Physics Lesson: Bus is Stronger than Taxi Door

Jess recommended that we eat at Haru Sushi last Friday. We did, and it was really great. I particularly liked their Dragon Roll. Little did we know that we’d get dinner and a show.

Sheryl and I left after dinner. It was a crisp and cold night. We hopped in a taxi to Market East Station. About three-quarters of the way to the train station, I reached down to get something from my Timbuk2 Hacker Bag. Um…no bag. I left it at Haru.

So, I asked the taxi driver to circle back. When we got within a block of the restaurant traffic stopped dead on Chestnut, just short of 3rd. A couple cycles of lights came and went. The honking started. So I told the driver I’d be right back. I’d get my bag and he could come around the corner with Sheryl and pick me up.

No dice. See that bus with the taxi door twisted backwards in its wheel well? (Check out the ad on the side of the bus.)

Some idiot tourist got out of the cab on the street side and the bus nearly ripped the door off the taxi. There was a heated argument between the taxi and bus drivers. The Idiot Tourist stood there looking stupid.

At some point the two drivers ran over to a cop who was going north on 3rd. They talked to the cop…who just left the scene. Like that. So traffic was backed all the way down Chestnut from 3rd to 4th. Sheryl to the rescue.

Sheryl’s originally from Iowa. And in Iowa, you help people. I kept saying, “F**k it, this is Philly. Let’s go.” She persisted. Walked down the middle of a traffic jam on Chestnut with a hundred horns honking and told people they were going to be stuck for a while. “A bus took a door off a taxi.” The bleating horns waned as she told drivers what was happening. Then Sheryl helped a few cars back out of Chestnut and go south on 4th. Just like that.

I enjoyed seeing the drama of the accident. Iowa Girl Charms Philly was just dazzling.