Travel anecdote: I just went to Taiwan on a business trip. On the way back, I took a taxi from the airport. Drivers usually chat with you a bit more when they see you as a second person. After about ten minutes of driving, suddenly... a hand patted my shoulder from the back seat (in Taiwan, taxis sometimes have two rows, one in front and one behind). It was bright sunlight, so I didn't think I was seeing a ghost. I was just worried about being robbed on the highway.
Looking back, I saw a four or five-year-old child tapping me on the shoulder, telling us not to talk so loudly, as it was blocking his view of the video. The driver quickly apologized, thinking I had already seen him when I got in the car. Men with children usually have a story: their wives left them, their relatives live in another county, and they don't have enough money to arrange childcare for their children. So, aside from sending them to school, they spend the rest of their time driving to earn a living while caring for and educating their children. Basically, their homework and TV time are all spent in the car.
Sometimes when there are no customers, we'll take him to the amusement park to play. In Taiwan, there aren't many shifts, so the driver said he usually drives from morning until 10 pm before going home to shower and sleep with him. He said that although life is demanding, it actually allows us more time to grow together. Compared to him, I feel ashamed…
After arriving at the airport and paying the fare, I wanted to write down the driver's phone number so I could give it to my friends or TravelMama customers in the future, hoping they could patronize the car. However, he refused. Why? Because he said that although it was a 7-seater car, the back seat was only reserved for his own child, and there would be no room for luggage. He was afraid that people would complain.
So, I could only put my palms together and wish the driver and his family a safe and happy life, and hope that everyone would have the chance to bump into them next time they go to Taichung!
Taiwan Private Tour