The buses on Madison Avenue at 5 o’clock on Friday afternoon were all running Limited service, which meant none of them were stopping at 61st Street, where I was waiting for one.

When a taxicab stopped in front of me, I decided to take it. I was not the only one: a man approached from behind me to take the cab for himself and a friend. In my best New Yorker mode, I shot him a look, and said, “Excuse me, but I was here first.”

“We’re just going up Madison,” he said, and inspiration struck: “Share a cab?” I said. The three climbed in and rode to 79th Street, where I got out. The meter read $3.50; my traveling companion said, “A dollar from you is fine.”

Instead, I gave a $5 bill to the driver, instructing him to use the difference on the remaining fare. “Have a good trip uptown,” I said to the man in the back seat.

“Thanks,” he said, then added with a grin: “Next time, it’s on me.”