When I was little, taxis were my favorite form of transportation.
I could have my own seat in the taxi, and the taxi would go directly to the destination.
I would not need to walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus, get squeezed in the bus, and walk to the destination after getting off the bus.
In early 1990s, taxi fare of a 5KM trip was about 30 times the bus fare.
However, I didn't understand the value of money at that time, so I always wanted to travel by taxi.
I started attending a boarding school since the seventh grade.
Mom would give me ¥65 every week, and I was allowed to spend the money however I wish, but this money was all I have for meals, transportation, and anything else except books and school supplies.
While I could spend ¥5 to take a taxi from the bus terminal to the school, I usually chose to walk 20 minutes and save the money for snacks.
I got used to bus rides and long walks, and forgot about taxis, when money became a constraint.
In fact, I got so used to public transportation that, even if I was on a business trip when I later worked for a company, I would prefer to take a bus instead of a taxi, and I sometimes had to explain to finance why I could not produce a receipt for a bus ride.
When I came to Tucson in 2011, having limited cash and being accustomed to public transportation, my primary form of transportation is of course the city bus.
However, the operating hours of city buses are limited.
When I stayed in Grant Inn during my first days, the last route 20 bus from UA campus back to Grant Inn was departing at 18:20.
If I wanted to stay at school later than that, I would have to find my alternate transportation.
Clint's Taxi
When I was dropped off at Grant Inn, the volunteer gave each student a business card of "Clint's Taxi", and told us to call Clint when we need to go to school.
Since buses are cheaper, I took the city bus most of the time.
On Aug 14, 2011, I attended a "Campus Race" scavenger hunt activity, organized by an organization called Meet The World, which later became International Student Association (ISA).
The activity lasted until 20:00, at which point there were no more buses available.
This was when I called Clint for the first time.
