Why is it that taxi drivers are always the most enlightened of folk? It doesn't matter what race / creed / religion they are, they are always in the know. True, they do a lot of listening. A particularly accomplished taxi driver can discern my deepest and darkest political / economic views with a few well placed questions - "So what do you do for a living mate? Construction? Are you quiet at the moment? Did you watch I'm a celebrity last night?" I would imagine that they pick up people from every walk of life, each with their own views and need-to-know information.
I live near an airport, the taxi drivers regularly pick up incoming / outgoing businessmen, which turns out to be a veritable goldmine of information. Last week one driver reliably informed me after picking up a 'banker' that the current economic recession was a farce driven by the government to lower high street prices. The same driver picked me up yesterday morning, and told me that actually, the economic problems were the fault of the eastern markets for not responding quick enough to the rise in oil prices, combined with the US Senates initial disdain for Bushes rescue package. I assume he had picked up some kind drunken investment banker, still reeling from the shock of receiving his marching orders after recommending his companies biggest client invest 99% of their portfolio in an Icelandic Bank...
A gem this morning though...My driver had seen the same report as me on Calendar last night - a 57 year old shop keeper stricken with arthritis so badly that when he did the obligatory walk-by that every news programme interviewee has to endure, he looked somewhat like John Wayne after a heavy night on the Vindaloo - whose shop has been attacked by yobs 6 times in the last 3 months. This pillar of the British nation, this man mountain, this brave, brave small business owner, crippled by arthritis had fought off every single Hoody in these attacks with nothing but his walking stick. 6 attacks by hoodies wielding baseball bats, knives and even Samurai swords had yielded nothing. They had not managed to take a dime. HUZZAH!!!!! Good for you Mr Shop Keeper, there should be more people like you out there. He was amazingly stoic when he was interviewed. "You cant let the buggers beat you...Why should they be allowed to steal something so they don't have to work...that's whats wrong with this country, no discipline, no values..."
He never said a truer word.
Friday 21 November 2008
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