Want Me to Take the Cambie Street Bridge or the Granville Street Bridge?
March 26th, 2008, 8 Comments »
Over the past few days, I’ve taken a number of rides in taxis. In every case, after I specified where I want to go, they clarified the route with me. That is, they asked me how I wanted to get from point A to point B.
This strikes me as a little odd. After all, they’re the experts in getting around. They traverse the city on a daily basis. Surely they know all the optimized routes. I don’t tell my dentist how to clean my teeth. So, I always answer their questions with “whatever route you think is best”.
This morning I asked a driver why he asks about the preferred route. He replied that he wants to avoid arguments with customers. That’s a bit tragic, isn’t it?
It’s kind of de rigeur in our culture to mock taxi drivers for their crappy navigation and lousy driving. I always feel really safe in a cab. Not only do they drive all day, but they’re motivated to, you know, stay alive and keep their car unharmed.