
Last New York Checker Turns Off Its Meter for Good
The last day of the last Checker cab in New York should have been full of nostalgia and romance, the storied retirement of a much-loved machine integral to the city's lore and lure. Instead, it was filled with hassles. First there was the gnawing pain in Earl Johnson's left knee, a twinge of gout that made it wrenching for him to fold his 6-foot-1-inch frame into the driver's seat of the 1978 classic, and even more agonizing to get out. Then there was the awkward moment when