Taxi Drivers

Why have taxi drivers got such a bad name?

I first heard the warning about them in ’68 when prior to my first visit to the USA I was told whatever I did I wasn’t to trust a New York City taxi driver.

What a young woman was supposed to do when she was spat out of an ocean liner along with a cabin trunk and two suitcases on to Pier 8 (or was it 10) they didn’t say.

All I had with me,beside the luggage was an address in the Bronx,where they might or might not be expecting me. So it was a case of having to trust one of those famous yellow cab drivers.

Despite my 5’8” I do tend to bring out the protective instinct in the opposite sex,and people say I look more than passable, but whatever it was that lovely cab driver drove me up town,wanted to wait while I found out if I was expected and then helped me to carry all the things inside.

I was bowled over for life,there is no one like a NYC cab driver-except perhaps a London one.

I love taxi drivers,and I have experienced a few ‘interesting’ ones in my time.

Before my trip to Asia I was warned again,by guide books especially, but I would like to say that the taxi drivers in Asia did not drive off with my luggage, stuck to the previously arranged price, brought me as far as I could judge directly to where I wanted to go, were extremelyhelpfull and friendly with or without a tip. Whether it was a driver of a bike rikshaw, tuk tuk, songthaews or car, I could trust them all.

Forget the guide books.

My Asian fever has been cured.Relapses are of course known,but at the moment I’m just enjoying being back in Switzerland where the trees are no longer the colour of best Burmese Jade and today we can almost smell snow in the air.

I experienced so much on my trip to south east Asia.I met so many lovely caring people,saw so many things that the impressions will stay with me for ever.

Nothing negative happened to me in the month that I was travelling,so all I can say is to anyone thinking about it,especially middle aged women who want to go it alone -just do it.

One thing though; don’t even think of carrying weighty guide books with you.Leave all your Green Planets,Travel Know How,Baedecker or whatever they might be called at home. Maps along with historical and geographical information are of course usefull ,but the rest too subjective and usually out of date in this fast changing world.

Greet people with a big smile and you will get to wherever you want to go even with sign language.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of my impressions with you.