2 Minute post #5: Get the most out of a taxi ride

[Update/Disclaimer: The ideas in this post apply for when you are in a good mood, and happen to have a halfway decent taxi driver. If you are tired as hell, stressed out, in the middle of nowhere and with a bad driver - well, then just be lucky that you don't have to walk.]

We all sit in taxis / cabs all the time. Now - there is the “standard consultant way” of spending the ride, and there are, in my opinion, many better ways to get the most out of a taxi ride.

The standard way
The standard way for a consultant (talking cliché here, obviously) to behave during a taxi ride is simple. They enter the cab, sit in the back (which is a notable thing only in countries where you have the option to sit next to the driver, obviously), barf the direction, and then a) start calling people about work-related stuff / listen to their voicemail, b) stare at their shoes/out of the window, c) work, d) sleep. Does this ring a bell?

The better ways

• Sit in front (where you can), next to the cab driver. Say hello, smile (!), look them in the face (!). (By the way, the part of saying hello, smiling and looking the driver in the face (even if through the rear view mirror) applies to all the ways.) Start a conversation with the driver - ask them something, tell them something. When in a new town, ask them to tell you something about the town. When you are in a familiar town, talk about what has been going on lately. When you just heard a great joke, tell it to them. You will be amazed how much those little conversations can give you.
• Use the ride for some sightseeing! I am not implying to ask the driver for a route along all sights of the town - but open your eyes, look out of the window (don’t just stare into the sky!). Chances are, you’ll see something interesting. Chances are, the cab driver can tell you something about what you are seeing when you ask him politely.
• Make a quick call to your loved ones to check in with them. For your significant other, tell them you are thinking about them and wish them a great day. Now - from what I have heard, cab drivers don’t mind it at all when you make a phone call… as long as it is not stuff that they really do not want to know. I despised the job calls earlier because, come on, you should take breaks when they are offered to you and you can chose - but making a good deed with a call (which ups your Karma and boosts your energy) is a perfect thing to do. Just…. no dirty talk. No fighting. No excessive swearing. Only say what you would tolerate to hear from others’ conversations in public as well.

There you have it. Go, make your next cab drive something enjoyable - for you AND the cab driver.

And for heavens’ sake - give a tip. Your company is paying anyway, and I have not heard of a travel expense policy yet that slaps you on the wrist for rounding up on cab drives.