Holden arrives at Penn Station in New York but doesn't call anyone. He takes a taxi to his regular address out of habit but realizes halfway there that he wants to go downtown instead. The taxi driver refuses to turn around, so Holden asks him a random question about where ducks go when the lake freezes to avoid arguing. The driver thinks Holden is trying to trick him. Holden has the driver take him to the cheap Edmont Hotel instead.
