Taxi Cab Wisdom

Taking a ride in a taxi is always an interesting experience. I mean, think about it… You get in a car with a complete stranger, trusting that he will take you safely to your destination. But, if you’re honest about it, there’s always the slightest bit of fear that he doesn’t really know where he’s going or that he’ll take the loooonnnnggg way – or, worse yet, that he’s a deranged psycho who now has you as his captive… What? You know that you’ve had the same thoughts at some point.

And, once you get past that fear, there’s that awkward moment when you wonder whether you should strike up a conversation or just leave him alone and let him drive. I’ll have to admit that I’m not one to readily engage in small talk with a stranger, but when the taxi driver starts the conversation, I’ll usually join in since after all, we’re stuck in a car together for the next half hour or so.

Today was one of those days when I got a really chatty cab driver. He talked non-stop from the time I got into his cab until the time that I got out at the airport. And, as is often the case, he left me with a tidbit of wisdom that has stayed with me throughout the day. When this particular cabby found out that I was heading back to Raleigh, he proceeded to tell me this crazy story about a trip that he made to Raleigh. It went something like this:

A couple of years ago, a young man called this cabby about 9:00pm one evening and asked if he could take him to Raleigh (from Orlando!). Thinking that the young man must be confused, he asked him if he realized that Raleigh is in NC. The young man did and insisted that he had to have a cab to take him and his friend to Raleigh the next day. After a bit more negotiating, the cabby agreed to pick up the young man and his friend at the hotel as long as he could produce payment before they started the trip. However, in the back of his mind, the cabby had decided that he would only take them if they had a good reason why they needed a cab.

At this point, I’m thinking the worst of the young man – thinking that he was probably intoxicated or in trouble or some such thing.

Well, when the cabby arrived the next morning, he found out that the two young men were 18 and 20 years old, and the 18 year old had a lung that had collapsed. The doctor wanted to put him in the hospital for several days, but he wanted to go home for medical treatment. The doctor said that he could go home if he drove very slowly and very carefully, but he could not, under any circumstances, get on an airplane because the pressurization would kill him due to the collapsed lung. The boy’s parents were not able to come get him for some reason; the boys were too young to rent a car; and, a bus wouldn’t provide them with the controlled environment that was needed. Their only option was to take a cab. The cabby agreed that this was a good reason, so he took them all the way to Raleigh. Because he had to drive slowly and carefully and stop often, it took 19 hours. Incredible!

After relating this story to me, the cabby looked over his shoulder and said, “You just never know what someone might be going through.” And, I thought, “Yes, you’re right. I was quick to judge the young man. How often have I judged someone who may have been going through some really rough waters? How often have my words cut through someone else’s heart because I spoke without taking the time to find out what that person was going through?”

Thank you, Mr. Cabby, for a safe ride to the airport, but thank you even more for sharing a bit of wisdom along the way.