Sunday, November 21, 2010

Hailing a taxi in Tokyo and Athens.



Tokyo, 1971, I was there as creative director for three months, until the one they hired got his working papers. I was on loan from the London office. I was treated incredibly well; they really know how to make somebody welcomed. I had a driver that picked me up every morning, a house with a housekeeper, everything to make my stay easier.

Japan is a beautiful country, with very polite people, nevertheless it is the other side of the moon, just as you think you understand everything, something happens that reminds you how different it really is.

OK, let me get back to the title, taxis here and there.

As I said, mornings a driver picked me up to go to work, he arrived spot on time, white shirt, black pants, a tie and white gloves, absolutely immaculate. He was available all day to take me wherever I had to go.

At night I did not go straight home, stayed late and then went out with some of the guys, restaurants clubs, bars, massage parlors, etc. After all it was Tokyo, and the early 70s.

At night, I would take a cab home, or somebody would drop me off at the house.

One rainy night, on the Ginza, I tried to hail a cab. It was pouring, but I was still optimistic, there were hundreds of cabs going by, and it was not that late. Cabs are stopping for people up the road as well as down the road. They just zoom by me to somebody down the road. I started to think it was a racial thing, do not stop for the Gaijine, especially in the rain. I do not remember how I got home, but I must have.

I was told the next day, by my secretary Mariko, that when it is raining or there aren’t many cabs, you hold up two fingers when you are hailing a cab, you would pay twice the price. Great system, I couldn’t wait for the next rainy night to try it out. I hold up two fingers, the preverbal English, “up yours”…it works, the cab stops, takes me home I pay twice the price, well worth it.

I am now in control of my destiny at night, at least I can get home.

It is very late one night, pouring rain, and my two fingers are not working, no cab is stopping or even slowing down, they just are zooming by me. I am a little drunk and I figure out if two fingers don’t work, maybe five fingers will work better. I hold up my open hand and point to it with my other hand, screeching brakes, tires smoking, cabs stopping, they would have thrown out any passengers they already had. A new way to hail a taxi, five fingers, seemed to work all the time. I must admit, I did try to play the innocent and only pay what was on the meter, it didn’t work, they could get really pissed off, rightly so.

What do Tokyo cabbies have to do with Athenian cabbies? When you try to hail a cab in Athens, he might slowdown as you jog alongside, telling him where you want to go, if he is polite he will flick his eyebrows up and speed away, otherwise he will just speed away. There is an independence to both groups.
I have to try the two-finger technique here and hope he hadn’t lived in England.

If he doesn’t stop the two fingers work just as well ”up your's vre.”

19 comments:

  1. Extremely enlightening and educational. A lot better system than NYC. Usually in NYC it's the cabbie that gives you the finger and it's always the same one.

    Great story Greg

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi,
    Really amazing blog post.I saw and read your site, this is a great blog and really like this site. Please keep sharing more and more information......

    Athens Airport Transfer

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice post...Myhoardings provide advertisers, the facility to promote their brand by Digital OOH Advertising in City/Radio taxis-A direct way to pop-up your message to customers while they are travelling on roads in Indian cities.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wishing your excellent service, Hellas Transfers has a high quality fleet of various vehicle categories of Taxi, Minivan, Minibus, Bus and Black Cars. At the same time, the company's customers are able to choose between two basic categories of vehicles, the Standard and the Premium category, which enhances your route with additional services such as the choice of luxury vehicles, free internet access, the ability to pay by credit card, the availability of mini bar and a special seat for children, etc. Our company ensures and guarantees the quality of your taxi, taxi greece Minibus transfers in Athens & El. Venizelos Airport in Greece on affordable prices.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome blog post, I read your article, this is a great blog and really like this site. Please keep posting more information.

    Airport Transfers Athens

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Everybody,
    My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of $250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of $250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius,via email:(urgentloan22@gmail.com) Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Really amazing blog post.I saw and read your site, this is a great blog and really like this site.
    minicab services|
    Airport taxi services|
    cab services to airport

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice post, Thank you for sharing valuable information. I enjoyed reading this post. Please Feel Free to Visit
    Best Taxi Service in Ooty | Ooty Car Rentals

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is a blog to watch for sure. I think you have a really awesome writing style by the way. Very easy to read. Your blog design is so clean too! Thank you all the hard work!

    Malta New york train Station Taxi

    ReplyDelete