Dummmmmmm - barton

I had an experience about 7 months ago, that was absolutely baffling and completely comical. Many of you may have heard it by now, so enjoy it again with me....... I flew into San Francisco for a business meeting. It was late at night and instead of getting a rental car I had decided to take a cab to the hotel since many of my colleagues had a car and we were all in the city for the same meeting. This particular hotel was one I had never been to, it was in the East Bay. I got off the plane and out to the taxi line to catch a ride and what happened next went something like this.


I hopped into the taxi and told the driver, "The "W" hotel."
His response "The W? Where is it?"
My reply: "In Newark." (my only directions at the time :) "Do you know where that is?".......
Long pause.......
Cab Driver: "yes.....................yes I do."

Not the most reassuring response but I was willing to roll with it. I hadn't done my homework on where the hotel was as I thought it would be an easy one to find since my colleagues were all staying there, and heck it is a "W".... those are usually pretty swanky hotels..... taxi drivers usually know their way around the city. The 1 thing I did know about getting to the hotel was that we had to cross the Dumbarton Bridge. So as we leave the airport this is what I tell the cab driver.

Me: "We need to cross the Dumbarton Bridge".
Cab Driver response: "Dummmmmbarton, Dummmmmmbarton, how do you spell that?"
Me: D U M B A R T O N.
Cab Driver: "Dummmmbarton, D U M B A R T O N, Dummmmmbarton"
I start to giggle under my breath.
He continues: "Dummmmmbarton, Dummmmmbarton"
Me: "Yes, the Dumbarton Bridge"
Cab Driver: "Dummmmmbarton, Dummmbarton"

At this point, I start to lose my patience somewhat. I am thinking what the heck is wrong with this guy? Why does he keep saying Dumbarton? I decide to take some action (imagine that, me taking action) I pull out my phone and get on the internet so I can get some better directions, I find some and continue to guide him.

Me: "We need to take the Marsh Road Exit"
Cab Driver: "Marshhhhhhh", "Marshhhhhhhh", how do you spell that?
Me: "M A R S H"
Cab Driver: "Marshhhhhhh, M A R S H, Marshhhhhh, Marshhhhhhh Road"
Me: "Yes, yes that is correct."

We ride in silence for a little while and then I see the sign for Marsh Road.
I tell him the exit number, and we take it.

Me: "Now we need to get to the bridge."
Cab Driver: " Dummmmmbarton, Dummmmmbarton"
Me: "Yes, the Dumbarton Bridge"

We find the bridge and start to cross over, all the while the cab driver repeating Dummmmmbarton. I am about to pull my hair out while I am laughing hysterically inside. I am pretty much thinking at this point that this guy is a whack and that I would really like to get to the hotel. He continues....."Dummmmmmbarton." We did find the hotel and now you are probably asking what the H - E - double hockey sticks does this have to do with Spain?

Well, I have become the cab driver. Today as I am talking to a friend of mine (who is also studying Spanish) and she gives me a vocabulary word that I don't know..... I repeat the word a couple of times..... I ask her to spell it..... and she does and I repeat the word a couple more times outloud and it hits me. I am the Cab Driver. The whole Dumbarton story floods back into my head. The cab driver was learning English. He wasn't a whack, just a student.

Gosh, I know people are always using the phrase walk in my shoes for a day... boy I am living it today. Thank goodness for 20/ 20 hind sight. I don't know if I would learn anything without it.