Re: [Leica] [ JOKE ] "Picture this..."

["Joseph Codispoti" <joecodi@thegrid.net>]

Andre,
I enjoyed your joke and, as a good turn deserves an other, here is my
contribution
Of course, not wanting to incur the wrath of the LUG, I am forwarding it to
you privately.
Joseph Codispoti

THE POPE VISITS NEW YORK

In 1988 the pope visited the United States. The night before he was
scheduled to celebrate Mass in Saint Johns Cathedral in New York City, he
was admiring the view from his hotel room and noticed the endless procession
of taxis. He began to reminisce how in his youth he wanted so much to be a
taxi driver in his Native Poland.

An idea came to him; why not sneak out past all the body guards and take a
taxi tour of the city without the usual cortege accorded to a pontiff.

So, clutching his trusting Leica M6 with Noctilux, he left the hotel by the
back door and hailed the first taxi passing by. Even though he was wearing a
disguise, the driver recognized him immediately and nearly fainted from the
emotion of seeing the pope before him. His Holy Father calmed him and told
him that all he wanted was to drive the taxi around NY. No way said the
driver, "I would loses my job if I allowed anyone to drive my taxi". "Not to
worry" replied the pope, "no one will know, you sit in the back and I will
drive you. This way I can fulfill my childhood dream". The driver relented
and soon they were driving the streets of NY in search of tourist sights to
admire.

Since the pope was new to the experience of driving in such a chaotic city,
at one point he was distracted and ran a red light. Being NY, the motorcycle
cop was waiting for such an occurrence.

Also being a NY cop he approached the taxi saying "Awrigh, awright, where’s
the fire" but, upon peering inside the taxi, the cop lost his composure.
"Please wait a moment" he stammered and went to his radio to seek guidance
from his captain. "Capn", he said, "you would not believe who I stopped for
running a red light, I am so shook-up that I don’t know how to proceed".

"All right, all right get a hold of yourself" said the captain, "who is it"?
The cop was so flustered that he could not even say. So the captain asked:
the governor? "No, no, much higher" responded the cop. "The president?"
pressed the captain". " No, no, no, much, much higher!" was the cop’s feeble
reply.

By now the captain was losing his patience and screamed into the phone:
"Than who is it? Dammit". To which the cop responded with a shaky voice: "I
am not certain capn, all I know is that the pope is his driver".