You don't have one of those cameras in this cab, do you?

[January 18th, 2006] "You don't have one of those cameras in this cab, do you?" This is not the sort of observation I want to hear. These guys had set off my Spidey sense immediately. It tingled still more when they wouldn't tell me where they wanted to go, just directing me turn by turn. But the bit about the camera (which I personally think is useless—it'll only help the police figure out who killed us, reference any psychological studies of deterrence you like), this is disturbing.

For the first time in five years, I hit my panic button. This is supposed to be rapidly followed by the appearance of my compatriots in the area, of which there should be plenty. Apparently not. I seethe, picturing the scene in dispatch, my button going off while the dispatcher is probably bidding on eBay.

The tension in the cab is getting unbearable, and I do what I usually do when I get nervous or scared: be as funny as possible. There's actually sound psychological reasoning behind this (unlike the cameras). Most criminals depersonalize their victims to some extent, making it easier to hurt them. But if they start laughing at your re-enactment of a Chris Rock routine....

I'm approaching a dark park and a narrow street, and am just about to bail at a stop sign, just take off on foot, when the two guys look at each other and simply get out without a word. But I have more than a few for my dispatcher when I call in.