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"We took a taxi"
Three Florida executives stranded in Chicago during the airport shutdowns this week found an unusual way to get back home: they took a taxi in what became a cross-country, multicultural odyssey. The driver, who introduced himself as Ali, took pity on them and agreed to make the 24-hour trip because he wanted to help the men return to their families, said Bruce Gross, chief financial officer for Lennar Corp., a Miami-based homebuilder. "Ali called his office and called his wife, then said he would do it," Gross said. "He didn't pick up clothes or anything else. He just turned around and said, 'does anyone have any money for gas?'" The four left at 10 p.m. Wednesday. Ali drove the Mazda mini-van until 5 a.m., when they finally switched drivers. The men learned Ali's full name was Muhammed Ali and he was a mechanical engineer who moved to the U.S. from Bombay, India in 1999. They also discovered he was Islamic and had been outraged and saddened by the terrorist attacks on Tuesday. Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2001-09-15 |
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