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There are so many things to love about the story of Betty and Bob Matas and taxi driver Doulgas Guldeniz. Yesterday, the Daily News reported that Guldenez would drive the Matases from Queens to Arizona, where a retirement community awaits the septuagenarian couple. How did an over-2,000 mile fare happen? Well, the Matases were concerned how their cats would weather traveling via cargo load. And the couple doesn't know how to drive (real New Yorkers!). Then a solution appeared:
Betty and Bob had just finished a round of shopping in Manhattan and were having trouble finding a cab to take them home.Now, Guldeniz, a Turkish immigrant, will drive the Matases - along with cats Cleo and Pretty - 10 hours a day until they reach Sedona, Arizona. The Matases will pay him $3,000, plus pay for gas an lodging. Apparently the "standard" fare would be $5,000, plus $5,000 for the return, which makes the executive director of the Committee for Taxi Safety David Pollack say, "The moral of this story is that being kind, driving carefully and safely, being helpful to people and communicating with them is worth it. It pays off."Along came Douglas Guldeniz in his canary-colored Ford Escape, and he didn't even blink when they told him they were headed for Forest Hills.
"He seemed like a real likeable chap," said Bob, 72, who used to work as an audio and video engineer for advertising agencies.
On the trip home, talk turned to the couple's plan to move to the village of Oak Creek in Sedona. Guldeniz, 45, who is originally from Turkey and lives in Gravesend, Brooklyn, peppered them with questions.
"We said, 'Do you want to come?'" Bob recalled. "And he said, 'Sure.'
"We were just going along with him as a gag," Bob said.
But by the time Guldeniz pulled up in front of the Matases' home, the idea didn't seem so nuts.
Guldeniz said, "I want to try and help these people." And, today, he told the News, "I'm happy right now. I want to make something in my life different. When I retire, I want to say something to my grandkids: 'I was on the news. I took a couple to Arizona.'"
This totally has the makings of a great movie - elderly couple and a NYC cabbie try to traverse the country in a hybrid cab with two cats! Ford should totally sponsor the trip! We hope the Matases read up on traveling with cats (the NY Times' Williams Grimes wrote about a harrowing trip with his cats Sweetzie and Soda last October).
Photograph of a Ford Escape taxi by S.D. on Flickr
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In the movie, I'd like Jerry Stiller and Estelle Harris to play the Matases, with Tchéky Karyo as Guldeniz.
I'm picturing Ira Glass, jammed uncomfortably in the Escape's back luggage area with the Matas' belongings, occasionally offering wry narrative observations to no one in particular for 2,500 miles.
Sounds awesome, wish I could go for the ride too.
they realize that once they get to arizona, there's no way to get around without a car, right? I mean unless they're going to keep that taxi dude forever, the whole learning how to drive thing may be inevitable.
they realize that once they get to arizona, there's no way to get around without a car, right?
And we'll omit the fact that Sedona is a grotesque tourist trap.
reminds me of one of my favorite old jokes:
a guy needs to get to paris, france, but he's deathly afraid of flying.... so he hails a cab and says to the driver "paris opera house, please".
"what??? paris?? are you crazy???"
"no, i'm serious. look – we drive across the country, up into canada, over to alaska, across the bering strait – it's frozen this time of year – into russia, across europe, down into france, and onto paris. i'll pay double the meter, plus gas and tolls, and give you the biggest tip you've ever seen in your life. whaddya say"
"well", says the cab driver, "if you're crazy enough to do this, i'm crazy enough to take you!"
so they set out. across the country, up into canada, over to alaska, across the bering strait, into russia, across europe, down into france, and they arrive right in the heart of paris. the passenger pays, they share a good laugh, and the driver sets on out of town when he sees someone with his hand in the air!
"oh god", the guy on the street says, "i can't believe my luck! a new york city cab right here in paris!! i need to get to new york, but i can't fly!
the driver is ecstatic – a return fare!! he tells the guy not to worry, that he knows just how to go... through europe, russia, alaska, canada, and back across the country.
"where you going?', he asks.
"park slope", the passenger replies.
"sorry", the driver says, "i don't go to brooklyn!"
I'll never understand why so many people don't bother to learn how to drive...I don't care where you grew up.
"I'll never understand why so many people don't bother to learn how to drive...I don't care where you grew up. "
Did you learn how to use the NYC subway when you were growing up?
Did you learn how to use the NYC subway when you were growing up?
How is this relevant? Driving is a good skill to have, period.
Driving is a good skill to have, of course.
But what you don't realize is that some people can't afford to have a car, period! So they don't think there is a point to having a license. Especially in NYC. I mean if you get your license and have nothing to drive, you will forget how to use those skills. You will find it intimidating that one or two times in your life when you need to drive!
Anyway, great story about the cats, the couple, and the cabbie!
Funny story #6. That made my Monday slightly better.
But what you don't realize is that some people can't afford to have a car, period!
But a taxi to Arizona is affordable I suppose. :) I was pretty poor growing up and basically drove rusty pieces of shit.
I'm not talking about economic examples, because some people here will squeeze 10 people into a 2 bedroom and still have a vehicle (not that I think it's a worthy priority). I've heard plenty of middle to upper class people (mainly growing up in Manhattan) who take some kind of weird pride in not having a driver's license. Even if you don't have a license, it never hurts to be at least familiar with trying it once or twice in case of an energency situation.
Should I even ask about stick shifts??
Driver's license or not, these two people are in their 70's and a 2,000 mile drive would likely be really hard on them. This is a sweet story and I hope it works out well for everyone.
Why didn't they just fly? A quick check shows United, US Airways and Delta all fly from NY to Phoenix and they all allow cats in approved carriers in the cabin, like most airlines. It would have been a lot faster, with less stress on the cats than being cooped up in carriers for ten hours a day for four or five days.
"Why didn't they just fly?"
I agree. I know everyone is charmed by this story but driving the cats for 4 or 5 days is bound to be much more stressful.
They didn't fly because the road trip was more interesting. They're old, they simply wanted to take in the scenery while they still can. I'm all for it.
Meh, I've driven two cats across country (from Delaware to Los Angeles) and then back two years later. The first 10 hours were a living hell with them meowing constantly, but after that they settled into the routine and it became quite a lot of fun.