"Yeah,but I'm not a nice guy"

I was sitting downtown t'other night, 'round about 4:15a at a cab stand reading a book when a guy comes walking up to my drivers' side window. He was a younger-ish black fella and he smelled bad. He seriously looked like he was homeless. Ragged clothes, shoes didn't match, ratty old jacket, etc.

He: How much would it be to go to the corner of N Albina and Killingsworth? nasty area.

Me: Depends on where near there. Roughly $10, plus or minus. I'm already thinking no cash, no dash. This guy has kind of a creepy air to him.

He: All right. He hands me a $20/bill from a huge wad o' cash he had in one of his pockets.

He walks around to the passenger side and gets in the back and we're off. I try to make conversation with him and he finally starts chatting back. He tells me he's from New York City via Cincinnatti as he got in so much trouble there that he "... had to leave."

Me: Wow. Must've been pretty serious to send you all the way across the country. grin

He: Oh. It was. no grin, still creepy.

Me: Ah. Ok. Then. What do you think of Portland? How long you been here?

He: I've been here for about 3 weeks. And I hate it. It's too quiet for me here. People ask too many questions. Creepier.

Me: I'm sorry to hear that. It'll grow on you, sometimes just takes awhile. Portland's a nice city. Hell, it's nice enough you can still have female cab drivers. grin

He: Yeah, but I'm not a nice guy.

Me: pulling up to the corner where he wants dropped off. You seem like a nice guy to me. grin So just, anywhere here?

He: after getting his change It's a good thing you said that, about me being nice. Else I probably would have just slit your throat and left you for dead.

And I swear this guy was dead-on serious.

Me: Ummmm, thank you? Have a good night.

And I got the hell outta there. I could count on one hand the times I thought I was seriously in trouble in this job and still have about 3 fingers left, and this guy just creeped me right the eff out. Apparently with reason.