HOLIDAY PRICES

One thing Yale has over us: decent cab service.

This bitter truth was brought home for Dartboard while heading to New York in honor of Rosh Hashannah, the first of two holidays focused on repentance. Our formerly Israeli cab driver had a lovely chat with us about attending religious services for the holiday. Once at Logan Airport, our cabbie informed us of a curious new tradition--charging the passenger for the cabbie's ride back alone to Cambridge. Dartboard had no time to quibble; we suffered our rip-off quietly.

The return taxi ride to campus was even more unpleasant. The cab driver was not only offensively aggressive in grabbing our bag while we walked toward another cab, but he was abusive when it came time to pay. He insisted that Dartboard owed him for a base charge to Kirkland House what Dartboard paid last year (extra generous tip included) to ride all the way to Hurlbut Hall.

Somehow, it seemed that his bridge toll rose more than every other cabbie's. When we objected to the exorbitant price, our driver attempted to intimidate us and degrade us, taunting, "Haven't you ever been in Boston before?"

Well, yes, sir, we have. And that's why you were left fuming in the Sunday night dark about your tip. We know good service when we see it. When over the summer--while we were doing investigative reporting for fall attacks on our younger sibling in New Haven--Dartboard was charmed by the two cabbies who served us. They were garrulous, friendly, helpful, and they even insisted on not charging us for out-of-the-way routes taken in order to circumvent traffic.

Why is it that these noble souls insist on living in New Haven? Why do Boston cab drivers consistently insist on raising rates for students? Where is the justice? Where is the taxi commission?