Well, like I said, I'm away from home on vacation, but this morning my encounter with the cabbie occurred exactly as I described it above.

Yes, this is an alternate account, because I really don't wish to discuss the pirate situation on a daily basis. I'm really just ready for it to all go away so bitcoin can move on.

This is important, someone who knows Trendon Shavers please let him know about this.

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I had less than the cost of a new laptop in a PPT, and don't care anymore or expect to see it back. But you need to know about this:

My family and I are currently in New York on vacation for the long weekend.

We were in a taxi this morning (Sunday) on the way to breakfast, and our taxi driver was talking the whole time into his cell phone in a very animated, agitated way. And not in english.

It was only about 5 blocks, and he'd been talking the whole time. I'm hoping he actually understood me when I told him where we (my wife and daughter and I) want to go.

About a block from the restaurant, he said something into the phone that caught my attention.

"... Pirate ..."

Then went back to whatever language (Russian?) he was speaking.

More words: " ... Texas ..." "... Trendon Shavers ..."
(except he said it drawn out, like "Treeendon Shaaavers" with an 'a' sound as in 'ah')

We get to our restaurant, and as I'm leaning back into the front passenger window paying the fare I joked, "Pirate owe you money?"

Bad mistake. He got out of the cab, leaving it in the street double parked with the door still open out into traffic, and burst over to my side of the cab. I got a look from my wife like, "What the hell did you just say to him?" She heads into the restaurant with my daughter, leaving me on the sidewalk with our driver.

him: "You know this Pirate?" Taxis behind him are laying on the horn. I've got flop sweat.

me: "No, no - he owes me money too" (that got me a skeptical look) - more honking.

him: "Fuck Pirate. My father has plane ticket. We'll be paid" - then he's back into the cab and drives off. I have to stand there and let the sweat dry from my face before I can join my wife and daughter.

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Well, in a way I'm impressed to have encountered a bitcoin discussion in the real world, but this isn't the kind of thing bitcoin needs.

Again, keep my coins - it's a tiny portion of my stake. But do SOMETHING! Let some trusted member of this community know what's going on. Pay back something, borrow the rest from some bitcoin-millionaire, and then pay back the rest. Think of your family. Don't keep saying things on IRC that mock your lenders and make people angry...

... people like my Russian taxi driver (and his father) in New York.