This, the "kick off week" of my Never B4 project included a mixed bag of actions and outcomes.
I decided to start simple with a little something that I've wanted to do since I've been in Maine more than Manhattan. I hung my very first bird feeder -- a little window jobbie that I can see from my desk. But sadly, not a single bird has visited my fly-by feeder. I’ve obviously done something wrong. I guess it could be the fact that my cat finds this odd window contraption utterly fascinating (instinct?) and sits on the opposite side of the glass just waiting for something to happen. Birds or not, it’s a funny sight and it makes me smile.
But needless to say, I wasn't satisfied and continued to brainstorm. Then the idea hit me! It was something I never did before and I had a great opportunity to do it on Thursday when I had to fly back to New York for work. I was going to take a yellow cab from LaGuardia Airport and I was going to ask if I could DRIVE!
I've asked cabbies thousands of things in the 7 years I’ve been living in Manhattan. I've asked them to take me to all sorts of addresses, popular and obscure. I've asked for weather reports, traffic updates, political opinions, family stories but NEVER have I asked to DRIVE the cab.
A news story on the radio got me and the driver chatting about the sub-prime mortgage debacle. That led to where we both live, to whether we rent or own and as we were crossing the 59th street bridge I learned that my driver owned his taxi medallion and that it cost him $450,000!! At this point, I was starting to second guess my idea to ask him to drive.
But ask I did, with adrenaline and nerves in full swing. What did I have to lose but to hear “No” for an answer? Surprisingly, that’s not what I heard. Not right away, that is. Instead, he apologized (very nice guy) and told me that he would do it if he was going off duty. But since he had just started his day, it wouldn’t work out this time. His curiosity was piqued though and we sat for 5 minutes outside my apartment just chatting about this Never B4 project. The whole idea of it really cracked him up. Did he think I was crazy? Probably.
With this second failure, I was starting to get desperate for a “do-able” idea.
Yesterday, it found me. I was in LaGuardia airport waiting for my flight back to Maine. It was a chaotic scene: hundreds of stressed out people pacing the terminal due to a string of cancellations the night before. Announcements were being made for passengers to give up their seats because all flights were overbooked. I ignored it all, my mind racing with Never B4 ideas that I could possibly do before today. I was so deep in thought that I completely forgot that I didn’t have a seat assignment. I was one of those overbooked passengers (even though I had reserved a specific seat the night before online).
As I was denied my chance to board the plane, my anger was building fast. I commiserated with another overbooked passenger, a pigtailed artist impaired with a set of steel crutches. As she was explaining that her flight was cancelled the night before and that she’d been waiting in the airport all night to get out of New York, they called my name to board. I was chosen over her for the last seat on the flight.
FINALLY, here it was: something that I had never done before, and could SUCESSFULLY do. I gave up my seat to my new-found friend.
I’ve often thought about giving up a seat to get a free ticket but it just never seemed worth it. I just always wanted to get to where I was going more than I wanted to think about a freebie to somewhere else. The one thing that was different about this time…and I suggest that all airlines listen carefully…is that I saw the need of the person that I could help by making such a small sacrifice. Seeing how happy she was made my day…and my week! The free ticket is nice but honestly, it’s nothing in comparison.
Comments