Some fear at the prospect of sharing a car with strangers. Probably more chance of getting hit by lightning, but can't help remembering the poor cabby killed a couple years ago. Knifed in the back, I think.

It's gotta be a hell of a lot less lonely than driving a truck. No more squinting sandblasted eyes for moose crawling out of the ditch on a suicide mission. Less greenhouse gas pollution. Less boredom. No hand-bombing tons of booze off the back of a semi-trailer. Things are looking up.

Stupid pride is lying low too (or is it just lying in the weeds, waiting to sandbag me first day on the job?). Being broke helps. Sure, I wrote a taxi license 20 years ago as a snotty-nose kid. But who says we gotta 'climb' the ladder to success? Maybe, given the state of our FUBAR planet, descending those worldly rungs with humbleness and a teachable spirit is a more valuable success?