Being a taxi driver for a few years, I saw and heard lots of stuff, I met a lot of people. Some of them stayed in my life some left.
This is the case of Ernest who I met on one cold November night.
I got a call from the hospital to pick up a guy. He was quiet for the first 15 minutes of the drive then when I asked him if everything is ok he just exploded.
He started to tell me how he lost his wife, his baby boy, and his job all in the same day. It was heartbreaking.
He was a banker and went to work as every morning does, but he had a bad feeling in his gut when he kissed his 7 months old pregnant wife on his way out.
At noon he had a meeting with a big corporate client when his phone rang. It was his wife, but he didn’t answer, thinking he will call her back at the end of the meeting.
After 30 minutes he asked for a break and rushed out on the door to call his wife. She didn’t answer so he left everything behind and jumped in his car to get back home.
While he was rushing home his boss called him and told him to get back in the meeting but because he refused he was fired.
When he got home the house was empty, the door unlocked and his wife’s cell phone was on the kitchen table.
We all have that neighbor that knows everything that’s going on, on his street, and so did Ernest. Abdul, a tow truck driver, told him that the ambulance and a police car came and took his wife to the emergency room.
He rushed to the emergency room, but by the time he got there his wife and the unborn baby were gone.
This guy was too silent after he finished his story and my gut was telling me it’s not the right time for him to be alone.
I asked if he has any family in town he can stay with for a few days but he did not. There was no way I could drop him off and go back to work, so I didn’t.
I drove around for hours just talking, he looked so calm. I was not used to this, Most of my passengers are loud and frustrated about something all the time. This guy just lost everything and he was calm. It was not a good sign.
When he asked me to take him home I made him promise he will call me the next day to buy him a coffee…for my surprise he did.
He never stopped calling me for the next 2 months and we had a 30 minutes talk every day.
Today, after 3 years he is one of my best friends. He never got over his loss. It took him some time to find a new job and move on but I know I was there for him and I’m glad I followed my gut.
Life as a taxi driver is not boring for sure. It’s not for everyone.
Read more stories:
Most Americans if you asked them to describe to you what a taxi looked like? They would describe to you a yellow car usually with a light on the top saying, ‘Taxi.” If you thought they looked the same all over the world, then you were wrong. Even New York has their own new spin on the taxi. In past years, the staple taxi cab was a yellow Crown Vic made by Ford, but as the city has grown so has their cabs. The Nissan VN200 is now the new face of the taxicab service in New York. Many may find this interesting, but as time changes and more people occupy these planet things have to adapt. Along with being able to carry more people at one time in the intercity New York has also adapted their cabs for transportation of people outside the city with green hybrid cars. Most people are not a fan of the green but like the better rates.
While Americans see yellow as a sign of a taxi the Germans see beige. Only in recent years has the color of the taxicab changed in Germany. In past years, the vehicles were black and most recently they went to the beige color. They prefer to use the Mercedes Benz series of vehicles and will have a small lit sign on the roof displaying TAXI. When the taxi sign is lit the taxi is available and when it is not they are not. The convenience and the dependability of the taxi in Germany are so high most people do not even own their own car. This is also the case in Singapore.
Singapore’s taxis are not as consistent in color or vehicle type as in America or Germany. They can be a Hyundai, Nissan, Volga, or even a Toyota. In recent years, the car was painted black with a yellow roof, but these days a pale blue is the norm, but the company that owns them plays a role in the color. One of the largest taxicab companies in Singapore uses a dark blue color with their logo on the side. The one thing that does stay consistent in the vehicle is usually a 4-door sedan with air conditioning. They even offer taxicabs that look like the cabs in London, England. Of course, these are available for a premium charge.
The United Kingdom’s taxi cabs are very regulated. This may be because they are considered to be the birthplace. The taxi cab system in London, England is very mature. It is one of the most sophisticated systems in the world. All drivers have to pass an extensive training course, be fully licensed, and only the best vehicles are used for the services. The black TX4 is specially constructed for use as a taxicab in London. Along with the driver and the vehicle standard being high, the way of getting a taxi is different. In most countries, you would be able to stand outside in a large city and catch a cab with a way of your hand, but not in London. All cabs are private hire and require pre-booking of the transportation needed. This makes the service and vehicle a standard that people like to be seen in. The design and look of London are so popular that many countries have adopted the look.
Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital uses the same car but paints it a deep purple. If that wouldn’t get your attention then I don’t know what would. With the high standards in London, Paris France could not be any more different. France does not have any standards for the service of taxicabs. If it can transport people and has a TAXI sign on it, then it is a taxi. The government does not have any regulations on the service, which means stick a sign on your car and start driving around.