Taxis are done

Nov 27, 2008 at 12:02 PM
25 comments

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I took my last taxi ride to work yesterday.

I have been driven by drivers of many different nationalities, many with really interesting, and sometimes alarming, stories of how they got to the United States. These drivers came to the United States for a better life and so that any children they had would not have the same struggles they did. Many have dreams of making it rich here and then being able to go back to a home country. All were grateful for the opportunities America has given them. All had an opinion on the recent election.

My oldest driver was 72, quite a character and he drove like a maniac! One of the younger ones drove like an old man.

I had no women drivers and only a couple of grumpy drivers - but hey, I can be pretty grumpy some 7am mornings too (just ask the manservant).

Only a couple of them actually got out of their cabs to open the door for me; quite a few asked "do you need any help" after I was sitting which always prompted a polite "not now, thanks!" from me.

The ladies on the phone were polite and friendly and more than a couple got to know my name just from my number and voice. After a couple of weeks I did not have to say "no van - I'm in a cast and on crutches".

So .... on this day of Thanks - I must say a very big thank you to Red Top Cabs and hope that many of my drivers got to enjoy the day off with family.

We are about to go out to friends for Thanksgiving Dinner - every year I tell myself that I will not overeat - but then I do anyway. When all that yummy food is laid out I have no will power at all.

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taxi drivers can be quite the characters. (those immigrants had better be here legally!) as one who has worked most thanksgivings, my heart sends a special message today to those who working, especially not by choice, especially if they hate their jobs. it's a very painful holiday for them. enjoy your day. and remember, moderation in all things! ;p

you can't even walk it off

I wish I had a pair of elastic waisted trousers to wear! LOL. Yeah - I'm sure all my drivers were legal - they talked about their citizenship progress and the importance of having an American passport (as opposed to having say, a Sudanese one). It must be awful to have to work on Thanksgiving - it really is such a big thing for everyone here.

LOL - very true! My "walking" is so slow it is not going to burn many more calories than I burn just sitting! Maybe I could just hop up and down on my good foot!

Happy Thanksgiving!

And really, what better way to show your appreciation for your hostess' efforts than by having seconds or thirds! :)

Thanksgiving by its nature is a feast of abundance and excess and who are we to deviate from tradition by moderating our intake?

What a nice way to thank the taxi drivers - whether they ever see it or not. And isn't Thanksgiving a day for gluttony? One more thing to be thankful for.

yeah, not sure which is worse, working thanksgiving at a job you totally detest or having the day off and nowhere to go.

Hope you had a wonderful day !!

Waterbaby replied to misskate’s comment:
Nov 27, 2008
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@misskate - "Thanksgiving by its nature is a feast of abundance and excess and who are we to deviate from tradition by moderating our intake" Just the opposite in my perspective. It's a day of appreciation and thankfulness, which in essence is not about excess and gluttony but gratitude in the barest and the simplest.

I catch buses - one of them is currently wearing a Santa suit. We need more brighter happier lads like that!

I not only had seconds but I also showed appreciation for her efforts by bringing leftovers home! :-) She makes really, really good stuffing. I was telling her that one thing which is really nice is a stuffing sandwich which I intend to have for my lunch today.

Emjay replied to Skyrat (Gina)’s comment:
Nov 28, 2008
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I thought I would write a note to Red Top - I would like some recognition to go to a couple of the ladies on the phone. I managed to not be too gluttonous - only a small portion on my plate to begin with but I did have seconds and I brought heaps of leftovers home.!

Thank you LBeeeze - it was a lovely evening out. I hope you had a happy day.

Emjay replied to Procrastinator’s comment:
Nov 28, 2008
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LOL - that's going to be a stinky suit by Christmas day! But, you are right; bright, happy drivers make for a cheerful ride.

enjoy the power of the turkey, some times I think it is all about eating too much and sitting around talking! I hope you had a fun and enjoyable time and that you have a good rest before work begins

[this is good]

LMAO @ Cat! That made me snort coffee up my nose.

Emjay, I'm glad you enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinner with friends...and like many of us, you will enjoy it again today. I'm with misskate, I feel it's a feast of abundance -- held at crop harvest time -- Horn 'o' Plenty, and all that jazz. I did as I always do. I ate until I couldn't eat another bite, let the tryptophan overdose knock me out for an hour on the couch, then ate some more.

WooHooo about no more taxis! That gets expensive!

The turkey and everything else was delicious and the company was great - everyone was really interesting. I actually didn't have to work on Friday as my office was closed - so I got to sleep in truly well!!

Emjay replied to Rosemead Herald’s comment:
Nov 29, 2008
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Thank you Timothy - I hope that you had a pleasant Thanksgiving.

Emjay replied to scorpion1116’s comment:
Nov 29, 2008
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Yeah - sisters can be mean! LOL. It certainly was a feast of abundance - and there is still some in my fridge! Our hostess sent all the guests home with leftovers! Re the taxis - I think I could've bought a small car for the money I spent on them - I just never thought I would have to ride them for so long.

It is a great new meaning that you have recovered your autonomy.
When I had my tendon also broken my company offered my the taxi services for going to work and coming back to home. But most of taxis drivers were ready to help me for entering in the cab and going out. Because those moment are very risky on one leg

Sergio: perhaps French taxi drivers have better manners! My company gave me a couple of vouchers to cover a few trips and I was lucky to have a friend in the office who gave me a ride home most days. I am pleased that I can now walk well enough to take the train but I must say that it was very pleasant and relaxing going to work in a taxi!

[this is good]

Congrats on another milestone in returning to life on both feet! It's interesting hearing about some of the drivers you've experienced. I've heard stories from a driver about his many customers but not the other way around. That would make an interesting collection of written stories if you ever got the urge. (Have you ever seen Night on Earth, by the way?)

Thank you. I tried to keep a few notes on the drivers' stories as they were so interesting - and some of them really struggled to get here. No, I have not seen Night on Earth - I just read about it, it sounds quite interesting - was it good? It is an interesting relationship between driver and passenger especially when you come across each other more than once.

I really enjoyed Night on Earth, especially the New York, Paris, and Rome stories, though they are all sad on some level, especially the last one (Helsinki, I think).

I have only taken a handful of cab rides in my life. For some reason I find it intimidating, more so than taking public transit, maybe because there is that one-on-one interaction. Next time, I'll try to find out a little of their story.

Taxis are done

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