God, I just love my Gotham!
Many years ago, I was taking a taxi from LeGuardia airport to some hotel in Manhattan. Somewhere around 42nd St., the driver got so fed up with the snarled traffic that he just gunned the tank, hopped the curb, and headed up the sidewalk (pavement).
He must have hit something in transition, though, because we didn't get more than 50 feet when the taxi gave this tremendous groan, the rear end heaved up, and it stopped dead in its tracks.
After 30 seconds of gunning the engine, slamming the tranny back and forth between R and D, and cursing in Farsi, the taxi driver killed the motor, turned around, and with the friendliest grin, said:
"Your destination is only half a mile away, sir. That will be $24.70."
I couldn't help it. I totally cracked up, and just opened the door and walked off, with him hanging out the driver's side window screaming unintelligibly at me.
Not a single person batted an eyelash.
New York. Whatta city.
EDIT: We were nowhere near my destination, which I knew.