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Original poster

Most memorable taxi ride?

82 replies

pigeonorstatue · 01/08/2021 08:57

A friend and I were talking last night about how some of our most emotional times have been spent in a taxi with a stranger!

Trips to hospital, getting out after a break-up, excitement on the way to an airport!

What's been your most memorable taxi ride and why?

OP posts:
SweatyBetty20 · 01/08/2021 21:45

On holiday in India and got a taxi down to the ghats to see the evening puns ceremony and got stuck in a traffic jam on a narrow street as a funeral procession went right past the window complete with corpse lad out on a bamboo stretcher. This was topped by getting a cab to the station the following morning and noticing three guys who my fellow passenger described as “looking like the Taliban” trying to squeeze a corpse wrapped in glittery fabric into the back of a motorcycle rickshaw.

SweatyBetty20 · 01/08/2021 21:46

Ugh, that should say puja, not puns! Apologies if I’ve offended any Hindus…

Wren77 · 01/08/2021 22:42

What a great idea for a thread!
Christmas Eve I was 18 and very drunk and it was very late. A car pulled over and offered me a lift home. He said not to be afraid as he was a taxi driver. Obviously I jumped in Hmm! He drove me straight home and took no payment.
This is why I am so afraid of my kids being allowed out in the big wide world on their own!!

HangingOver · 01/08/2021 22:47

When I was still a hell-raiser I once found myself absolutely shitcanned in a strange part of West London and ordered an Uber to pick me up from a man's house..before I got in the Uber driver explained he'd just picked his friend up and he was in the front seat. Friend was very exuberant and talkative and as they drove me home he shared his box wine with me out plastic cups and told me all about his job at home in Pakistan where he was an MP. They didn't even mind me smoking in the cab and by the time I got home I felt like we were mates for life.

Another Uber driving tried to get me to sell portable neck massagers.

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 01/08/2021 22:49

On a hen do in Dublin, drover was a part time comedian and was very very funny, really got us in the mood

MobyDicksTinyCanoe · 01/08/2021 22:51

The racist taxi driver who decided to go on a rant..... Got him to pull over on a dual carriageway which probably wasn't my brightest move but no way am I breathing the same air as the likes of that.

And yes, I did let him know what I thought. And no, I didn't pay.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 01/08/2021 22:54

John Worbuoys - just Google.

Thecomfortador · 01/08/2021 22:59

On the way to hospital in labour. Waters had broken at home but also some more went in the taxi. I got out and hurried into the hospital while DP firked around for an extra fiver to offer the driver for the mess.

heymrstambourinelady · 01/08/2021 23:06

The one where I stole a tambourine off the wall at jumping jacks and sang supercalifragilisticexpiaiodocious (?) all the way home while bashing the taxi driver on the head like the husband and wife in Mary poppins. I thought I was hilarious (to be honest so did the other passenger) and the poor little taxi driver just pretended to enjoy it.

SisyphusDad · 01/08/2021 23:27

Two come to mind.

Working abroad.

Taxi from the office to the airport. I don't believe the driver's hands touched the wheel once. He was too busy leafing through his diary or whatever. Speeds approaching 100mph. Terrifying.

Very early morning taxi from home to the airport. Not sure which would give out first - the car or the driver. The car was a rust bucket with an engine that sounded on its last legs. The driver was coughing his guts up.

Pythonesque · 01/08/2021 23:57

A 2 hour taxi tour of Kowloon, when I was a teenager. We were on our way back from Beijing with a small group, and had quite a few hours before our connecting flight in Hong Kong. One of the adults with us suggested it, and another in the group who spoke Cantonese was able to convince the driver that he correctly understood what we were asking for.

We might have managed a walking tour of Hong Kong had we not stayed up all the night before ...

SleepingStandingUp · 02/08/2021 00:03

The where he was casually discussing how you could curb the population by putting something in their coffee, as i sat holding my Starbucks cup

Wavypurple · 02/08/2021 00:13

I was months from finishing my degree and had been funded by one of the armed forces. I had an injury one day that I literally woke up with, no idea how it happened. At A&E the doctor said that there would be no way I’d be able to start my officer training when I graduated and would probably have recurring problems with said injury.

I was absolutely devastated. At 21 it was all I had ever wanted to do in life. I was the first generation of my family at university and they had told everyone of my plans. I felt like such a let down, so upset and also no idea what I was going to do with my life as I had no back up plans.

I got a taxi back to my student house from the hospital. The driver asked why I was there and I wasn’t in tears but absolutely distraught and explained the situation. He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, listened and then explained in the kindest most non patronising way possible that life has many turns etc. and genuinely gave me so much hope for the future when I felt my life was over.

Ten years on I’m a nurse (at that age the thought of being in a medical role would have absolutely horrified me) and can’t imagine doing anything else.

Usernamenotavailabletryanother · 02/08/2021 00:14

I have two

  1. Black cab home with friend, driver was so confident in his stomach muscles that he stopped the cab, laid in the middle of Essex road and asked us to stand on him in our stilettos. We did. He visibly buckled, then we all got back in and he drove us home in silence.
  1. Czech Republic, middle of nowhere, set off in cab, travelling for ten mins when we notice not only a baseball bat in the passenger seat, but a small photo of Hitler sellotaped to the middle of the steering wheel. It was a long drive.
thaegumathteth · 02/08/2021 00:19

On my way to hand my dissertation it at the last minute my taxi crashed and then wouldn't let me leave until I'd paid the full fare.

MrsMoastyToasty · 02/08/2021 00:25

Two journeys come to mind. Both from over 25 years ago (I don't often take taxis).

  1. After our wedding reception we had a taxi collect us from the sports club where it had been held to take us to our hotel. DH is in full Highland dress and I've got arms full of wedding dress (I'd changed out of it). Taxi driver asks us if we were at the venue for a work do.
  2. We had been to a friends wedding reception with another couple who lived quite close to us and the 4 of us were sharing s taxi home. The bride and groom ask us if we want the balloon arch as they had no further use for it. We say yes. 4 drunk adults and 50 balloons in one standard size saloon car is quite a feat.
Ohhelppp · 02/08/2021 00:30

Got a cab from central london after finishing work at a bar with my colleague and love interest. We were nearly at his flat when we got stopped by police at a roadblock, at which point the driver started saying “you’re my friends, yeah?” Over and over. I had no idea what he was talking about it and only realised when we got out that he wasn’t actually a cab driver and had just picked us up off the streets pretending he was.

MummBraTheEverLeaking · 02/08/2021 00:40

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 SadFlowers

The only one I remember was when he started pulling into a residential street literally minutes from mine, I said "this isn't it", trying to hide the rising panic despite people everywhere in broad daylight. Turns out he'd misheard, both streets ended in 'dale' and started with the same letter so easily done but effing hell my heart was in my mouth.

mstumble · 02/08/2021 00:49

The time that I accidentally picked up the taxi driver's phone from off the dashboard, (it was the same make and model as mine) and went to get out of the car. I was so embarrassed when he pointed out that it was his! 😳

OhGiveUp · 02/08/2021 00:58

The taxi driver got arrested for drink driving.
I noticed the police car behind us and said I think they want you to stop
No, no it's fine said the driver and carried on driving a bit longer until he eventually realised that it was him they were trying to pull over.
They breathalysed him, he was 3 times over the limit.
When the policeman told him he was to accompany them to the station, he sat on the kerb, started crying and wailing about how his wife had left him, taking the kids with her, but worse of all, she'd taken the dog too and how his life was rubbish etc.
I was sat there like 😲

Hannsmum · 02/08/2021 01:23

When I had my DS about 3.5 yrs ago the taxi driver who took me from the hospital home waved the 26 pounds fare as a gift for my newborn. Think he was arab. that was the sweetest thing I have known. Bless him

Nameisjustaname · 02/08/2021 01:24

Wheel came off the taxi in the middle.of Cairo! We walkednresr of the way...

Azra12 · 02/08/2021 01:42

My son was unwell a few years ago & we spent the evening & early hours of the morning in A & E. discharged about 3am the taxi driver that came just looked scary and creepy I got into the car & he locked the doors. He took us home on an unusual route and all I remember thinking was what is he going to do with us. I remember holding onto the baby's car seat and just feeling so scared for him, but he actually wasn't as sinister as he looked & dropped us off home safe & sound. Will never forget that feeling of fear I got that night

notangelinajolie · 02/08/2021 01:44

4 memorable taxi rides

  1. Me, DH and our 2 little DDs riding in a taxi on a weekend short break in London. Stopped at the traffic lights and there sitting in the car on our right was the Queen. Very surreal.
  2. On honeymoon. Me and DH asked reception to order us a taxi to take us from our hotel in London to Gatwick Airport. It was 4am and I am 100% it wasn't a taxi that took us to the airport. The driver was wearing a suit, the car had blacked out windows and a flag flying on the bonnet.
  3. In Kenya. We flagged down a black cab (just like the ones we have here) outside a night club. There was a gun on the dashboard Confused
  4. When I was 18. My friends and me flagged down a taxi random car to take us home after a night out on the town. I was the last person to be dropped off. Nothing bad happened and I got home safe but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a taxi.
FrankiesKnuckle · 02/08/2021 01:55

Taxi from Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok to KSR.
Drove at the speed of light, texting on his phone..... and he didn't have any thumbs. I was equally amazed and terrified.

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