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> “Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”

> I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I should go there. He says I don’t have very long.”

> I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to go?” I asked.

How is the elderly woman in this story imposing on the narrator? He makes his own choice to give attention and patience to what he assumes is this woman’s final taxi ride. He apparently sees it as a small privilege to get to hear about her life. Why do you act as if he’s created a burden on you?



> For every sympathetic cab driver there are 100 people who are not interested in the life stories of lonely elderly people

> "I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I should go there. He says I don’t have very long."

This is the imposition. From that point forward it's impolite to tell her you don't care, even if it's honest. Keep your personal life to yourself.




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