Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

Found this reading about taxis http://www.onestopenglish.com/tefl_skills/reading_worksheets/taxi_reading.pdf
and the work sheets http://www.onestopenglish.com/tefl_skills/reading_worksheets/taxi_tasks.pdf

It got me thinking about taxis in Istanbul. Everyone seems to have a taxi story. What's yours?
My faves.
1) The taxi driver over in Sultan Ahmet who has a library in his boot.
2) The taxi driver who didn't know where Taksim was.
3) The taxi driver who jumped out the taxi with a gun because a guy had pranged him
4) The taxi driver who reversed about 200 meters on the E5 after I told him he had missed the exit for Besiktas
5) The taxi driver who put hıs foot out of the window whilst driving at 100 km an hour.
6) The taxi driver who asked me if my girlfriend at the time was for sale.
7) All the taxi drivers who claim to know a quicker route... then moan about being stuck in the traffic.

Oops look at the time. I'm off to get a taxi to my next lesson

[Otterman Ollie]

Yeah DMB they are a rare bunch ,I 've always wondered if the bad drivers become taxi drivers first ,or if all taxi drivers were just put on this earth to piss us off .
The day that I see one of those yellow monsters with a busted wing or broken headlight coz they (the drivers) pushed their luck (again) too far is the day I smile ,what is their bleeding hurry all the time are they on piece work or something?
No wonder they carry guns they need them .

[vre]

The taxi driver who asked me (seriously) to marry him to get into the UK.

The dolmus driver who offered to take me on a 'tour of Istanbul' for free, in his work hours. (No one else was on the Dolmus at the time!)

The taxi driver who didn't know how to get from Carrefour (Kozyatagi) to Feneryolu.

[Baba Alex]

Last Winter I was on a late night dolmuş which took a short cut and got stuck in the snow. I was the only one on the dolmuş, so ended up pushing it for about 15 mins. My Turkish wasn't all night at the time but luckily he spoke German. After a time he asked me if he'd rather I drive and he pushed, I chickened it, but I still look back on this as a missed oportunity for a free lesson.

In my first week here a Taxi driver cut up a women, who then proceded to follow him all the way through the back streets of Kalamiş. They then played chick with a dirty great articulated lorry which was pulling out backwards from a side road. He broke just in time, but I really thought I was a gonna. I learned a very important lesson that day-- a vocab one 'Allah Hallah'

Being a (natural!) blonde I' laways mistaken for a tourist, so I've had enough arguments about night meters, the long way round, extra charges, I've suggested a quick ride to the nearest police station on many occasions.