I've overcome this now, to a degree.
But I used to have a huge aversion to paying for taxis. If it was possible to travel on foot, by train, tube or bus, I would always prefer to do that. No matter what the weather was like or how much longer it would take me.

Occassionally, a friend would stump up for a taxi, but more often than not, quite rightly, they wouldn't fund my aversion, meaning that I would either head out earlier than other people or arrive at our destination later. Or both.

But I took thinks to extremes in the early hours of one Saturday morning, about 10 or so years ago, when I found myself in Trafalgar Square, wandering around aimlessly trying to figure out which nightbus would get me back to Balham.

Now, for those of you familiar with Nightbusses know that there are basically only two types of people on them, jovial, chatty, friendly drunk people or psycopathic, evil, bug eyed drunk people.

And you quickly know which is which.

After about half an hour of not knowing where the hell I was going, I spotted one of the former type waiting for a bus and hit upon my grand plan.

'Excuse me mate, I am so sorry, but I'm trying to get back to Balham but I've got no money on me and I've lost my travelcard, couldn't lend me a quid could you?'

'Sure fella, no worried'

And I wandered off with my shiny pound coin trying to find the correct bus stop.

Until I saw another friendly looking type and repeated my spiel.

Two pound coins now jingling in my pocket, I realised I was onto something.

90 minutes later, I've taken advantage of enough friendly drunks to raise enough money for a dodgy illegal cab back to Balham.

And I realise that its almost 5.30 in the morning and that the tube will be up and running again soon.

So I went and bought a full english breakfast with my bounty.

Then went home by train using my travelcard with my two crisp twenty pound notes that I'd refused to waste on a taxi still snuggly in my wallet.

I never felt guilty about that until I just wrote it down.

Now I feel like an arse.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 17:48, 5 replies)

Now I feel like an arse
Get yourself down the docks tonight.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 18:04, closed)

More of this
Please

;)
(EuroSong I love horse meat: best of all the animals, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 19:21, closed)

Clearly you weren't very drunk at the time
;-)




Heeheeheehee
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 16:53, closed)

You scabby
fucker
( DumbMonkey The penis mightier than the sword, Tue 28 Oct 2008, 23:34, closed)

I know
I am sorry.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 29 Oct 2008, 10:25, closed)