How My Cab Fare in Louisville Ended Up In Bangkok

Just spent 2 days in Louisville KY this week. My first ever visit there and it's a pleasant city with a revitalized - if still somewhat sleepy downtown - and a few funky SOHO-like cosmopolitan hotels and restaurants.

But what really stuck with me was my conversation with the cab driver on the way out. He's a 70+ year old widower and tells me he's from Upstate NY (Elmira) originally - and worked for a company that delivered new trucks from manufacturers like PeterBilt, Mack, etc. to customers all over the country.

He moved to Louisville 17 years ago, finished his career there, retired and now lives with his adult son in an apartment. He spends 3 months a year here driving cabs just to save enough money to go to Thailand for the other 9 months of the year where he has a 26 year old wife who's former profession is among the world's oldest.

So I ask him what the impact of the economy has has been on him and he says it's been so slow he'll have to drive his cab for an extra month before he saves enough to go back.

Beyond revealing the somewhat seamy underbelly of the global economy I was amused at seeing how my "taxi" dollars were being routed to Thailand via a cab driver in Louisville KY.

Go figure....

JPL