I just remembered as I was talking with my parents on Wednesday night that I had forgotten to tell you one more episode of my experience with the cab drivers.
It was Monday and I was heading back towards my apartment from King George Street. Since I was in a rush to get back, I had to flag down a cab instead of taking the bus (well, I was running low on money by that point...) . A family hailed one before I did and I waited to see if their bargain worked out. It didn't so I went over there and spoke to the driver in Hebrew for Har Hatzofim for 25 shekelim. He heard the place but not quite the money even though I repeated it again as he motioned for me to get in the back. I hopped in and he asked exactly where- up to the university? I nodded, then he starts panicking a bit for the other family to come in. I turned around and motioned for the girl to come over and she asked her mother and her mother shook her head. The driver and I shrugged and we made our way.
As we crossed Jaffa and up the street...
Driver: Where do you want to go at the university?
Me: Kfar Ha'Studentim, the student village....
Driver: (raises his three fingers) Thirty.
Me: What?! No, no, no I said I wanted 25!
Driver: Thirty.
There was a moment of tense silence between the two of us because I wanted to get out of the cab to show protest but I couldn't as it was illegal for a cab driver to change the prices, and the cab driver wanted to see if I would get out of the cab anyway
Me: Do you want a report?
Driver: Huh?
Me: What's your number so I can write you down?
Driver: I just wanted 30... wait, where do you want me to go? (We had approached the intersection, one street taking us through Mea Shearim, and the other along the north wall of the Old City)
Me: Oh, just go to the right!!!!
Driver: What about the meter? 30 shekelim or the meter?
Me: Fine, fine, use the meter. I'm telling you that the meter will not go to 30 shekels if you go through this way. I've done it and it's going to be under 30.
(The driver turns on the meter and we were silence for a few minutes, driving past the New Gate and the Damsacus Gate, into East Jerusalem, passing through American Colony, then we approach a round-about)
Driver: (Shuts off the meter)
Me: (Gets upset) What the hell are you doing?!?!!
Driver: I'm telling you, if I go around this, it's going to be more than 30 shekels so I'm trying to save you some money.
Me: I don't care! You're supposed to use the meter the whole way. I can't believe you did that! (Thinking, wow, what an asshole)
Driver: 30 shekels and I'm going up this way and...
Me: Very smart. All other cab drivers go this way too! You're not the only one!
Driver: Really, this little road?
Me: Uh, yeahh and I'm telling you that I originally asked for 25 shekels before I got in the cab and you didn't listen to me.
(The driver shuts up and we make our way up to the university, I actually felt a bit worn down and definitely pissed off that I'd asked him to just drop me off once we got to the campus, and I'd just walk up the apartments)
Driver: Where from here?
Me: Around to the left and straight ahead...
(By this point, I was feeling nervous that I was not going to win this battle because he seemed so determined so all I could do was to get a piece of paper and a pen out of my purse, ready to write down his number once I got out. Finally, we arrived in front of the security gate)
Driver: 3o shekels (raising up 3 fingers)
Me: No... I don't think so. I asked for 25 (handed him 50 shekel bill, sat very still with my eyes trained on his hands, creating a sense of determination with my hand clutching on the paper and pen, this lasted for about 15 seconds)
Driver: (Slowly handed me a 20 shekel bill)
Me: And.... where's the 5?
Driver: (His mouth curled up to sly smile of both frustration and admiration, and reached for a 5 shekel coin and puts it on my hand)
Me: Thank you very much. (The driver nods)
You can bet that when I approach the door of my building, I yelled out in frustration.
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