"I hail a taxi on a chilly winter evening in 1998. As I settle into the backseat, I notice the driver's warm smile in the rearview mirror. 'Where to, buddy?' he asks in a thick New York accent. I give him my address and we hit the road, the taxi weaving through the crowded streets of Manhattan. The sounds of the city provide a lively background hum - car horns blaring, people chattering, and the wail of sirens in the distance.