|
As the song title
goes, it was ‘four in the morning’ when Dial-a-Cab driver
William Beer (C62) stopped for a young couple in Clerkenwell
Green. The young man asked how much it would be to take them to
Stoke Newington Church Street? "He explained that the young lady had been drinking and that he wanted to see she was safely home," Bill told Call Sign. "We got to Church Street. and the man, who was probably in his late 20s, made a real effort to see she was safely inside her door before he came back to the cab. None of this turfing her out onto the street while he sat in the cab, as so many do nowadays. He made a real effort to ensure she was ok right up to her front door," Bill continued. "Only when he was satisfied that she was secure in her home did he come back to the cab and ask to |
A DaC driver explains how little it took to make someone happy… "I MADE HIM HAPPY, I MADE HIM CRY!" |
|
 return to Clerkenwell. I was so impressed with this young man’s attitude towards that vulnerable lady that I told him so, and said how unusual it was in this day and age to see such care. He told me that his father, whom he still missed 10 years after his passing, would have wanted him to act responsibly - and that’s just what he did." |
Bill went on to
add: "It’s funny, I felt that through my words of praise, this
young man had recognised his father from the spirit world
acknowledging his sons’ chivalrous act towards that female work
colleague and that he was rightly proud of the achievement of
having done the ‘right thing’. By the time we got back to
Clerkenwell, the passenger was happy, yes, but he was also
clearly welling up, misty eyed that I, a complete stranger, had
been the conduit of praise between father and son. Kinda spooky
really, but it left me feeling good too…" Nice one Bill… ©Call Sign Magazine MM9 |
|
|
Former Dial-a-Cab driver, Bob Woodford, writes a regular column for Call Sign from his home in Languedoc, France… CALL SIGN EN LA BELLE FRANCE |
||
|
Whenever I’m back in London do a
stint in the saddle, it always seems that I attract the oddest
people, or asked to do the most ridiculous of jobs. My Rivers of Babylon experience just before last Christmas was an eye-opener. Readers may recall my ‘slightly overdid it’ lady punter who in desperation, asked me to stop so that she could flood Tottenham Court Road with the contents of her rather full bladder! What a spectacle that was for passers-by, some of whom were delirious with laughter at this unfortunate woman’s embarrassment – not to mention mine as I patiently sat in the cab wondering if I should test my brakes once we got going again on account that there was so much water about! So, how about this for a weirdo? The linkman called me up from the point of the rank at the newly refurbished Langham Hotel. My punter is of Mid-Eastern |
|
as much as the fan, he didn’t just go to Argos? Anyway £26.80
later, at the set down point for Band Q, I asked ‘smiles’ if he
wanted me to wait. Needless to say his smile became a grimace,
as he said ‘No, thank you’! Anyway, talking about the Langham, I’m sure it was the Editor of Call Sign who informed me that it used to be a famous pick up joint for Gigolos looking out for wealthy American ladies – come to think of it, I am sure I used to see Alan’s cab parked up on the rank late at night round there! Ed’s note: I deny that claim! Not only do I not possess a pair of white trousers but if I did, I wouldn’t have been wearing them because the dry cleaners are closed on Monday. So get your facts right Monsieur Robert… A bientot… Bob Woodford (Ex-P49) Saint Genies de Fontedit, Languedoc, France |
|
appearance and smiles to me as the linkman hands me the address
– Band Q, Smugglers Way, Wandsworth. I tell ‘smiles’ that it’s
quite a long way, just in case he thinks it’s just off the
Edgware Road. It’s his turn to hand me some paperwork now and
it’s a glossy cutting from the Band Q catalogue, showing me an
electric fan on special offer at £14.99. I looked up at the most
enormous smile now, so wide that we had to endure several gold
teeth glinting in the sun. Phew, I thought, this guy has set his heart on improving the hotels air-conditioning in his room – so much for the multi-million pound refurb! I wondered to myself why, as the cab fare would cost twice |
||
 |
Powered by NetXPosure |
| Copyright 1997-2009 Dial-A-Cab Ltd, All rights reserved. |