Benny Mailman's Podcast 42
Benny Mailman's Podcast 42
#8 Bike Taxi stories from NYC, Denver, and Las Vegas!.Tom Grossi Scream Pillow! Peace and Love to All!
Wow! Hello Super Cool Awesome Humans of earth! Greetings from Siem Reap, Cambodia. This episode has a lot of bike taxi stories. The rides include the highest money paid, most embarrassing and most famous person, as well as a compliment from the most unlikely source in NYC. I talk about the awesome Tom Grossi, Packer YouTuber sensation, and the scream pillow. I discuss Rodgers and Adams for a brief moment. Have a wonderful everything everybody! Peace and Love to All!
Wow, what's this? Wow Wow. Hello. Where'd you go? Oh, I'm on a preview. What? I got a preview going that's a weird song but I dig it Hello folks this is Benny Mailman giving you the preview for Benny Mailman podcast 42 coming to you soon when I say soon I mean soon as I stopped talking, and this funky banjo music stops we will be at the beginning of Benny Mailman's Podcast 42 a lot of stories about New York City bike taxi some comedy stories. And you know what, just have a great day, man. I love you. You guys are awesome. So every buddy, so who is in this podcast, Ashley Strand, Joey Defeo. My friend Howard is in this one. And some other folks. Hey, everybody, enjoy these hilarious stories.$100 rides on the bike taxi $900 rides on the bike taxi in New York City. Wow. Is it possible? Yes, folks. I lived it. I gave a ride to Gene Hackman that's in here. Wow. Hello. Oh, that was the song lady on the speaker thing box. All right. Have a great day. Folks. Enjoy these stories. New York City Macy's day Thanksgiving parade. New Year's Eve New York City is chock full of excitement folks. Enjoy. Hello, super cool. Awesome. Fantastic, magnificent super duper humans of Earth. This is Benny Mailman podcast 42. And I am your host Benny Mailman. Or in some Spanish cultures BaneHaMean. I don't know how to say mailman in Spanish.. I remember learning a bit of Spanish from when I was in seventh grade. And they taught us a little bit of Spanish. a most wonderful, beautiful language in my opinion. Today is Sunday, July 25. Here in Siem, Reap Cambodia. I am coming to you live from my bedroom. It is approximately not approximately
it is exactly 9:17am on Sunday, and that is 12 hours ahead of Central time in the US. So again, if you need to know anything about the future, I am the man to ask if you can find access to me. I know a lot of people want me to take questions. I told friends that I do a podcast they asked me Do you take questions during your podcast? I couldn't do that. I don't know that I could do a live show when I go to YouTube. And I see people and they have their video and they're taking questions. I find that a bit annoying. Actually. I turn on the video and I want information and what are you going to talk about and how awesome did you make this and you're talking to people on the computer which I guess some people did that not really a fan of it, of watching it or doing it. If I had people chiming in while I was trying to speak I would get nothing else kind of like writing when I started writing The Experiencer Series, Finding 42, somebody told me you are either writing or you are editing, do not try to do both. And that was the best advice I had received and have received To this day, do the writing, get it done, then go back and do the editing and it will be a lot better because then you will actually get the book written. Otherwise you will take I don't know how long that would take if you edited as you went. I wrote my book in a year and a half took me a year and a half 220,000 words which ended up being I did not know what at the time but that ended up being a series, not a single book a year and a half to write six years to edit. And when I found out it was going to be a series and I could concentrate on just a section that was a huge blessing that I could concentrate on book one Moscow through Nanning, China so I feel the same way about podcasting and videos to link the two up is pretty cool Joe Rogan does a really good job of that. Obviously some other people do good jobs but I don't like the I don't like the answering questions while you are speaking. It seems a little odd like do one or the other right or edit this is my opinion. All right, so let's get to it. Aaron Rodgers might be retiring. I am not a packer podcaster but I am a Packer fan so that is going to come up once in a while. If you want a very detailed hilarious awesome Packer podcast Packer video Tom Grossi, the Grossi posse. That guy is hilarious. I watched him for a long time and I am still watching him. His recent one was the scream pillow. I often see comedians or people doing coming up with many humorous things. And I always either think, wow, that's not funny at all. Or I think Wow, that is brilliant and hilarious. And I will have to say, Tom, if you are listening, what are you most likely are not as my highest podcast is 37 listeners. I doubt that Tom is among one of those. He's a good dude. If I could say I'm not paid to promote him, but he's the type of guy that would promote somebody just because he likes them to him and his wife are raised money and when she's on there with them. It's just it's so enjoyable. He's just a He's funny. He's very intelligent. And I just enjoy that shell. So if you want awesome again, not paid to do this. Just saying Tom Grossi is awesome. He is fantastic. Aaron Rodgers might retire. Yeah. Okay, I made a rule and watching Brett Farve go through what he did. I would hear people say on par Brad, come on my golden rule. never feel bad for millionaires. Okay, they have enough money to make problems go away. with Aaron Rodgers. Do I want to see him back? Yes. Do I love his outlook and Zen approach? Absolutely. He has a beef with the front office. Okay. But in a way, don't you think that if you're making $35 million a year, you could overlook, I could overlook a lot for that. But it's the it's the sense of being disrespected. And that runs deep. So I have a similar issue here minus the $35 million dollars. I am a teacher here in Siem Reap. And there are a group of us that helped the school get through a very tough time when COVID came in transferring the school to online I was one of those teachers, I just found out that there are a couple teachers who have two more full time classes than I do which means they are making over double the amount of money I am and I just found that out. And I thought Wow, really? I talked to the school about it. Oh next time. I love that answer next time. Yeah. Okay, how about having some scruples and being fair? So although the amount of money is a vastly different as in I barely make enough money to pay rent, and this is rent in Cambodia, not rent in the US that feeling of being disrespected, and not honored for what you have done? It's human so I get it. You know, even though I said don't feel sorry for millionaires. I get it if he retires. Cool. I mean, that's the thing with pro sports, right? You have a team. And if you have poor management, look at the Jets. Could you imagine being a Jets fan that is turmoil, that would be I would have zero hope every single year that my team was going to win more than four games. Likewise with other teams if you have bad management, but it's your team and they make bad decisions. You still kind of stuck with your team. You're not one day in Green Bay. Going to go to a park. With your friends and say, Yep, I stopped being a Green Bay fan. I don't like the management. Not gonna happen. You stick with your team, but you are really subject to the management and their decisions and who to bring in and what they're going to pay. I personally think that they have done a great job getting who they have. But on the flip side of that the best players you are upsetting that low balling davante Adams and but they were going to pay Rogers and he said no, not above the money, not about the money. Obviously, he was going to be the highest paid quarterback and they gave them through five years. And he said no, or as they say in my Hey, hot day. Moving on from this story. I will tell you some New York City Stories of the bike taxi. I remember I was on right around Rockefeller Center. And actually Sixth Avenue. I was on Sixth Avenue and I picked up this lady and I was very surprised she wanted a ride because she was in her 70s at least maybe 80s. Yeah, that usually is not your target customer. They usually do not want the bike taxi but she needed a ride and she was interested in thought it would be fun. She's wearing a dress has a little bag gets into the bike. She sits in the middle of the bike and to feel safer. I'm driving around and I come up to a red light near Rockefeller Center up on Fifth Avenue. I'm talking to her. I'm kind of turning around and speaking with her very nice lady and the next thing I know I kid you not I went from talking to her to looking straight up at the sky like in a flash in the second my seat the pipe on my seat that holds the seat into the bike snap. And before I knew I went straight back I am between her legs looking up at the blue sky and a few white clouds drifting by in such an instant that it was odd to go from talking to her to looking straight up at the sky in before I could tell what was going on. I hurt my hand a little bit not bad. But the lady goes, Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. And I thought wow, that is hilarious. That is looking back on it. It was hilarious. At the time. I was so embarrassed. The lady said I'll get out and walk and I said nope. No way. I'm gonna finish this right. Let me tell you folks, when you ride a bicycle without a seat means you are standing it is difficult. And this is not a bicycle. It's a huge tricycle. I think there are a couple 100 pounds somewhere in there. They're kind of heavy. They have to be their vehicle to carry people I'm riding around, my legs are burning, I get to where she's going. And then I have to ride back to the bike shop which is up for anyone listening to this in New York City up around Central Park off of 56/57 and Columbus Circle right up by Columbus Circle a couple blocks from there is where I would go and get my bike. So I had to get all the way back there from Rockefeller Center with no seat. But I still remember that lady, she was so kind and so nice. Oh my goodness. Then there was another lady similar situation. similar situation. I was down by the Empire State Building and a lady flagged me down and I didn't I did not usually get rides in that area. I took rides to that area, and it was rush hour and there was a lady that flagged me down and she prefaced her statement or her request with I have never done this. I don't really want to do it now. But the last ferry for Brooklyn is gonna leave in whatever I forget the time and she said If I don't take you, I will not make it. I cannot get a taxi. Can you get me there on time? And I said, Okay, let's do this. She gets in there. And I'm just I've been writing for quite a while, probably five, six years at that time. And I'm really good at going in and out of traffic in New York City. I was very I was a very good driver there on the on the bike taxi. So similar to the older lady, she sat in the middle and she was white knuckling the sides, right. She had one hand up on each side of the bike taxi, and she was squeezing hard and I was just going through traffic and it wasn't for me. It was not anything outrageous. Mission Impossible ish craziness at all. It was just making my way through New York City traffic and getting her to her ferry on time. So I would cut in and out of these cars. And from the back I would hear this. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh, my goodness. And uh oh, my goodness. Oh my god. Okay. How can you be good? Oh, my goodness. And I was on the front of that bike and folks I was in I had tears coming out of my eyes. It was cute. It was hilarious. And the situation for me was nowhere near dangerous. Not even close. Citing but for her it was it was a pretty crazy moment in her life. And when she got out of the bike, we did make the ferry on time and she thanked me. She goes, I will never do this again. But thank you so much. Just a wonderful story. The New York City Wow, I remember giving rides to people the hotels on Lexington and your best chance to get rides was when people needed a ride to the shows on Broadway and there were no taxis and the closer it got to eight o'clock or the start time for the show, the more apt people were to jump in your bike even in the really cold temperatures even if it was raining because we did have a top to protect them. Now remember, this couple Lexington said hey, we've got to get to I think Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. They were going to and I said okay, get in and they jumped in on Lexington. Zip demand. It was pouring rain and it was cold rain. If you live in New York City, you know that rain can be bone chilling down to the bone marrow cold for sure. And when you pick somebody up on Lexington, you're going uphill for the first couple blocks up until you reach them Fifth Avenue so it's pouring rain The streets are rivers at this point. It's more like I'm going through a river with a bike with a tricycle more it would be more accurate. So these people are in the back. I cannot hear them or talk to them. They have a few have seen the bike taxis in New York City during the rain or anywhere else. They have a cover on them and your zip them in I cannot see them or hear that and I'm going through and then a thunderous cub boom and it just goes through the tall skyscrapers of New York City. I felt like I was in a movie. I had this huge smile on my face and kind of a hunter s Thompson evil chuckle This is so cool. Thunder smashing crashing through the skyscrapers, water flowing down and I'm part of the river at this point cuz we're going downhill so I'm not going against the river. I'm with the river. I'm like a gondola, with wheels, going through these canals in New York City. And as we approach where I have to drop them off, mind you In addition to this, I'm going around cars, other vehicles, I get them I unzip the thing and the guy, they were dressed to the nines. They look absolutely fantastic. They look like people I would probably never meet other than my job. No social gatherings for me of that ilk. The guy got out and he I think he handed me 180 like I charged him. I think it would have been in New York City was definitely more expensive than most places. Maybe $40 handed me 100 look me in the eye and said You are awesome. I've been doing this for a while they went into the show and that was it. I always really enjoyed the gifts that New York would give you without having been in New York before I had no idea of some of the gifts that would be granted to me to my eyes to my ears to my heart New Year's Eve New Year's Eve was actually you think Wow, look at all those people going to see the ball drop. Wow, you must make a ton of money. Now quite the opposite. Anybody that is in the bike taxi business knows that if you work a free event, you are getting people who expect to pay nothing for anything. So you usually do not do that well at a free event even in New York City, even on New Year's Eve, but I did get a ride. This wasn't the coolest thing. I was sitting outside of Rockefeller Center going towards Broadway so I think I forget what that might be. 53rd I forget it's been a while folks. First of all, I saw Mike Myers I might be getting that confused. I saw him at that exact spot before. I don't want to getting out of a limo. Actually I saw Mike Myers Okay, this is breaking a little bit. Rabbit Hole jumping. Here we go. I saw Mike Myers on I think it was was a Kanye West when he went off and said that george bush hates black people. And Mike Myers just stood there stunned and then say anything. That was the night I saw him. So I don't know what night that was. But that was the night I saw him. Get out of the limo at Rockefeller Center. Okay, back out of the back out of the rabbit hole. I get a call. I'm sitting there thinking okay, I might as well just sit here and see if I get a ride. I get a call from my mom not attacks but a call and this is cell phones are still in their early stages. At this point. I answered the phone and my mom goes I'm really sorry to tell you max died. And Max was my favorite dog that my parents had my favorite dog ever in the world was max. He was really old. And I remember I always painted maps when I would visit my folks and say I'll probably never see you again. And I always saw him like he kept going and going and he lived I forget how long he lived for quite a while. Maybe up to about 1415 years I love Mac's so much and I felt so bad I'm like Thank you mom for telling me hang up with my mom or whatever you say press the button close the lid flip phone and a lady and her husband get in my bike again of ilk, I would never see anywhere else besides my job wearing clothing. I'm sure that what is the same amount of money I made in the first 50 years of my life was how much your jacket cuts. Very, super nice lady the man got and didn't talk which people of that ilk, I would not expect them to talk to me. I am basically invisible to them. But I am not up to that standard. I have not rated the I can see you and acknowledge you portion of their life. But the lady was really nice. And they had a young daughter with them all dressed New Year's Eve probably going to a gala or something and they weren't going that far. I only took them two blocks. And the lady gave me $50 I didn't ask for any money. I said whatever you want. That's not that far. And the lady looked at me and she goes, you're special because I don't know if you know this or not, but she goes I can tell and she had this beautiful smile. And that was one of the messengers that the universe will send to you before you awaken. That you will look back and go wow, okay, if you have been listening to all my podcasts and you know the one where I was down in Mexico and the lady said you have such a bright light and I was like what like I look back in there so many instances where this happened But back to the lady very nice. The man of course didn't acknowledge me got out and left with a daughter in the mom said those very kind words to me, gave me $50 and I looked up at the sky and I said thanks Max. Max is looking out for me making sure I make my money matches such a cool dog. calm, cool and collected love that dog. I don't even know what kind of dog he was. He was a short short dog close to the ground low center of gravity very shaggy brown and black coloring. Max was awesome. I love max New York City during the holidays has to be the most spectacular place on earth to be Thanksgiving, the balloon. I worked at Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I managed to get to my shop and I couldn't take a write because they had it all blocked off for the great if you don't know the Macy's Day parade in New York City, they have massive balloons. These balloons are the size of a semis if not bigger. And I remember sitting there if you live in New York City, you know that when you are down one of the streets, not one of the avenues but one of the streets. It looks like you're watching a movie because the buildings are so tall. They frame everything that's going by them. As I came out with my bike, I'm looking down the street and there goes Snoopy, I think I saw SpongeBob Square Pants go by almost the size of most of the buildings. But it was like watching a movie because the buildings frame the activity in that manner. And I remember I went the other way because I could only go the other way. And I found a couple that they were going for a boat ride and they needed to get to the 42nd Street Pier. I said Well, that's easy. And I charge them I said probably $40 I think I charged them $40 and then I realized oh my goodness, I cannot get through. I cannot go straight down 42nd and get them to the pier, which would have been quite easy and quite quick and it was windy man. I remember it was super windy. Any bike taxi person will tell you I would guess that the element of weather of nature that is the worst to drive it or to ride it would be the wind because if that wind is fighting you It's like you're in cement. It is very difficult to pedal and get people along the way. And in New York City. That wind was amazing. I don't know where it came from. I remember Okay, rabbit hole. I'll get back to the story. Rabbit Hole, two Irish ladies. Two older Irish ladies were in my bike and I was taking them to the Mayflower Hotel. Does that sound right? Mayflower close to Madison Square Garden very close to there. The wind was so strong that I couldn't move the bike and I stopped the bike and I put the brakes on so we would not blow backwards and the lady stopped. We're talking and they stopped their conversation and they asked me why did you stop? I said ladies, do you feel the tornado that we are in right now? It's a little hard to move against the tornado. They seemed unfazed by it. They're like well come on soon as you can go. Maybe they have super crazy winds in Ireland. Yeah, that must that might not have been that much of them. But I couldn't even move the bike and I had to I had to really press one of the brakes on the bike taxi is a hydraulic disc brake for the back and then on the front you have a regular bicycle brake and I had both of those squeezed as hard as I could to keep us from moving backwards and I was leaning into the wind. So this couple that I have that Nice to get to pier 42 I have to go with a long way around if you know New York City will say whoa, this is really fun. So I am up on around 53rd I put them up around 53rd Rockefeller Center in that area, I have to ride them to the Empire State Building, take a write down 34th go all the way down by the pier in that area and back up to 42nd I was exhausted my legs took a major beating and they did pay me 60 which was $20 more than I asked but if my mind would have registered that you cannot go straight down 42nd you have to go all the way around the parade. I probably would have charged a bit more for that but they did give me some extra money and I think I just went home after that. Now I had a great friend. I had many great friends Ashley strand in New York City who I did all my comedy with and I'll probably talk more about Ashley strand as he was for the entire time I spent in New York City. He was my BOD man. He was my brother. I love him man. He is such a cool cat. Very interesting. I met a lot of really cool people there but Ashley was my main brother there for sure doing stand up we had a mutual friend actually. He introduced me to joy to fail joy to fail an amazing kind super heart of gold guide still in touch with him invited us over he lived on Roosevelt Island. I went with Ashley to somewhere around 63rd Street on the east side there is a cable car that goes over to Roosevelt Island in that area. By the way, I think the original serendipity hot chocolate shop is over there and that was very popular on the bike taxi. I took many people to that serendipity hot chocolate that seemed to be a fan favorite, a tourist favorite. Anyway we get on the cable car I'm done with trading the winds and I made a little bit of money and I'm like let's go enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. Ashley and I get over to Roosevelt Island on the cable car we get to joy the fails and a feast was had by all it was delicious. It was fantastic. We had a super time Joey is hilarious and again hard to gold having us over there then Joey did something that I might not ever forgive him. He put in the Star Wars The Star Wars Christmas mophie I think it was a Christmas movie. I can't remember it was the most awful thing I have watched next to Clint Eastwood's white hunter pale heart. What's up so what do you what do you see Clint Eastwood and a lot of kick ass movies and then you see white hunter pale heart you think huh? That should have been a no that should have been a no clamp anyway joy puts in this movie and it's I don't know really know how to describe it other than terrible awful and I guess they were just riding the high the the Star Wars folk from such a high grossing awesome, incredible movie that they could do anything. They could make anything and it would sell. But to my understanding, they tried to pull as many of those as they could like it was not our fault. They tried to make it seem like it never happened. But Joey had a copy and we watched it and I did not feel better for having watched it. I was like okay, I'm ready to go. Thanks for everything. Thanks for the great meal, but I'm ready to go. Joy to fail. Awesome, man. Awesome human Ashley stran awesome human, another bike taxi. As long as we're on it. I remember when I first moved to New York City, somebody said hey, bike taxi. If you go to Central Park, you can give people rides around Central Park for $45. I didn't know a couple things. At this point. I did not know how long Central Park was number one. Number two, I did not know that you do not go the full length of Central Park that there is a special route to take. So the route is you get them at Columbus Circle. You go into the park and to the right. You go up to the boathouse right before the ball you can go take a right to go to the boathouse or you can take a left you take that left and you go past but that's the terrorists see Bethesda terrorism people get up there walk around awesome, beautiful, wonderful. Okay, back in then you take them up to the john Lennon's straw berry fields Memorial. They get out they walk up you meet them on the other side. If they want you go and show them where john Lennon and Yoko lived then you take them past Fiddler's green Is that right? Tavern on the green I think it's called Tavern and I'm thinking of Denver Fiddler's green Tavern on the green after that. You were done. You came up to Columbus Circle it's a beautiful ride you go by a big lawn the big lawn Well, I picked up to pretty good size man from Australia and I did not make that. I did not make that left by Bethesda terrace like you're supposed to because I didn't know nobody had showed me and intuition said go that way. But I said no. I better give them the full ride. I ladies and gentlemen Any bike taxi people who are listening to this who have ever written in New York City, you're going to think I am crazy. I rode them the length of Central Park Oh, up to 120 something Street. I don't even know what it's getting into Harlem. At that point. I remember riding these two giant Australian men and one of them had a broken ankle. So it's not like I could ask them to get out and walk in I am sweating buckets, I'm going up this hill, I can barely move them. And there's kids rollerblading around me literally doing circles around me. And I'm like, I want to swat them away, like flies Get away from me, kid. And I got them all the way to the end. outside the park took a right and took them up the outside of the park, it should have been like a $200. Ride. Seriously, it was a $200 ride, they gave me $40. They gave me what I asked for which is $40. At the beginning, that was not nearly enough, but I didn't fight him on it. I didn't say one word because I'm like, it's kind of my fault. And lesson learned. Never do that. Again. When I wrote a New York City, there was a strong contingency from Russia, a lot of Russians a strong contingency from Turkey, a lot of Turkish writers, all very hard workers. And they wouldn't talk to us. They're the smallest group of people there was actually Americans there was probably about from what I could see about 20 of us, I don't know that ever saw more than 20 on a regular basis, I rode my butt off. And there's always this period after you ran people in from the shows about 830 or nine o'clock where it was a downtime. And you rarely can find any rides during that time. But I still wrote to find rides, the Turkish guys there, which were about 50 all park their bikes at the same coffee shop. And this was around 50. So I want to say 55th Street 55th or 56. And I would get a ride. And when I got a ride, I don't care if it was out of the way I rode by those Turkish bikers, even if the person's like, is this the right way? I go, Oh, yeah, don't worry about it. And I would go really slow by the Turkish riders and ring the bell when you're a bike taxi person and you're taking a break and you see people with rides. You're kind of like, ah, why am I taking a break? He's making money. So I would do this purposely to get in their heads. One day, not long before I hung up my bike taxi Enos in New York City and left for Austin, Texas. The Turkish guys never talked to us. It was just kind of a line that was never broached right. Before I left. We're waiting for a show. The last show that everybody usually waited for. I think it was one of the last ones to let out on Broadway, Mamma Mia. And I would stand up on my bike. And I would hold my hands in the air and make myself big. When the doors open. People would think that I was waving at them. And the first person that waved at me That was my ride. And I always got a ride out of there. They would imitate me, they would do a lot of things. They would say things in their language. And I'm like, dude, I don't care. I'm a survivor. I'm going to get my ride out of here and I'm going to go home. One day, we're sitting there and the main the head Turkish guy was right next to me, and he looks over at me and he goes, You are a good driver. That's all he said, folks. It was like winning an Oscar. That's like winning an Oscar or winning an MVP for the season in a certain sport that capped off my New York City bike taxi career in style, a shiny gold compliment from the head man of the Turkish contingency in New York City folks. It was a great feeling. I looked at him and I smiled and I just said thank you simple. I knew there weren't going to be any more accolades coming. That was enough. That was awesome. I will to this day swear that I gave Gene Hackman a ride I saw him standing on the corner with his wife brought up to them by Mamma Mia, separate occasion. I was coming down, saw them. I said get in. I don't care where you're going. It's a free ride. He jumped in and his wife jumped in and they were very happy. And it was Gene Hackman, I know it was because it sounded like him look like him. And I am not somebody that recognizes famous people that much at all. My friends are a lot better at it than I am. But I knew this was Gene Hackman. And the whole time he was leaning forward tall guy hands on his knees and asking me about my comedy career. I told him that I did comedy. And he's like, Wow, what's that? Like? What's it like? If you don't do well? What's it like if you do well? How is that life? I gave him a skinny and all the information. I wanted to ask him so many questions, but he was so busy asking me questions about my life. And I just found that very interesting and actually took them I forget the name. It's across from the producers, where the producers was showing famous minis or I forget as a famous cocktail place and I dropped them off there. I said I want to be intrusive. If you really look like Gene Hackman and he laughs like Gene Hackman. And then he says, That's not me, man. I'm from Ohio. Like, I know that You did really cool guy. Very fun speaking with him. They gave me $20. How about$100 rides $100 rides they call that in Denver. They call it a unicorn in our school. That's ridiculous name for it. But anyway, that's what they called a few times a few times $100 sometimes a couple $100 ride, always fun when somebody does that. When I was in New York City, I picked up a man again right by Mamma Mia. That must have been my magic place. bigger guy wanted to go to the hustler club, the one on the east side. I think there's one on both sides. So I'm taking him there. And he told me that his family is super wealthy and they come from old money. I remember him telling me an aquarium. He had an aquarium that people had to put scuba gear on and go inside to clean He said it was the old Ruth's Chris house was the people that own that and I dropped him off and he goes how much is that right? And I'm like, okay, it's got a ton of money, but I'm fair. I don't because he somebody has a lot of money. I don't say okay, it's$900 Well, 6070 it goes okay, okay here and he gave me $100 he goes I just wanted to make sure that was okay and that is okay. I would end up giving him one more ride again. The next night he called me and another $100 there was in Denver, Colorado I was on for those of you that are in Denver and you know 16th and market bar time people are rash they are pretty drawn pretty nice abbreviated knows a man and his son, his son was had just turned 21 the son was with his girlfriend and the man was with his girlfriend. So there were four of them and they went all the way up 16th Street Mall which is uphill The hardest part of that ride is from Market Street pass larrimer Pass Lawrence and then you get up to champ on that area starts to level out but I got them up there and we're going along and we got up to Broadway and the man is a very nice man. Hey, can you get us to our hotel, it's to the right. He already said I'm gonna give you $100 to get us to where we're going. It was a as many bike taxi people will tell you you kind of know when your last ride is for the night. So you're going to give me $100 here my last ride for the night. Okay, cool. And they told me their hotel and I did not know where it was and I thought it was really far away. It was not that far away. It was right across spear dropped them off. Everybody goes inside except the man and then he tells me his story. He has a construction company actually he owns cranes that he loaned out to construction companies they were making great money and his wife said buy more buy more let's make more and he goes no we're doing fine and I just instantly respected and love this guy. We have enough we don't need to go out and get more this is fine. Well she divorced him for that so he was this man with three cranes took a ride my bike super nice guy. I loved his heart and a soul for saying you know we don't need more and more. We have enough. He slapped some money in my hand two bills in my hand and I just grabbed them and stuck them in my pocket. I figured they were $50 bills that would equal 100 I trusted this man No need to think anything different. shook his hand took his card. I think I still have his card. You could actually find out this guy's name probably hidden somewhere amongst all my debris from the United States that I brought with me to Cambodia. I'm riding along and I'm going down spear and I'm heading back to the shop and I reach my pocket to $100 bills or as they say dos unicorns, it's double unicorn 200 I was excited. I called a few of my friends texted a few of my friends double unicorn 200 and you may say Wow, man, that has to be the best ride you ever had. And I would tell you know, or as they say in the Kumbaya language or nay ot day means no in the Kumbaya language. Day, up day, every day, every day all day, folks, my best ride was in New York City. I was in front of Grand Central Station a good place to go and get right. People coming in on the trains jump in, give them a ride. I pitched this couple they were going down to Houston string and I pitched them $40 which is really Dicky honestly low for that ride. And I folks I tried. I played it. I don't know why I was trying so hard. It wasn't even a good price and they just would not do it. But they took up about five minutes of my time, exhausted me on my pitching skills. They walked away and when they walked away right behind them was this couple from Scotland, Edinburgh. Is it Edinburgh? I think that's correct. The same place that Sean Connery was from and one of the ladies was in a wheelchair and they said, Can you give us a tour? And I said, Well, yes, of course and we didn't even discuss the price. I help them Lady in the wheelchair and she had trouble but she could walk guide her in and wheelchair fit right on the back there. When you put the top I told you about the top that we use during inclement weather. When you put that back it made a perfect storage unit for suitcases for this wheelchair and I had bungee cords so I could bunch it up to get them in and I've took them to see the Waldorf Astoria Rockefeller Center, a few other places 42nd Street and I loved absolutely love giving tours because I have riding through New York when you don't have to be in a hurry is beautiful. It's such a wonderful place. Then they were staying at the Essex hotel, which overlooks Central Park, that's where they were staying. And I dropped them off. And she gave me I think was$400. And she said, Can you pick us up tomorrow and give us a tour, we want to go down to the World Trade Center, which at that time when I was there, you know, it wasn't there. They had not started building the memorial yet. So I took them all I picked them up at the Essex house drove them all the way and if you know New York City, this is a really, really, really far it's almost to the ferry that you take over to Staten Island. It was incredibly far and I didn't care. I'm just like, they took care of me yesterday, man. I'm okay. We had a sandwich while we were there. I remember while we were sitting there having a sandwich, there was another bike taxi guy outside and he might he was from another country, definitely foreign. There was a truck in front of them. And he grabbed the there was a rope on back of the truck like a like a storage trucker moving truck. I go ladies watch us. I go, this guy thinks he's a cartoon that you can hold on to the rope. And sure enough, that truck took off. This young man was holding on to the rope and it yanked him right off his bike. And he looked around, of course out of being embarrassed, jumped on his bike and rode off. But the ladies thanked me for my insight and into this hilarious scene. And remember, the temperature dropped. I remember that I thought I had flat tires going back up. But I was going into a wind it was called my legs were tired. And I finally got them back up to their hotel. And they said can you go to an ATM machine? How much is that? Right? And we charged hourly and I had them for about five hours and the hourly rate there was I think $70. So I told them around, I think five to $600 and they paid me 900. And folks, you could knock me over with a feather I was done. And that is by far between two days they had given me 13 $100 amazing. from Scotland. Obviously they had the money. I don't know folks, apples and oranges. And they were really nice. Although they did sit and back and say how they had chocolate in the US and Scotland's chocolate is better. And they were on a mission to let me know how everything in Scotland was better than it was in the US. And I'm like you can say whatever you want. You have earned my ears or you have paid for my ears not to care, whatever you want to say ladies, they were so nice. And that was the best ride as far as amount of money that I ever gave. So I have $100 rides $200 rides. My first $100 ride actually came in Las Vegas where I started the bike taxi. I remember I was during the NFL season and I picked up a man who looked like he was a bodybuilder and his wife, and they wanted to go pick them up at the Mirage and they wanted to go to fat burger. So I took them down into fat burger. They bought me out fat burger meal and a chocolate shake, which was awesome. And they jump back in and I'm taking them back to the mirage. The guy was big and the Mr. Olympia and there was some bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas at that time at Mandalay Bay, and I thought he might be in that competition. So I said you're a pretty big boy, you must be in that competition. Are you here for the bodybuilding competition? No, I'm not here for that. And then I said, well, Where are you guys from? And he said Atlanta, and that was a year that the Falcons were doing terrible. I said, Wow, I go your football team's not doing too good this year. And then there was this little bit of silence. I play for the Atlanta. I know we're not doing that good this year. Oh my god. I got said I'm so sorry. It was there by weekend. His wife was from Las Vegas, Travis Hall. His name was Travis Hall, great guy, great conversationalist when he got out of the bike and in Vegas, they made us work for tips online. So I told him whenever you want, you know, whatever you want to give me and he goes Dude, that was by far the best right I've ever had in my life. And he slaps like to shake my hand high five and slaps a bill in my hand. And I'm excited and I look at it and it's $1 and my face visibly showed how upset I was. Are you kidding me? $1 even though he bought me the fat burger meal, my son face looks up and me and looking at his eyes and he is laughing his butt off. He goes dead. I'm just jerking your chain and he hits me with 100 right after that. So$101 tip from Travis Hall. Great dude. Atlanta Falcons. I believe he was a D and super nice guy talked NFL. My first $100 tip on the bite taxi Travis Hall Atlanta Falcons. I've given you a lot of awesome stories about awesome rides. Man. I've been there man. I rode in Vegas for four years Orlando for almost two years New York City for almost two years Long Beach, California for six months or a year I forget Denver, Colorado probably four or five years there. In total. 16 years of writing. I wrote about seven co chelas which included with Coachella is stagecoach, which is the country music festival that follows right on the heels of Coachella. So three weeks in a row of riding in Palm Springs in the Coachella Indio Valley. Wow. exhausting but the most money I've ever made on a bike in three weeks ever so it was worth it but it absolutely destroyed your body. Now they have motors. Now the bikes have motors and it's a lot easier. So I have worked many NASCAR's and Phoenix Avondale, Arizona. What a great crowd. I will say this about the folks that go to NASCAR. They are spectacular. Awesome, beautiful people. Very kind, most of them generous. Some of them not. But very, very nice people. I worked the Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. That's another story. Wow. Big hills. I taught you a little bit about that New York City on Thanksgiving Day New York City on New Year's Eve. I just told you about that. Orlando. I remember writing a game in Orlando. I think it was Iowa versus LSU for the Citrus Bowl, something like that. And we were giving rides the game was not over and we were giving rides to Iowa fans who were saddened and Iowa ended up winning that game. I think it was on the last second bomb and the guy wasn't even in the end zone yet. And he caught it and got into the end zone and won it and all the Iowa fans we were telling them Hey, you guys won and they said there's no way we won and they were so mad. I remember that quite well. So a lot of Monster Truck rallies there at that at that same stadium. Different concerts have worked on YouTube concert and Denver by the Denver Broncos games. I worked the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville, Florida Super Bowl patriots and Philadelphia. I remember the Patriot fans being super wealthy and conceded Philadelphia we were hoping Philadelphia would win because we knew that it would be a party for about two days. What happened, patriots won and that town cleared out in like two hours. It was a ghost town man. Do I tell this story thinking about my friend Howard right now listening? Do I tack this crazy story onto the back? I might as well. I might as well, folks. So I won't go through all the details. It was actually the guy that helped us get into the Super Bowl was taken to court because he lied about a lot of things. But that being said, he had set up a building for us to stay and it was an office building. Howard and I shared we had a blow up mattress and I always felt bad because if you had to go to the bathroom at night, you had to stand up and the other person definitely woke up and we could barely open the door. And this was before I worked in New York and there were a lot of Russians in there with us. Long story short done working the Superbowl we're going back the next day, my friend Howard had purchased a bunch of bikes from Denver. So we were loading up a large moving truck full of bikes and heading out the next day. This was the plan. Well, the Russians from New York City decided to bring in a couple ladies into the space by ladies I mean ladies that were expecting to be paid for services rendered. Let's say that and these Russian drivers did not pay them. And the next thing you know I'm trying to sleep I hear a big commotion, the women pull out pepper spray and start spraying the entire building. Mind you, this is a building that has a lot of money in it between all of us. So in this small building, we have these upset ladies, pepper spraying. I think knives were polled and they ran out in the building and the only thing I could think of is this building is going to be riddled with bullet holes in about 20 minutes. So I jumped up and I said to my Orlando crew, which was Howard's crew and my crew. We're out of here, pack your stuff we're getting out of here so that we stay alive. That was my main thing. Mind you, we are exhausted. We've got nothing left. We've been there for 10 days, 12 days I forget, we had a advertising deal with Tabasco. So we went there early, which there was nothing early. But anyway, that being said, we loaded that truck up, we threw our gear in the trucks and we got out and headed for Lando. And it was not a fun ride. But I would venture to say it may have saved our lives, I don't know. But I was really afraid that we were going to get shot up. And as I was leaving, I had a few choice words for the for the Russian folk that brought that upon us. I forget exactly what I said. But it was not kind. I like that's about as pretty as I can paint that picture. I've had a storied life, folks that a very storied life. I'm just one of those people that stories come my way. Maybe that's because I have a podcast or write books. I don't know. Maybe that's why But anyway, that is a lot of stories on the bike taxi. That's where I figured this would go. today. I talked about Ashley strand, my great brother comedian in New York City joy to fail heart of goal a friend Howard was probably in most most of my old stories, anything with the bike taxis. Somehow he is involved with that great man. Quite honestly, folks, I could use another coffee. I finished my coffee up around halfway through here and I am ready for more coffee and it's a Sunday. My wife and I will go and enjoy the day and I hope you enjoy your day. You awesome incredible, wonderful, beautiful humans of Earth. Man. I love you. All of you. Stand strong. Be strong. You are awesome. Hold your ad. Hi, you ain't got no alibi. You're awesome. You are awesome. All right, folks. This is Benny Mailman for Benny Mailman podcast. 42 saying I love you. Take care. Stay awesome. I'm out. I'm out. I'm out.