The other day, I stepped out to the road outside my university to hail a taxi cab. Soon one appeared in the distance. As it slowed down, I noticed that it was a lady taxi--that is, a taxi only for ladies . . . or so I thought.
This was not my taxi driver, but that looks exactly like the car. To get a better view of the car, look below. (I just grabbed these photos off the internet. I don't walk around talking photographs of my taxi drivers.)
So, the lady taxi stopped in front of me. And I am male. I opened the door and asked, "Are you sure?"
She said, "Get in!"
I figured a taxi is a taxi, so I did.
The driver was a filipino woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She was wearing fingerless driving gloves and had good English.
Anyhoo, away we sped. Soon a car came close to hitting us, a fairly normal occurrence in this country. I made a comment about the bad drivers here, and she responded, "Yes, it is the Emiratis." Of course, she meant the citizens of the country, who tend to be rich.
Now, I have whined on this blog numerous times about how inconsiderate and dangerous the Emiratis can be in many facets of life. (There are nice Emiratis, but they rarely do anything blogworthy.) In any case, I found it to be a great relief to hear my own opinions echoed by this taxi driver. I gave her a nugget of info--that my Emirati students blame taxi drivers for the accidents that happen.
My driver shook her head, then proceeded to tell me a story about how her taxi had been struck by an Emirati woman in a Landcruiser. Do I need to tell you that it was the Emirati's fault? Anyway, as they were waiting for the cops to show up, the Emirati woman said accusingly to the filipino taxi driver, "This accident would not have happened if you were not in my country."
How classy can you get?
The driver and I talked for a minute or so about how common this belief is among the Emiratis. If their wish were granted, however, they'd have no taxi drivers, teachers, fast food workers, maids, workers at the grocery store, etc. I floated the idea that if all of the foreigners were gone, then the Emiratis would starve as a nation within a month. She nodded.
Then she told me another story. She talked about an Emirati man who had stepped into her taxi and requested sex for 100 dollars.
"I told him, 'For 100, I say no. For 500, I say no. For one thousand, I say no. For two thousand, I say no. For all of your money, I say no.'"
Gold.
As we reached my apartment, I thanked her for the conversation. My best cab ride yet.
This was not my taxi driver, but that looks exactly like the car. To get a better view of the car, look below. (I just grabbed these photos off the internet. I don't walk around talking photographs of my taxi drivers.)
She said, "Get in!"
I figured a taxi is a taxi, so I did.
The driver was a filipino woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She was wearing fingerless driving gloves and had good English.
Anyhoo, away we sped. Soon a car came close to hitting us, a fairly normal occurrence in this country. I made a comment about the bad drivers here, and she responded, "Yes, it is the Emiratis." Of course, she meant the citizens of the country, who tend to be rich.
Now, I have whined on this blog numerous times about how inconsiderate and dangerous the Emiratis can be in many facets of life. (There are nice Emiratis, but they rarely do anything blogworthy.) In any case, I found it to be a great relief to hear my own opinions echoed by this taxi driver. I gave her a nugget of info--that my Emirati students blame taxi drivers for the accidents that happen.
My driver shook her head, then proceeded to tell me a story about how her taxi had been struck by an Emirati woman in a Landcruiser. Do I need to tell you that it was the Emirati's fault? Anyway, as they were waiting for the cops to show up, the Emirati woman said accusingly to the filipino taxi driver, "This accident would not have happened if you were not in my country."
How classy can you get?
The driver and I talked for a minute or so about how common this belief is among the Emiratis. If their wish were granted, however, they'd have no taxi drivers, teachers, fast food workers, maids, workers at the grocery store, etc. I floated the idea that if all of the foreigners were gone, then the Emiratis would starve as a nation within a month. She nodded.
Then she told me another story. She talked about an Emirati man who had stepped into her taxi and requested sex for 100 dollars.
"I told him, 'For 100, I say no. For 500, I say no. For one thousand, I say no. For two thousand, I say no. For all of your money, I say no.'"
Gold.
As we reached my apartment, I thanked her for the conversation. My best cab ride yet.
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