Posted on 08/09/2017 5:02:24 PM PDT by vannrox
I’ve had some pretty damn incredible cab drivers over the years. The salty retired SFC on Leonard Wood....
The hilarious Turk in Istanbul that played the “Beastie Boys” tape on the drive back to Cakmakli....
The “rode hard and put away wet” mom in Las Vegas that gave my wife and I the best tips on where to eat and how to save money....
Then there was Rickey Bobbie in Wichita Falls, Texas who was wearing a Dale Earnhardt hat and shirt, and when we offered him $10 to go through a drive through drove like Dale Earnhardt so that he could keep the whole $10 without his dispatcher knowing I guess.
Talk to them like they’re family and most of the time you’ll get great tips on the locale. Tip them to pay it forward.
That’s a great story. Thanks for posting.
A slice of life smorgasbord. Thanks for posting.
Very good piece.
Thanks for sharing that, great story! Oddly enough, I watched Taxi Driver the other night. Hadn’t seen it in at least 30 years.
A very fun post!
My Father did taxi-driving for awhile in DC, after he came back from his stint as a Marine in WWII.
I’ve always appreciated the taxi drivers in my area. Maybe his experience driving taxis is why my Daddy told me to always tip ‘at least 20%’ for any service - and that advice has served me well!
Cabbies in New Orleans are a tough breed of cat.
And there was a time that I drove a cab, but no way would I do it in New Orleans.
Hell, the potholes in this town will kill you.
I read this and smiled because about 5 years ago, my Navy son was in an accident at Sigonella Navy base. When I landed there, I was picked up by a Navy Chief that was Seal Team 6 but was now assigned to Sig and about to get out with 20.
David was in an Italian hospital in a coma. The Nav Hospital said they did not have the facilities to take care of him and that was why he was in the Italian hospital ICU (that all worked out in the medical end with the coma, rehab back in the states and then medically discharged).
The drive to the hospital was what your post brought back. It seems the Italians drive rather aggressively and the Chief was driving in a way that I thought was best described as insane.
When I asked about his driving, he said he had received Presidential driving training (as I recall) as part of his Seal training. It was way over the top.
My ex and I were in Nassau back in the ‘80’s...We got a driver to show us around...he was very cool...He said his name was Jones...He said he was the “real” Too Tall Jones and we laughed...
We asked for a good place to eat and he said prices are too high for what you get and he drove to his home...He had his wife fix us shrimp and grits that was the best I ever had...
When we got back in the cab, he asked if my ex had a driver license...She siad yes, so he pulled in to a store...Went and came back out with 4 Red Stripe Ales...he tossed her the keys got in the back with me and opened us each a beer...
He told her which direction to go we told jokes and laughed and drank the beer...We hadn’t gone a block when he told my ex, “We are in Bahamas, ma’am...” She said, “I know”...
Very calmly, he then said, “We drive on the wrong side of the road...”
She quickly swerved over to the left side...More laughter...
We stayed with him most all day and gave him $80.00
BEST CAB DRIVER EVER!!!!!!!
LOL! A story for the grandkids ;-)
Yep...It sure is...I’ll have to tell them when I see them next...:^)
I had an Afghani taxi driver in California, driving like a madman on the LA freeway. He moved to American with his kids several decades ago, became a citizen, put all his kids to work and is a workaholic multimillionaire. Still driving a taxi. He was driving while almost completely turned around talking to me. I was in the back seat sitting in the middle, all three seat belts on, screaming for him to turn around and look at the roads.
Loved that guy.
Oh, you N’awlins? That explains a LOT.
Like a Trent Reznor LOT.
I drove a cab on weekend days while going to school but it was a smallish sized town. Cabbies get all kinds and don’t make a much money some days. I don’t know how some people make a career out of it.
Great read!
Taxi ping! Guess I’m hailing you. ;)
Best cab driver ever, but you were the worst husband ever.
I've done both. I can understand the common ground. I did my driving time in a good neighborhood mostly, but I worked for an ex-Jihadi from A-Stan from their time with the Russians. (This was before 9/11). When it was slow we'd hang out at the BART station (SFBA) and talk small arms.
He wanted to post me in a shitty neighborhood. I requested an SMG. He told me that as long as he didn't know about it... LOL
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