Driving up to the airport to pick up the brother at close on one in the morning, I was amazed to see a line of cabs several miles long (no kidding) on the expressway waiting for arriving passengers. There always used to be a queue, but neither of us had ever seen it reach such an impressive length. Postulation by my dad: its distance from head to tail is an accurate barometer of the state of the economy, and also a good indication of who will prevail in the next General Election.