Dubai taxis: Cruising along or being taken for a ride?

Having lived in the UAE for a considerable number of years, I have seen them all. The good, the bad and the ugly.

I refer to the ubiquitous taxi on whose service I have relied to take me from point A to point B countless times. My general experience has been good, but there have been a few times when I have had the misfortune of picking the one cabbie who seems to be having a bad day.

I know one can complain about their misbehaviour, but then when you get to think about their gruelling day you will not be resorting to this form of redress. There was one particular individual many years ago in a northern emirate, who decided he didn’t like my face. As soon as I sat down and told him where I wanted to go, he started whingeing. He slammed the route I had chosen and talked about the traffic on that particular road and how it wasn’t worth his while.

Shocked at his outburst, I told him tersely that he didn’t have a choice as it was his job to take me where I wanted to go. As soon as I finished telling him off, he screeched to a halt and asked me to get off. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. But, as other vehicles behind started their impatient honking, I got down in high dudgeon, deciding it wasn’t worth fighting over my rights as a commuter. Moreover, if I had stuck to my guns and refused to budge, it would have only exacerbated matters. This was perhaps the worst of my experiences.

There were others who had this disconcerting habit of looking at you through the rear view mirror until you had an uncomfortable feeling that someone has set their sights on you. Once you realised you were right, you made a conscious effort not to look straight ahead just in case your glance strayed to that reflector. Fortunately, that unnerving experience is now a thing of the past.

However, there have been some with whom I have had the most engaging conversations on politics, life here as compared to living back home and other topics. It is always interesting to hear another viewpoint on a subject being debated in the media. There was one conversation with a gentleman from Cairo who spoke perfect English. Soon we were deep in discussion about politics in the Middle East and before I knew it I had reached my house. Both of us were not happy at having to cut short our exchange of views and I was thanked profusely for such an interesting ride!

There are those with an insatiable curiosity about the lives of others. So, they show a keen interest in my life, wanting to know what I do and details of my family. Sometimes this inquisitiveness is intrusive, but I tell myself to be patient and that this kind of behaviour stems from the kind of life lived from day to day with nothing much to look forward to. They must be really lonely, I tell myself, being behind the wheel all day, driving people around who often see them merely as an extension of the vehicle. Talking to them does not cost me anything and if I have made some of them feel better for the exchange of information, is it such a trial?

And if you are the kind who hates discussing your personal life, make one up. Who is going to know the difference? I do that often and make up an ideal family that I end up feeling envious of myself!

There might be some who don’t feel a need to break the ice. It’s just a service after all. But if you can smile at a salesman and proffer a greeting, say hello and thank you, why can’t you go that extra mile here too?