The long way

I drove three people, two guys in their twenties, and a woman. When I exited the freeway on the way to a downtown hotel, I deliberately took the Harbor Drive exit rather than the one labeled "downtown". One of the guys said: "Where the fuck are you taking us?" My reply: "The fastest, cheapest way."

When we arrived at the Hyatt Grand Manchester the meter showed $26.60. I asked what the earlier ride had cost, when they took a cab from the Hyatt to South Bay. They admitted it had cost $34 and change. They offered no apologies, and no tip.

I had some other mentally challenged people later. They asked if there were any good seafood restaurants on Coronado Island. I suggested the Boathouse or Peohe's, both of which have excellent reputations. They discussed it among themselves, eventually settling on the Boathouse. "That's where we're going," they said, partially to themselves. When I got on the ramp leading up to the Coronado Bridge, one of the women in the back seat said, "Where are you taking us?"

Me: To the Boathouse. I thought we just discussed this.

Her: We have ferry tickets.

Me: You're taking the ferry to Coronado? That's the first I've heard about that. Do you want me to turn around?

Her: No, we're already on the bridge, let's go straight to the Boathouse.

Guy in the front seat, to the woman: You're confusing him.

Me: For the record, I'm not confused.