Cabbie Tales II: The waffle search

   By Brian Anderson
   Special for the Republic
   May 7, 1998
   
   Philadelphia - They call this the City of Brotherly Love. I sure hope
   that includes cab drivers.
   
   I told you a few weeks ago about how riding in cabs to can be quite an
   adventure. Well, I have a couple new stories.
   
   The first one occurred in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I asked the hotel
   concierge about going to a waffle house. She said there were some in
   an area called Buckhead. She said a cab ride would be around $12.
   
   I got in the cab and asked the guy how much, and he said $23.50. I
   thought, "Maybe I'm missing something here," but I figured OK.
   
   The waffle house part was where things became even more confusing.
   
   I told him I wanted him to take me to a waffle house, and he said, "I
   don't know waffle house. I am not from here." I said, "Look, I happen
   to know this is the waffle house headquarters," and he kept giving me
   excuses.
   
   I said, "All right, call your dispatcher." He said, "I have no
   dispatcher." I said, "Come on, you're one of the two biggest cab
   companies in town. You're telling me you have no dispatcher?"
   
   He finally dropped me off at an International House of Pancakes.
   
   I said, "This is not a waffle house." He said, "Get out of cab now.
   You no have to pay. Just get out."
   
   I went inside and went into the bathroom to wash my hands. I came out,
   and he was there with a couple policemen. He said, "There he is. He
   didn't pay me." I said, "Whoa, wait a minute, and proceeded to tell
   the policemen about the waffle house. I offered to pay the guy anyway,
   but the policeman told the cab driver, "You know, he asked you to take
   him to a waffle house, and this is not a waffle house. So give him his
   money back."
   
   Then there was this week in New York.
   
   On Monday, our first day there, I walked from our hotel to Times
   Square to look around and stopped off at Starbucks for a cup of
   coffee. I figured I would go to the park (Shea Stadium) early and beat
   the team bus there.
   
   Little did I know . . .
   
   My cabbie went the long way and ran a red light to boot.
   
   He didn't stop at first, and a police car pulled alongside with its
   speaker blaring, "Pull over - NOW!"
   
   The two policemen got out on either side of the car. I wasn't sure
   what was going to happen.
   
   The way we have been playing, I figured if they found out I was with
   the Diamondbacks, they might handcuff me.
   
   Well, doesn't it figure that I ended up arriving at the park a
   half-hour AFTER the team bus.
   
   You know what? I think I might just walk the next time.
   
   Diamondbacks left-hander Brian Anderson will share his comments each
   week in Baseball Extra.