The sun., 1909-05-02
LOSING THE TAXICAB MAN
WOMEN MORE TO BE FEARED
AS CUSTOMERS THAN MEN.

Side Doors Of Shops Their Fayorits
Means OF Avoiding the Payment oi
Fare-some Brave II Out-Men Wha
Don't Pay OFTEN Merely Forgetful
This ta1icab chauffeur was telling about
how some folks after riding in his vehicle
try to lose him.
If a taxi shufY had as many eyes as
fly he'd get the bee put on him just 90
often was his way c. beginning it, @and
he never has any way Of telling by look
ingat em which Of the cushion lollers Is
going TO hand It to him. Those that look
squarest are often sllpporyest
| women are the smoothest at the taxi
beating gag. Only few days ago / was
scuttling along Thirty-fourth street to
slip into Broadway when q swaggerino
woman Of 40 or so logged like Daughter
Of Something or Other on biz spooch
day gave me the beckoning finger. She
was for shopping trip. she told me. and
named the frat place that she wanted
me to glide her to. She looked like all
the money this side Of Buffalo
1T was about II 30 A. NJ. when took
her aboard, and skidded her arouad to
all OF the department stores on tho big
buy beat She didn't spend more than
! twenty minutes or so in any OF 'em until
along toward clock she landed in big
plant. When she stucl, in there for about
| three-ouarter OF an hour began to get
just little fretty.
There's a side way out Of this depart
ment store. and hate plants that We got
these side doors An hour passed and still
she didn't pop. Began to look pretty bad
then, and so just to give myself kind
Of run for the coin I went into the
store to look for her.
Il saw her writing letters in a little
pavilion near the middle Of the ground
floor. That tossed gleam Of comfort
into me, but still didn't feel safe about
the thing, for il isn't like woman. even
II she's got q Rockefeller wad. to sit down
and twiddle with pen at the letter writ
ing gag when she's got any kind Of coin
costing vehicle waiting.
$50, Just to see. kind o., where stood.
mooched up the stairs to the little
gallery where she sat writing letters.
and giving her the brim touch to the
cap says TO her:
How. che asked me, looking up
from her writing. as II she d never clapped
lamp on me in her life before.
"'Dye want me 10 stick around?'
asked her again, but from the way she'd
answered me the first time had huuch
that I was in bad
stick around,' she asked me, her
eyes widening and her voice as hard as
nails. What are you talking about. my
good man? / do not understand
Then knew that was on a dead one.
1t was rawer in her case because. you
see. she'd had plenty OF chance to beet
Il out Of the store without my seeing her
but she was 80 dead confident that she
had me where wouldn't be able to do any
thing about II that she just stayed around
that store as long as she felt like 1t. know
ing that I'd probably be in to look her up.
30 there now!
al mean, lady saws I, the taxicab
that you engaged from me more than
three hours ago, and you know that that's
what I mean. II you don't want it any
longer. will you paw me now|
-'Taxicab that ! engaged from your
said she. looking me right plumb in the
wicks ard never batting an eye. Why.
fellow, are you insane? Or is this some
outra geous scheme to terrorize me into
giving YOU money, and she looked around
as il she. meant to call somebody to have
me- tossed eout.
"Of course there waen't any manner OF
doubt then that she was taxi beat. and
the only thing for me to do was to toss
in my last card
h., tN "A n
nv own pocket for the three hours and
more that I've had you out. I said to
her. and that'li put a dent in me for
more than whole dav's work
.Did that get to her? Did she fand mo
the sympathetic gaze than and say che
! was only fooling and all like thet'
yes. she didonot She got up. picked
up her bundles from the desk. swished
bv me. saying something about com
planning to the manager OF the store for
permitting her to be annoyed in that man
, ner, and down the aisle and out the front
door she beat i, leaving me standing on
the steps Of the writing gallery looking
after her like yap.
.Now. there was no way FOR me 10 beat
! her game. She had it on me- plumb. All
she had to do in case | made roar to a
con or anybody was to say that II was a
case OF mistaken Identity and her word
would've been better than mine million
i
town hates taxi shuff. I don't know
whv everybody hates q taxi ahud. but
that's the answer all the same.
| "I hadn't been handing her anv OF the
slow music stuff, either, when told her
that I'd have to make good to the COM
pany for the time I'd had her out I
owed the company money. instead OF the
company owing me anything. when !
turned IL my wagon at the end OF that
days work. The same kind OF an upper
cut was handed to me by a woman wear
ing a dress that I couldn't earn enough
10 pay for In four months, and she was
fumbllne q gold vanity case studded all
over with diamonds and rubies.
Most Of tho women who do me just
ride around as long as they feel like It.
getting out to visit this store and that,
and then at the windup they always pick
| out a store that's got all kinds OF side
door exits, and they just beat II and
leave me out In front kicking my heels
and wondering II I'm due to be salted
away az a PATSY again.
| sProtty often they'll have me take en-
at the finish to one Of these department
stores that've got O covered passageway
| leading from the store to the elevated rail-
road, and that OF course let's them turn
the trick without any kind Of trouble at
all, A few weeks ago ! got sloughed by
! a woman who allowed me to skid her
around the shops for more than five hours.
and then she did the disappearing Della
thing on me by lammlng through one OF
thoee store to elevated passageways.
sShe was kind Of gay looking propo--
sition, and about three days later piped
her with a swell gink up, around Forty