Kick start...

I wake up with a start, grab my mobile to check the time. New voicemail - Executive cabs: "Your cab number is ***. It will be in Jersey City at 6:00am." I glance at the watch. 6:03!!! I curse and rant...while scrambling to get ready asap. It is 6:17 as I close the door and scamper down the 3 flights of stairs. Its raining. Great! What way to start a summer saturday.

Hey wait a minute did I say saturday? It should have started with "I wake up and check the time: 9:00am. 'Go back to sleep' I tell myself. And do so obediently."

But this saturday is different. I have to be at my offce at 6:30 am and the cab that will take me there is at my doorstep. I get in, as I apologise for being late, my eyes catch a small device mounted on the dashboard. It has a small 5" by 3" colour monitor flanked by sleek controls. I can't get my eyes off the Magellan RoadMate 360 North America. The cabbie can't not stop singing the praises of his GPS navigator. He keeps poking the roof animatedly to indicate the satellites that feed data into the navigator. I wonder how many more cab rides would it take to erode a hole into that roof. He tells me he bought it for $300 on ebay and there is no subscription or other costs involved. He insists it would work anywhere in the world...including India.

Theres something about cabbies and India. I cant remember one cabbie who let me ride without gushing over India like it was the best place they ever knew. And that always has the same effect on me - I smile and resolve to tip him an extra dollar. :)