Whatever it costs, you can't buy this," said investment banker John Belitsky, 31, who's picking up the tab for the cab ride of a lifetime with pal Dan Wuebben, 32, and intrepid driver Mohammed Alam, 41. The trio was in Las Vegas last night -- and headed for California this morning, six days after crossing the George Washington Bridge.
"I'm very hardworking," Pakistani-born Alam said. "I don't care about the money. I came because it's a new thing. Driving is always hard, but I know how to drive. And this beats Manhattan."
It was Wuebben's birthday -- and spring fever -- that set things in motion. "Dan was staying at my place after we celebrated his birthday," Belitsky said. "It seemed like everybody was away. And I said, 'Let's do something great and fun and serious and magical and bigger than us.' " Then Wuebben remembered a tale about estimating the cost of a cross-country cab ride.
"That's the ticket," Belitsky said he replied, telling his friend, "Dan, you're the only guy you know who'd do this -- and I'm the only guy you know who would pay for it."
The pair hopped in a cab to Dan's Astoria apartment and floated the idea to their driver, who was game -- though his dispatcher wasn't. "We needed a guy who had his own cab," Wuebben said. "We went to La Guardia, and John brokered the deal."
Alam said his wife cried when he broke the news of his epic plans. "First, she was mad," he said. "Now it's OK."
They set out at 11 p.m. Saturday from La Guardia and reached Chicago Sunday afternoon. They got to Omaha on Monday, Denver on Tuesday, New Mexico on Wednesday, and the Grand Canyon and then Las Vegas, Nev., yesterday.
Wuebben's mom, Colleen, was floored when her son called from the driveway of their Omaha home. "He's been a traveler since he was in high school, and I don't think any of his four sisters were very surprised," she said. "But John has never been this far west, and Alam has never been out of New York."
The trio's plans for the return trip are still in flux. Alam, who lives in Queens, said a friend will meet him in LA and help him make the drive back home. But Wuebben, who also lives in Queens, and Belitsky, who's from Leonia, NJ, haven't decided how they'll make the return trip.
And there's the question of the tip. "Typically, the Belitskys are known for being good tippers," Belitsky said, but added, "I don't know if it applies here."
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