Imagine a guy getting into
the back of a taxi.
“Where to?” says the
driver.
“Um, I don't know,” says
the guy. “I just wanna go for a ride.”
“Ok. You don't wanna go
anywhere specific?”
“Not really. I mean I
might want dinner or something, maybe.”
“So should I take you to a
restaurant?”
“I don't know.”
“How about a movie? You
like movies?”
“Not sure. I've never
really been to one.”
“Ok, well how about a
concert.”
“Haven't tried that
either, but I don't think it sounds fun.”
“Hm... well we can't take
a trip unless you have a destination. Are you sure you don't have
someplace in mind?”
“Not really.”
“You want me to pick?”
“Well maybe, but what if I
don't like what you choose?”
“Ok, tell you what... you
said you might be hungry, right?”
“Yeah.”
“But you don't want to go
to a restaurant.”
“Well, not exactly. I
might want to. I just don't know.”
“How about if we drive by?
You can go in, look around, maybe try a bite or two and see if you
like it.”
“I don't think I want to.”
“Buddy, I can't take you
somewhere if you don't know where you want to go.”
“But I know where I want
to go.”
“Ok, so where do you want
to go?”
“Out.”
“Out's a big place. You're
gonna have to get a little more specific.”
“Well, someplace in the
same city... maybe.”
“Ok, so somewhere in this
city. But it's a big city.”
“Wait, let's not limit
ourselves. Going to the next city might be kinda fun.”
“So you maybe want to go
to a different city? That's a long ride, pal.”
“Yeah, you're right. Maybe
I should stay here.”
“Ok, so any idea yet about
where you wanna go?”
“You're the driver,
shouldn't you know?”
“Buddy, you got any idea
how many people take cabs every day? Every single one of them wants
to go someplace different. If everyone wanted to go the same place
they'd all take the bus.”
“Wait, so you don't know
where I need to go?”
“Well, I can make
suggestions, but it's your trip. You gotta tell me what you're trying
to do.”
“I just want some fresh
air.”
“The park then, maybe?”
“Maybe. But it's cold
there. And it's dark.”
“Tell me again why you
called a cab.”
“I wanna go.... somewhere.
I think.”
“Ok so what made you want
to go somewhere?”
“I don't know.”
“You aren't hungry?”
“Not really.”
“Don't need to shop for
anything?”
“No.”
“Don't want to go visit
anybody?”
“Nope.”
“So you wanna just drive
around for awhile? See the sights? Maybe see if something strikes
your fancy?”
“No, I want to have like
the best most amazing cab ride ever.”
“Without knowing where you
want to go.”
“Look, you're the driver.
You really should know.”
“I told you, people go
different places. And you don't want to go the wrong place.”
“well don't you know the
right place?”
“Not unless you know what
kind a place you need.”
“Don't you just drive
people wherever?”
“Sometimes, but most of
the time someone has at least some idea of where they wanna go before
they get in the cab.”
“Oh, well I've never taken
a cab before. I really don't know everywhere cabs go.”
“but something made you
call one.”
“Yeah, I just wanted to
try it.”
“Ok, so what made you want
to try it?”
“I don't know.”
“Did you see pictures of
someone in a cab? Maybe a movie that made a cab ride seem exciting?”
“Not really.”
“So you just woke up one
day and decided you wanted to take a cab.”
“Yeah.”
“Ever dream about it? Have
fantasies? Do you think about taking a cab?”
“Not really.”
“So then why did you call
one?”
“I just saw the ad and
thought I should.”
“You know how taking a cab
works, right?”
“No.”
“Want me to explain?”
“You don't really have to.
I'm not interested.”
“Ok, so maybe we'll go
around the block, tell me to stop if you see someplace you want to
go.”
“I don't want to have to
tell you how to drive me. You're supposed to know. That's what I'm
paying you for.”
“No. You're paying me to
know how to get to a specific place and drive you there safely. I
decide how we get there, but you gotta tell me where you wanna go.”
“but I don't know any
places to go.”
“Then why did you call the
cab?”
“I just wanted to.”
“Ok. I would love to make
you happy and take you on the best cab ride ever, but if you don't
have some idea where you want to go we could end up driving around
all night and never find anyplace you like.”
“Don't you have places
most people want to go?”
“Yeah, but I suggested all
those already and you didn't like any of them.”
“I thought the point of
taking a cab was to let someone else decide where to go.”
“Yes and no. You can pick
a destination, or we can pick it together, or I can pick it for you,
but you have to have at least some idea of what kind of place you'd
like to end up.”
“Wait, so you're saying I
have to know where I want to go before you can take me there?”
“Pretty much.”
“So people don't all go to
the same places?”
“Not usually. One person
might want to go to a bar, another might want to go to the art
museum, and a third might want to go to the grocery store. It all
depends on what they need.”
“And they have to tell
you? You don't just know?”
“No, I don't. Now if I
know someone a long time and drive em around a lot I start to know
where they like to go and can show up at their door before they even
know they want a ride. But I can't do that with someone I've never
met before. People are just too different.”
“But can't you just
guess?”
“I can, but I might get it
totally wrong, and that could be bad. If I take someone who wants to
go to the art museum to the bar they might get in a fight and get
hurt, or if I take the guy who wants to go to the bar to art museum
he's just gonna get bored. And if I take the person who wants to go
to the grocery store to the airport, they're not gonna get any food
and then they'll still be hungry. I won't do a good job and they'll
be unhappy.”
“Man, this is way too
complicated. I just wanna go for a ride.”
“So tell me where to.”
“But if you can't figure
it out, how am I supposed to?”
“Buddy, you're the only
one who can.”
“Hm...”
The man thinks for several
long moments.
“Are you sure you're a cab
driver?”
The moral of this story:
You have to know what you
want before someone can give it to you!!!
