Aug 14, 2002

A cab trip, after a tiring two days at ICANN, riding to the airport. Driver of middle eastern descent, perhaps from India or Pakistan. Speaks English with a heavy accent.

When he arrived, I carried my bag to the back of the cab, expecting to put it in the trunk. The driver hurried to intercept me and Finstead carried around and put it in the back car seat, next to where I sat. The cab was old and messy; between the two front seats was a strange object, that looked something like a small table lamp that someone had recovered from a junk yard. But where there should have been a 60 watt bulb, there was a tiny flashlight bulb.

The driver pulled out into traffic from the driveway. I commented about how heavy the traffic was. The driver noted that there was no safety in the world, and that americans were deluded to think that anti-terrorism efforts could be effective. Moreover, he went on, President Bush was totally powerless to protect America, and Bush also was deluded. I mulled this over for a few seconds as we worked our way left towards Admiralty Way.

We pull out into Admiralty Way, and we see in front of us a Mother Mallard and her one remaining duckling hurrying across the street towards to the water. The duckling stumbled, fell, got up, and hurried on.

The cabbie saw the ducks, exclaimed, and slowed down in the middle of the intersection, almost to a stop as he stared at the mother duck and duckling. An impatient fellow behind in a big black pickup truck honked his horn. The cabbie kept looking at the ducks as he erratically completed the turn. The truck driver rushed around, middle finger in the air. The cabbie yelled "Ducks!" and pointed vigorously at the ducks. Hoping to get him off the subject of terrorism, I told him about the mother duck, and how there had been a memo telling us please not to feed her or her babies because it wouldn’t be good for them. "I love Americans", he beamed.

But after a moment he said "Where were we", and then reiterates how Americans are deluded to think they can do anything about the threat of terrorism. America simply cannot be defended; it is far too open; foreigners can come and go…​

He went on, describing how there is a nuclear bomb in the Russian embassy in Washington, and more in other places; and how barrels of anthrax were stashed around the country. Moreover, he said, LA is being set up to be destroyed, because it would be politically acceptable to write it off, and would eliminate a troublesome political block. He pointed out an apartment building where conspirators have stored stuff, and briefly describes two other areas in the LA Basin. Mainly the Russians have been setting this up for the past couple decades. The people of LA were simply unaware.

"America is such a beautiful country", he said, "I love this country".

"Cabs will be the means by which LAX will be destroyed", he went on. That is, he explained "they will deliver the payload to destroy LAX." He added that the Santa Monica gov is corrupt, and anybody at all can drive a cab.

"Why cabs?" I asked. "Why not regular cars?" Cabs have free passage throughout the airport, are never stopped or questioned. They can even get into the vulnerable basement areas, where the air intakes are.

"How did you learn about all this?" I asked. From late night talk shows, and study and reflection. Mentions God several times. Then: "Which airline…​?" "Southwest — it’s right there at the beginning as you enter the airport". He knew that already, though.

Says as I leave that three terrorist cells have been caught already.

I gave him a $2 tip.