As it turned out, we were meant to be leaving New York yesterday….
My husband went on the internet to look up opening times, checked the date, checked our itinerary and went deathly pale. The time was after 8 a.m. and our plane was leaving for San Francisco to make a connection to Honolulu at 10.25 a.m.  While he sat checking and rechecking times, dates and counting up days and nights I threw everything into the suitcases, tidied up the apartment and waited for the signal to leave. When he said, ” okay, let’s try and make it” we rattled down the narrow flights of stairs out onto  5th Ave where I did something I have always wanted to do … I ran onto the road, held up my hand and hailed a yellow taxi!

Not only did I hail the taxi, I told him that we had made a mistake with the dates and that we needed to be at the airport before 10.00 a.m. He replied, The traffic’s pretty heavy lady, but we should make it in an hour”

Things were not looking good. We were caught in a gridlock at around 32nd St. Our driver opened his door, stood up in the middle of the traffic and assessed the situation. He then edged his battered yellow workhorse across a few lanes and into the relative freedom of the surrounding streets. When all was clear he tore through the streets weaving this way and that, when it was blocked he beeped his horn in true New York style. Unafraid he pushed through lanes, honked people out of the way, revved past trucks and buses and flew in and out of traffic along the highways. This was a man who knew his craft and his battered old cab responded to his every request.

Looking exhilirated our hero landed us safely at terminal 7. He and his trusty yellow steed had saved our day with 15 minutes to spare and we had had the ride of our lives!