Going to Jamaica, the taxi ride from home, kinda fun.
Thank you for calling Yellow Cab, may we help you?
Yes, hi there, I need a 4:00 Am pick-up tomorrow, Nov. 14th please.
(since they have me on caller ID, in the system, they start to read out my pick-up address and ask for the destination)
O'hare airport.
That's it, done, stick a fork in it.
I tried staying up all night one time, but I find it better to get even 2-3 hours of sleep.
So, I go to bed about 11:00 and set the alarm for 2:30.
RIIIIIIING (my cell phone alarm)
Huh, wha...Ok, show time.
A nice shower, and I put on my flight clothes.
Ok, got 40 minutes left until the taxi gets here.
I walk around, double check the windows and doors and look at my passport and put the moolah in the right places. Check.
A quick last minute puff and I start dreaming of good things to come.
Your place even looks and feels different, when you are alone and you have your suitcase standing by the door, ready to go.
Soon my cell phone rings with a recording.
"your taxi has arrived"
I turn the living room lights on and off about 3 times just to let the driver know I'm awake and he has the right address.
The driver has to figure that at 4AM, who else is flashing the lights, but his fare.
First I bring out the big suitcase and the driver pops the trunk and he puts in it.
I'll be right back, i say.
I get my book bag (carry on) grab the wallet and passport and lock the door as i'm leaving.
For once, there is nobody on the streets and my neighborhood is as quiet as a mouse peeing on cotton.
The driver says "where to?" and we are off.
South Lake Shore Drive , at 4:00 Am is like a ghost town.
We have the road to ourselves and taxi drivers, the late night boys, must love to cruise without other cars around.
There is a ramp that goes up high and banks to the left and you can see the Chicago Skyline standing tall like silent guardsmen watching over lake Michigan.
Weird feeling for me, i am never up at 3-4 am, especially not in a car, but I love it.
Almost like a dream. Like a film noir movie, everything is in dark shadows from the street lights.
Only thing missing is spine tingling, forboding music.
Mickey Spillane or Raymond Chandler must have taken early morning taxi rides.
A few cars on the road, here and there.
I like the feeling of being chauffeured by the taxi dude, getting out of town, leaving your cares and worries to fend for themselves.
About 35 minutes and 40 bucks later, the driver says "which airline?"
He needs to read the sign that tells him which terminal serves my airline.
For years it was AIR Jamaica, but they stopped flying out of Chicago a while back.
So that's a typical wake up and taxi to the airport for this Jamaica lover.
