Beware A Frozen Taxi

(I have just left a dentist’s appointment. As the office is in another town, about 30 minutes away, and I don’t drive at the time, I took a cab there. When I get outside, I pull out my cell phone and call the same cab company to take me to my university, as I have a class later that afternoon. Over an hour later, the cab has still not shown up. I figure they have forgotten to send someone, as it wouldn’t be the first time, so I pull out my phone to call again. To my dismay, I realize that my phone froze after my first call and is completely unresponsive, despite having a full charge. Since pay phones are a thing of the past, I walk up the street to a nearby corner store, and ask to use their phone.)

Me: “Excuse me; can I please use your phone? I need to call a cab.”

Cashier #1: “I’ll call for you. Do you know the number?”

Me: *realizing the number is in my frozen phone* “Um, no. Sorry, do you maybe have a phone book?”

Cashier #2: “Where are you heading, sweetie?”

Me: “[University]. I have a class in an hour. I called a cab over an hour ago, but I guess they forgot about me, and now my phone’s frozen, and I’m kind of freaking out.”

Cashier #2: “Oh, I live pretty close to [University], and my shift just ended. Why don’t I just give you a lift? Save you 30 bucks?”

Me: “Seriously? It wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

Cashier #2: “No trouble at all, sweetie.”

Me: “Thank you so much!”

(She drove me to school, and I made it in plenty of time. I never saw her again, but I’ll never forget her kindness. As a side note, that was the last time I ever called that cab company!)