A taxi- cab breakthrough - Kelli Anderson - SI.com

A taxi- cab breakthrough - Kelli Anderson - SI.com: "I took a lot of taxis in Beijing; we all did.

Think again. You all did. We didn't.

We took one taxi and that was because the USA soccer game ended with a very late gold medal award presentation that forced us off of the subway because it was closing. At 1 am, we didn't want to ride our bikes the OTHER way home. So, we left them locked at the Workers Stadium and were going to take the subway. But, it is four lines away from our apartment. When you hear in the first subway platform that this is the last train -- we were smart to bolt for the street exit.

Then we burned too much energy at the day, getting to the game, and waiting for the handout of the gold medals to bike home from 1 to 2:30 am with a 10-year old, 13-year old and me. Hell, we've seen street lights go off, yet alone the closing of the subway.

Our taxi ride that night was one of the rare times we aimed to get into a cab. We were one with the bike lanes and able to navigate these games and this city just fine without the car. We took a bus or four. We took the subway a bunch too.

Mind you, we watched the taxi situations -- as our goals included them. We didn't want to get hit by anything on the roads -- most of all -- the taxi.