I used to be creeped out by taxi drivers being extra talkative. One, we just met. So it’s awkward to be caught in a small place and be forced to talk back to a total stranger, yes? And two, there are a lot of things running in my head that having another voice seems overkill.
But this driver was different.
Perhaps, the driver initially forced the conversation. Then a few minutes in, it felt like it was a habit that he embodied–talking to unsuspecting passengers and telling them amusing stories.
Well, the stories were hilarious. But, it was more like getting third-hand information about the latest gossip. Story after story, and the lines begin to blur.
Am I someone who pays a driver by the meter? Or someone going somewhere with a chauffeur?
Yes. It felt like I employed someone to drive me in my private car.
And with such entertainment, it never hurt that much to pay extra–just because the driver didn’t just see himself as an unfeeling cog behind the wheel. Instead, he made his paying customer feel extra special just by doing the work he’s supposed to do, with an added humanity.
jessa 