..and you really don’t expect him to be ex Turkish special forces. Left the u n 6 years ago after 14 years service. A cabby I could’ve sat and listened to for hours.

Funny. The last time I was in turkey I had a taxi driver who drove like someone was trying to kidnap me. Maybe it was the same guy…

Makes a nice change from the -phobe and -ism conversations in this part of the world from the black cabs, there’s an irony there somewhere.

Many years ago as a uniform PC I turned up at a robbery at a petrol station in the main Jewish area of Manchester. The offender’s- one with a Knife, had made off into a park adjoining the petrol station. As I arrived this Jewish guy in his 40’s beckoned me over and told me which way they’d headed. It was dark so I drove around to the opposite side of the park where I knew I could drive in. By the time I got there this guy emerges from the park with one offender tied up in knots with his arms up his back. He simply handed him over and went off in search of the second offender, who soon surrendered himself when the dog handler sent the dog into the park. Taking a statement off the guy at his very nice apartment afterwards he said he was ex Israeli Special Forces and described himself as a “private security consultant”.

One of my sisters lives in the states,her ex was a taxi driver over there but before that he was special forces in the USSR.He wasn’t Russian,I think he was from Georgia.He was trying to get out of taxi driving & setting up some kind of martial arts/Self Defence school.

Or the “I dislike all cyclists intensely” rant.

Since most of my taxi journies are for business on the firm’s account I do like to point out that swearing about your account customers choice of transport may not be super wise. It’s fun to watch some rapid backtracking…”of course I only meant newts on bicycles not people…While I’m at it they need to send the newts back, they’ve taken our lily pads and I don’t like their tails”

For balance we get plenty of decent drivers just the odd one or two.

He’s just moved down this way after a few years in Sheffield. Couldn’t be arsed with all the late night grief. When he first started he was told to avoid certain areas, he apparently told them “he’d be ok” picked up loads of dodgy fares that no one else wanted. Like something from a Bruce Willis film 😆

My private security consultant bodyguard is Romanian. He ‘has gun and drives very very fast.’

Funny. When I was in the Turkish special forces there was a guy who used to be a London cabbie.

One of our customers came to the shop today carrying a crash helmet. This was unusual as he is normally in a car.
I asked what he was riding and it was some 125 I’d never heard of. We got yarning and it turns out he is married to a Chechen and they used to transport captured Russian soldiers on a Ural combination from the front lines to HQ.
Sometimes they would have to fight there way out of situations.
He is the last person you’d expect to have seen action on someone else’s behalf. It did seem fantastical but he is a straight up kind of person with no need to make such a story up.
Would love to hear more next time he visits.

I hardly ever take taxis – but the last cabbie turned out to be a fellow MTBer who tends to ride on the same night on the same trails as me!

Was his name kenny Dalgleish sr?

Safer journey than I had home.

Turned out the taxi driver shared a line of coke with my brother in law before me and my sister got in.

I hardly ever take taxis :oops:- but the last cabbie turned out to be a fellow MTBer who tends to ride on the same night on the same trails as me!

It wasn’t me, because night mtb riders aren’t my thing at all 😳 But there’s no such thing as a taxi driver stereotype. 1,600 taxi drivers in Cardiff 1,600 people each with their own very personal stories 🙂

Cost me £46 to get back from Spitalfields to CW the other week, normally it’s £22.

True story.

When I lived in London I can remember taking a mini cab to work and talking to the driver, a man with a broad Glaswegian accent, about how he had just come out of prison for murder. I was quite relieved when I got out.

I took at taxi the other week and had to ask the cabbie how many Liver Buildings there were?
True story(ish or mis-quoting a film).

Makes a nice change from the -phobe and -ism conversations in this part of the world from the black cabs, there’s an irony there somewhere.

Of course. Because the Turks are renown for their diversity and acceptance of other races. Particularly the Kurds.

1,600 taxi drivers in Cardiff 1,600 people each with their own very personal stories

You can still spot the dodgy ones by which cab firm they work for and at what time of day it is though 😆

Avoid Dragon after 2am on a weekend, they’re all knackered or on some pick-me-up to keep going.
Capitol all seem to like doing stupid things between 10-4 during the week and race around everywhere after after 11pm every night until 4am when they just disappear!
Premier dawdle around aimlessly if they don’t have a fare.
Any taxis parked in Plas Y Parc opposite the New Theatre or outside Tesco in Mermaid Quay think they own the road and won’t give way to anyone.
Any taxi that is badly painted black with a white bonnet over 5 years old is almost guaranteed to have either a bald tyre, a blown bulb or a big dent somewhere.

No offence taxi25 but I’ve had far too many instances of abuse, dodgy driving (as a passenger and while driving/on the bike) and idiotic parking to even contemplate using one here. The taxis back where I grew up are fine though, but then they are friends of the family and it’s a small community.

Got an uber in London the other day, the guy told me to keep quiet because the arsenal game was on, it was 3-3 and they were in extra time! 🙂

Of course. Because the Turks are renown for their diversity and acceptance of other races. Particularly the Kurds.

Never had it rammed down my throat while sat in a cab though.

Never had it rammed down my throat while sat in a cab though.

[quote]Cost me £46 to get back from Spitalfields to CW the other week, normally it’s £22[/quote]
… makes you think

There’s quite a high proportion of taxi passengers who exhibit cultural and national prejudice. Many of them seem to assume that a taxi driver is likely to be sympathetic to their politics. In short, one could easily conclude that such prejudices are quite high in the general population. If it’s not being prejudiced against foreigners*, perhaps it’s being prejudiced against drivers of Hackney or private hire vehicles.

*if you step out of your routine and mix for any length of time with people outside of your usual circles, you’ll find that humans all depend on bias and prejudice in order for their identity/identities to survive. We’re all foreign to somebody; and vice versa.

Was his name kenny Dalgleish sr?

No, Andy. We’re following each other on Strava!