D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A before, in the morning at my house and taken me to 57th Street and Fifth (on my way to Michael’s). I was amazed by the coincidence and that he recognized me in a city of 17 million. The work of a cab driver is a rough one in New York. They are often the brunt of abuse and criticism, not to mention the matter-of-fact nonsense that often comes with a fare that barks like a dog and quacks like a duck. There are not a few of those around. Think about it. And then the drivers are often stiffed when it comes to the tip. Furthermore, the new system of credit cards in the taxis is a costly device for them, too. Not to mention the TV monitor scam that all
New Yorkers loathe (except the installers and licensers, and presumably the Taxi Commission). I often use a cab running from one place to another over the course of a day or night. Rarely have I had a bad experience or an unpleasant driver. Frequently, they’re not big personalities or charmers or even talkers. Not infrequently, they barely acknowledge you or are on the phone (I ask them to put it away). Like anyone else you know these days? However, then there are the cheerful ones, like my driver on this ride, Nawaz. These are the people who have some kind of relationship with the city. Many are immigrants, often these days
from the Middle Eastern, Asian, or African countries. Sometimes the Caribbean and South America. I often ask them how long they’ve lived here and if they’ve lived anywhere else in the U.S. They are often longtime residents— ten, twenty, thirty years. And they love New York, even with all the hardships it places on the working stiff. More good works: On another fair spring day, I went to the annual Women & Science lecture and luncheon. This one featured two Rockefeller University scientists, Jan L. Breslow, M.D., and Barry S. Coller, M.D. It was hosted and moderated by Sir Paul Nurse, the president of Rockefeller University who himself is a
Nobel Laureate. The subject was“The Latest Word on Heart Disease and Stroke: Research, Prevention, and Treatment. Here are the scare-you-half-to-death facts: Cardiovascular disease— including heart attack and stroke—has long been the leading cause of death in the U.S. among both men and women. Until the middle of the 1990s, however, the subject regarding women was paid insufficient attention. The situation has improved. When you hear what people like Drs. Breslow and Coller are doing in their field, you can be both amazed and thankful. Not surprisingly, this event gets a big turnout of prominent New York women.
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