“Your passengers vary from common prostitutes right down to lawyers”.
The above is a killer line by a fellow driver who shall remain nameless so as not to receive the fury of the entire Glasgow legal sector.
It was said in jest, and in jest it should be taken – which is hopefully still possible in this overly-PC world we all live in.
The serious point was to remind that us drivers are blessed every day with all variety of passengers who treat their arrival in the back of the cab akin to entry to “the confessional”.
We are privileged to enjoy a 15-minute cameo in their lives – during which the passenger can dictate your mood yet at the same time you can influence theirs.
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Depending on their situation of the day you can share in joy, tragedy, hardship, endurance – you honestly don’t know what you’ll get when they sit down.
If they keep their head down, in phone or laptop, you know that’s the sign they wish no conversation and you shut up.
Conversely, if they pipe up with the famous “busy today, driver?” your instinct immediately tells you that may be step one to them opening up to you. I’ll give you a few examples, from 2022 alone …
Last week I was honoured to give a lift to a 17-year-old lad, recovering from a knee replacement for the second time. What was said will remain private, but it was an eye-opener, his emotional story has stuck with me.
Then there was a lady taking her cat to the vet for chemotherapy, who needed all the positivity and reassurance I could muster, she was yet another passenger who just needed to talk.
I’ve had wedding guests full of the joys of the day within minutes of the bereaved crying their hearts out.
I’ve had football supporters racing for that pre-match pint full of anticipation and music fans relishing the prospect of the gig ahead (and very appreciative of yours truly playing the act’s tunes full blast in the cab!)
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I even had the legendary, 88-year old Glasgow lawyer Len Murray, an absolute powerhouse in both career and in conversation, whose reflection of the major legal cases of the past 50 years were an education in themselves. See, we were just joking, lawyers aren’t bad at all!
So, every passenger has a story, every time they enter a taxi. And you never know what you’ll get.
It remains one of the very best aspects of being a Glasgow Taxi driver – the punters.
And all you have to say to kick things off is “busy today, driver?” …
Stay safe.
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