maybe getting him to be our personal cab driver. He says when he dropped me off at the Strat "Tell Liver Lips that Danny said hi" and we both laughed.
Cabbies in Vegas are a million times better than here in Toronto so it is a big relief.

[Dkoehn]

We had a Vegas cabbie who had a stack of balloons in his car and made balloon animals as he drove. Gave us a doggie balloon when we exited at ExCalibur so we had fun finding a toddler to pass it off to inside.

A friend who was recently in Vegas tells us that while riding with his two sisters in the back seat he had a accidental small "toot" escape. While his sisters found this highly amusing, the cab driver stopped and ordered them all out.

I'm easilly frightened with a bad driver so we rarely take cabs anymore. I just can't take the anxiety when on vacation.

Donna in Ohio

[jgalt1]

1) On my first trip to Vegas in 1988, my first cab ride was with a female driver. She tokk me from Vegas World to Caesars Palace. We discussed black jack card counting on the way.

2) During the building of the Stratosphere tower a fire had destroyed part of the structure and during the repairs the front of the casino a Las Vegas Blvd was closed so cabs had to drive behind the casino and though Naked City alleys and streets. That was intersting, especially after dark.

3) Got a cabbie from the Stat to the airport who said I was his last fare of the day. Said he was going to take the short route to the airport. At that time the average fare was between $10-11. I thought how much more was I going to be gouged. We took zig-zag back roads and the fare was $8.20!!! I handed him the $15 I was holding in my hand as that's what I always paid for the trip to the airport.

4) With relatives we shared a cab. Me to the Strat, them to Golden Nugget. I was dropped off first, paid the fare. Then they were taken downtown. But they told me they were charged the whole fare, so they paid my fare a second time. I should have told--but didn't thind I needed to--tell the driver to reset his meter when he dropped me off. If he didn't, they should have left the cab at the Strat and got another one.
Be advised if you share a cab and each party has a separate destination.

5) Had a cab take me downtown from center strip, said that time of day was very busy on strip so got on freeway. A crash stopped traffic. The cabbie apologized and shut off hsi meter. And didn't turn it back after we got by the crash, but when we exited the freeway. He got a big tip.

[Tweeets]

Both trips to Vegas this year every cabbie was great. One guy looked like actor Danny Aiello and so we got joking with him when he was taking us from Excalibur to Stardust.
alked about the mob owning Vegas and how he is just moonlighting driving cab. Alot of fun, so many of these guys are the best tour guides for sure.
What was funny is when I was going to a show up at the Stratosphere two nights later, I got him again. He remembered me and we laughed about maybe getting him to be our personal cab driver. He says when he dropped me off at the Strat "Tell Liver Lips that Danny said hi" and we both laughed.
Cabbies in Vegas are a million times better than here in Toronto so it is a big relief.

The cabbies in Buffalo cannot compare to the ones in Vegas either. We don't taxi much, 3 or 4 times a year, and only from the airport to home. In all the times we've done it, they barely speak to us, they don't comment on anything we say. It's like we're all alone in the cab. It may be because it's always afer midnight-1:30AM; they're tired; or because most most of them don't speak English.............:(

[hipster818]

This was maybe ten years ago. I took a Cab from Fashion Show Mall to the Forum at Caesar's Palace. The cost was maybe ten bucks, I handed him a $50 and he says he could not make change. I argued with him, but then got his name cab number and driver number to report him. Just because I was under 21 he thought he could put on over on me. When I got inside I called the cab company and report him. They apologized and refunded my money by sending it to the hotel I was staying at.

[vegasvirgo10]

Upon arrival to Las Vegas, we never take a taxi from airport to casino. Don't trust the driver to take the shorter route. We've been stung once; family and friends several times. It takes a little longer with shuttle buses but at least we know the total cost plus tip.

However, from casino to airport at the end of trip is okay. For some reason the drivers take the shortest and fastest route. Never had a problem.
:rolleyes:

[vegasdough]

Trying to beat the light going through the intersection of Industrial Road - Across Flamingo - to the Rio - we actually went airborn - all 4 wheels off the ground like the Dukes of Hazzard. I had three 3 first-timers with me who turned white as a sheet and were shaking so bad when we got out at the Rio they couldn't talk.

[PinkFloydActuary]

We were staying at the Monte Carlo, and coming back from Downtown. The cabbie pulled into the Excalibur parking lot and was driving around the back of the Excalibur near some dumpsters. One of my friends really laid into the guy, asking him if he knew where he was going and what in the world was he doing. Eventually, he hopped a curb, got onto a different road and got us back to the MC. In retrospect, this probably was faster than driving up the strip at that point, but it was one of those times I started praying I would see my family again!

[The Gumbo Man]

In the early days, before we had kids, the wife and I were Downtown, shooting craps at the "Union Plaza". We made some wildly extravagant wagers that all paid off, and celebrated at the bar. Excited to go out and splash around with these winnings, we went running out of the front of the hotel, and we hopped in the back of the first cab we saw. We get in, we're laughing and kidding around.
And the cabbie says "So where do youse folks wanna go?"
Well, we don't know, so we start discussing it. She thinks going to the Flamingo would be great, I want to go to the Dunes.
"What is this, a vacation by committee??" the cabbie yells. "You people need to get a look at whats going on around you!" So I do, and thats when I notice the brighter than bright lights, the truck in front of us with the camera, the people all looking and laughing.
The cabbie turns around, and its George Carlin. :eek: George-freakin'-Carlin! My favorite Vegas show.
Filming a scene for something. We blundered right into it. We apologized, he laughed about it, we got the heck OUT of there, and many of the crowd applauded.

We don't take cabs any more.:cool:

[Bevhill1]

The first and last time I took a cab in Vegas was in Oct 2000 and I went alone and was staying at my parents time share off the strip. So on my way to the airport and a call came over his radio about a gentleman who left his cellphone in the cab and he was trying to get it back. As I arrived and was exiting the cab I stated I should make sure I have my phone and he stated under his breath yea you better;you might not get it back. And to ad insult to injury, I was not to familiar about how much to tip so I tipped him $5.00 and asked if that was enough and he gave my a look and said no this is not enough and he returned to the drivers seat without helping me with my bags. Needless to say I always rent a car.:D