Taxis
I had a nice ride home tonight, a newer Mercedes, and thought I'd write about my taxi rides.
Every work night I check the BBC's weather page for East Anglia. They have great graphics that will show temperature and conditions in hourly increments. A mate told me they literally use a supercomputer for it. (You should see the weather animations they do for BBC News.) I use these to determine whether I'll ride my bike or take a cab the next day. Some days I may ride my bike even if it will rain, if it looks like the rain will pass safely in between my two commute times.
In the mornings I call the same family-owned cab company at 5 am, asking for a ride at 5:35 for my 5:53 train. If I want to get breakfast at the station (a flapjack and Americano coffee, often with the daily Guardian) I'll ask for it at 5:30.
What I ride in is the luck of the draw. But all cars are four-door sedans and comfortable. I often get Mercedes and Skodas, and sometimes Volvos, Vauxhalls, Citroens, Peugots, Ford Mondeos. On my return trip, the cabs could be from any of the Ipswich cab companies, and sometimes I get a Hackney cab.
Some cabbies are chatty, but most are quiet. But I've learned a lot about Ipswich from the more talkative ones. Many know me since I'm so regular, and they usually remember my destination. One told me that only about 80 cabbies are registered to pick up at the train station - it's an extra fee and registration - and I probably know a good percentage of them.
I always stop first at Sarah's after school club. Sometimes I ask the cabbie to wait for the 3-4 minutes that it takes me to go inside, sign out, and return with Sarah. I call ahead when I do this so that Sarah has time to get ready to go. Other times Sarah and I walk home together, about a fifteen minute walk.
Sarah's favourite cabs are the Hackneys because they have rear-facing seats and she likes to sit in those. I like it when I get a cab with leather seats.
The fare is usually around seven pounds each way, and I always tip between one and two pounds. This means that a bike ride saves me about twenty quid a day, and I'm sure I've paid for my bike a few times over with the savings.
I'm glad the skies are lightening with spring. I'm seeing daylight now for both my commutes, though in the mornings it doesn't get light until I'm nearly in London. It wasn't long ago that both were in the dark, but now it's hard to remember what it's like. Here's hoping I don't have to commute in the dark ever again!
Every work night I check the BBC's weather page for East Anglia. They have great graphics that will show temperature and conditions in hourly increments. A mate told me they literally use a supercomputer for it. (You should see the weather animations they do for BBC News.) I use these to determine whether I'll ride my bike or take a cab the next day. Some days I may ride my bike even if it will rain, if it looks like the rain will pass safely in between my two commute times.
In the mornings I call the same family-owned cab company at 5 am, asking for a ride at 5:35 for my 5:53 train. If I want to get breakfast at the station (a flapjack and Americano coffee, often with the daily Guardian) I'll ask for it at 5:30.
What I ride in is the luck of the draw. But all cars are four-door sedans and comfortable. I often get Mercedes and Skodas, and sometimes Volvos, Vauxhalls, Citroens, Peugots, Ford Mondeos. On my return trip, the cabs could be from any of the Ipswich cab companies, and sometimes I get a Hackney cab.
Some cabbies are chatty, but most are quiet. But I've learned a lot about Ipswich from the more talkative ones. Many know me since I'm so regular, and they usually remember my destination. One told me that only about 80 cabbies are registered to pick up at the train station - it's an extra fee and registration - and I probably know a good percentage of them.
I always stop first at Sarah's after school club. Sometimes I ask the cabbie to wait for the 3-4 minutes that it takes me to go inside, sign out, and return with Sarah. I call ahead when I do this so that Sarah has time to get ready to go. Other times Sarah and I walk home together, about a fifteen minute walk.
Sarah's favourite cabs are the Hackneys because they have rear-facing seats and she likes to sit in those. I like it when I get a cab with leather seats.
The fare is usually around seven pounds each way, and I always tip between one and two pounds. This means that a bike ride saves me about twenty quid a day, and I'm sure I've paid for my bike a few times over with the savings.
I'm glad the skies are lightening with spring. I'm seeing daylight now for both my commutes, though in the mornings it doesn't get light until I'm nearly in London. It wasn't long ago that both were in the dark, but now it's hard to remember what it's like. Here's hoping I don't have to commute in the dark ever again!
posted by Michael Nelson at 10:41 am
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