In retrospect, Jim Soliski’s “Does Your Meter Work?” was an unfortunate choice of reading material for my daily commute on public transit. But only because it made me desperately want to rush to the airport and take the first flight out of town- not a way to remain gainfully employed.

“Does Your Meter Work?!” is a collection of short travel stories from Soliski’s time spent wandering, mostly in Asia. While teaching English, he was able to save $11,000 and took off traveling until his money ran out. He writes of hitchhiking across Borneo while racing a bus-riding friend, watching cockfights in the Philippines, and witnessing events at the ever-classy “Hand Job Park” in Vietnam.

The book’s title refers to the constant question uttered by travelers while searching for a taxi driver who is willing (and able) to use the meter instead of charging an inflated tourist price.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the book is the foreward, where Soliski chronicles his attempts to get his writing published (his stories have appeared everywhere from the Chicago Tribune to the San Francisco Examiner).

Soliski pulls no punches as he quotes rejection letters he has received, including one editor’s comment, “I may have to bill you the time it took to download them and put them in the trash.”

But I wouldn’t advise putting this book in the trash. It is an insightful collection of stories that will remind any traveler of times on the road.