Coping with taxi drivers

Post Reply New Topic

In my job I get regularly sent all over the place by taxi. The time spent in the taxi alone with the driver is really difficult because I don't feel I can just sit and not say anything and once I start to speak I tend to try to say the kind of things that I think a normal person expects to hear and end up telling the driver a load of private information about myself which I had no reason to tell him about at all and which he certainly didn't want to hear and then I have to extricate myself from the mess I've got myself into and give a whole load of explanations about all the odd information I've told him about which certainly weren't the kind of things an average person would have wanted to hear in the first place anyway. Which is not good. So what I try to do now is to pretend I'm under great time-pressure to complete some incredibly urgent paperwork during the journey. I bury myself (not literally) in my papers and look intently at words and phrases as if I was checking out something incredibly important and difficult. That's embarrassing, too, because it's often the same taxi drivers week after week and they must think I'm totally disorganised and unprepared for my job.

(I've just realised there's already a thread on a closely related topic. Sorry.)

Since learning of my AS I avoid engaging strangers in conversation, unless they seem somewhat aspergian

Taxi drivers are not the most ethical people around, and usually very NT....

I don't go out much so I haven't been in a cab in a while and it's been even longer since I've been in one alone.

Other than telling the cab driver where I'm going I look out the window and say nothing. If they talk to me I give the briefest answer possible.

I hate being in an enclosed space with someone and nobody is talking. So, I actually prefer the chatty drivers to the silent ones. If I try to keep the conversation to holidays, the weather or kids, the journey is fine. But, I'd much rather take the bus or train.

A taxi would be my last resort. However, I have no problems being quiet all the way and not talking. I'd much rather ride undisturbed. I can't stand talking about weather and stuff. I usually have earphones in to isolate myself from the city noises anyway.

Why are you worried about sitting there in silence? a) They're used to it, and b) You don't need to impress them, they're doing their job, not trying to be your friend.

The last time I was in a taxi it was on the way to the train station and the driver talked endlessly to the person with me and not to me. I thought he would never stop. Some people are very uncomfortable with silence.

The easiest way to deal with it is to act like you are not interested in talking with them. If you have a cell phone, start fiddling with it. No need for papers. Some people even pretend like they are on their cell when they aren't to avoid having a conversation. If I ever did that, I would just mutter an "uhhuh" every once in a while since making up stuff to say is even worse than talking to the plebs.

What I really hate are intrusive questions they ask about my personal life, career, etc. If they stuck to non personal topics I would feel more comfortable but I hate being pumped for information. I am still waiting for one of them to ask me what my social security number is. They get way too personal for my liking.

Silence is Golden - I don't talk to strangers, especially taxi drivers…

Well, either:

A) Walk
or
B) Offer them some money if they drive you to your destination without chit-chat.

If you really just don't want to talk to them at all, just say, "I'm in kind of a mood, and would rather not talk if you don't mind. Can we just get there please?"

I've had plenty of fairs who have done that too. Trust me, you WON'T be the first fair that's ever done it. They will just blow it off as "part of what happens (or doesn't happen) between here and there."

It's really NO big deal, either way.

BTW, the same situation works in reverse. Imagine being the driver and not being in the mood to engage in small talk. Try dealing with THAT! You guys only have to deal with it between the pick up and the drop off. Imagine being the DRIVER, in the mood your in, having one (thankfully) quite fair, but having to look forward to dozens of others who are probably going to talk your freaking ear off about all kinds of garbage you don't give a crap about!