# I was ripped off by a New York cabdriver

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-ripped-off-by-a-new-york-cabdriver/591152>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 2, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-ripped-off-by-a-new-york-cabdriver/591152 "2011-08-02T05:00:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-ripped-off-by-a-new-york-cabdriver/591152/61 "2011-08-05T00:12:02Z")

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> [@Argent\_Towers](#):
>
> He barely spoke English, hailing from some African country (I think he said “Afrikos” when I asked him, but I looked it up later and I can’t figure out what that means.)

“Afrikos”=Ivory Coast if that helps. Play with it a little and it’ll make sense.

I worked with a Liberian refuge who came via Ivory Coast. I was giving him a ride to his bus stop(though I was his manager and wasn’t supposed to), and we probably had a similar conversation to yours.

So where are your from?

Afrikos.

Which country in Africa?

Afrikos(I’m thinking, like most Africans he doesn’t expect most Americans to be familiar with African countries)

I’m familiar with Africa. Like, which country?

A…fri…kos…(Now I’m thinking with his basic English he was confused between the terms ‘country’ and ‘continent’)

Not Africa the continent, but which country _in_ Africa?

Not Africa. A…fri…kos.

Dude, I have no idea what you are saying(both of us laughing)

Maybe you know in French. Côte d’Ivoire

OH!! Cote d’Ivoire(co-tey-bwah, I’m Texan)

His name was Rufus. The executive chef, quite a character, had a customized greeting for him which consisted of a “Norm” like yelling of his name followed by barking. Good times!

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**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-was-ripped-off-by-a-new-york-cabdriver/591152/62 "2011-08-05T00:18:07Z")

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> [@I\_Know\_Nothing](#):
>
> “Afrikos”=Ivory Coast if that helps. Play with it a little and it’ll make sense.
> 
> I worked with a Liberian refuge who came via Ivory Coast. I was giving him a ride to his bus stop(though I was his manager and wasn’t supposed to), and we probably had a similar conversation to yours.
> 
> So where are your from?
> 
> Afrikos.
> 
> Which country in Africa?
> 
> Afrikos(I’m thinking, like most Africans he doesn’t expect most Americans to be familiar with African countries)
> 
> I’m familiar with Africa. Like, which country?
> 
> A…fri…kos…(Now I’m thinking with his basic English he was confused between the terms ‘country’ and ‘continent’)
> 
> Not Africa the continent, but which country _in_ Africa?
> 
> Not Africa. A…fri…kos.
> 
> Dude, I have no idea what you are saying(both of us laughing)
> 
> Maybe you know in French. Côte d’Ivoire
> 
> OH!! Cote d’Ivoire(co-tey-bwah, I’m Texan)
> 
> His name was Rufus. The executive chef, quite a character, had a customized greeting for him which consisted of a “Norm” like yelling of his name followed by barking. Good times!

Nice bit of sleuthing there. And funny since the Ivory Coast usually insists on being referred to as “Cote d’Ivoire” even in English.

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