Cash Cab or Cash Gag?

Reality shows have literally taken a turn for the worse. These days we are bombarded with love reality, home reality, pet reality, and now cab reality. So, let's set the scene, that way we can all get a better idea of reality. I am say in New York City and lets say I need to get from point A to point B. Then lets say I need to grab a cab because lets say I am too tired to walk, take the subway, the bus, my car (if I have one) or possibly even my bike or skateboard in my efforts to be economical or green. As I am raising my hand slightly just out and away from my shoulder, I notice a cab driver pulling over to service me. There. I am pretty happy, smooth sailing. This may turn out to be a better outing than I thought.

I am well on my way without a hitch. I slide over to the middle of the backseat. The driver, who sounds like the typical New Yorker from one of the boroughs but I don't care which, asks me where I am headed. I reply a certain restaurant I enjoy immensely about 28 blocks up the street. Then just as I lean back to relax and start to unfold my newspaper, a bunch of colored lights and weird sounds start going off. I am thinking to myself, hey this must be some kind of new car alarm system, who knows.

At that point the driver turns to face me, accent gone, and says you are on Cash Cab the reality game show or something or another. I was not thrilled. I had to get to my lunch date. At first I am thinking this is a joke. But this guy was serious. Then it hit me. I can win some money and/ or get a free cab ride. So, what if I am a little late for my lunch appointment. If this works out I may have free lunch. So, without thinking I say yes.

Well, how the game works is a passenger or passengers gets asked questions while the cab driver/ host asks random trivia questions. For each question right you receive a specified cash amount. If you miss you get a strike. Well, after three strikes you are out. Out as in kicked out on the streets of New York City. Also, to make the game more fair you are given a few chances to ask for help from other unsuspecting people.

Here I am answering questions and on a roll until I miss a simple one. Then I miss another, then another. Next thing I know I am out on the street signing a release form to be on television. Me on television, I refused to sign the paper. This reality television craze has gone too far. After walking the next fifteen blocks to my destination (I tried to hail another cab but it was too busy so I figured I would walk to reflect on what just happened), I ended up eating lunch and telling all of my buddies about what happened. After lunch, I took the bus home to play it safe and decided to watch a little television.

As I was flipping through the channels I saw the flashing lights and heard the sirens. I decided to watch the show. It was all right for groups of friends. Two or more brains are definitely better than one. I just continued to watch until the end and realized I do not understand why watching a guy ask questions in a city cab warranted a whole television show. I say forget the questions and just ask me if I would like a free ride to wherever I am headed. The reality is that people these days could use a real break not a reality game to get their hopes up and moral up whenever they step into a city cab. Maybe all the cab drivers got together and brainstormed how to get more people to be happy to pay too much for a ride through the city and to forget all about mass transit and saving money. I recommend this television program for those with big dreams of coming to New York City and making it big by being on television and making lots of cash doing it.