starting fights (a story for cheryl)

So.. theres one thing that im good at, and thats starting a good fight. Unfortunetly today, i started a fight, unbeknownst to me. A fight really isnt fun unless both parties are awear its happening. Otherwise, one side may be too in shock to be able to act accordingly as was the case today. This fine afternoon, i was taking a cab home from a long day at the doctors. OK.. wait. Lemme start at the begining. I had to go to the doctor today, its far enough away that i have to take a cab to get there (and back). The base sits at the top of the hill that i now live on the other side on, and the doctor's office is way on the bottom of the other side. So, when ever we need to go via cab into monterey, we just cut through the base (like i needed to do today). You just have to have base ID which me and christopher both have. Its NEVER a problem, the cabbies never really seem to mind -- they do however have to pop the trunk and their hoods to show they aint packing a car bomb -- but no biggie right? OK so, I go to the doctor, take a cab through base --which like always isnt a problem. The doctor's appointment is for an MRI for my knees which as some of you know have been bothering me on and off for just over a year now. So any way, i was under the impression that an mri was like some new age technology that would be speedy and .. all new-age-technology-like. WRONG. Its this huge bulky LOUD machine that takes FOREVER to take a series of pictures. I have no idea how many the thing actually takes but i was in there for like an hour and a half. The actual picture taking (and sitting perfectly still) lasted for about an hour. Not my idea of a good time. So, after this wonderful way to spend my afternoon, I walk to the place where cabs wait for fares, but there isnt any, so i call one. I give the dispatcher my location, and my destination which is right out side the back gates of the base. To cut through base, its like a 5 minute drive.. straight up the hill, in the main gate to the base, and right out the back and your at my place, or... you can go all the way around the base, down a road like robson street, with traffic galore, and tons of one way and "you cant turn here" streets - which takes about 15 minutes. So, when the cab gets there i say what i always do when i get in. I give em my address, and then let them know i have an ID that gets me through base, so id like to cut through. Often the cabbies ask if you can cut through, sometimes they dont... i figure they hope they get the more expensive go around fare. So ive learned just to let em know right away you got ID and you want the cheap direct route, no funny business. OK.. so i get in.. say my speal.. then ask the guy how his day has been, you know polite cabbie chit chat. He barks out back to me "it was fine until you asked to cut through the base" He was so rude about it i thought he may be kidding, then i thought maybe i was in one of those candid camera cars so i looked around, but no camera. He immediately launches into this lecture about how weird it is for me to ask to cut through base, and that no one makes requests like that. I politely said that as i dont have a car, and i live right on the other side of base, that i frequently take cabs through the base, and not one cabbie has said a word about it. All of this takes place in about 2 blocks. He was still ranting when i said, "look if its that much of a problem for you to go through base, just let me out here, ill call another cab".. i wasnt rude, though i should have been.. i really was just totally in shock about the whole thing. So he says to me that letting me out is a good idea, but he wants me to pay the 3.00$ - and let me tell ya, he wasnt asking nicely. I said "look, your the one with the problem here, im not paying you cause you dont want to take me where i want to go." He promptly pulled over, and said abruptly "get out" so i did. I was good too. I didnt slam the door, i didnt yell.. i didnt really say much. I got out my cell and called the cab company... and got the dispatcher on the line. Before i could tell him what had happened, he said to me that a replacement cab was on its way. He didnt appologise, he didnt even hear me out. THATS when i got mad. I was furious. And just at that second the cabbie that kicked me to the curb drove by, and thats when i gave him the finger. Unfortunetly, it was rush hour at a busy intersection, and im sure 4 other drivers thought i was giving them the finger.. but ohwell. I felt better about the whole thing.