- sit down in the middle of the Port Authority and cry
- blow off the job interview, go to a bar and find some guy to buy me drinks until my friends get off work
- make it work
I considered the first option, learned firsthand the day before why the second option wasn't a good idea, so I decided to take a cue from Tim on Project Runway and just make it work.
It was a long shot, but I thought I might be able to persuade a taxi driver to take me back to Jersey with the flash of a smile (maybe, ultimately, some tears), promise of payment and my purse, phone and directions to my job interview as collateral.
The guy with the thick Russian accent managing the taxi stand wouldn't even listen to me once I told him of my predicament.
"You must pay for taxi! You must pay for taxi!" was all I could get out of him.
So, i took my predicament to the street. I went up to a cabbie, smiled, showed him my collateral, and begrudgingly, he agreed.
Whew! Now I had just one more problem - I had the address for my destination, but NO IDEA how to get there, and my cabbie was in the same boat. We would have to wing it.
Fortunately, my friends live on a major street. So, a few wrong turns and 40 minutes later, we made it.
Hurray! I leave my "collateral" in the car, rush inside for my wallet. But wait. It's not there.
I walk outside, sick to my stomach. I open my bag. I stick my hand in and pull out my wallet on the first try. I checked my bag six times! Never did my wallet appear. A $50 cab ride later, and here it is. DRAT!
Now, one hour before my interview, I'm stuck as to what to do. Do I wait for the bus ($3 and a little stress) or pay another $50 for a cab ride back into the city?
I don't want to be late on top of all that has already happened, so I suck it up and get back in the cab. An expensive lesson. Since then, I always know where my wallet is.
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