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ISSUE #34.10 • HEADOUT • COLUMN
[NIGHT CABBIE]

The man with the long, white beard careens out of the dive bar

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BY NIGHT CABBIE | nightcabbie at wweek dot com

[January 16th, 2008]

The man with the long, white beard careens out of the dive bar on Southeast Foster Road and into a parked car, his limbs jerking spasmodically.

I help him peel himself off of the beat-up Taurus’ hood and navigate his way into the backseat of my beat-up Crown Victoria, hoping for a short trip.

Which, thankfully, I get. Homeboy doesn’t live more than two miles away, but he wants me to stop at the 7-Eleven on 92nd Avenue, run in, and get him a 22 of Mickey’s.

As I pull out of the store’s parking lot, after having given him his beer, change, and receipt, he mutters that “this is a horrible idea.” I tell him that maybe it is, but he can just put the beer in the fridge and save it for tomorrow if that’s the case.

I pull into the driveway. He throws a wadded ball of bills at me from the backseat and growls that I should keep the change. Before I know it, he’s opened the door, taken a couple of lunging steps, and done a face-plant into his lawn.

I rush to get out of the car and sprint over to him.

“Leave me alone!” he screams. “This is what I do to myself!”

“Come on, man, we’re almost there,” I say. As I reach down to grab him, a fist flies up at me, barely missing my nose.

“Leave me alone!” he yells again.

As usual, I do the wrong thing. I do what I’m told.












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RECENT COMMENTS ON “The man with the long, white beard careens out of the dive bar”

5

I help him peel himself off of the beat-up Taurus? hood and navigate his way into the backseat of my beat-up Crown Victoria, hoping for a short trip.

***

i couldn...

dear prudence, Jan 20th, 2008 6:35pm
6

Yeah Sean, I'm usually the same way. The only times I've done so have been for people with obvious (non-alcohol related) trouble walking. The word count got tight and I didn't make it as clear as I ma...

Night Cabbie 3, Jan 21st, 2008 12:39pm
7

NC3, I clearly caught the DMD, and so will many with a medical background. Your conflict and choices were clearly laid out. You gave the guy the respect of following his wishes, which he underlined w...

jeff taylor, Jan 21st, 2008 6:03pm
8

I have a couple of years sober.

I'd have done the same thing too.

Good piece.

gaz, Jan 26th, 2008 10:26pm
 
 
 





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