When I call out to the Emanuel E.R.’s waiting room for my fare...

TOO AFRAID TO ASK? You drop off an elderly woman with TWO broken arms at her dark house, no sorry, "manufactured home" and don't even ask if there is anything she needs??? Wow. you are an asshole. Not your problem, right?

Really? REALLY? I wasn't aware that your job description was identical to Dian Fossey's....Don't interfere with the habitat....just observe and record...

Spare me. You should have helped her. I suppose you think your little blog smear put the issue to forefront of Westhillian minds in Portland.

Please tell me you didnt take her money.

I can just see you impatiently waiting for the old lady as she struggles to get the cab fare out of her purse.

wow, you three are a bit rough, don'tcha think? It's a column. It's not an affidavit. When is the last time any of the first three commentors here got off their ass and helped another human being?

Yeah, because Night Cabbie has must solve all the personal issues of all of his riders.

What?! Should he start paying for babysitters for every cab rider who has their kid out with them after 8pm too?

The moral of the story is, start saving your pennies now, when you are young, because the world does not give one shit about you.

As I see it, this story -- this little trip through the darkness of Portland, most recent of many -- pretty much covers the powerlessness to change the full sum of human suffering. It's hopelessly vast; start anywhere to make it better.

If NC3 sees a coyote nailed by a truck late at night, and crawling toward the shoulder leaving a trail of blood, and he tells us about it truthfully, what happened and what didn't and what it felt like -- some of us are going to say that he should have pulled over, scooped up the injured little guy and transported him to the downtown animal hospital for treatment/euthanasia. Adopted the coyote if it lived, and taught it Frisbee. A professional cashier with two broken arms and no health insurance walks into a bar...

This story is going to haunt me for a while. It's beautiful. But I must respectfully disagree with S. Baumann: Cast your bread upon the waters now, part with your pennies if you think they'll give you security in old age, practice random acts of small compassion ... even if only giving human contact to those whose hope-o-meter is pegged at zero. And the world cares deeply about you. Five or six shits, maybe. Spend them wisely.

Yeah, I would have been afraid to ask, too. Exactly. Someday, I predict, NC3 is going to come upon a person standing on a bridge at a late hour, if he hasn't already. And he will stop the fucking cab and get out to talk to this person. He can't fix everybody, but his column shows readers how much out there needs fixing.

Asking her if there is anyone to help her does not mean he is taking on all her problems. OR that he is financially obligated to take care of her.

Sometimes, all it takes is caring.

Sometimes, all a person wants is to feel compassion from another human being.

You can care, and show that you care, without 'fixing' her problems.

Empathy goes a long way, people.

I dont expect anyone to fix my problems, but I do crave a little understanding, and even at times, sympathy to the situation, because, like every one of you, I am human.

So is she.

The cabbie isn't a bad person, but perhaps he should stop and think of the way a kind word or a sympathetic ear can affect a person.....

As a fellow "Night Cabbie" I salute you for doing the best job you can do. It's a heartbreaking situation. Provide the ride to all equally.

Tell me what you seen

Was it a dream?

Was I in it?

Life seems so obscene

Until it's over

Who knows?

All I want is someone who can fill the hole

In the life I know

In between life and death

When there's nothing left

Do you wanna know?

You come in on your own

And you leave on your own

The problem is that we have built a culture (you and me and those before us) that says "tough luck". Some people get more than others.

The last time I was in Emanuel's ER, a newly minted husband and wife were there, still dressed up in tux and gown. They had been crossing a street while a friend held up traffic for them. The driver in front decided he'd waited long enough and ran over their friend and fled the scene.

i can't believe i'm actually commenting on a night cabbie - but here goes: a little devil's advocate here. of course it would have been nice of NC to offer to help, and this instance is a little more obvious than perhaps some others that he might run into. but think about how many sad stories and people needing "just a little" help NC ferries each night. if he stops to help each of them, or even some of them, how many fares is he missing? NC is paid by the fares he's collecting. if he's taking time off the clock to help a bunch of his fares, then he's making less money (and i'm sure cabbies aren't making millions as it is). and then who's going to help him when he isn't making enough to live on? or when his dispatcher gets tired of him not being able to take enough calls because he's off being a good Samaritan. sure, we all want him to help everyone he writes about, but if each of us came across this many sad stories in the course of our work day, how many could we stop to help? something to think about before casting stones.

Hey NC, I think you did a great job with this story and I feel that I know what you mean by being "too afraid to ask." Hang in there.