The life of a taxi driver can be full of highs and lows. I have experienced both sides throughout my years as a taxi driver. There are lots of opportunities to meet new people every day, but I also had to deal with complaints, traffic jams, and other sundry unpleasantries. This article explores what it’s like to spend your days as a taxi driver-the good, the bad, and the ugly.
So, you want to be a taxi driver?
Being a taxi driver isn’t as easy as you might think. You have to spend long hours on the road, deal with traffic jams and other obstacles, and you’ll probably work strange hours. I’ve had days where I start my shift at 8 PM and work until 4 AM the next morning. I know that shift isn’t ideal but I just had to do it at that time. I’m not trying to scare you out of being a taxi driver here. I am merely sharing some of my past experiences so you could be ready and know what to expect.
The Good
There are many great things that can happen to you when you’re a taxi driver. Here are the highlights of what taxi driving has given me:
I’ve had the chance to meet lots of different people in all types of professions, jobs, and situations. You’ll get your share of business professionals with urgent meetings to handle, but you might also pick up some young couples on their way home from a party.
It’s always nice talking to strangers when they’re in the car because they become instant friends. They just want someone to listen with an unbiased opinion, so it makes for good conversation. I got one guy who became my friend because he said he likes how honest I am about everything (and he was drunk at 4 AM, but that’s beside the point).
I’ve had a chance to see so much of what Memphis has to offer because of this job. Every day I would get to take in different scenery and places I haven’t seen before. If you love exploring, there’s nothing better than taxi driving for you.
The Bad
You might be wondering what really sucks about being a taxi driver? Well here it is:
I’ve had people call me to take them home, but as soon as they got out of the car they would start complaining that it’s too expensive and I charged them too much (there’s a meter for your convenience). Oh my goodness, if you can’t afford my service then don’t use it.
Many times I come across rude people who always complain about this and that. All I can do is just shrug my shoulders and keep driving. There’s no sense in getting mad at someone who’s not going to listen or change their ways. Just move on with your day and try not to let it get under your skin.
The Ugly
Okay, so now we’re down to my least favorite things about taxi driving. These are the ugly side of things that you usually don’t want to think about:
It’s not a surprise to have some drunk people getting in your car. They’ll usually be the people who are angry at their friends because they left them behind and didn’t call a taxi or they just got kicked out of a bar. I’ve had to deal with many angry drunks, but there’s nothing you can do about it except keep driving when they tell you to go somewhere (which is never where you want to take them).
Female passengers are sometimes a problem if you’re a male driver. I’ve had women who just want to talk about their ex-boyfriends, marriage problems, and other things that have nothing to do with me or my taxi service. Sometimes it’s just best not to say much because they will only tell you how much their life sucks. Although sometimes it can be fun simply listening to their stories and letting the time pass as you drive them to their destination.
The good far outweighs the bad in the world of being a taxi driver. Even though I experienced some pretty rough situations throughout my time as one, it was worth every minute because of all the great people I’ve met along the way. If you decide to become a taxi driver then know that you’ll be bringing happiness to others by taking them places safely even when they’re grumpy or drunk (and know that they’ll be giving you money while they’re doing it).