I was forced to drive a Taxi to make ends meet. In Europe cabs are open, no safety panel to separate you from your passengers.
It may not seem too daunting but inviting a complete stranger to share an enclosed space with you while giving them control as to where to go can be a little unsettling.
Especially if it's late at night and moods, alcohol, drugs and mental health issues are in the mix. I felt very vulnerable and exposed.
With nothing else to rely on, I quickly began to follow my gut. When a person hailed me, if I got a good gut feeling I’d pick them up and if I got a bad gut feeling I’d drive past them.
Passengers often like to chat. But sometimes those conversations could turn negative, nasty, confrontational and volatile if handled incorrectly or not placated.
I quickly found myself following my gut feeling again directing me in what to say and how to act in these situations.
It got to a point where I was so attuned to my gut that I had a good sense of where a person was at emotionally by the tone of their voice when they said ‘Hello’ as they entered the car.
If they were down, depressed, frustrated or sad we’d chat, and in most cases they left the cab in a better mood.
